Today it was announced that after the first full fiscal year under President Barrack Obama, a Democrat, the deficit in the United States budget is projected to be eight percent lower than it was last year, a budget year in which the budget was written by the administration of President George W. Bush, a Republican.
Those with short memories may have forgotten that when that President Bush took office, after eight years of a Democratic President, the United States budget actually had a surplus, not a deficit. Unless I am mistaken, that surplus disappeared after one year of Republican administration and, for the next eight years of Republican budgets, the deficit got bigger every year.
Now, with a Democratic administration, it has, once again, begun to grow smaller.
Who are the fiscal conservatives?
"Woe unto you, scribes and pharisees! Hypcrites!" - Jesus of Nazareth
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Actually, the house is where the appropriations bills start with input from the executive branch. Last time I checked, it and the senate were owned by the Dems for the last 4 years (Jan 3, 2007). However, I agree the GOP is not lilly white in the process. I think the people will give the GOP the chance to put up or shut up. The GOP will disregard a mandate at its own peril. It is obvious the Dems will not balance it. I think a lot of people agree.
ReplyDeleteThat comment is somewhat disingenuous. You seem pretty well informed, so you probably know that, as a practical matter, the presidential administration prepares a proposed budget and sends it to the House, even though constitutionally it "starts" in the House. In practice, it starts in the White House.
ReplyDeleteQuibble as you will about where the appropriations bills "start" and who is in charge of the House at any given time. I do not think you can avoid the obvious fact that under Clinton, the deficit went down, to the point where it became a surplus. Under Bush, it went up. Every year. No matter who was "in charge" of the House. Now that Obama is in office, it is going down again.
Personally, I don't think that's a coincidence. If you do, you are certainly entitled to your belief in coincidence.