Toomey, Durbin clash as sequester nears
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Toomey, Durbin clash as sequester nears
WASHINGTON -- The Senate voted down PA Republican Sen. Pat Toomey’s plan to offer President Obama flexibility in how he applies $85 billion in budget cuts set to begin Friday under the so-called “sequester” – but only after an unusually intense debate on the Senate floor between Toomey and Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the chamber’s second ranking Democrat.
The Senate then also defeated a Democratic alternative to sequestration, and with the House wrapping up its business at noon on an unrelated vote, official Washington limped away to train rides and flights home with the sequester securely in place and set to begin Friday.
“In the words of Chairman Mao,” said Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.), “it’s always darkest before it’s totally black.”
Of course, just because the cuts go into effect Friday doesn’t mean anyone will notice (and it certainly doesn’t seem like they’ve been paying attention so far). Even the White House, after releasing a list of scary prospects Sunday, has acknowledged that the cuts won’t start having a tangible impact for a few weeks.
One of the most immediate cuts – reductions in checks for people on long-term unemployment coverage – won’t be seen until late this month, the Deptartment of Labor said. The furloughs that might hit civilian defense workers and air traffic controllers -- leading to the feared delays that have gotten so much attention -- likely wouldn’t hit until April.
So, lacking urgency, the House voted on the Violence Against Women Act and the Senate took up two bills that both parties knew had no chance of passing.
In the Senate, Toomey’s came first. His plan, crafted along with Sen. James Inhofe, an Oklahoma Republican, would have given President Obama flexibility to make the $85 billion cuts as he chose, instead of applying them across the board.
“Any competent middle manager of any business in America knows when you have to tighten your belt you go through and you prioritize things,” Toomey said. Shutting down air traffic control towers, he said, isn’t necessary. “Give the president flexibility to cut the items that would not be disruptive to our economy.”
But Durbin called Toomey’s argument “mindless” and said the cuts are so large, and would have to be applied in such a short time frame that they can’t be applied in any way that won’t have an adverse effect.
“It is mindless to stand here on the Senate floor and say we can cut $1 billion out of the Department of Transportation and no one will feel it – come on, get real,” Durbin said. “We have seven months left in this (fiscal) year. These agencies are trying to come up with the savings and the only places they can turn are very limited.”
He added, “please don’t sugar coat it and say there is just a magic wand out there to find all this money.”
Durbin and Toomey talked over one another at several points, trading jabs in a way rarely seen on the Senate floor.
Moments later Toomey’s plan was shot down in a 38-62 vote; nine fellow Republicans opposed the plan, worried about handing too much power to the president.
Obama has criticized the idea that flexibility alone with make the cuts palatable, and the White House threatened to veto Toomey's bill. With seven months left in the fiscal year and many big-ticket items off-limits to the sequester – including Medicare, Social Security and uniformed military personnel – the cuts would fall heavily on the remaining pieces of the budget, Democrats argued.
Obama has instead called for replacing the $85 billion cuts with a similarly-sized mix of measured cuts (largely to agriculture subsidies) and tax increases (largely by closing loopholes and making sure people making $5 million and up pay a minimum rate of 30 percent).
That idea, though, also failed: 51 senators voted for it and 49 opposed it, leaving it short of the 60 votes needed to proceed to a final vote.
With that, Congress finished its work for the week and left, accepting the onset of budget cuts both parties have said should never happen.
They are unlikely to be undone in the immediate future. Instead, most are eyeing March 27, when the current budget agreement expires. Obama and Congress will have to agree to a new spending plan by then, or else risk a government shutdown, and most people in Washington expect that the sequester cuts will be folded into that debate.
In other words, get ready for more proclamations of doom, blame and brinksmanship before a resolution.
obama already got his tax increase. just cut every program pro rate to achieve the $85bn in cuts. problem solved— hannibal barca
We need to get rid of Pat Toomey. What a dope. I did not vote for this guy. Time is now to find a replacement!— kingofpoker- Toomey's the best thing to happen to PA in a long time. That hack do nothing Casey is no where to be found still leaching off PA taxpayers when they need him to step up and do something.
The Sequestration was all Obama's idea and he is the one to blame for not working with Congress to address cuts that are needed.
Instead he deflects blame for his lack of leadership as he always does...Maybe the Democrats should spend less time worrying about guns and more time fixing the economy!
Even famed Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward, who broke the story when Nixon was busted for Watergate, came out accusing Obama of creating this mess! (1).
(1) - http://www.businessinsider.com/bob-woodward-obama-sequester-white-house-reporting-price-politics-2013-2— Professor1982 - Sequestering was used during the Elder Bush presidency. Bush blinked and it actually resulted in some of that Pres Bush's 11 tax increases. Blinking or not the Elder Bush was wise enough to recognize that tax cuts and comparable spending cuts were not sufficient impact the deficit, additional, targeted revenue increases were necessary.
Of course, the irony is that here is Lew suggesting the same tactic but congress does not blink. But then I also question why Pres Obama would appoint a person with such very close ties to the banking industry that contributed to the econ recession.
On fixing loopholes: This is the one thing that must be fixed before anymore tax rate increases. There are simply too many and no parity across and amongst industries. Corporate rate may be 35% but the actual rate is 17% because of loopholes granted predominantly to the largest corporations. Close the loopholes and lower the rate to 17% for all corporations. It would help level the corporate playing field and give a boost to all the little LLC's which are stuck paying the full rate.— nebulus - If you weren't all so selfish and would just agree to pay more taxes we wouldn't have this problem.— Bede19025
- Just quit your job and let the state take care of you...that's what Obama wants anyway.... — Professor1982
- Our positions here are clear but I'm surprised I didn't see you on any of the School Board stories today Professor.
Perhaps your "Professor" title reveals a sympathy for Public Education?— Cuddles - "reveals a sympathy for Public Education?" so lets see here Cuddles what can kind of sympathy does the tax deadbeats have for public education. You know that Philadelphia has over 500 million in school taxes that fund public education you revere so much. Just a question when will you support PUBIC EDUCATION and pay your taxes!
- PUBLIC is spelled with an "L".
...I have a sympathy for your education.
I most certainly hope you don't have a "PUBIC" for me.— Cuddles - This comment has been deleted. — Professor1982
- handsome guy..that toomey— bristowvw
- Yeah for a leprechaun. — The Fundamentals of the Economy are Fine
- Hooray for Toomey!!— Pugh
- Unions have saved the repubs yet again. Since most of the federal workforce is unionized they must receive 30 days notice before they can be furloughed so most service cuts can's occur until April. This gives Congress four more weeks to try and get its act together (or say look, cuts aren't bad).
I personally find Toomey's posturing on this kind of repugnant. Before his election to the senate he was a house member and if he voted to put Bush's tax cuts and two wars on the "tax payer's credit card" then he definitely contributed to the problems we have now.— meteo30
Jonathan Tamari is the Inquirer’s correspondent in Washington, where he follows the Philadelphia area’s interests and representatives. Tamari comes to D.C. after two years as a beat writer reporting on the Philadelphia Eagles and the NFL (where, a political source once told him, there are at least rules against hitting below the knees). He previously wrote about politics and government from Trenton, reporting on the characters and color of New Jersey state government.Jersey born and bred, Tamari now lives in the capital city, where he is looking for stories, places to run, soccer bars and good meals.
Reach him at jtamari@phillynews.com.
Follow Jonathan on Twitter: @JonathanTamari.
