Keith Ashdown
Keith Ashdown
budgetary easy federal fights footprint gorilla hard item known limit tick
We've known for years that there are some easy things on paper. But it's politically hard to limit the budgetary footprint of the federal government. Any item you try and cut, you're going to tick off an 800-pound gorilla that fights with a sledgehammer.
backyard considered fund gas industry items members oil powerful slush worst
We considered it one of the worst items in the bill. It's a slush fund for the oil and gas industry that would have been in the backyard of one of the more powerful members in Congress.
best change disclose discourse public review time
Transparency is the best disinfectant. If they would disclose everything and give the public time to review it, that would change the discourse dramatically.
disease preventing symptom tools troops
Those 2,966 earmarks are a symptom of a disease that is preventing our troops from getting the tools they need.
businesses happens runs thousands type yard
There are probably thousands of businesses that need this type of help, but this happens to be in the back yard of the lawmaker who runs the subcommittee.
contention costs cut deficit derived five half hopes including inevitable itself large likely next proposals tall
With all these new programs, the administration's contention that the deficit will be cut in half in the next five years is a tall tale, derived in large part by omitting very likely or inevitable costs, including costs for proposals the administration itself hopes and intends to support.
ask reason
The other reason you see Murtha get so much is because Young does not ask for very much.
congress issue
The only issue will be how is Congress going to react.
biggest brought champion defense increase lewis smart
We used to think that Mr. Lewis would be a champion for smart spending. But he brought us the biggest increase in defense earmarking in history.
congress gorilla happen major nobody program protecting talking
The only thing I think can happen is that (Congress enacts) a very large, across-the-board cut, ... and nobody is talking about that. Every major program has an 800-pound gorilla protecting it.
balances checks fact money spent sure
The fact is, there are not the checks and balances to make sure the money is spent well.
simple
We would have been much, much better off with no bill. Everything they did, there's a simple way around it.
learn money months stolen wasted
We will learn months after the money was wasted or stolen that it was wasted and stolen.