Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Update for "Operation Offset"
Last month conservative backbenchers changed the direction of House GOP fiscal policy by introducing "Operation Offset" -- a package of potential savings in government spending that would offset the tens of billions of dollars needed to recover from Hurricane Katrina.
At first, the package was met with disapproval by House Leadership. But weeks later, Hastert and others have embraced parts of the package and are scheduling a vote on the House floor this Thursday that would increase savings by $15 billion. That vote is a direct result of the actions of the House conservatives led by Mike Pence.
Now, a band of fiscal conservatives in the Senate plan to offer a similar proposal. Tomorrow, at 12:30 Senators Ensign, McCain, DeMint, Graham, Sununu, Coburn and Brownback will hold a press conference in which they will unveil the details of their own savings package.
These seven senators have been meeting regularly as a group to determine how best to trim back wasteful government spending.
Hopefully, their agitation will result in increased momentum in the Senate for fiscal responsibility.
More from Michele Malkin:
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, chairman of the Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, will chair a hearing Tuesday, October 25 at 2:30 p.m. entitled “Guns and Butter: Setting Priorities in Federal Spending in the Context of Natural Disaster, Deficits and War.” The hearing will examine lawmakers’ abuse of the Constitutional ‘general welfare’ clause and explore ways Congress can realign itself with our founders’ vision of limited government.
“A body that values tradition should welcome efforts to realign ourselves with the basis of our tradition – the Constitution. Today’s modern era of pork politics and spending free-for-alls is a radical departure from our founders’ vision. Our excess is threatening the long-term viability of the American experiment. As Congress struggles to make difficult decisions about priorities we need to reacquaint ourselves with the genius of our founders and their vision of limited government. I hope this hearing will help us build a bridge back to our beginnings and founding principles,” Dr. Coburn said.