Senators Introduce the Reduce Unnecessary Spending Act

[Casino67]

Senatus:

Taking their lead from “President Obama’s recent proposal, a bipartisan group of senators on Wednesday introduced a bill to empower him and future presidents to get a quick vote in Congress on deleting spending items from annual appropriations measures soon after they have been signed into law,” the New York Times reports.

The concept, known as expedited rescissions authority, is designed as a constitutional alternative to a line-item veto, which the Supreme Court, in 1998, ruled violated Congress’s power of the purse. Some Congressional leaders are no less opposed, though growing antideficits fervor in this election year has lawmakers looking for ways to respond.

Some background on the bill:

Senator Russ Feingold, Democrat of Wisconsin and a lead sponsor of the legislation, acknowledged, “It will be a battle, but I have every reason to believe this can pass,” perhaps in the coming year, “and you have a Democratic president who wants it.” {And a Republican Congress}

The administration supports the Senate version, an official said. It would require a president to send Congress proposed rescission's within 45 calendar days after signing an appropriations measure – sooner than the 45 Congressional business days that Mr. Obama proposed as a deadline. Congress would have to consider the president’s rescission's proposal immediately and the House and Senate could not amend it.

Among Mr. Feingold’s co-sponsors are Senator Thomas R. Carper, Democrat of Delaware, and Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona.

It’s called the Reduce Unnecessary Spending Act.

[Pepper]

Casino67

 

Reduce Unnecessary Spending Act = RUSA

 

(thinking Russia here)

 

But a better term would have been

 

Reduce Unnecessary Spending Enactment = RUSE

[Valin]

What is Unnecessary Spending?

 

What a Jon Kyl might consider unnecessary, Barbara Boxer might consider vital.

[Argyle58]

Do you catch a wiff of fear in the air?

 

I catch a whiff of something, but I'm not so sure it's fear. More like a mixture of male bovine fecal matter and compost.

 

Much like PAYGO, this is merely an election year attempt at trying to impress the electorate with their newly found sense of fiscal responsibility. Like PAYGO, it will be ignored by the very people who vote for it.

 

As of yet, we haven't seen a spending bill that this Congress and this President wouldn't like...........if we had responsible people in charge of either branch, this wouldn't even be something that would need to be considered.

[Valin]

Do you catch a wiff of fear in the air?

 

I catch a whiff of something, but I'm not so sure it's fear. More like a mixture of male bovine fecal matter and compost.

 

Much like PAYGO, this is merely an election year attempt at trying to impress the electorate with their newly found sense of fiscal responsibility. Like PAYGO, it will be ignored by the very people who vote for it.

 

 

I am always reminded of the Will Rodgers quote...."On election day the promising season ends and the excuse making season begins."