Many ill-informed people believe that POTUS (the President of the United States, Barack Obama) is responsible for the current sequester and the fact that the United States has been operating without an annual budget since 2009. Much of the misinformation that the general public and naive political pundits who consequently place the blame at the feet of President Barack Obama have about the federal budget process comes not only from a poor knowledge and education of our government but also from a manipulating and deceitful Republican Party leadership and from irresponsible members of the Tea Party movement.
The “power of the purse” is a function of the United States Congress as designated by the Constitution of the United States of America.
By law, the President is required to send a budget request, which is technically only just a proposal, to Congress no sooner than the first Monday in January and no later than the first Monday in February. However, it is the United States Congress consisting of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate that is required by law to pass an annual budget and to submit that budget to the President for signature. Note that the federal fiscal year does not begin until October 1.
So, people, if you are going to cast stones, point fingers, and place blame for the budget sequestration in 2013, at least do it honestly in an informed manner. The fault for this continuing fiscal dilemma lies with the Congress of the United States and not with our President, Barack Obama.
ref:
Bill of Rights Institute: The Federal Budget and the Constitution
Wikipedia: United States federal budget
National Priorities Project: FEDERAL BUDGET 101, Federal Budget Process
House of Representatives, Committee On The Budget: The Budget
8 comments:
Yes the republicans are manipulative. Explain how it is that two areas guaranteed to cause the most bitching- air-traffic control and unemployment- were among the first two areas picked to bone on this. Not to mention cancelling the White House easter egg hunt and flyovers at sporting events. There are no saints in this game and you know it. Be honest and don't add to the manipulation.
CWMartin,
I did not use the word "manipulating" in reference to Republicans; I used it in reference to "Republican Party leadership." Nor have I written this blog entry to be a commentary about which budget cuts were or are politicized and/or appropriate. I addressed the federal budgetary process and the fact that many people seem not to understand that process. So, Chris, pray tell me, how do you come to the opinion in reaching your conclusion that I am adding to the manipulation?
The phrase "but also from a manipulating and deceitful Republican Party " did it for me.
Roland is absolutely correct in everything he states here. This is not partisan. The last time I checked, the U.S. House of Representatives is controlled by a majority of Republicans, and the U.S. Senate is controlled by Democrats. The failure to produce a budget is a failure of congressional leaders of both parties. President Obama is fulfilling his constitutional duties.
There are many, many cuts in the sequestration. It's most interesting that Congress only seems to be upset with one area of cuts which affects almost no truly poor people, and only a small percentage of the working poor. Few of either of these groups will be flying anywhere in the near future. Of course, almost all Members of Congress are very frequent fliers. And almost all of their friends and associates are frequent fliers, too. Hmmm...
My only - ONLY- disagreement with the post is the unnecessarily inflammatory phrase I pointed out in my last comment.
CWMartin,
Please look and re-read my use of words and my choice of phraseology yet once again!
Chris, I did not reference the Republican Party with my use of the terms "manipulating and deceitful." The real fact of the matter is that I used the terms in my descriptive opinion of the leadership of the Republican Party. Please do not read something else into what I actually wrote. And by the way, I really do have that opinion of the GOP political leaders. And, the fact of the matter is that it is they (those in Republican Party leadership positions) who are attempting to persuade the American public at large through mistruths and distortions that President Obama is the cause of the failure to pass an annual federal budget, when, in fact, passing the national budget is the sole responsibility of Congress
Sorry, left out "leadership" in the paste, but the point is the same. Why not just stick with "Congressional leadership"? According to what you've said, it is what you mean. I agree that GOP leadership is manipulative ( and out of touch), but no more so than the Dem leadership. There are no honest brokers in this thing. Like I told Laurie last night, the whole sequester thing could have been solved by the GOP admitting to all the graft and overblowing of the DOD budget and cutting it -drastically- by cutting out all the unnecessary crap. Then they could take that to Obama and say, "Your serve..."
However, while on the subject, who DID decide to cut the things I mentioned in my first comment RATHER THAN things that could have been cut and would actually have been helpful?
Sorry, but I feel it not very honest to term one party manipulative when the other party has been caught with so much voter fraud, party poll workers voting SIX times without a shred of conscience.
Roland can certainly speak for himself. To me, the point he was making in accusing the "Republican Party leadership" and the Tea Party of being "manipulating and deceitful" is in reference to their blaming President Obama for the sequestration. This is patently unfair since, as Roland properly points out, President Obama has done his constitutional duty regarding annual budgets. It is Congress which has NOT done its constitutional duty which has resulted in the sequestration being properly enforced by President Obama, again doing his constitutional duty to enforce laws as passed by Congress.
According to the polls I've seen over many years, Americans overwhelmingly support a smaller government and lower taxes and fees UNTIL THERE ARE CUTS WHICH AFFECT THEM OR OTHERS TO WHOM THEY ARE CLOSE. The slowdown at airports is a quintessential example.
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