Schumer Calls Out GOP on Deficit: "There They Go Again"

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., left, with Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo.

/ AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Republicans promised during the 2010 campaigns to reduce the deficit, but they're ignoring a number of pricey priorities that Democrats say will balloon the deficit by more than $1 trillion.

"So much for cutting the deficit," Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer told reporters at a press conference today. "On the first day on the job, Republicans are already spending trillions more than they plan to cut."

On the first day of the 112th Congress, Republicans passed new House rules, some aimed at fiscal responsibility. For instance, the "cut-go" rule dictates that any new federal spending must be offset by spending cuts elsewhere -- not by increasing revenues. The "cut-go" rule replaces the Democrats' "pay-go" rule, which said that any new spending had to be paid for.

However, Republicans are exempting some of their costly priorities from the new rules -- including a proposed permanent extension of the Bush-era tax cuts and a proposed extension of relatively low estate tax rates. They're also exempting the cost of the repeal of the Democrats' health care overhaul, which the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates will add $230 billion to the deficit over ten years.

"The new Republican Congress looks a lot like the last Republican Congress," Schumer chided, recalling when the budget surplus left under President Clinton was diminished and turned into a deficit. The GOP's addition of $1 trillion to the deficit "makes you just shake your head and say, 'There they go again,'" he said.

Schumer said that the House Republicans' "reckless" policies will be "dead on arrival" in the Democratic-led Senate.

"We know we have to reduce spending," he said. "We're going to actually do it, not just promise it and walk away from it on the first day."

Schumer, along with Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), focused particularly on the impact of repealing the health care overhaul. Durbin noted that the repeal is not only anticipated to add to the deficit, but it would leave tens of millions of Americans without health care. He called it a "personal family tragedy."

The major elements of the health care reforms have yet to be enacted, so most of the people expected to acquire health insurance because of the new laws are still lacking coverage. On CBS's "The Early Show" this morning, new House Majority Leader Eric Cantor called the CBO's projections about the overhaul's cost savings "budget gimmickry."

The newly-empowered Republicans are also aiming to scale back the Democrats' Wall Street reforms and have suggested they may not give the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) the increased budgets they have requested to meet their new responsibilities. Durbin warned that the hundreds of new jobs added to the SEC to prevent another Bernie Madoff-style scandal "would be on the chopping block."

Schumer warned that the markets will benefit from increased enforcement of the rules and Republicans would "rue the day they cut enforcement."

[hamsterattack]

repealing the health care law would add to the deficit, contrary to the GOP's promise to curb runaway deficits. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office's most recent estimate says that the Democratic health measure would reduce the deficit by $143 billion over the coming decade, savings that would disappear if the law is repealed.

[noloyalisti]

What I can't understand is why the United States voted back in the same people that destroyed the economy, started two endless wars and are against freedom, liberty and the government.

[oldbasicgal]

Because the ones "IN" that were voted "OUT" weren't doing anything but making the situation much, much worse.

[jimbom121]

oldbasicgal

You have a short memory...go back to October 2008 for a minute.

[noloyalisti]

The Bushoccio Crime Family left a $12 trillion dollar debt for Obama. Then because their bankster friends caused the Second Great Republican Depression, Obama had to do something. So he did a stimulus package that created and saved millions of American jobs. Everyone hates government help until THEY NEED IT!

[strikerF2]

liar, it was 9 Trillion and the Bedwetters added 5 trillion in 2 years.

[forsanity1]

Goodbye GOP!

This was your last chance... only two days in and you have already lost your way!

____________

I predict a remarkable rise in enthusiasm among liberal, thinking-centrist, young, minority, women and other voters that were either bored or ignored in 2010 (Dems have some blame for that, certainly!) ....

It is logical to assume this just because of the swinging pendulum of politics, and with the beginning of the 112th Congress already such a "tell" for the empty promises of the GOP, it stands to reason that the game is over for the formerly grand, old (older voters led by emotion and fear of the "other" more than fact) party!

It's difficult to have to actually DO something, huh?

[josephsestito]

You must be in the union and scarred...Oh I forgot...All unions are exempt from OBUMACARE....

[forsanity1]

No, I have no scars.

I am also not in a Union, but I do know that they are not exempt from "Obamacare".

If you had a fact, you would not like it... it would prove you wrong. Sad little misinformed person. I hope you one day get a functioning conscience along with a few working brain cells of your own.

[prohb]

You see, I believe that this is how it was/is during the economic crisis and subsequent Obama election in 2008 and early 2009.
Far right conservative Republicans and right-leaning independents (many of which were latent tea partiers) were becoming more and more anxious. Their world view seemed to be crumbling. They were a party bereft of direction, real leadership, and plans. All the voters enthusiasm, of being in the right, all of being part of something bigger than themselves, of being part of a movement, all of this was on Obama's and the Democrat side.
They deep down resented this. Why can't we have this? Why can't we have a big enemy to fight against? This image they have created about me/us -----IT CANNOT BE TRUE!!! My world view is crumbling----- and for a while ----up to the inauguration---they foundered--------

But they shouldn't have worried in our short-attention spanned, meadia fueled culture. To their rescue, came the famous, and admittingly, brilliant) Republican smokes and mirrors message/media machine, rich CEO conservatives (Koch, Rudolf, etc.), and talk radio (Beck, Limbaugh etc.). Just like Big Brother in 1984 they actually were able to convince these scared and anxious Republicans/independents that it was not their parties fault since Reagan but actually it was something else. Starting with the orchestrated rant by Santinelli against that bogieman-----the realllll enemy -----BIGGGGG GOVERNMENTTTTT!!!!

First they went along with the anger of the times (late 2008, early 2009). They tied big baddy government to the bailouts for corporations, banks, Madoff, etc. etc etc. but that message soon morphed/changed into just BIG GOVERNMENT-----i.e. OBAMA-----i.e. THE DEMOCRATS! (while the banks and corporations, both conservative controlled, now merrily going on their way)

NOWWWWW they had their ENEMY, NOWWW THEY COULD FIGHT!!! Nowwww 'THEY' could be part of something bigger than themselves. They would show those effete east coast Obama-supporting 'PROGRESSIVES' in their Birkenstocks that they could believe in something too. They could march and hold signs and wear 3 pointy hats. THEY COULD BE PART OF A NEW AMERICAN REVOLUTION! WHAT ENTHUSIASM! NOW WE ARE ALIVE AGAIN! IT WASN'T OUR FAULT ALL ALONG! IT WAASSSS-----THEM!

And they pulled along a lot of good women and men, spouses, friends, etc. who didn't really understand what was all happening (I mean who understands the conservative financial industry with their credit default swaps and tranches and collateralized risks etc.) but they went along because the Republicans seemed to have the answer, were confident and seemed to say the right things like----CONSTITUTION----and -----FREEDOM----and----COUNTRY----and-----GOD----- and TOO MUCH SPENDING-----and---- TOO MANY TAXES-----andddd ----WE MUST TAKE OUR COUNTRY BACK!!

So that is why the election happened the way it did-----

[noloyalisti]

The Bushoccio Crime Family excluded their wars for oil from the budget. Then when Obama added it in to the deficit, they blamed Obama. Typical, two-faced, hypocritical, lying Republican scum.

[strikerF2]

You the one that needs a Tutor to explain what happened last Nov?

[Geoff_S]

Damn Democrats.

They keep using things like "Estimates" and "forecasting models" to try to figure out the impact of certain projects on the deficit. Its not like Democratic spending estimates are ever right. When Donald Rumsfield "felt" that the war in Iraq would likely be done in 6 months and cost less than $100 million. The CBO estimated it would cost hundred of Billions. Thank god i listed to Rumsfield's "Feelings" rather than those stupid elitist at the CBO.

These Financial guys at the CBO looked at our current healthcare system and saw what was going to happen to our deficit without change. Then looked at the impact of passing some proposed legislation. These damn ivy league intellectuals. They go out and study things.

Why aren't they more like Republicans and go with feelings and labels. This bill is socialist, i don't care about the math that says it will save money or improve the quality of life of fellow citizens. I don't like Obama care, because people i trust like Rush Limbagh and Glen Beck tell me it is bad. I haven't read the bill- That is too much like actually learning. I just trust Glen Beck!!!

We are TEA (Taxed enough already) cut spending in all of the projects i don't believe in, like healthcare, education, medicare, social security but DONT YOU DARE touch spending Military spending, we still need to spend more than all other countries in the world, combined!

Boehner was right, it is "the people's house". So long as he means - White, conservative, straight, christians, or gay christian republican leaders (so long as they are in the closet) because they are the only "real Americans" because everyone else is just quite simply wrong and un-American.

[prohb]

Yes! Yes! March on for the Fatherland!

[OranPF]

Their goal is not really to cut spending per se, but to eliminate the social safety net. What better way to do that than to drive the country deeper into fiscal crisis? Republicans thrive on fiscal crisis! No matter how badly they screw it up, it still seems to help them when they start playing the fiscal apocalypse tune to the tea party types.

Meanwhile, in health care, we spend more than any other country in the world with less to show for it the other developed countries who all have some form of socialized health care. We haven't moved nearly far enough in that direction, and the Republican answer is to drive us further in the wrong direction on both cost and quality. Yeehaw!

[strikerF2]

I guess that's why all the World leaders come here for medical procedures? The best always costs more,you want free move to Cuba.

[ITSOVERNOW]

The only place more dangerous than Kabul, is the space between a television camera & Chuck Schumer

[prohb]

Those anxious independents and Republicans were so fooled. Now our country will reap what their ignorance and fear and misguided enthusiam in voting the way they did has wroght.

[strikerF2]

After 2 years and 5 trillion added to the deficit,we just could not afford any more Dimocrats.