The Democratic Agenda

Posted: Wednesday, February 14, 2007 9:05 AM by Huma Zaidi
Filed Under: Democrats

House Democrats are postponing the rollout of their domestic agenda until after the President's Day recess so as to focus more closely on the debate over the non-binding resolution opposing a troop increase in Iraq.

"Congress is poised to send President Bush a $463.5 billion spending bill that bears the imprint of the new Democratic majority and presages budget battles over defense and domestic priorities," says the Wall Street Journal. "Veterans' medical services, education and health care will see spending increases even as $3.1 billion is cut from Mr. Bush's 2007 request for military-construction funds to accommodate base closings overseas. Senate Republicans had protested the cut, but 23 of them joined Democrats on a... vote that sealed passage of the bill."

The Financial Times says "Democrats seized" on yesterday's announcement of a record $764 billion trade deficit "to press the White House to be more aggressive in its enforcement of trade rules that favour US-based industry." Speaker Nancy Pelosi "called on [Bush] to submit a plan to Congress 'within 90 days' to address the elevated deficits with China, Japan and the European Union."

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Comments

the fastest growing item in this years budget is $249 billion we pay for interest on the national debt. That figure has grown 35% since 2005. With prospect of budget deficits for years to come these skyrocketing interest costs reflect sad state of government in Washington in 2007. statistics from AARP.

retired union man,ibew,america (Sent Wednesday, February 14, 2007 10:54 AM)

Probably sixty percent of the budget is related to the military in one way or another. There is the actual military budget, money for veterans pensions and medical care, government research which has military applications and the servicing of the national debt which the large majority comes from past money borrowed to cover debt related to the aforementioned budget items. This is like buying a $600 alarm system for a $100 car. As far as the trade deficit goes, our debt to China and Japan alone has risen from $1 trillion to 2.1 trillion in just five years. Here we are borrowing from the only country who has ever attacked us and one who just twenty years ago was one of our most reviled enemies. That's like borrowing money from your mother-in-law and hoping she never comes to live with you.

Robert Catalano, Salem, OR (Sent Wednesday, February 14, 2007 11:22 AM)

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