Thoughts on the Budget Fiasco

[Valin]

Power Line:

Steven Hayward

December 21, 2015

 

I’m still scratching my head about the results of the omnibus budget that passed last week, in which it appears Republicans snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. About the only tangible victories were the ending of the ban on oil exports, and the torpedoes launched at Obamacare (i.e., cutting off the insurance company bailout, and postponing the “Cadillac” tax on health plans, though I acknowledge the contrary case that this may be a tactical mistake; i.e., doing so forfeits “heightening the contradictions”). In any case, those torpedoes won’t strike the hull for a while, and may not sink the leaky skip.

 

I’m not sure I agree with brother Paul here that Paul Ryan is essentially a double agent for the Democrats, but at the very least Ryan and the rest of the GOP leadership need to give a better account of things. It is possible that they can’t give a better account, without making things worse. At the very least, we should add the word “omnibus” to the word “comprehensive” as terms that should be expunged from our legislative vocabulary and practice. Better luck next year? Can we please get back to the prescribed practice of passing separate appropriation bills for the major departments of government as the law calls for, instead of this annual ritual of an “omnibus” bill that is always a defeat for our side?* Maybe, though surely the Chicago Cubs can be forgiven for laughing at the GOP right now.

 

(Snip)

 

These are the kind of sausage-making details that get little media coverage, even in specialized press such as Politico or The Hill. I’ve long thought Republicans aren’t very good at this process for a lot of reasons having to do with the asymmetry of the two parties when it comes to government. It’s much easier for liberals to slip in or increase spending items than it is to strip them out or reduce them. House Democrats grew especially skilled at this game during the 40 years they ran the House without interruption before 1995, and their institutional memory and skill lasts a long time. And as I say, being the party of government makes your job easier.

 

There’s a second layer of difficulty, however. If a critical mass of House Republicans say they will not vote for a budget that does not successfully defund Planned Parenthood, repeal Obamacare, or any number of other worthy targets, it means a budget cannot pass without Democratic votes. Advantage Pelosi. If you announce ahead of time that you won’t vote for a big spending budget, you lose any leverage over the final outcome, and transfer the power back to the Speaker’s office. This is game theory 101. This is what Rep. Tom McClintock had in mind when he resigned from the House Freedom Caucus back in September, writing that the HFC’s intransigence has “thwarted vital conservative policy objectives and unwittingly become Nancy Pelosi’s tactical ally.”

 

(Snip)