Cuts Would Be Far Deeper than Under Ryan Budget Plan

Governor Romney's budget proposals would require far deeper cuts in nondefense programs than the House-passed budget resolution authored by Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan: $94 billion to $219 billion deeper in 2016 and $303 billion to $819 billion deeper in 2021.

Ø  Under the Ryan plan, spending for nondefense programs other than interest would total $2.716 trillion in 2016 and $3.361 trillion in 2021.

Ø  Under the Romney proposal to limit spending to 20 percent of GDP, nondefense spending would total $2.622 trillion in 2016 and $3.058 trillion in 2021.  If the budget were also to be balanced by 2018, nondefense spending would be far smaller:  $2.497 trillion in 2016 and $2.542 trillion in 2021.

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 The Gov’s problem starts with his proposal to cap federal spending at 20% of GDP (i.e., he could go lower, but he won’t go higher) and at the same time, increase defense spending to no less than 4% of the economy.

That leaves…um…let me see…carry the naughts…ahh—I’ve got it!: 16% of GDP for everything else! As Jon Cohn pointed out last week, this implies massive spending cuts.  From our report:

–If policymakers spread these cuts proportionately across all nondefense programs — including Social Security and Medicare — they would have to cut every program by 17 percent in 2016 and 24 percent in 2021.

–If policymakers protected both Social Security and Medicare, they would have to cut other programs 34 percent in 2016 and 50 percent in 2021!

 If these slashes take place to Social Security benefits it would push approx 2.6 million additional Americans into poverty!!!

By: Jared Berstein in 'The Christian Science Monitor' (hardly a left leaning publication!!) 

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 And this Government cutting and overwhelming call for defunding go so much further. In order to appease (a word Mitt has been in love with recently) his crazy base he has gotten drunk with defunding and was actually quoted recently, in regards to his views toward a small funding measure of public broadcasting, as saying ;

"I'm afraid Big Bird is going to have to get used to Kellogg's Corn Flakes,"

 implying of course that sesame street will have to get used to product placement (and the commericalized drone creation of your children) being a part of the show! 

 SOURCE: CBO, Center for Budget and Policy Priorities