CBO Says Budget Deal Will Cut Spending by Only $352 Million

LIKE I SAID, "NOT ENOUGH!!!!!"

(National Journal) A Congressional Budget Office analysis of the fiscal 2011 spending deal that Congress will vote on Thursday concludes that it would cut spending this year by less than one-tenth of what both Republicans or Democrats have claimed.

A comparison prepared by the CBO shows that the omnibus spending bill, advertised as containing some $38.5 billion in cuts, will only reduce federal outlays by $352 million below 2010 spending rates. The nonpartisan budget agency also projects that total outlays are actually some $3.3 billion more than in 2010, if emergency spending is included in the total.

The astonishing result, according to CBO, is the result of several factors: increases in spending, especially at the Defense Department; decisions to draw over half of the savings from recissions; and cuts to reserve funds and and money for mandatory-spending programs that might never have been spent.

Congressional Tea Party Members WIll Vote No on 2011 Budget

The 2011 budget deal is heading to the House for the final vote and it seems that the final vote for approval is not a "shoe-in." The truest of true fiscal Conservatives and the congressional members of the Tea Party movement are adamant they will strike a "nay" vote to the legislation. Even with a 24-seat majority, Republicans will almost certainly need the help of fiscally moderate Democrats to get the 2011 plan passed. Honestly, I hope there is a shut down. It will motivate there public servant to do the right thing or they can say bye-bye to their plush job and pension. I find that fear is a get motivator.

(Washington Examiner) A vote on the 2011 budget is scheduled for Wednesday.

But many fiscal conservatives, including Reps. Mike Pence, R-Ind., and Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, have both announced they will not back the 2011 plan because it cuts only $38.5 billion, a historic amount for a single-year reduction but about $23 billion less than what Republican lawmakers said was needed to fulfill their campaign pledge to reduce spending to 2008 levels.

Jordan, who heads a large faction of conservative House Republicans as chairman of the Republican Study Committee, said he expects significant GOP opposition when the 2011 budget comes up for a vote.

Even with a 24-seat majority, Republicans will almost certainly need the help of fiscally moderate Democrats to get the 2011 plan passed, Republican aides told The Washington Examiner, because many GOP conservatives and freshmen backed by the Tea Party will vote against it.

The federal government is operating under a temporary funding measure that expires Thursday at midnight.

Influential conservatives are pushing the GOP's far right flank to oppose the 2011 bill. Talk show host Rush Limbaugh panned the deal Monday and said the media and political pundits were too eager to praise Boehner, who he said should have pushed harder for deeper cuts.

"It doesn't appear that the rank and file is buying any of the spin," Limbaugh noted.

Chris Edwards, director of tax policy studies at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, said Republicans may be angered that some of the cuts appear to be from areas of the budget President Obama had already intended to cut or target funds that haven't been allocated yet for specific projects.

"I suspect some of the cuts may not be real cuts," Edwards said, adding that "there may be a bit of a backlash" from conservatives.

Tea Party activists plan on making their disappointment known to the GOP leadership and individual Republican members.