Federal spending
Sen. Jim Bunning has single-handedly halted dozens of major highway construction projects nationwide and put 2,000 workers on temporary layoffs with his use of a parliamentary tactic allowing a single senator to block legislation.
The Kentucky Republican has prevented Senate action on a $10 billion, stopgap measure to continue the highway work, extend unemployment benefits to 400,000 people, maintain Medicare payment levels to doctors and pay for other popular programs .
Critics have heaped scorn on him for the loss of jobs, however temporary, and his indifference to the suffering that will be felt by unemployed Americans who face losing the only income they might have. To Democrats, he has become the personification of Republican obstructionism.
The expectation is that the funding will eventually be restored. In the meantime, Sen. Bunning, who is not seeking re-election, has remained steadfast as he tries to make his point, which cannot be lost in the spat: How will the programs be paid for when the national deficit is soaring?
He offered to lift his objection, if Congress would pay for them out of unspent economic stimulus money. Every day seems to bring another promise from the White House or congressional Democrats of more federal spending on one new program or another without detailing clearly where the money will come from.
Sen. Charles Schumer was in Watertown Monday touting his Senate-passed bill to create up to 3 million new jobs in part by relieving employers of Social Security taxes on anyone hired this year who has been out of work at least 60 days. The congressional Joint Committee on Taxation estimates the bill will cost $13 billion.
Sen. Schumer spoke vaguely about income and sales taxes offsetting the cost of the bill. What sales tax does the federal government collect? And the money would come from Social Security rather than income taxes.
On Tuesday, President Obama was expected to announce yet another handout of federal funds. First came the $3 billion cash for clunkers for new cars, then $300 million cash for appliances to encourage Americans to spend. Now comes the $6 billion HomeStar program to give consumers up to $3,000 rebates for improving the energy efficiency of their homes, again to create jobs and lower utility bills.
Just what pot of money will that come from?
Spend and spend with hope of reducing $14 trillion debt later when the economy recovers and back-to-work Americans are paying taxes is the strategy of the day. And then appoint a presidential panel of unelected officials to figure out how to reduce the deficit the White House and Congress keep increasing. Sen. Bunning's point is well taken.
