This entry was included in the Congressional Quarterly Midday update:
GOP Leaders Will Ask Committees to `Dig Deeper' to Offset Hurricane Costs
Congressional leaders this week plan to ask their committee chairmen to "dig deeper" to find new spending cuts that could be used to defray some of the costs of recovery from Hurricane Katrina, according to a top Senate GOP aide.
Although the total cost of Katrina is far from clear, and Hurricane Rita may require significant additional federal spending, Republican conservatives are chafing at the huge outlays involved. They have been demanding offsetting spending cuts...[snip]
GOP leaders will send a letter this week asking committees to find additional savings through the budget reconciliation process above the $35 billion already targeted. A new target will not be provided, however, he said.
Several committees, especially in the Senate, already are finding it next to impossible to meet their existing spending-cut targets. How can they go further? "Gonna be tough," (Frist budget advisor G. William) Hoagland said. "Gonna be tough."
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Of course, there's one simple market solution to saving the tens of billions of tax dollars needed, to pay for the disastrous impact of Hurricane Katrina:
Open up the Iraq and Katrina No-Bid contracts for competitive bidding. [I love being a Free-Market Democrat!]
We've got billions going to Halliburton. Billions going to KBR. Billions going to other Bush cronies. It's time we show some real discipline and commitment to market-based economics:
Competition? Good for taxpayers. No bid monopolies? Good for Bush Rangers.
I'll be asking my Congressman, the Honorable Jim Oberstar, to leverage his 31 years of experience, seniority, and excellent reputation to take the lead on this. Will you join me in asking your Representative and Senators to do the same?