Friday, December 13, 2013

Budget Deal Makes For Strange Bedfellows In Washington



The Budget Deal passed yesterday in the House by a 332-94 vote had some interesting twists to it.

Conservative Republicans claimed that it didn’t go far enough and Liberal Democrats said it went too far. 
The budget calls for $23 Billion in spending cuts spread out over the next 10 years.

Four Republican Louisiana Congressmen, Boustany (Lafayette), Cassidy (Baton Rouge), Fleming (Minden),  and the newly elected Vance McAllister voted FOR the budget deal while Republican Steve Scalise (Metairie) and Democrat Cedric Richmond (New Orleans) voted AGAINST the bill. It is a rare occasion when Scalise and Richmond are on the same side.

"The two year budget agreement is a step in the right direction," McAllister said.

The usually ultra Conservative Fleming characterized the deal as the "best House Republicans can do as long as President Obama is in office."

"In order to rein in Washington's out of control spending problem, we have to make stronger structural reforms to the mandatory spending programs that drive our debt," Scalise said.

This morning on KPEL 96.5fm in Lafayette, Congressman Cassidy defended his vote.

“I voted for the deal.  It cut a further $23 billion from our spending.  It began to go after some entitlements.  Specifically people that are hired onto the Federal government will have lower retirement fund.  It decreased cuts to the military…And it put in the ‘Doc Fix’.  Medicare patients were about to lose access to their doctors so it took care of that for three months until a long term solution can be put in place…Is it perfect? No, but it decreased spending, addressed entitlements, helps the military and helps senior citizens.”

Cassidy is running against Senator Mary Landrieu in November 2014.

Republican Senatorial challenger Rob Maness was critical of the budget deal.  Saying that the deal “compromises the conservative principles we expect our leaders to stand for”, Maness said that Louisiana is tired of typical Washington spending.

“The people of Louisiana are fed up with Washington taking more and more out of our paychecks and our pockets, and we simply can't afford to continue down this path.”