Article

2012-02-08 -Election 2012

Budget? We Don' Need no Steenking Budget

Can't let politicians get away with thinking they aren't seedy for a day.
House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said that Congress does not need an official federal budget because it can just adopt appropriations bills and authorization policies as needed to keep operating.

Last Friday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), referencing the last debt ceiling deal, said, We do not need to bring a budget to the floor this year. Its done, we dont need to do it.

They seem to be right. The debt ceiling increase deal last summer looks like it detaches revenue raising (which should include borrowing) from the House, where the Constitution put it, and gave it to the President, since it now takes new Conressional action to prevent the President from raising the debt ceiling. Have I interpreted that right?

But I still don't see how this is satisfied (Art.1, Sect. 9 Clause 7):
No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time. I guess 'time to time' can be in excess of 1000 days. Maybe Darth Vader Ginsberg is right, and this document is just not up to modern standards, like South Africa's.

Posted by Glenmore 2012-02-08 14:37|| || Front Page|| [11133 views ] Top

#1 The appropriation bill is the legal requirement for the dispensing of money.

The 'budget' is a means to set priorities for all the appropriations and authorizations. The Budget Act of 1974 requires an annual, overall budget with various timelines and milestones, but there is no legal penalty on Congress if they fail (of course!!). But they can spend to their hearts' content as long as they pass an authorization and appropriations bill for that sum.

Posted by Steve White 2012-02-08 15:25|| 2012-02-08 15:25|| Front Page Top

#2 Karma would be for those, who ignore the law in order to have their way, to one day be sitting before a tribunal and be claiming protection of a document which by their own act, they had destroyed.

Posted by Procopius2k 2012-02-08 15:54|| 2012-02-08 15:54|| Front Page Top

#3 Who needs a budget when you can print all the currency you want and borrow for less than the inflation rate?

Posted by Shimble Guelph5793 2012-02-08 16:03|| 2012-02-08 16:03|| Front Page Top

#4 yes, why have taxes, too?

Posted by jack salami 2012-02-08 17:26|| 2012-02-08 17:26|| Front Page Top

#5 Oh you need the taxes to redistribute the wealth! Don't you think you're wealthy enough?

Posted by CrazyFool 2012-02-08 18:32|| 2012-02-08 18:32|| Front Page Top

#6 Yet the President was late again in proposing a budget. Our money and nations wealth mean nothing to the vapid sagging skin suits that call themselves representatives.

Mostly democrats, the party of no Virtue.

Posted by newc 2012-02-08 18:40|| 2012-02-08 18:40|| Front Page Top

#7 yes, why have taxes, too?

Latest income tax released
2009 Income taxes collected: $865.863 billion
2009 Federal borrowing: $1,887 billion

Ratio of new debt to income taxes collected: 2.18

We are so screwed.

Posted by Shimble Guelph5793 2012-02-08 20:04|| 2012-02-08 20:04|| Front Page Top

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