February 05, 2008

Democrats Blast Bush's Budget Request

When President Bush delivered his final, $3 trillion-plus budget to Congress yesterday, congressional Democrats from both chambers wasted no time laying out their opposition to the proposal.

Senate Democrats quickly attacked the FY09 request, with Majority Leader Harry Reid blasting it as "more of the same," taking specific issue with the budget's proposed cuts in Medicare and Medicaid, its failure to address rising college costs and its neglect of energy issues. "Furthermore, this budget is fiscally irresponsible and highly deceptive, hiding the costs of the war in Iraq while increasing our skyrocketing debt," Reid said. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., said many of those proposed cuts will never get through Congress, particularly a proposed $178 billion cut in Medicare.

On the House side, the budget was met with condemnation from Democratic leaders for continuing "failed" policies and praise from Republican leaders for starting the annual conversation in a fiscally sound manner. The annual rhetorical battle over federal priorities sets up a replay of last year's partisan budget showdown, but with an election-year edge heightened by the economic downturn.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi attacked the proposal for demonstrating "fiscal irresponsibility," because it again fails to include the cost of the Iraq war in the regular budget process and does not meet national needs. GOP leaders focused on White House claims that the plan would balance the budget by 2012 without raising taxes.

Meanwhile, Office of Management and Budget Director Jim Nussle yesterday characterized the $400 billion deficits forecast for this year and next as "temporary" and "manageable." He said they are lower as a percentage of GDP than the worst deficits of previous years and their growth could be kept in check with fiscal discipline.

For complete coverage of the president's budget, see yesterday's CongressDailyPM (subscription).

-Compiled from reports by Christian Bourge, Keith Koffler and Ben Schneider, CongressDaily

Posted at 10:22 AM
Posted to: Bush Administration, Congress, House, President Bush, Senate
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