Budget Standoff Continues But Certainly Not for Lack of Money
Congress adjourned Wednesday but only temporarily as they will return
Tuesday, November 16th in an attempt to complete the appropriations process. The
target adjournment date was more than two weeks earlier on October 29th but due
to presidential vetoes of five appropriations bills, the taxpayer-funded budget
juggernaut rumbles onward. Spending levels do not appear to be at issue. In
fact, the massive Labor-Health and Human Services appropriations bill authorized
nearly twice as much spending as the last Democratic Congress in 1994. It, in
fact, would spend $103.6 Billion dollars, which is $10.3 Billion dollars more
than last year's appropriation. This is a figure that is, in fact, $1.2 Billion
dollars more than Clinton requested in his proposed budget. What is at issue
here is clearly not total spending but spending not directed to projects favored
by the executive branch. It seems the President has found yet another way to
legislate -- by Veto and threat of government shutdown.
The Constitution, of course, requires all appropriation bills to originate
in the House, but when the Interior appropriations bill prohibited funding for
implementation of the unratified Kyoto treaty and Clinton's Land Legacy
Initiative government land grab at a taxpayer cost of $579 million, that bill
was vetoed. Never mind that the infamous National Endowment for the Arts was
funded at nearly double the level at which the Administration requested.
The Commerce Justice State Judiciary appropriations Act was sent to the
President with an 11% increase over just last fiscal year (and we are told the
era of big government is over). This bill's failure to dictate to the
President's liking how state and local governments conduct law enforcement
activity was the reason, in part, for this veto. Never mind that the
Constitution's enumerated powers clause and tenth amendment leave this matter
entirely up to the States.
But this year's budget process has brought us many other wonders, also. For
example, the Defense Appropriations bill provides $1.7 Billion to fund this
year's unconstitutional war in Iraq and Bosnia and $460 million dollars of
military aid to the former Soviet Union. The VA/ HUD Appropriations Bill funded
the Environmental Protection Agency at a record $7.6 Billion, 5% more than the
Administration's request. The Environmental Protection Agency has now grown to
more than 18,000 employees.
An across the board 1% spending cut to offset these spending increases?? In
Washington, seemingly unthinkable. A tax cut bill to slowly phase out the
federal inheritance tax, eliminate the marriage penalty tax, and make IRA
retirement accounts more flexible and tax-friendly?? Vetoed.
The five remaining appropriations bills may be rolled into one omnibus bill
for which a "yes" vote will fund $1 billion in un-owed back dues to the United
Nations and dictate to state and local school boards how many teachers to hire,
much to the delight of the National Education Association and teachers unions.
In light of Congressional appropriations of more and more expenditures and
the Administration's use of legislation and micro-management by veto threat, it
seems that almost everyone in Washington has somehow forgotten that the era of
big government is supposed to be over.