Deficit-swelling Trump White House plans to use deficit against Democrats

[Rogue Valley]

Deficit-swelling Trump White House plans to use deficit against Democrats

3/1/19
The self-described “king of debt” is about to get religion. In the next several months, the Trump administration faces several big spending and budget showdowns with Congress. And after mostly brushing off deficit concerns while pushing through a costly tax-cut plan, the White House now plans to reposition itself as an unlikely enforcer of fiscal responsibility led by its new top budget official, a veteran of the conservative group Heritage Action. Saturday marks the beginning of a series of budget challenges for the Trump White House. The next marker comes on March 11, when the White House is scheduled to release the president’s broad budget priorities, which will feature a call for deep spending cuts — and be dead on arrival in the Democratic-led House. Administration officials have been meeting for weeks to devise a strategy to dramatically boost defense spending, fulfilling a promise to Trump’s base, while at the same time placing a strong new rhetorical emphasis on deficit concerns in a bid to undermine Democratic demands for more spending on nondefense programs like foreign aid, education and environmental protection. It’s a long-shot plan certain to face accusations of hypocrisy — especially since it’s coming from Trump, who once boasted, “I’ve made a fortune by using debt.” Privately, many White House officials also dismiss the notion that the federal debt is a major problem.

The president’s critics countered that the Trump administration backed a tax-cut plan that will cost an estimated $2.3 trillion over 10 years and add $1.9 trillion to the debt. And after much consternation, Trump agreed to sign a massive $1.3 trillion spending bill last year — though afterwards, he told aides he’d regretted it apart from the boost it gave to the military. Aides said the Treasury Department will take point on debt limit talks, while the Office of Management and Budget is driving the budget proposal. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has said he would like Congress to raise the debt ceiling without any political showdowns or attempts to extract additional policy concessions — a move that could anger some House Republicans. One of the senior administration officials dismissed concerns that the debt limit fight will become a political nightmare, calling the issue, “much sound and fury signifying nothing.” But the debt limit and budget cap negotiations will force the White House to help congressional leadership deliver votes on a key issue, all while keeping the president — the king of debt — on message.

The White House plan is to slash every program and leave military funding the same. However, the military budget would actually be increased due to White House plans to raid the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) fund, which no previous administration has ever before raided, and then add these pilfered funds to the Pentagon base budget.

As always with Republicans, they spend like mad dogs while in office, and then demand drastic spending cuts from succeeding Democrat administrations when they are the minority party. This is also the Trump/GOP recipe.

Related: Overseas Contingency Operations: The Pentagon Slush Fund

 

[MTAtech]

Needless to say, this is hypocrisy at its best. What Trump and his cult don't understand or want to understand that even if one cut foreign aid to zero, that only saves $45 billion, mostly from credits to buy American products. Same thing with cutting NPR and Big Bird, there really isn't much savings there. The big ticket items are only in five areas: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Defense and interest on the debt.

Many Trump voters benefit from Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and likely wouldn't want those cut.

The Dems are going to resist any GOP effort to cut social programs, and they'll look like heros to America. Pelosi will skillfully out maneuver Trump once again.

 

[Fletch]

Maybe you two should just relax. Dems control the House. All spending bills originate there. The budget should be balanced this year.

 

[Chomsky]

Deficit-swelling Trump White House plans to use deficit against Democrats

The White House plan is to slash every program and leave military funding the same. However, the military budget would actually be increased due to White House plans to raid the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) fund, which no previous administration has ever before raided, and then add these pilfered funds to the Pentagon base budget.

As always with Republicans, they spend like mad dogs while in office, and then demand drastic spending cuts from succeeding Democrat administrations when they are the minority party. This is also the Trump/GOP recipe.

Related: Overseas Contingency Operations: The Pentagon Slush Fund

This begs the question:

"What happens when a contingency occurs?"

Just sayin' ...

 

[Chomsky]

Needless to say, this is hypocrisy at its best. What Trump and his cult don't understand or want to understand that even if one cut foreign aid to zero, that only saves $45 billion, mostly from credits to buy American products. Same thing with cutting NPR and Big Bird, there really isn't much savings there. The big ticket items are only in five areas: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Defense and interest on the debt.

Many Trump voters benefit from Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and likely wouldn't want those cut.

The Dems are going to resist any GOP effort to cut social programs, and they'll look like heros to America. Pelosi will skillfully out maneuver Trump once again.

I'm wondering if Trump was maneuvering to get ahead of the coming debt ceiling battle with Congress. Some hypothesize Pelosi could use the fight starve Trump's fav campaign promises.

 

[Mycroft]

Maybe you two should just relax. Dems control the House. All spending bills originate there. The budget should be balanced this year.

It won't be.

1. The Dems will use funding bills as weapons...again.

2. They are too busy campaigning for the 2020 election...on the taxpayer's dime.

 

[Nickyjo]

It won't be.

1. The Dems will use funding bills as weapons...again.

2. They are too busy campaigning for the 2020 election...on the taxpayer's dime.

And these distinguish them from republicans how?

 

[Mycroft]

And these distinguish them from republicans how?

Republicans don't control the House.

Your whataboutism is dismissed.

 

[Rogue Valley]

This begs the question:

"What happens when a contingency occurs?"

Just sayin' ...

Trump wants to wrap up US efforts in Syria and Afghanistan not because this would represent sound tactical/strategic thinking, but because Trump is looking at the $ bottom line.

 

[Rogue Valley]

The more funding Trump can pump into the Pentagon prior to 2020, the more he can claim to be America's great protector.

 

[Nickyjo]

Republicans don't control the House.

Your whataboutism is dismissed.

Sorry you misunderstood. The question was more generic. Politics as usual, practiced by both sides when in similar positions.

 

[Fletch]

I'm wondering if Trump was maneuvering to get ahead of the coming debt ceiling battle with Congress. Some hypothesize Pelosi could use the fight starve Trump's fav campaign promises.

And risk defaulting on our debt and harming our credit?

 

[Fletch]

Trump wants to wrap up US efforts in Syria and Afghanistan not because this would represent sound tactical/strategic thinking, but because Trump is looking at the $ bottom line.

Those wars should be wrapped up.

 

[Mycroft]

Sorry you misunderstood. The question was more generic. Politics as usual, practiced by both sides when in similar positions.

I didn't misunderstand. I rejected your whataboutism.

I'm not interested in your "generic" irrelevance. We are talking about the Dems.

 

[noonereal]

Deficit-swelling Trump White House plans to use deficit against Democrats

The White House plan is to slash every program and leave military funding the same. However, the military budget would actually be increased due to White House plans to raid the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) fund, which no previous administration has ever before raided, and then add these pilfered funds to the Pentagon base budget.

As always with Republicans, they spend like mad dogs while in office, and then demand drastic spending cuts from succeeding Democrat administrations when they are the minority party. This is also the Trump/GOP recipe.

Related: Overseas Contingency Operations: The Pentagon Slush Fund

This is brilliant strategy and he will be successful implementing it.

Mark my words, he will successfully make his deficit appear the fault of the Democrats and win votes by so doing.

This is what he is good at, very good at. Mass manipulation.

 

[Chomsky]

And risk defaulting on our debt and harming our credit?

Politics, it would seem. But like I stated, it was a pundit's hypothesis (that seemed possible).

 

[Bullseye]

Deficit-swelling Trump White House plans to use deficit against Democrats

The White House plan is to slash every program and leave military funding the same. However, the military budget would actually be increased due to White House plans to raid the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) fund, which no previous administration has ever before raided, and then add these pilfered funds to the Pentagon base budget.

As always with Republicans, they spend like mad dogs while in office, and then demand drastic spending cuts from succeeding Democrat administrations when they are the minority party. This is also the Trump/GOP recipe.

Related: Overseas Contingency Operations: The Pentagon Slush Fund

Funny thing is that not a single number cited is real - your source is citing disproved projections that haven't been updated in over a year.

 

[Chomsky]

This is brilliant strategy and he will be successful implementing it.

Mark my words, he will successfully make his deficit appear the fault of the Democrats and win votes by so doing.

This is what he is good at, very good at. Mass manipulation.

Yep, he'll blame it on Dem spending on social services. But I'm wondering if Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security might finally be a bridge too far for his base. Those programs are significant in Red states.

 

[Taxman]

Needless to say, this is hypocrisy at its best. What Trump and his cult don't understand or want to understand that even if one cut foreign aid to zero, that only saves $45 billion, mostly from credits to buy American products. Same thing with cutting NPR and Big Bird, there really isn't much savings there. The big ticket items are only in five areas: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Defense and interest on the debt.

Many Trump voters benefit from Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and likely wouldn't want those cut.

The Dems are going to resist any GOP effort to cut social programs, and they'll look like heros to America. Pelosi will skillfully out maneuver Trump once again.

I don't know about you but i paid into SSI for 50 years so there had best be some money in the trust fund. This means SSI does not cost the government anything.

 

[MTAtech]

This is brilliant strategy and he will be successful implementing it.

Mark my words, he will successfully make his deficit appear the fault of the Democrats and win votes by so doing.

This is what he is good at, very good at. Mass manipulation.

Yeah, it worked so well during the shutdown.

 

[Nickyjo]

I didn't misunderstand. I rejected your whataboutism.

I'm not interested in your "generic" irrelevance. We are talking about the Dems.

And I am talking about universal human tendencies, unconfined to my side or yours.

 

[Fletch]

Politics, it would seem. But like I stated, it was a pundit's hypothesis (that seemed possible).

And annual funding bills for every aspect of government need to be signed into law as well. So Trump can hold out for any funding they might take away during the debt ceiling fight. Maybe the two sides should just act like adults and compromise on these sorts of things rather than making every penny and every issue a death match.

 

[Bullseye]

Needless to say, this is hypocrisy at its best. What Trump and his cult don't understand or want to understand that even if one cut foreign aid to zero, that only saves $45 billion, mostly from credits to buy American products. Same thing with cutting NPR and Big Bird, there really isn't much savings there. The big ticket items are only in five areas: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Defense and interest on the debt.

Many Trump voters benefit from Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and likely wouldn't want those cut.

The Dems are going to resist any GOP effort to cut social programs, and they'll look like heros to America. Pelosi will skillfully out maneuver Trump once again.

The Dems get to write the appropriation bills - are you going on record as saying they will cut spending to reduce the deficit? By the way the CBO said just last week that they are now projecting a deficit $75 billion less than they projected just a year ago and the ten-year deficit total will $1.25 trillion less than the projected then. So much for the "deficit exploding tax cuts".

 

[noonereal]

Yeah, it worked so well during the shutdown.

There is no correlation.

I get it, you don't like TRump so all objectivity flies out the window.

 

[MTAtech]

I don't know about you but i paid into SSI for 50 years so there had best be some money in the trust fund. This means SSI does not cost the government anything.

You also paid into Medicare for 50 years too. Good thing the Dems won the House last November because this is what would have happened if the GOP won:

Mitch McConnell says it out loud: Republicans are gunning for Social Security, Medicare and Obamacare next