The Incomprehensible Budget Cuts: Does Anyone Have Principles of Governing Anymore?:
Here's everything you need to know about your extremely serious budget cutting avengers of the Congress, as stated by the House Appropriations Committee: "The Department of Defense is funded at $513 billion in the CR [Continuing Resolution] – approximately $5 billion above last year – providing the necessary resources for the safety of our troops and the success of our nation’s military actions. The bill also includes an additional $157.8 billion for overseas contingency operations (emergency funding) to advance our missions abroad." Boo-yah, motherfuckers. Suck on each of those 2/3 of a trillion bucks, and suck 'em good. Essentially, Republicans are saying, "Build those useless weapons systems and aircraft in our districts and shut the fuck up about it. Now, lemme complain about poor people getting too much money for housing."
Oh, wait, though: "The funding level for the State Department and Foreign Operations in the CR is a total of $48.3 billion – a $504 million reduction from last year’s level and an $8.4 billion reduction from the President’s fiscal year 2011 request." You got that? $5 billion extra for war. $8.4 billion less for diplomacy. That's American, man, that is so got-damn American.
The entire list of shit what got cut is darkly amusing, like watching a cartoon salami with teeth discover his own body is delicious and then devouring himself. Gas prices skyrocketing and our tiresome dependence on foreign oil keeping us involved in our tiresome wars? Well, fuck you, you public transportation-using pussy: "the bill eliminates new funding for High Speed Rail and rescinds $400 million in previous year funds, for a total reduction of $2.9 billion from fiscal year 2010 levels."
And on and on. The budget agreement is just a panoply of middle fingers to things Democrats want. For what else can we make of the couple of little swipes at health care reform funding, including cutting funds for free choice vouchers, which would allow employees to go on the open market to buy health insurance? The cut is antithetical to the very capitalistic crap pile the GOP stands in. There's no logic, no rhyme or reason, no theory, no organizing principle other than the grunting barbarism of "cut," hacking away with a dull blade until enough flesh is carved out to satisfy enough Republicans to get the damn thing passed. Yeah, the Obama administration finessed a number of cuts from previously defined savings. But, c'mon, cutting $600 million from non-Planned Parenthood community health centers? And a billion from AIDS and TB prevention? And the total fucking over of Washington, DC? The only unifying aspect seems to be "Let's make sure that poor people die in debt that they can pass on to their poor children."
As for the dickish riders the Rude Pundit mentioned last week, yep, the "Fuck You, Michelle Obama" school lunch one is still there, which bans any additional funds from going to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to kids (it's Sec. 1287 now). But it looks like the stupidly-named (by the right) "Fairness Doctrine Czar" and the fresh waterways of Florida have been protected.
Still, there's things that are prohibited from being funded: "the establishment of a Climate Service at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration" and "the construction or modification of detention facilities within the U.S. for the housing of [Gitmo] detainees." It's as if the GOP just pulled all the Neanderthal ignorance out of its ass and smeared it over the bill.
"Reducing the deficit" is not a way to run a government. But the GOP is gonna keep playing this game of brinksmanship, with the debt ceiling, with the 2012 budget, hell, possibly even with this budget again. Democrats and the White House have to figure out a way to put a wedge between the teabaggers and the regular dicks in the Republican House caucus. Allowing them to dictate the terms of the negotiations ain't it. And neither is making it seem as if the Republicans negotiated in anything like good faith and honor, as Obama did in his weekly radio address. Don't thank the purse snatcher for not breaking your arm.
