President Obama to Propose Budget Freeze and Earmark Ban Tonight

[The Straight Story]

Pursuing a path of deficit reduction and government reform, President Obama will tonight in his State of the Union address call for a ban on earmarks and he will propose an overall budget freeze, ABC News has learned.

The proposals come as the president prepares to tackle the deficit and debt and as he faces a House of Representatives in Republican hands, many of whose members include those affiliated with the Tea Party who may be willing to embrace both moves.

The president will propose some new spending in certain areas that address the speech’s theme of “How We Win the Future”: innovation, education and infrastructure. But those increases will be proposed as part of an overall budget freeze, which given the annual rate of growth is often seen in Washington, DC, budgeting as a cut.

The FY 2011 budget was $3.8 trillion. Last year President Obama proposed a three-year hard freeze on non-security discretionary spending, to save $250 billion over the next decade; this would be much broader.




http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2011/01/exclusive-president-obama-to-propose-budget-freeze-and-earmark-ban-tonight.html

[Autumn]

1. End the fucking wars

that will help a hell of a lot with his budget woes.

[zipplewrath]

2. The key phrase

"...three-year hard freeze on non-security discretionary spending..."

We keep wanting to ignore that we are bankrupting our country pursuing wars of regional domination.

[Autumn]

3. Is it the water in DC that makes these

politicians so stupid? I am beginning to realize that they are purposely bankrupting our country.

[DJ13]

5. Not the water

Its the money being thrown about by the corporations that makes them stupid.

[blindpig]

7. Yes

That phrase renders all the rest a farce.

[Bandit]

4. A dollar to a doughnut that there will be an INCREASE in Defense Spending

We do not have a Democrat in the Whitehouse, no matter what letter follows his name..

[madrchsod]

6. ban on earmarks....now that is hilarious.

i wonder why he thinks anyone would believe what he says

[somone]

8. i.e. "Security"-related corporate welfare shall continue at all costs

[Safetykitten]

9. This is so huge, so huge. really huge. massively huge. wildly huge.

[edhopper]

10. Cutting Government spending

in a down economy is harmful. There are no sane people in Washington anymore. The GOP talking point meme has replaced all rational thought.

[Canuckistanian]

14. It make s a mockery of stimulus funding

He's giving with one hand and taking away with the other. End result? Nothing.

You can't stimulate an economy by starving it of cash.

[Newest Reality]

11. In related news ...

The wealthy families of America and their related ilk are noting strong, pleasurable feelings building in their groins as they anticipate good news from tonight's SOTU speech. They did complain of eyestrain from watching their wealth accrue so massively and rapidly. "It makes my head spin and I am a bit tired from going through all the details of my last yacht purchase. Yet, I am being more frugal and saving my brazillions these days." Said one anonymous more-real-than-others person.

The middle-class will wonder if they will benefit from the spoils of those who win the future while they scratch their heads inquisitively and note, "Didn't they already win it?" Some are said to wonder if serving their masters will bring an end to their concerns about lead-lined, downward mobility.

The working and non-working poor will most likely be unable to watch or read about the SOTU. When polled on the streets and behind large stores, most of the destitute anticipated no news of concern for their predicament at all. Being non-equal in the political end-game is an accepted fact amongst the burgeoning Underclass who see themselves as without any representation. Most of them expressed concern about their actual existence due to the fact that they are largely unnoticed by society. One, middle-aged homeless man, a former Engineer, noted, "I'm wondering when we will begin using the term, 'untouchables' to more accurately describe the condition and fate of the hordes of disenfranchised people building up everywhere?"

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

12. Is he going to throw in a bottle of "Magic Grow Hair Restorer" with the snake oil he's selling?

[DefenseLawyer]

16. How is it with stains?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

17. It only works "moderately" well and depends on polling to be effective.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

13. Earmark Ban... for the love of god, please let this be true.

[n2doc]

15. Didn't he already propose these after the 2010 Nov. Elections?

And Defense and "Homeland Security" will be off the table, as usual.

[ladjf]

18. Face it. America no longer owns it's Government. nt

[MadHound]

19. So much for jobs, job growth, job stimulation. n/t