From the New York Times:
The collapse of a government-wide spending package in the final days of this Congressional session sets up a politically charged fiscal showdown early next year, testing the determination of Republicans about to take over the House with promises to slash an array of domestic programs....
Republicans say that timeline will allow them to quickly put their stamp on the budget for the current fiscal year, and Mr. Boehner and his leadership team have vowed to eliminate about $100 billion in spending out of about $400 billion in domestic programs. ...The 2011 spending fight could be complicated by the need to raise the federal debt limit to avoid a federal default — a vote that many new Republican lawmakers have indicated they would not make.
Republicans say the debt limit vote could also present an opportunity, allowing them to tie a package of spending reductions to the debt increase to make it more palatable.
16 comments:
They will finally be forced to make tough decisions, for example, closing unproductive small offices, consolidating regional offices, and maybe (yikes!) eliminating CO components that have little or nothing to do with direct service. I'm not holding my breath, though.
I think it is more likely that they will have to stop doing continuing disability reviews and SSI financial reviews. Eliminating both of these reviews designed to stop incorrect payments will likely raise the amount of benefits paid out. Congress is so shortsighted.
It has always been Congress that prevented the agency from closing the small field offices - each legislator is afraid the seniors will vote them out of office if there is no office in their district.
There may not be any choice this time. Do you think the bigwigs will give up the Taj Mahal in Baltimore? ;)
This is the result of the incompetent Democrat Congress not passing the budget before the election. Now the Republicans get blamed for any bad things that happen in addressing the deficit.
"Republicans get blamed for any bad things that happen in addressing the deficit".
Oh ya..yah. I forgot the democrats made republicans give the wealthy tax breaks instead of finding revenue if they had expired. Is that correct?
Uh, still Democrat President, Democrat House, Democrat Senate. Whatever they passed is their responsibility. If they are not responsible, then, let's see---oh yeah--incompetent.
closing field offices or consolidating regional offices won't save much money. You will still have the same number of employees. Any money you save on real estate costs with closing office will be offset by the bigger offices you will need when you consolidate. Rather, to save money to meet a new, more limited budget will probably come from furloughs. That is my guess. But one thing people seem to be forgetting is that the republicans only control the house. They still need the senate and the preseident to go along with the cuts, which probably won't happen.
Anyone who's seen how much rent the government pays for these small offices would be astonished at how much money could be saved-not to mention the uber-security costs imposed on all facilities, maintenance, etc. I don't discount the possibility of furloughs, either, but this may be a blessing in disguise--perhaps an opportunity to truly streamline SSA and direct more money to real service, not inconsequential workloads.
I'll go with furloughs. Talk about tough and serious. See? We're gonna be tough with those lazy federal employees! Straightforward, easy and disastrous. Perfect choice.
Repubs caused the whole problem with the war which made them richer and the poor poorer. The populance got upset and voted for DEMs. The DEMs tried to enact programs to help regular Joe. Stupid regular Joe let the Tea Party convince him that the programs for the rich would help him too and that universal health care is a bad thing. In the off year election the Repubs get voted back in the House/Senate. Does anyone remember the contract with America nonsense? The next congress is going to be that crap on steroids. Stupid regular Joe, if you don't earn more than $250K a year don't vote republican. Don't worry about your guns, you aren't going to lose them. The only good news I see is that by 2012 Sara will be a force and then Obama will win because the "independents" will be sick of the Repub Tea Party stupidity.
I could be wrong but i think i agree with 5:37 PM, December 19, 2010
I wonder if any of you watched 60 minutes tonight? The financial house of cards is coming down for state and local governments. Only because the Federal government can print money it hasn't got there yet, but you can only print so much money.
Real cuts need to be made for the Federal government across the board.
Real taxes need to paid across the board by greedy rich people. Anyone who earns less than $250,000 per year and does not endorse this statement is in denial. Power conservatives do not give a rat's a$$ about you because you cannot contribute enough money to lance a pimple on Karl Rove's butt. You heard it hear first: the coming great depression will be brought to you by the republican party and stupid regular Joe who voted them in.
I wonder if SSA has a contingency plan for this. If they furlough, say, two days a month, would they close all facilities at the same time? Stagger closings?
This stuff is all nonsense. The govt will keep running, SSA will remain on the ropes, People will bitch and complain, and no one will do anything but keep kicking the can down the road. Neither party has any answers. It's all "their" fault--meaning not me.
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