Sequestration Meeting with Obama Cut Short as McConnell and Boehner Had Flights to Catch After Working Three Days This Week

Unlike previous budget clashes over the last two years, neither Obama or the Republicans showed any interest in trying to negotiate a last-minute deal. Obama said a country like America should not be forced to run its economy making deals on a month to month basis and he is looking for a long-term solution: what he referred to as a balanced approach, a combination of spending cuts and new taxes.

Minority Leader McConnell (R-KY) and Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) did the bidding of the Koch Bros and other big donors in a short meeting at the White House on Sequester and then left to catch a plane.  Since Boehner abdicated the role of the House in the Sequestration process to the Senate and GOP Senators made sure no bill passed out of the Senate, it is up to the President to order the cuts throughout the Government.

May I make a few suggestions?

• Stop all Air Force air travel for members of Congress - no more boondoggles on the taxpayers nickle.
• Demand that Congress cut even more then DoD - say 18% which would be double.  Trim their office and committee staffs which have grown over the years since GOP took over under Bush.  My bet is the American people would be happy too see the Congress budget slashed.  If Rand Paul did not use $600K  for office/staff, it is time the rest cut corners.  Sen Rubio (R-FL) going to Israel and Jordan on our nickle right before sequestration shows a total disregard for the American taxpayer.  He is all about Rubio and nothing else just like a spoiled selfish brat.  He votes against Hurricane Sandy relief and then goes to Wall Street to raise money.  
• Cut all emergency aid for states where members of Congress voted against Hurricane Sandy relief
• Shut down Cabinet people testifying to Congress - no need to hold hearings and waste money
• Suspend production of F-35 which has not completed flight test.  DoD lowered the Specs because the F-35 couldn't meet the original specs and now fleet is grounded due to a crack in a fan blade in the engine.  Stop millions going to Lockheed and other big Defense Contractors on programs they are over budget and behind schedule.  Lot to cut at Defense - cannot wait to see SecDef Hagel start slashing unnecessary programs.
• Suspend and cancel all big oil/gas subsidies.  Note:  This should be permanent
• Don't approve Northern Keystone pipeline - not enough inspectors
• Time for GSA who controls all Government buildings/transportation/utilities to cut transportation used by Members of Congress.  Stop reimbursement for travel as well.  Cut back on utilities as Congress doesn't need heat or cooling in the Chambers since they only work three days a week.  BTW, Senate has not approved new head of GSA as they have an acting director since April 2012 like ATF has had an acting director for seven years.

Those are just a few suggestions and could come up with plenty more out of Defense.  Very happy that SecDef Hagel was confirmed before sequestration happened as you are not going to fool him - he knows how Congress and DoD operates.

As someone said on Twitter, the USPS employees want to work six days a week while the GOP in Congress want to work three days a week.  Time for new Dem leadership in the Senate as Reid is almost as bad - only one with a backbone is Nancy Pelosi.  House and Senate Dems are mostly staying in DC to try and get something done.  Reid got snowed by McConnell on the filibuster because of the NRA and the Country is paying for it today because of the Senate had been able to pass a bill instead of not getting 60 votes to pass, the pressure on the House would have been huge on Sequestration.  Reid was played for a fool by McConnell.

Republican House is out of town now as they have spent their three days in DC.  Time to get Friday and Monday off back in their Republican districts where no one can find most of them.  What a bunch of scum who live off the taxpayers of this Country while all they care about is making sure that their big donors keep tax loopholes while the rest of the Country suffers.  Where is the House Budget?  Excuse me, as I forgot that Boehner said let the Senate do it when it comes to Sequestration even when bills dealing with the budget are to originate in the House.  It seems the Constitution that gives the House the primary role in the Budget is just a pesky document until it says something they want like the 2nd amendment.  Even then they have a lack of reading comprehension - a well regulated militia is the State National Guard not the rogue militia that the Tea Party loves.

Speaking of reading comprehension how did the House GOP come up with the fact that taxes were raised for the wealthy when it was the Bush tax cuts expiring.  Big difference between expiring and raising taxes from scratch.  IMHO, taxes for the wealthy should have risen even more.

Republican House members Cantor and Ryan have now taken responsibility for sequestration idea - so much for Boehner blaming Obama.  I am happy to see that Obama has now come out publicly blaming the GOP for 'dumb' and 'arbitrary' spending cuts.  Tea Party is getting what they want with a tanked economy along with slashed Government spending that will hurt seniors, middle class, and children the most, but preserves tax loopholes for the wealthy.

Obama blames Republicans for ‘dumb’ and ‘arbitrary’ spending cuts
By Ewen MacAskill, The Guardian Friday, March 1, 2013 15:44 EST 

President warns US to prepare for drawn-out standoff after futile meeting with congressional leaders over scheduled cuts 

Barack Obama is due to sign an order before midnight on Friday to implement $85bn in spending cuts, a move he described as “dumb” and “arbitrary” and that he blamed on the intransigence of Republicans in Congress. 

Speaking at a White House press conference after a futile meeting with congressional leaders, Obama warned Americans to prepare for a drawn-out confrontation that could last for months and will be painful for working-class people. 

Federal agencies will spend the weekend redrawing their budget plans and beginning the process of sending out letters to federal workers giving them 30 days notice of shorter hours, furloughs and even lay-offs. The White House budget office also has to inform Congress of where the spending cuts are to be made. 

The hardest-hit department will be the Pentagon, which will have to find more than $40bn in savings between now and September, about 9% of its overall budget. But almost every government department, from aviation to the park service, will be hit, with cuts amounting to about 5% of their overall budgets. Only Medicaid and welfare benefits such as food stamps are exempted. 

Obama met Republican congressional leaders Mitch McConnell and John Boehner and their Democratic counterparts Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi at the White House on Friday morning but it was a largely pointless exercise. The meeting broke-up after less than an hour without any hint of a deal in the offing. 

The impact of the budget cuts, known as the “sequester”, will be felt almost immediately in some areas but most will be a slow burn, not coming into effect until next month. 

Obama, after being asked why he had not been able to push the Republicans in negotiating, said: “I am not a dictator. I’m the president.” He could not force them to sit down in a room to do a deal, he said. “So ultimately if Mitch McConnell or John Boehner say ‘We need to go catch a plane,’ I can’t have secret service block the doorway.” 

“We will get through this. This is not going to be an apocalypse, I think as some people have said,” Obama said. “It’s just dumb. And it’s going to hurt. It’s going to hurt individual people and it’s going to hurt the economy overall,” he said.

Read More at Raw Story

Robert Reich's article from yesterday details the Sequester and the Tea Party Plot that is driving this.  Remember when you see Tea Party to automatically say Koch Brothers who are behind the Tea Party and have bought and paid for many members of the GOP along with other big donors.  Obstructionism, arrogance, and stupidity are alive and well in today's GOP.  Can you say John Birch Society in action?

The Sequester and the Tea Party Plot  

Robert Reich 

Thursday, February 28, 2013 

Imagine a plot to undermine the government of the United States, to destroy much of its capacity to do the public’s business, and to sow distrust among the population. 

Imagine further that the plotters infiltrate Congress and state governments, reshape their districts to give them disproportionate influence in Washington, and use the media to spread big lies about the government. 

Finally, imagine they not only paralyze the government but are on the verge of dismantling pieces of it. 

Far-fetched?  Perhaps. But take a look at what’s been happening in Washington and many state capitals since Tea Party fanatics gained effective control of the Republican Party, and you’d be forgiven if you see parallels. 

Tea Party Republicans are crowing about the “sequestration” cuts beginning today (Friday). “This will be the first significant tea party victory in that we got what we set out to do in changing Washington,” says Rep. Tim Huelskamp (Kan.), a Tea Partier who was first elected in 2010.Sequestration is only the start. What they set out to do was not simply change Washington but eviscerate the U.S. government — “drown it in the bathtub,” in the words of their guru Grover Norquist – slashing Social Security and Medicare, ending worker protections we’ve had since the 1930s, eroding civil rights and voting rights, terminating programs that have helped the poor for generations, and making it impossible for the government to invest in our future. 

Sequestration grew out of a strategy hatched soon after they took over the House in 2011, to achieve their goals by holding hostage the full faith and credit of the United States – notwithstanding the Constitution’s instruction that the public debt of the United States “not be questioned.” 

To avoid default on the public debt, the White House and House Republicans agreed to harsh and arbitrary “sequestered” spending cuts if they couldn’t come up with a more reasonable deal in the interim. But the Tea Partiers had no intention of agreeing to anything more reasonable. 

They knew the only way to dismember the federal government was through large spending cuts without tax increases. 

Nor do they seem to mind the higher unemployment their strategy will almost certainly bring about. Sequestration combined with January’s fiscal cliff deal is expected to slow economic growth by 1.5 percentage points this year – dangerous for an economy now crawling at about 2 percent. It will be even worse if the Tea Partiers  refuse to extend the government’s spending authority, which expires March 27. 

A conspiracy theorist might think they welcome more joblessness because they want Americans to be even more fearful and angry. Tea Partiers use fear and anger in their war against the government – blaming the anemic recovery on government deficits and the government’s size, and selling a poisonous snake-oil of austerity economics and trickle-down economics as the remedy. 

They likewise use the disruption and paralysis they’ve sown in Washington to persuade Americans government is necessarily dysfunctional, and politics inherently bad. Their continuing showdowns and standoffs are, in this sense, part of the plot.   

(snip) 

I suggest the President forget about a “grand bargain.” In fact, he should stop talking about the budget deficit and start talking about jobs and wages, and widening inequality – as he did in the campaign. And he should give up all hope of making a deal with the Tea Partiers who now run the Republican Party.Instead, the President should let the public see the Tea Partiers for who they are — a small, radical minority intent on dismantling the government of the United States. 

As long as they are allowed to dictate the terms of public debate they will continue to hold the rest of us hostage to their extremism.

 Read More from Robert Reich

If that is not enough to make your blood boil, then read the real truth about the founding of Tea Party that has been discovered during an investigation.  The results are going to surprise you but when you connect the dots, it makes sense.

IMHO Koch Brothers, Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, Scaiffe Foundations, Pete Peterson and others who have loyalty to the John Birchers are behind what is happening to the Nation right now.  These big wealthy donors want unions destroyed along with the minimum wage and middle class to have an elitist group of people with all the money who run the Country while we get the scrapes.  Right now President Obama is standing in their way along with Nancy Pelosi and Democrats in the Senate like Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and others who are fighting for the Middle Class against the wealthy GOP donors.

We need to make our voices heard in 2014 and kick out the Tea Party not only from the Congress but from the State Houses.  It is time for a coalition to form of like minded citizens no matter the party who see the danger coming from the hard right and Tea Party members of Congress.  All the various groups working together can defeat the Tea Party and, in turn, the wealthy Republican donors who are driving this campaign to wreck America for their own selfish reasons.

Republicans up the Rhetoric on DoD Sequestration Backing Themselves Into a Corner

Do Republicans really believe their own rhetoric?

Republicans on Armed Services are upping the rhetoric about sequestration to make it sound like the end of an era for United States as a Superpower is at hand if the US military is required to take sequestration cuts.  With all their rhetoric, they have backed themselves into a corner as pointed out by Talking Points Memo:

That argument exposes the GOP’s bluff. If the consequences will be as dire as Graham et al claim, then of course it’s worth considering paying down sequestration with some new tax revenues. By contrast if the situation isn’t desperate enough to make Republicans consider higher revenues, then how can they claim it will be a boon to the country’s enemies. If both things are true then the GOP position amounts to prioritizing emboldening Iran and al Qaeda over modestly raising taxes on wealthy Americans. 

The comments of Senators McCain, Graham, and Inhofe leave you shaking your head and asking why do these three men insist that small cuts be made while taxes not be raised on the wealthy?  Cuts will be on the backs of civil service if the GOP has its way.  It doesn't seem like this group feels there are any cuts that can be made at DoD without sacrificing readiness which is a blatant spinning of the truth.  There might not be an organization in the Federal Government that wastes more money then the Defense Department with some of their boondoggles over the years with their attitude of shiny and new for weapons systems over maintaining/upgrading what is already in the inventory.

Once again the three Senators on Senate Armed Services are over the top with their comments in this article:

Armed Service Republicans Reveal Unsustainable GOP Position On Sequestration
Brian Beutler February 7, 2013, 6:00 AM 19101 

Armed Service committee Republicans in both the House and Senate scheduled a Capitol press conference Wednesday to promote legislation to pay down the sequester — deep, across the board cuts to defense and domestic spending — through September without raising any tax revenue. But the assembled members unintentionally revealed a tension just beneath the surface of GOP unity that might ultimately crack the party’s anti-tax absolutism once again.
Several of the members — all party principles on defense issues — described the consequences of sequestration in apocalyptic terms. 

“If it’s implemented it’ll cut every ship, aircraft, tank, truck program, research and development across the board,” said Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), who until recently was the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services committee. “According to one economic analysis the cost — would cause the loss of 350,000 full time direct jobs, and 650,000 indirect job losses.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) depicted sequestration as a gift to U.S. foes. “Our enemies would love this to happen,” he said. “I’m sure Iran is very supportive of sequestration. I’m sure Al Qaeda training camps all over the world would be pleased with the fact that sequestration will gut the CIA.” 

This raises an obvious question. If the consequences of sequestration are dire — if they might even result in the deaths of innocent people — isn’t it worth sitting down and negotiating with Democrats, who say they’re done hacking away at domestic social programs simply because Republicans refuse to increase revenues? 

Here’s how Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK), the top armed services Republican, responded. The terrible consequences of sequestration, he said, are “not desperate enough that you can start raising taxes when you can do it without raising taxes.”

The plan the Republicans are proposing would freeze congressional pay and reduce the federal workforce by attrition to pay down the sequester through the end of the fiscal year.

What about next year Senator Inhofe?  Is that another punting the ball down the field to run out the clock instead of taking bold action to work together for sensible cuts/raising taxes.  What does the GOP have against raising taxes on the wealthy including wealthy defense contractors?  Guess they favor the corporate loopholes where you can move profit off shore and yet take expenses off your income tax.

Senator Bernie Sanders submitted a bill today to close those corporation loopholes.  Will any of these three Senators sign on to that. My bet is NO!

Sen. Bernie Sanders on Thursday introduced a bill to stop profitable corporations from sheltering income in the Cayman Islands and other tax havens. The legislation also would end tax breaks for companies that ship jobs and factories overseas.  Sanders’ bill and a companion measure to be introduced in the House by Rep. Jan Schakowsky would yield more than $590 billion in revenue over the next decade, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation. “At a time when we have a $16.5 trillion national debt and an unsustainable federal deficit; at a time when roughly one-quarter of the largest corporations in America are paying no federal income taxes; and at a time when corporate profits are at an all-time high, it is past time for corporate America to contribute significantly to deficit reduction,” said Sanders, a member of the Senate Budget Committee. 

• For a fact sheet on the bill, click here. 
• To read the bill, click here.
• To read a report on corporate tax dodgers, click here. 
• Continue reading End Offshore Tax Havens »

Senator Sanders makes sense on steps to lower the debt and deficit while the Armed Services GOP trio plan is to freeze salaries of Congress and cut the federal workforce by attrition.  I can think of cuts to Congress that should be made as there are too many aide/committee staffer positions which have grown in numbers over the years.  Congress needs to get their own houses in order with cuts first starting with their boondoggle trips and then we will listen.

What does the DoD have planned if sequestering takes place?  Some of the cuts are outlined by Defense Industry Daily:

• House Armed Services Committee (HASC) Chairman Buck McKeon (R-CA), SASC Ranking Member Jim Inhofe (R-OK), and other allied Republican members of Congress introduced the Down Payment to Protect National Security Act of 2013 [PDF] as their way of preventing sequestration. The bill “would pay for one year of defense and non-defense sequestration by requiring a reduction in the federal workforce through attrition and a pay freeze for members of Congress.” The Congressional pay freeze is of course only symbolic. More than anything, this proposal shows no grand bargain is going to happen in the less than 4 weeks remaining before the sequester kicks in: it’s now all about finding a patch that will stick for a little while.
• Meanwhile Continuing Resolution/sequestration planning continues to trickle down through the services. The Air Force memo [PDF] shows $3.4B in FY13 (still tentative) sequestration actions, from potential furloughs to reductions in weapons sustainment and flight hours.
• And here’s the take from Vice Adm. David Dunaway for US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR):

“A year-long CR and sequestration would mean a $3.5 billion cut to NAVAIR in FY13, including $3 billion across investment accounts (research and development, and procurement) and $520 million in OMN.”

• The US Navy also decided to delay the deployment of the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HST CSG).

AOL Defense has the Army plans if sequestration is implemented including the slides referenced below:

WASHINGTON: Rarely have such pretty slides told such an ugly story. While Army Chief of Staff Ray Odierno tries to talk up "The Force of Tomorrow," Army briefing documents obtained today by AOL Defense lay out the near-term impact of sequestration, the Continuing Resolution, and unresolved overseas contingency operations needs: an enormous $18 billion shortfall for the service that will be borne almost entirely by federal workers and military readiness. 

The Army will have money to fully train only a fraction of its total force: The 82nd Airborne's Global Response Force paratrooper brigade, units in Korea, and troops headed for Afghanistan. Everyone else will cancel everything more elaborate than "squad-level training."
As a result, the documents say, "In 1st quarter [of] FY 2014 , 78% of non-deploying, non-forward deployed brigade combat teams (BCTs) are not ready for contingencies without significant preparation." 

Even individual training will suffer in some areas. Helicopter pilots won't be able to fly enough to meet proficiency requirements. Cutbacks at flight schools will leave the Army short about 500 aircrew for its fleet of helicopters. Cancellation of other specialized courses will create a shortfall of about 4,000 military intelligence specialists.

All services will most likely furlough employees for up to 22 days if the sequestration cuts go through.  Are Republicans in the Congress going to be the Party of NO for raising taxes and closing loopholes to keep from sequestration at the DoD?  Or are the members of the Party of NO going to get some common sense and work with President Obama to avoid the cuts.  Republicans bluffs no longer work as it is time to get serious instead of the House wanting to overturn Obamacare again which is not going to happen.  The House is the worst I have seen in my lifetime with getting nothing done and taking more vacations since the GOP took over the House.  Time for House Republican leadership to put Country over Party and get something done.  Compromise is not a dirty word and if they think it is, then time to resign from Congress and allow adults to be in charge.

My suggestion for a cut at DoD:

If Defense contractors want to pay their CEO's and top managers millions, then remove those salaries from overhead in contracts so the cost of manhours reflect the actual cost not the over inflated costs that a $25M salary w/benefits paid to a CEO will bring.  Base the overhead for the CEO and management on what the Government pays their top people including the President and not a penny more.  These same Defense contractors pay their top echelon millions in salaries/benefits/bonus while giving their rank and file employees who do the actual work small raises each year. In the meantime taxpayers are getting ripped off by these people in the defense industry who make demands of Republicans in Congress not to raise their taxes or change the way contracts are awarded or how to calculate their overhead including salaries/bonuses/benefits/golden parachutes.  Their GOP puppets stand tall, salute, and say "Yes Sir!" while the taxpayers of America get shafted once again.

See how easy that was and there are plenty more cuts that can be made without sacrificing our military and our national security but then some members of Congress might not get their perks/donations from the defense industry.  Taxpayers would be the winner.