Texas Gov. Rick Perry said he would cut the United States' foreign aid budget to zero and then allocate taxpayer dollars depending on each country's support for America, indicating that Pakistan would no longer receive U.S. aid but Israel would.
(Watch at left)
"It's time for us as a country to say no to foreign aid to countries that don't support the United States of America," Perry said.
His idea received support from former House Speaker Newt Gingrich but, in the case of Pakistan, was opposed by Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum at the CBS News/National Journal debate in Spartanburg, S.C.
Perry made his comments during a discussion on Pakistan. The American relationship with that country has become strained since the covert operation by U.S. Marines killed Osama bin Laden, who had been hiding in the country for years.
(Watch the discussion at left)
In explaining his agreement with Perry, Gingrich appeared to indicate that no thought goes into deciding how much aid each country receives.
"Consider the alternative," Gingrich said. "You're giving some country $7 billion a year. You start off-- or in the case of Egypt, $3 billion a year -- you start off every year and say here's your $3 billion, now I'll start thinking? You ought to start off at zero and say, explain to me why I should give you a penny."
Bachmann, who sits on the House Intelligence Committee, depicted foreign aid for Pakistan as a national security issue.
"I would reduce foreign aid to many, many countries, but there's a problem because Pakistan has a nuclear weapon," Bachmann said. "We have more people affiliated with al Qaeda closer to that nuclear bomb than in any other nation."
For Santorum, Pakistan "must be a friend of the United States" for the same reason.
"Pakistan is a nuclear power, and there are people in that country if they gain control of that country will create a situation equal to the situation that is now percolating in Iran," Santorum said. "So we can't be indecisive about whether Pakistan is our friend. They must be our friend, and we must engage them as friends."
The foreign aid budget is a familiar punching bag for political candidates but only accounts for a small percentage of the entire federal budget. Earlier this year, PolitiFact.com reported that in the 2008 and 2009 fiscal years U.S. spending on foreign aid amounted to $49.1 billion and $44.9 billion respectively, or slightly more than 1 percent of the U.S. budget each year.
For the 2012 fiscal year, which began Oct. 1, President Obama requested $50.8 billion for foreign aid.
In response to a viewer question submitted via Twitter about the amount of aid Israel would receive, Perry indicated that he'd support providing the country with aid. He also considered expanding the case-by-case budgetary method to federal departments, making a reference to a debate earlier this week in which he could only name two of the three departments he wanted to defund.
"Obviously, Israel is a special ally, and my bet is that we would be funding them at some substantial level," Perry said. "But it makes sense for everyone to come in at zero and make your case. As a matter of fact, we ought to try doing that with some of those agencies that I was trying to think the name of."
By the end of the debate, the Perry campaign had issued a statement clarifying that he's "a friend to Israel and understands the challenges faced by the country," according to Talking Points Memo.
"We must not let any daylight show between our two nations," the statement says, adding that Perry "does not believe weakening Israel is the road to peace. A strong Israel is in the best interests of the United States and the region."
(Referring to his desire to eliminate the federal government...) Gov. Perry is always good for a laugh. Not as funny as Herman Cain, but quite humorous in his own right.
I used to think he was serious with his comments, but have come to realize that they're intended as convivial apologues. Now that I am able to judge within the proper context, I rate Gov. Perry very highly. If Mr. Cain loses much more of his wit and humor in coming weeks, then Gov. Perry could very well take the lead as the most entertaining of the regressive candidate pool.
Heck, I'm rooting for them both. Go Cain! Go Perry!
His foreign aid budget starts at zero, except for Israel, the country that receives more our tax dollars than all the other countries that receive aid, combined.
What a dolt.
How exactly has Israel been supportive of America? They dont contribute any money, weapons, intelligence or men to the wars we fight on their behalf in the middle east. They dont allow us to put bases or equipment or men on their soil. They provoke and antagonize our friends and our enemies. They ignore the NPT, and UN resolutions. They actually fed us false intelligence that was touted by the Bush administration as part of the evidence to support the case for war in Iraq.
Israel, at the very least, should get no more aid from us. There are quite a few other countries that we should stop supporting as well, but Israel is the first and worst.
Actually israel does work with us on many high technology projects. Some intel chips were also designed in israel, and israel cross trains many of our military people in urban warfare. Israel supplied us with ammunition when we had a shortage due to the wars we were in.
Rick Perrys IQ starts at zero. And it is comforting to hear that Texas does not have any foreign aid, except of course to those countries that are our allies. Will someone please remove the boot from his mouth and stuff it up his a$$? Sideways?
by skyk1: "None of these people have a clue how to run this nation, how to influence other Countries outside of being a bully"
So you're saying we should give some of these nations a boatload of money then stand back and let them spit in our face and vow our destruction so we won't look like a "bully"?
Some people are clueless, as you said. But on this particular point it looks as if you're one of them......
Thats the best thing Perry has said that no other has: !!STOP THE FOREIGN AID!! worry about the Americans here that cannot afford to eat or have a place to sleep. Like I have said before !!!IT'S TIME FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!!! President Obahma came here when he was running for office and promised to help this area which has the Enrichment Plant but no he left us in the cold. !!!REMEMBER PEOPLE running for office it's the OHIOANS that decide!!!
Foreign Aid will start at zero? How about it will be zero regardless of support for American Policies.
My tax dollars should not go to anyone but the American people. When politicians learn that they are not the worlds rulers and the American tax payer is not the supplier, then I'll quit complaining.
Thats the best thing Perry has said that no other has: !!STOP THE FOREIGN AID!! worry about the Americans here that cannot afford to eat or have a place to sleep. Like I have said before !!!IT'S TIME FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!!! President Obahma came here when he was running for office and promised to help this area which has the Enrichment Plant but no he left us in the cold. !!!REMEMBER PEOPLE running for office it's the OHIOANS that decide!!!
I'm sure someone has said it already and I don't have time to go through all the comments, but Navy SEALs killed bin Laden, not Marines. Not that I mind the mistake, being a former Marine myself, but you have to give credit where credit is due.
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I used to think he was serious with his comments, but have come to realize that they're intended as convivial apologues. Now that I am able to judge within the proper context, I rate Gov. Perry very highly. If Mr. Cain loses much more of his wit and humor in coming weeks, then Gov. Perry could very well take the lead as the most entertaining of the regressive candidate pool.
Heck, I'm rooting for them both. Go Cain! Go Perry!
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-01/foreign-banks-tapped-fed-s-lifeline-most-as-bernanke-kept-borrowers-secret.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/17/us-injecting-billions-int_n_175454.html
Support Ron Paul and end the Federal Reserve.
What a dolt.
How exactly has Israel been supportive of America? They dont contribute any money, weapons, intelligence or men to the wars we fight on their behalf in the middle east. They dont allow us to put bases or equipment or men on their soil. They provoke and antagonize our friends and our enemies. They ignore the NPT, and UN resolutions. They actually fed us false intelligence that was touted by the Bush administration as part of the evidence to support the case for war in Iraq.
Israel, at the very least, should get no more aid from us. There are quite a few other countries that we should stop supporting as well, but Israel is the first and worst.
Will someone please remove the boot from his mouth and stuff it up his a$$? Sideways?
So you're saying we should give some of these nations a boatload of money then stand back and let them spit in our face and vow our destruction so we won't look like a "bully"?
Some people are clueless, as you said. But on this particular point it looks as if you're one of them......
My tax dollars should not go to anyone but the American people. When politicians learn that they are not the worlds rulers and the American tax payer is not the supplier, then I'll quit complaining.