Republicans Show Their Priorities

by Stuart Shapiro

The GOP-controlled House yesterday voted to stave off the cuts to the defense budget that they agreed to last summer.  And did they find the money by looking under the couch cushions?  By asking sacrifice from wealthy Americans?  Nah.

To offset the Pentagon cuts Republicans proposed but no longer support, the House GOP voted to find all of the savings by taking from programs that benefit struggling workers and families. Today’s measure is nothing short of brutal, slashing food stamps, nearly eliminating job-training programs, eliminating health care subsidies, slashing the child tax credit, and taking school meals from 200,000 low-income children.

And all of this would come on top of the spending cuts Democrats already agreed to as part of the same debt-ceiling deal.

Let’s give credit where credit is due.  The GOP is being more honest about its priorities than at any time since Hoover was President.  In an election year they are voting to hurt the many at the expense of the few.  Now it is the job of Democrats to make sure that every voter in every competitive district understands this vote.  If they do, the choice for voters will be clear and the next Congress may actually be able to claim a mandate for its priorities.

By: Stuart Shapiro

Stuart is a professor and the Director of the Public Policy
program at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers
University. He teaches economics and cost-benefit analysis and studies
regulation in the United States at both the federal and state levels.
Prior to coming to Rutgers, Stuart worked for five years at the Office
of Management and Budget in Washington under Presidents Clinton and
George W. Bush.