First and foremost, it means that they can show everyone -- how they mean Business.
That they alone, "know how to govern" ... just watch them.
Republicans face major governing test: passing a budget
by Francine Kiefer, Christian Science Monitor; news.yahoo.com -- 3/18/2015
When Republicans took control of both houses of Congress this year, their leaders promised to show that they could govern. One of the benchmarks they set for themselves was to return to a more steady process of budgeting and funding the government, which is a basic function of Congress.
[...]
That test began this week as House and Senate Republicans unveiled their budgets on Tuesday and Wednesday. The two versions share a common conservative vision, starting with a balanced budget within 10 years that reduces spending by $5.1 trillion (the Senate plan) and $5.5 trillion (the House plan).
[...]
“This is a Republican vs. Republican situation. If the Republicans can’t get a budget resolution passed, and it’s not going to be as easy as some people think, then the Republican claim to govern goes right down the tubes,” says Stan Collender, a budget expert and executive vice president at Qorvis MSL Group in Washington.
Key points divide Republicans, perhaps the most contentious being what happens to military spending.
[...]
House Republicans Release Balanced Budget Proposal
by Clyde Wayne Crews Jr. Contributor, forbes.com -- 3/17/2015
[...]
It took from the Founding Fathers until Reagan to get a $1 trillion budget; George W. Bush gave us our first two $3 trillion budgets.
The magnitude of federal government spending and deficits is eye-opening; the national debt topped $18 trillion in December 2014, the same month China’s $17.6 trillion GDP made it the world’s largest economy (albeit of course still greatly lagging the U.S. on a per capita basis).
[...]
Here’s the thing, though; in the Obama world, we’re going to spend $49.3 trillion between 2016 and 2025. In the Republican budget, we’re going to spend $43.1 trillion. That’s still big money; government will still be doing too much. We’ll have a $6 trillion annual budget under Obama in 2025 -- but it’ll be at least $5 trillion under Republicans.
[...]
And from those sobering numbers, "Balancing the Budget" means a lot of fancy "smoke in mirrors"
-- since nowhere, are they acknowledging the necessity of raising Revenues (ie Taxes), to meet our many National expenses and obligations.
Pay no attention to those "bean counters" in the smoke-filled rooms ...
Here are some the highlights of the Press Release for the House Budget Committee's “A Balanced Budget for a Stronger America."
-- Ryan Murphy, William Allison, Washington, budget.house.gov -- Mar 17, 2015
• Repeals Obamacare in full -- including all of its taxes, regulations and mandates
• Boosts defense spending above the president’s levels while putting in place a plan to responsibly address the current spending caps and the threat of sequester
• Promotes innovation and flexibility for Medicaid, nutrition assistance, education and other programs
Here are some the low-lights of the actual Plan from House Republicans:
Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Resolution
“Balanced Budget for a Stronger America” [pdf]
budget.house.gov
[pg 12]
Tax Reform
[...]
• Our budget calls for comprehensive tax reform that would include lower rates for individuals and families as well as large corporations and small businesses who often file their tax returns through the individual side of the tax code.
• We would repeal the Alternative Minimum Tax and transition away from a worldwide tax system to a more competitive international tax system.
• Along with lower rates, we propose broadening the tax base by closing special interest loopholes that distort economic activity.
[pg 14]
Financial Services
• This budget makes great strides in repealing onerous policies enacted under Dodd-Frank that are hurting financial institutions both large and small and the businesses and families they serve. This will help eliminate several programs that have proven specifically harmful to our economy and taxpayers.
[...]
• Our budget also supports cancelling the ability of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (created by Dodd-Frank) to fund its operations from the Federal Reserve’s yearly remittances to the Treasury Department. [...]
• Our budget privatizes Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. [...]
[pg 17]
Obamacare
• This budget repeals Obamacare in its entirety – including all of the tax increases, regulations, subsidies, and mandates.
• We end the over $700 billion Obamacare raid on Medicare and ensure Medicare savings go toward improving Medicare solvency, not to pay for a new entitlement. When drafting their health care law, Democrats erroneously insisted this money would both shore up the Medicare Trust Fund and pay for a new health-care entitlement program. [...]
• The budget repeals Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion so the program is able to focus on its core mission of serving those in our communities most in need of assistance.
[pg 18]
Medicare
[...]
Moving to a premium support model would give seniors more freedom to choose the best plan for them and would force providers to compete against each other on price and quality. This means the program would work better for patients now and save the program for future generations of seniors.
[pg 20]
Medicaid
[...]
• Our budget begins to fix the problem by repealing the Medicaid expansion under Obamacare and instead grants flexibility to States so the program can better serve those who it is intended to benefit.
[...]
• Under our proposal, Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) would be unified into a single program. This budget also includes a reserve fund to provide for the extension of federal spending on SCHIP.
[pg 21]
Social Security
[...]
• For these reasons, at the beginning of the 114th Congress, the House of Representatives adopted a rule that would prohibit Congress from propping up the solvency of the Disability Insurance trust fund by taking from the Old Age and Survivors Insurance trust fund without improving the solvency of the combined Old Age and Survivors Disability Insurance trust fund. In short, there should be no raiding of the Social Security retirement program to bailout another, currently unsustainable program.
[...]
I think they forgot one:
• Everyone one in America needs to check their "couch cushions"
-- any "spare change" you find there, dutiful send it to the GOP House of Representatives (where taxes-are-verboten) Budget Committee.
Post Haste. Only YOU can prevent $49.3 trillion in spending.
And with the GOP's "help" that 10-year spending target can be slashed down to $43.1 trillion. No problem.
Woohoo! I feel better.
Let the GOP wonder-working begin. This is what the country has been waiting for:
The Government-haters, to unleash their wasteful Hate ...