House rejects Bowles-Simpson, Obama budgets

As with president Obama's prior attempt at budgeting, his 2013 budget received "0" votes, not even 1 vote from his own Democrat party. This shows the hypocrisy of the President in that he does not take the budgeting process seriously. This is most likely intentional in that he can rely on demagoguery by blasting Republicans when they object to new taxes and increased spending each time continuing resolution bills are voted on. Those bad old Republicans want to shut down the government again. Democrat Harry Reid has not allowed a vote on any budget bill since Obama's 2012 budget went down to defeat 97-0, again receiving no Democrat votes.

The reason for the lack of Republican support for the Bowles-Simpson plan was the inclusion of increased taxes with no action to tackle entitlements, something Obama and many Democrats oppose, but something that Ryan and the Republicans believe has to be addressed in order for out economy to survive.

Excerpt: The Bowles-Simpson deficit-reduction plan went down to a crushing defeat in the House late Wednesday night in a vote that damages the one bipartisan proposal that just a few months ago had seemed like a possible solution to the country’s debt woes.

The 382-38 defeat, with just 16 Republicans and 22 Democrats voting for it, marks a bad end to what began nearly two years ago, when President Obama tapped former White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles, a Democrat, and former Sen. Alan Simpson, a Republican, to lead a deficit-reduction committee.

“This doesn’t go big. This doesn’t tackle the problem. This doesn’t do the big things,” said Rep. Paul D. Ryan, Wisconsin Republican and chairman of the Budget Committee. “You can never get the debt under control if you don’t deal with our health care entitlement programs.”

The debate came as the House worked its way through its fiscal year 2013 budget plan, which Mr. Ryan wrote.
The Bowles-Simpson plan was offered as an alternative on the chamber floor.

Minutes earlier, the House also defeated Mr. Obama’s own budget, submitted last month, on a 414-0 vote arranged by Republicans to embarrass the president and officially shelve his plan.

“It’s not a charade. It’s not a gimmick — unless what the president sent us is the same,” said Rep. Mick Mulvaney, a freshman Republican from South Carolina who sponsored Mr. Obama’s proposal for purposes of the debate. “I would encourage the Democrats to embrace this landmark Democrat document and support it. Personally, I will be voting against it.”

Read full Washington Times article here.