Phil Gingrey swings to the ‘yes’ column on Boehner plan
A spokeswoman for U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey, who has been a staunch opponent of the debt-ceiling proposal pitched by House Speaker John Boehner, just confirmed that the Marietta Republican has switched to the “yes” column – an important get for Boehner that could show itself in a vote later today.
Previously, the Boehner plan required a select House-Senate committee to propose a series of off-setting budget cuts before President Barack Obama could request a second increase in the debt-ceiling next year.
Gingrey was won over by the inclusion this morning of an additional requirement, mandating that Congress also send to the states for ratification a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced federal budget. Here’s his interview with Jamie Dupree of AM750 and 95.5FM Newstalk/WSB:
For those of you keeping score, that means six House Republicans from Georgia now support the Boehner plan. Two – Tom Graves of Ranger and Paul Broun of Athens – remain in opposition.
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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198 comments Add your comment
Smoke
July 30th, 2011
9:16 am
Atlman. So where is the a pattern of fiscal responsibility shown by conservatives and Saxby? 8-years of rubber stamping insane budgets, cutting taxes for big time entertainers, athletes, wall-streeters, and clueless corporate execs in order to create deficits, and creating massive debts by funding supplemental budgets.
Ray
July 30th, 2011
9:22 am
Smoke – keep in mind that the rightwing platform is based upon lies. Were they to play with the truth there would be no GOP.
Can’t make a rational argument with the irrational.
Obama $1.5T for the debt – Bush owns $6.1T…and the Senate is still loaded with those GOP who wore skirts for ole ‘w’ as they gleefully rubber-stamped his assault on America.
Really, who needs al qaeda when you have the GOP?
Smoke
July 30th, 2011
9:24 am
Can anyone show me the link to the Ryan “Roadmap” Budget Plan that has some comparative numbers to show what budgets will be cut and sources of revenue? What I found was just like his first 42-page budget. A bunch of unsupported assumptions, but no numbers!
Ray
July 30th, 2011
9:40 am
Protecting tax breaks for the wealthy and big oil during a time of war – a time when our best are making the ultimate sacrifice – says it all.
Tom Price even said he was willing to not pay our active military or our veterans if we defaulted.
At least the new GOP doesn’t pretend to be Christian anymore.
Ol' Timer
July 30th, 2011
9:48 am
I just read an article that said Apple was sitting on more cash — over $70 Billion — than the U.S. government. Interesting fact is they paid ZERO in U.S. taxes in 2010.
Now, the GOP/Tea Party is willing to shut the government down to protect the tax cuts and shelters that allow this abuse.
I don’t understand this reasoning.
And these same folks accuse Obama of being a socialist and communist and dictator while supporting these same companies that had rather do business with communist China than with Americans.
I think the reason I can’t understand their reasoning is because they’re unreasonable and irrational!
Clinton "Skink" Tyree
July 30th, 2011
9:53 am
And, these same companies that are getting by tax free in America are lobbying to bring these billions home again TAX FREE!
The gap between rich and poor broadens and we sit back and support the notion that a diminishing middle class and a burgeoning class of oligarchs is good for America.
Ignorance abounds!
* Too Big to Fail *
July 30th, 2011
10:03 am
The corporation APPLE INC. has more cash reserves than the U.S. government,
something is wrong with this country.
A middle class revolution may be the answer.
Marlboro Man
July 30th, 2011
10:08 am
TD- What part of failure do you not understand? Blame solves no problems. To fail is no accomplishment, they have none. If you want to play the “at least we tried” fine, but no results is no results.
You can ask for a Corvette for you 16th birthday but if you know you won’t get it, at least you tried…and you would have wasted your time. One party does not control it all.
DLink
July 30th, 2011
10:32 am
Scroll to the bottom of the link. It’s a summary of the biggest causes of the massive deficit the U.S. now faces, and the very first things that should be addressed in looking to repair said deficit. Wow, I looked over my own post and read it as sad deficit. Back to work Congress!
http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/latest-developments-in-debt-1058895.html
John
July 30th, 2011
10:45 am
Interesting how facts are thrown out of the window by Republicans. They claim to be the fiscally responsible ones…that Obama created this huge deficits. Well, here are the facts…mostly added under Bush’s presidency. Notice how Bush’s tax cuts added $1.6 trillion to the deficit…and Republicans want to say we have just a spending problem.
Q: How did the debt grow from $5.8 trillion in 2001 to its current $14.3 trillion?
A: The biggest contributors to the nearly $9 trillion increase over a decade were:
—2001 and 2003 tax cuts under President George W. Bush: $1.6 trillion.
—Additional interest costs: $1.4 trillion.
—Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan: $1.3 trillion.
—Economic stimulus package under Obama: $800 billion.
—2010 tax cuts, a compromise by Obama and Republicans that extended jobless benefits and cut payroll taxes: $400 billion.
—2003 creation of Medicare’s prescription drug benefit: $300 billion.
—2008 financial industry bailout: $200 billion.
—Hundreds of billions less in revenue than expected since the Great Recession began in December 2007.
— Other spending increases in domestic, farm and defense programs, adding lesser amounts.
clean up your yard
July 30th, 2011
11:37 am
Gingrey is a useless tool who cannot even get out of his own way. He has never had an original thought in his life and has to ask the tea party before he goes to the bathroom. He would not know leadership if it bit him in the butt. Just useless.
clean up your yard
July 30th, 2011
11:46 am
I’m sure Gingrey is having a wonderful day with his pals after they wasted most of the week trying to hijack the US Constitution with their phony bill. It only took the Senate 2 hours to toss that puppy into the trash where it belonged. All you guys do is pose for your base- where is your leadership for the country? Oh I forgot- you have never cared about the country – it is and has been always about tax cuts for the wealthy and making war.
RetiredSoldier
July 30th, 2011
11:57 am
Clean-
Where is the senate plan?
Where is the President’s plan?
The house has produced two plans.
Who sin’t doing their job?
td
July 30th, 2011
12:06 pm
Smoke
July 30th, 2011
9:16 am
Atlman. So where is the a pattern of fiscal responsibility shown by conservatives and Saxby?
The Tea party was started due to the establishment Republicans turning into Democrats and spending like a drunken sailor.
captguitarman
July 30th, 2011
12:07 pm
PRO: The Congress and the Administration would not even be having this conversation, and none of this would be an issue at all, and the printing presses running 24/7 at the US Mint would not miss a beat — had it not been for the Tea Party. The Pubs and the Indies recogonize that fact and say thank you for opening the door for some meaningful structural change to how things are done in Washington. CON: A distinct minority faction inside one House of the US Congress is not going to successfully dictate financial policy to the majority in the House, the majority in the US Senate, or to the President. Note, I said “successfully.” They do have the power to “unsuccessfully” dictate policy, force a default, and like the rest of the nation, rue the day that happened for a long time to come.
The chilling effect of just talking about a default ought to be enough to bring these guys to their senses, but, no offense, they are extremists. Can extremism sometimes be a useful catalyst? Absolutely – this debt ceiling thing is now actually an issue being debated. What extremists do (on both sides), however, is behave like moths in that they are perfectly willing to fly right into the flame and take everyone and everything else with them. They do well at applying common sense and reason to policy issues, but they are unable to apply common sense and reason to their own political behavior and strategy. Adding a constitutional amendment to this already heady mix of issues proves it. They are not strategic minded. They have one a great victory in the field, but instead of a suicide mission with a now weakened army chasing the enemy into its reinforced stronghold, which could eliminate all of their gains in an instant, they should now retreat, work on strategy, and then wait for more enforcements in November of 2012. With the presidency or with t he senate, or both, in 2012, then another victory is possible, But right now it isn’t, and if they push the nation into default, that will be the end of them. Let’s hope and pray that some of that common sense that they are constantly preaching about has also stuck to them.
clem
July 30th, 2011
12:10 pm
john this says it too:
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/07/a-few-more-charts-that-should-accompany-all-debt-ceiling-discussions/242790/
Ray
July 30th, 2011
12:10 pm
Retired Soldier –
You don’t put a plan in writing during negotiations in adult world. The GOP was being given access to Medicare, a 3-1 cuts over revenues, and instead of making one of the best real conservative deals ever in Washington, they got on their knees for Rush Limbaugh and have basically re-elected Obama.
BTW – the tea-bag idea that the default was just not so would have, as announced brazenly by Tom Price, halted active military pay and all veterans benefits.
td
July 30th, 2011
12:16 pm
clean up your yard
July 30th, 2011
11:37 am
Gingrey is a useless tool who cannot even get out of his own way. He has never had an original thought in his life and has to ask the tea party before he goes to the bathroom. He would not know leadership if it bit him in the butt. Just useless.
Pelosi is a useless tool of the socialist.
Lewis is a useless tool of the NAACP.
Reid is a useless tool of the unions.
Obama is a useless tool of all three, plus wall street and the banking industry.
We can call names all day that may or may not be true. What is the solution.
DannyX
July 30th, 2011
12:21 pm
“The Tea party was started due to the establishment Republicans turning into Democrats and spending like a drunken sailor.”
So what do Republicans in Georgia do???? They elect ex-Democrat Nathan Deal governor.
Deal voted party line on everything, including all the big Republican socialist programs, and unfunded wars. Lots of spending, at the same time he supported the irresponsible Bush tax cuts. He is a career politician. He is involved in some very questionable no-bid GOVERNMENT contracts, is personally bankrupt.
Anyone can see why Georgia Republicans/Tea Party have absolutely no credibility. Way to show ‘em.
John
July 30th, 2011
12:25 pm
RetiredSoldier,
Do you do anything but listen to the Republican talking points. Do you not recall the Democrats and Republicans trying to work together until Republicans storm out of the room like crying babies. They walked out of the gang of six talks, they walked out of the talks led by Biden and finally out of the talks led by Obama. Republicans decided they could do it own their own and then try to force it onto the Democrats but as we see, it’s not working. Boehner has lost control of his own caucus.
All that said, Democrats have a plan…in case you haven’t been following the news, it’s the Reid plan. Here is a link showing the differences between his plan and the Republican plan.
http://news.yahoo.com/details-rival-plans-spending-debt-181154389.html
td
July 30th, 2011
12:30 pm
captguitarman
July 30th, 2011
12:07 pm
Why would it be the Tea Parties fault if we default? Why is it always the Republicans fault if they do not give into the Socialistic demands of the left? Is it not you our theory that the tea party is bringing national attention to a major problem that will ruin this country if it is not fixed? I think the American people are waking up and seeing through this Socialist propaganda driven agenda of the Democrats.
No children are going to starve if we cut the budget by 20%.
No elderly are going to die in the streets.
yuzeyurbrane
July 30th, 2011
12:31 pm
There will be no real reform until the middle class is “mad as hell and is not going to take it anymore.” They will then form a real middle class movement–not the fake 1 the Koch bros. created with the Tea Party and throw out the Tea People and all their sycophants. Sorry, td and Centrist, you’re screwed. No more no sacrifice for 40 something narcisists.
Ray
July 30th, 2011
12:34 pm
Cutting Medicare to preserve unnecessary big oil subsidies makes us Pakistan.
Charge the GOP with treason.
td
July 30th, 2011
12:36 pm
DannyX
July 30th, 2011
12:21 pm
You are correct and he was not my first choice. The difference is that he attended many Tea Party events during the campaign and made promises that he would change his ways. So far so good in the state.
He was also a 1000 times better choice when you compare him to Barnes. It is looking more and more everyday that the American people are going to make the same assessment about the Republican candidate next year when they compare him/her against Obama.
td
July 30th, 2011
12:40 pm
Ray
July 30th, 2011
12:34 pm
Cutting Medicare to preserve unnecessary big oil subsidies makes us Pakistan.
Charge the GOP with treason.
What Republican has proposed to cut Medicare for any current recipient or any person over the age of 55? Obama did cut $500 billion to put into Obama care.
You are just out there using the Socialist propaganda to scare people so that you group can give more control to the government.
John
July 30th, 2011
12:43 pm
td, look at the polls…a vast majority of Americans…Democrats, Republicans and Independents…want both spending cuts as well as revenue increase by raising taxes on the rich.
It’s easy for Tea Party members to demand cuts…but ask what are they willing to cut and see how difficult it becomes. Ask the Tea Party members, especially the older members, if they are willing to buy their own health insurance so we could gut medicare? Or willing to live off their own private savings they may or may not have so we could gut social security? The answer of course, would be no. I’m reminded of the famous Tea Party sign…”keep your government hands off my Medicare”. Problem is everyone wants to cut spending as long as the spending cuts affects others but not themselves.
RGB
July 30th, 2011
12:44 pm
“You don’t put a plan in writing during negotiations in adult world.”
Well then tell me how a plan that exists only in one’s head can be scored by the Congressional Budget Office.
In April, Obama gave a speech that “outlined” his desired budget.
Following the speech, an aide to Ryan contacted the budget office at the White House. The president had been vague about how he’d achieve his goals for cutting spending and reducing debt. So the Ryan staffer asked for specifics. Where did the numbers come from? What were the assumptions? What was the spending baseline? Could the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) calculate the cost of Obama’s plan?
Douglas Elmendorf, the director of the Congressional Budget Office, told the House Budget Committee that his office was unable to estimate the long-term viability of the “budget framework” President Obama outlined in his April 13 budget speech.
“We don’t estimate speeches,” said Elmendorf. “We need much more specificity than was provided in that speech for us to do our analysis.”
Remember this when you vote in November, 2012. This mess is of Obama’s making.
John
July 30th, 2011
12:47 pm
“No children are going to starve if we cut the budget by 20%.”
Really? There are children currently starving in our country today. If you would open your eyes you would see homelessness and starvation happening now. But of course, the wealthy wouldn’t be starving if we raise taxes a little…and some of those starving children could be helped.
RGB
July 30th, 2011
12:49 pm
It was embarrassing to see Congressman Scott on the House floor talking about “Republican cuts to Medicare and Medicaid”. Republican David Dreier called him on it by correctly asserting that the Republican bill forbid those two items from any cuts. He asked Scott to show him where those two programs were subject to cuts.
Scott couldn’t produce the goods. But then you don’t have to when you have a comfortably gerrymandered district comprised of people who largely don’t know right from wrong.
td
July 30th, 2011
12:49 pm
yuzeyurbrane
July 30th, 2011
12:31 pm
The Tea party is a real middle class movement made up mostly of suburban people that have never been involved in politics. The establish Republicans hates them because they force them to keep to conservative values and they can not control them and the far left Progressives hates them because they are the true conservative believers that are focused on fiscal responsibility and smaller government.
RGB
July 30th, 2011
12:53 pm
The libs who talk about budget cuts are either uninformed or liars.
Even the Republican plan increases spending by $7 trillion over the next ten years.
If you saw me put a $5 bill in the cup of a homeless person (thereby increasing his “funding”), would you grab me by the collar and castigate me for taking away his “funding”?
You people either need to learn about baseline budgeting or stop saying things that aren’t true.
Edward
July 30th, 2011
12:53 pm
Lets keep giving tax breaks to the “job creators” who only create jobs overseas, not here. Let’s continue to give tax breaks to big oil and other big corporations who are hauling in record profits that are going into their pockets instead of creating jobs here. Lets continue funding two useless wars that have cost considerable lives and resources.
Yes, there is definitely a spending problem. But it isn’t Social Security and Medicare that are at fault.
John
July 30th, 2011
12:55 pm
“What Republican has proposed to cut Medicare for any current recipient or any person over the age of 55?”
td, did you see the Republican town hall meetings after they voted on the Ryan plan? Seniors were outraged. While they themselves may not be affected, they want to protect their children and grand-children…one of the Republican talking points (about addressing the deficit) coming back and biting them in the **s.
If you would do just a little thinking, it wouldn’t do anything for the deficit for years to come. It does nothing for the deficit now.
RGB
July 30th, 2011
12:55 pm
Edward,
If we stopped giving tax breaks to “big oil and other big corporations who are hauling in record profits that are going into their pockets instead of creating jobs here”, what amount would that total?
RGB
July 30th, 2011
1:04 pm
Those of you who believe tax increases are our Savior should know that the “cost” of the Bush tax cuts for 2 years was $544.3 billion or $272 billion/year. CNN reported that the bulk of that cost — $463 billion — is for the extension of cuts for families making less than $250,000.
Only $81.5 billion is attributable to the extension of cuts that apply to the highest income families” (or what liberals term the “evil rich”)–and that covers 2 years.
Our annual deficit is $1.6 trillion under Obama which means that if we removed the evil tax cuts for the rich for 40 years, we will have paid for just one year of Obama’s deficit.
Now that you know that idea doesn’t work, what’s next?
Still opposed to cutting the increase in spending?
DannyX
July 30th, 2011
1:05 pm
td @12:46…”The difference is that he attended many Tea Party events during the campaign and made promises that he would change his ways. So far so good in the state.”
How so? From the ethics side he has his friends and family program running full steam. On the money side he has teamed up with the liberal Atlanta mayor on a trip to Washington begging for federal pork for THREE separate projects, dredging, toll lanes and the federal education program. Feds in education?????
At least we know the credentials for Georgia Republicans, “better than Barnes.” Thats it. “Better than Barnes.” Just go to a meeting where a failed politician can scream “BETTER THAN BARNES.”
Hey Nathan, you are a career politician that just bankrupted the country, you are also personally bankrupt, and an ex-Democrat…..What can you do for Georgia Mr. Deal?….”Better than Barnes”… the really not so bright crowd goes wild. “Next we want Herman Cain for President” they shout!!!
Yikes.
td
July 30th, 2011
1:06 pm
John
July 30th, 2011
12:47 pm
“No children are going to starve if we cut the budget by 20%.”
Really? There are children currently starving in our country today
Where are they at? If you see any why have you not called DFCS? The only way children are hungry is if their parents are neglecting them by not feeding them, by not going to a DFCS office and getting Food stamps or by selling their food stamps for drugs or alcohol. When school starts back poor children get free breakfast and lunch and the parents continue to get the same amount of benefits. A family of 4 in this country with no income gets $668 per month in food stamps plus their children receive free breakfast and free lunch. $668 is more then I spend per month on food for my family of four so children are only starving if their parents are neglecting them.
If you are seeing starving children and are not reporting them to DFCS then you are just as guilty as the parents for negligence.
td
July 30th, 2011
1:19 pm
DannyX
July 30th, 2011
1:05 pm
“How so? From the ethics side he has his friends and family program running full steam. On the money side he has teamed up with the liberal Atlanta mayor on a trip to Washington begging for federal pork for THREE separate projects, dredging, toll lanes and the federal education program. Feds in education?????”
Or you could say he is trying to get back the tax money Georgians pay in taxes back to Georgia. This is the whole problem with a big Federal government. We pay all these taxes to the almighty centralized government and then have to beg them to get back OUR money for needed projects in our state.
This is why the entire Federal DOE should be axed and those portions sent back to the states. Dredging ports is the responsibility of the Federal government and we want to create more jobs in GA then say in SC, NY or Pa. If the money is spent on a interstate highway then it is the Federal responsibility. If it is a state road then it is the responsibility of the state.
td
July 30th, 2011
1:20 pm
RGB
July 30th, 2011
1:04 pm
These Socialist seem to go away when you start presenting them with facts.
John
July 30th, 2011
1:30 pm
“Dredging ports is the responsibility of the Federal government and we want to create more jobs in GA then say in SC, NY or Pa. If the money is spent on a interstate highway then it is the Federal responsibility. ”
td, isn’t that socialism. Republicans want to eliminate whole parts of the federal government citing Constitutional define roll of the federal government. So, where in the Constitution does it state the federal government is responsible for dredging ports or building roads?
John
July 30th, 2011
1:36 pm
td
July 30th, 2011
1:06 pm
You talk about getting help via DFCS with food stamps or free breakfast and lunch at school. Do you really believe everyone who needs help is getting it. Also, isn’t this socialism which you claim, like Republicans, to be against. If Republican had their way and eliminate all these programs, don’t you think we would have a bigger problem with homelessness and starvation?
td
July 30th, 2011
1:48 pm
John
July 30th, 2011
1:36 pm
Where has any Republican ever said they did not want to help people (temporarily)? No, it is not the responsibility to take care of someone from Birth to grave (that is socialism). I think most Republicans believe in small Federal government and it is the states right to do most functions of government.
John
July 30th, 2011
2:01 pm
td
July 30th, 2011
1:48 pm
So now you have your definition for socialism…taking care of someone from Birth to grave? Can you name anyone that was taken care of the federal government from the moment they were born to the moment they died? So, I guess taking care of someone for 10, 20, 30, 40 or more years is not socialism if they lived past that age?
As for as your question….Where has any Republican ever said they did not want to help people (temporarily)?…Republicans have been trying to eliminate all social programs for years. But if you believe Republicans don’t want to eliminate these programs to help people temporarily, then aren’t you saying Republicans are socialist? Think a little before you speak…you use the term socialist as a bad think and use the label for Democrats but then say you and Republicans support socialist programs.
td
July 30th, 2011
2:09 pm
John
July 30th, 2011
1:36 pm
“Do you really believe everyone who needs help is getting it.”
No I do not but is that the governments responsibility to make sure everyone gets help? Should not people take some personal responsibility for anything? The government provides a program so that no one should starve in this country. If the people do not take advantage of the program then it is on them.
You are getting away from the central premise of my point. No (responsible) person in this country is going to starve with even a 20% decrease in the Federal governments budget.
Now, do you think the government should take care of people that do not want to take care of themselves? How much responsibility should the government have for people that choose to not get an education, who choose to do drugs, who choose to become alcoholics, who choose to have children out of wedlock and before they can pay for them and who choose to spend all of their money today instead of saving any for tomorrow?
Just the Facts
July 30th, 2011
2:14 pm
Hey ByteMe.
FY 2009 is Bush’s budget!!! It spans October 2008 – September 2009. Revenues cratered as a result of the Bush recession.
Why do our deficits always explode under Republican presidents?? Research it if you don’t believe it. The most hypocritical bunch of cry babies ever imagined.
double
July 30th, 2011
2:15 pm
Td we all can’t live off rice.We like corn and taters.Put your home address out there so these hungry.homeless can visit you.You say they all choose to live this way by making wrong decisions in life.
RGB
July 30th, 2011
2:18 pm
In the mid-60’s 25% of federal budget dollars went from the government to individuals.
Today that figure is 66%–two-thirds of all federal outlays go directly to citizens–not for roads, bridges, or national defense.
Ours is rapidly becoming a European-style welfare state. The question is whether you want to continue down that path and have a European-style economy or do you want to reverse it?
Their standard of living stinks compared to ours. The gravy train is almost out of gravy.
td–you’re right. Logic baffles and confounds liberals. They can’t engage on that basis. Hence Pelosi’s ‘We’re Trying to Save World From GOP Budget, Trying to Save Life On This Planet as We Know It”
td
July 30th, 2011
2:18 pm
John
July 30th, 2011
2:01 pm
Like I said most social programs should be taken care of by a church. The state government should set up temporary safety nets for anyone that the churches can not care for. If you call that socialism then I guess what we are currently doing is communism.
Yes, socialism is a bad thing. Socialism takes away the incentive for people to go out and work hard. It gives people an entitlement mentality that is counterproductive to giving a person a great work ethic. The Governments responsibility is to give everyone a fair shot to make it but is not to be involved in the outcome. People have to be able to fail and start over, people have to know that there are consequences for their actions and know if they make the wrong choices then they will have to pay for their mistakes. Sometimes their mistakes will require major consequences but so be it.
td
July 30th, 2011
2:21 pm
double
July 30th, 2011
2:15 pm
Td we all can’t live off rice.We like corn and taters
That would be rice and beans. So if you can not afford anything more than rice and beans due to the choices you have made then it is the government’s responsibility to take care of you?
deegee
July 30th, 2011
2:43 pm
I just hope that people will finally get off of their dead azzes and vote in the next election. The only reason that those tea party fanatics won a few seats in the last election is that the silent majority didn’t vote. Get out and vote and vote for independent candidates in the next election.