Budget deal outlines reached as Boehner looks to ‘clean the barn’ ahead of retirement

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Washington Times:

The White House and congressional negotiators reached the outlines of a deal Monday to suspend the debt limit and add more discretionary spending to this year’s budget, as all sides look to clear the decks ahead of House Speaker John A. Boehner’s retirement.

 

Both defense and domestic spending will increase in 2016 and 2017, covered by cuts and revenue increases elsewhere over the next decade, according to early details. Lawmakers were briefed on the outlines, and final language was being written Monday night, with the hope of introducing legislation for a House vote Wednesday.

 

The deal also paves the way for another debt holiday, allowing President Obama to borrow as much as he needs to keep the government operating into 2017 — meaning he is likely leave office with the total debt nearing $20 trillion.

 

The deal would divert money to shore up the Social Security disability system’s trust fund, which had been slated to go bankrupt by next year. In exchange, the deal imposes more checks on disability beneficiaries — what backers were calling the biggest changes since the 1980s.

 

“Negotiations are ongoing, but I hope that Democrats and Republicans will come to a resolution soon that is good for our country,” Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, said as his chamber opened for business Monday afternoon.

 

The negotiators include the White House; Mr. Reid; Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican; House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat; and Mr. Boehner.

________

 

John Boehner's last call.

[Geee]

GOP eyeing Social Security reforms in budget deal

 

GOP leaders are pushing structural reforms to Social Security that they believe would avert a 20 percent across-the-board cut in disability benefits next year while saving $200 billion over the next decade by reducing certain benefits.

 

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) are making “structural entitlement reforms” to Social Security Disability Insurance a key piece of budget talks with the White House, according to a source familiar with the talks.

 

“This would be the first significant reform to Social Security since 1983, and would result in $168 billion long-term savings,” the source said.

Details of the Social Security reforms remain under wraps, with both parties saying Monday that the deal is not yet finalized. Spokespersons for both Boehner and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) did not comment on which beneficiaries could see smaller benefits.

Both parties have acknowledged problems with the 50-year-old program. Conservatives argue that the system is flawed because of outdated definitions of disability and instances of fraud and abuse, while Democrats have tried to protect beneficiaries from harsh work requirements or extra requirements.

 

http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/258165-gop-eying-social-security-reforms-in-budget-deal

[Geee]

Budget Deal Kicks the Can on Disability Insurance, Robs $150 Billion from Social Security

 

The budget deal reached last night attempts to stave off depletion of the Disability Insurance (DI) trust fund at the end of 2016 by “reallocating” about $150 billion over the next three years from the Social Security Trust Fund to the Disability Insurance Trust Fund.

 

This infusion of Social Security revenues should keep the disability insurance program solvent through 2022, at which point we can expect lawmakers to rob Social Security yet again.

 

Congress has been kicking the can down the road on disability insurance reform for decades and 2016 should have been the end of the road—time for meaningful reform. Instead, policymakers want to provide a little more roadway for the disability insurance program by whacking off a portion of Social Security’s roadway.

 

This isn’t the first time the disability insurance program has run out of money and it isn’t the first time Congress has kicked the can down the road. As recently as 1994, the disability insurance program was about to run out of money and Congress increased the disability insurance payroll tax by 50 percent, from 1.2 percent to 1.8 percent. That increase was coupled with a stark warning that the disability insurance program was in dire need of additional reforms to sustain it over the long run.

http://dailysignal.com/2015/10/27/budget-deal-kicks-the-can-on-disability-insurance-robs-150-billion-from-social-security/

[Geee]

Paul Ryan on Obama-Boehner Budget Deal: ‘This Is Not the Way to Do the People’s Business’

 

 

Rep. Paul Ryan, the leading candidate to become the next House speaker, today criticized the massive budget deal negotiated by President Barack Obama and Speaker John Boehner.

“This is not the way to do the people’s business,” said Ryan, according to Politico. “And under new management we are not going to do the people’s business this way. We are up against a deadline—that’s unfortunate. But going forward we can’t do the people’s business. As a conference we should’ve been meeting months ago to discuss these things to have a unified strategy going forward.”

As Republican lawmakers met Monday to learn details of the budget plan, Ryan reportedly didn’t speak a word at the meeting. Politico reported Ryan had not reviewed the contents of the deal as of Tuesday morning.

With a vote on the deal expected as early as Wednesday, conservatives turned their attention to the top candidate for speaker. Ryan will face an internal Republican conference vote Wednesday, then a public floor vote Thursday.

 

http://dailysignal.com/2015/10/27/paul-ryan-on-obama-boehner-budget-deal-this-is-not-the-way-to-do-the-peoples-business/

[clearvision]

I don't get a warm and fuzzy feeling about this budget "deal".

[Valin]

[nickydog]

So do you think Boehner will be leaving a little muck in the barn when he leaves?

[Valin]

I don't get a warm and fuzzy feeling about this budget "deal".

 

 

OTOH the Military gets a much needed increase in their budget....ie say good riddens to the sequester.

[Draggingtree]

Let's Really Clean the Barn

By Dr. Robert R. Owens Full Story

 

Outgoing Speaker John Boehner gave a parting gift to his partner President Obama steaming on the floor of the House with the comment that he wanted to “Clean the barn.” What he did instead was add to the barn litter he is leaving behind. His Omnibus Budget Bill aptly entitled the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 that funds the government for the rest of President Obama’s term continues the surrender by Congress of the only leverage they have over a runaway executive: the power of the purse.

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/76422

[Draggingtree]

OCTOBER 29, 2015|

Budget Deal, Discharge Petition, Eximbank, Filibuster Rule, Republican Party, Veto

 

Why the Likely Resurrection of Eximbank is Worse than the Budget Deal

 

by JOHN O. MCGINNIS|1 Comment

The friends of liberty appear to be in danger of suffering two defeats— first, a budget deal that rolls back the sequester without reforms to the core of entitlements and, second, the resurrection of Eximbank. The second defeat would be more devastating than the first, because the procedural advantages are all with liberty in the case of Eximbank.

 

Although the Republicans have a majority in both houses of Congress, they confront substantial obstacles to working their will on the budget. The President can veto (without fear of override) any appropriation bill they send up. Even worse, the Democrats can filibuster any bill in the Senate. As a result, the Republicans cannot even send a continuing resolution funding the government to the President’s desk without substantial Democratic suppor

Mike Rappaport and I have suggested that when Republicans gain control of the entire government, they could create a default appropriation rule that keeps the government running but with a lower level of spending.

http://www.libertylawsite.org/2015/10/29/why-the-likely-resurrection-of-eximbank-is-worse-than-the-budget-deal/

[Draggingtree]

On Ex-Im Bank and Sequestration, GOP Has Inverted Its Principles

By: Michael Haugen (Diary) | October 27th, 2015 at 11:26 PM

 

By a 313-118 vote today, 127 House Republicans voted with the near-entirety of the Democratic caucus–a lone Democrat voted no–to plunge an adrenaline-filled syringe into the chest of the defunct Export-Import Bank a la Pulp Fiction, in an attempt to resurrect the export finance agency from liquidation.

 

Today’s vote comes as a result of a “discharge petition” filed by Republican Rep. Stephen Fincher (R-TN) 73%, a sparingly used parliamentary procedure that circumvents the normal committee process–Rep. Job Hensarling, chairman of the Finanal Services Committee, refused to file a reauthorization bill–to force a vote on the floor of the House.

http://www.redstate.com/diary/gozags34/2015/10/27/ex-im-bank-sequestration-gop-inverted-principles/