Sean Duffy
Ron Nixon of the New York Times looks at several U.S. House Republicans who were elected on a platform of spending cuts but who are also pushing for spending projects of questionable merit in their districts. This is a timely report as House Republicans have taken a “No, more cuts!” position during deficit-reduction negotiations. These Republicans are hypocritical, effective, or both.
The House federal budget proposal — with its $61 billion in domestic spending cuts — and Washington’s rhetorical focus on the national debt has prompted a flood of articles about what is actually slated to be cut. Generally, these are helpful stories — instead of politicians waxing about “belt-tightening,” we learn, for example, that Naperville, Illinois may lose $200,000 in community block grants that go to a local food pantry. But if the choice of programs to be cut by the Obama administration and Congress deserves scrutiny, so does the effectiveness of these programs. Some domestic programs that have been expanded in the last two years have shown mixed results, including foreclosure rehab and home heating assistance measures. (more…)
