“A Very Big Change,” “Gets Results”: What They’re Saying About the Open Debate on Spending Cuts

Posted by Don Seymour on February 22, 2011

Early Saturday morning, the House passed H.R. 1, an historic $100 billion spending cut and the first “continuing resolution” in history to be debated under an open process where lawmakers from both parties could offer and debate amendments. Both the spending cut and the process used to pass it are key parts of the Pledge to America– and instrumental to the Republican efforts to reform Congress and create a better environment for job growth. Here’s what lawmakers and pundits are saying:

• “Looks Like a Real Legislature”: “Now we have got a process. It looks like a legislature. And it is messy and it’s kind of ugly. But I think Boehner has actually done a great thing. ... all power to him, because it is a real legislature now.” (David Brooks, Shields and Brooks on Boehner’s ‘New World Order,’ Wisconsin Protests,PBS Newshour, 2/18/11)

• “Democracy”: “In sharp contrast to his recent predecessors, Speaker John Boehner is sticking to his vow to make the chamber more open and accountable. ... ‘Chaos,’ ‘a headache,’ ‘turmoil,’ ‘craziness,’ ‘confused,’ ‘wild,’ ‘uncontrolled’ are just a few of the words the Washington press corps has used to describe the ensuing late-night debates. There’s a far better word for what happened: democracy.” (Congress Finally Earns Its Pay,Wall Street Journal, 2/18/11)

• “Epic Spending Fight”: “The new speaker turned loose his legion of tea-party freshmen for an epic spending fight and gave Republicans free rein to go after all aspects of government operations.” (The education of John Boehner, Politico, 2/19/11)

• “Open Process Gets Results”: “The continuing resolution that passed the House just before dawn on Saturday was the final product of more than 60 hours worth of freewheeling, at times chaotic, debate on the House floor. ... The additional measures reduce spending by an additional $620 million...” (Open Process Gets Results, National Review, 2/20/11)

• “Refreshing”: “Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.), who is serving his 15th term, praised the open process. ‘There’s a refreshing aspect to it,’ Berman told The Hill.” (Dems like openness in GOP House, The Hill, 2/17/11)

• “Encouraging”: “Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), a confidant of Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), said the amendment process is ‘encouraging.’ ‘It’s rather retro. We haven’t operated this way in probably a decade. Butit’s rather encouraging,’ he said on MSNBC.” (Dems like openness in GOP House, The Hill, 2/17/11)

• “A Very Big Change”: “Even some veteran Democrats praised what was the most open and sprawling floor fight the House had seen in years. ‘After as little openness as we’ve had, it’s a very big change. It’s refreshing, and I think it’s a good thing,’ said Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), the dean of the House and a member of Congress since 1955.” (The education of John Boehner, Politico, 2/19/11)

• “Reflects What Americans Expect”: “Speaker Boehner’s approach, though, reflects what Americans expect of Congress by giving rank-and-file lawmakers greater input into drafting legislation.” (Open House policy, The Daily News, 2/22/11)

• “Free-Flowing Debate”: “For Speaker John A. Boehner, the budget-cutting frenzy taking place on the House floor merges two of his animating political passions — the need to shrink federal spending and the willingness to risk a free-flowing debate.” (Boehner in His Element as Spending Cuts Elicit Free-Flowing House Debate,New York Times, 2/16/11)

• “Unmatched”: “[T]he House can only control what the House can control. And in less than a week it has shown a level of fiscal seriousness and fidelity to limited government that is unmatched in our time.” ($61.5 billion Sign of Seriousness, Commentary, 2/21/11)

• “Delivering On a Promise”: “As much as anything, the wide-open consideration of this spending bill reflected the institutional values of Boehner, who is delivering on a promise to restructure the House to favor spending cuts, empower the rank and file rather than party leaders to drive policy, and give the public clearer insight into the priorities of their elected officials.” (The education of John Boehner, Politico, 2/19/11)

Comments

The opinions expressed below are those of their respective authors and do not necessarily represent those of this office.

• Michael Szczekot commented on 2/22/2011
  Awesome just awesome!
• James Aberdeen commented on 2/22/2011
  It's refreshing to see that the process works. Unlike his predecessor, Speaker Boehner has my full faith that he will deliver all that he promised. Maybe we can get this runaway train wreck back on the correct track.
• Lori Gibson commented on 2/22/2011
  Speaker Boehner 's leadership has restored fiscal responsibility & accountability back to Congress , that has mada a definite turn to address the urgent financial state of the country! Those other elected leaders/members who DO NOT vote with Speaker Boehner and against the will of the people , will be voted out of office ASAP! Thank You Speaker Boehner for steadfastly keeping Republican Pledge promises to dillegently stop the very harsh bleeding Barack Obama has inflicted on America !!!!!!
• Gildersleeve Katie commented on 2/22/2011
  60 Billion is a good start, but it is not enough. Hard choices have to be made and all non essential government departments and spending has got to go. So take away the scalpel and get out the machete and balance this budget. We need to pay back China and quite borrowing money, please pass a bill that we can no longer borrow money. China is taking us into an abyss we will never get out of. We need to pass legislation that will stop our US companies from outsourcing labor and manufacturing to foreign countries and put our own people back to work
• Jenna Lusby commented on 2/22/2011
  Cut . . .Love. . . . Pray. CUT the budget, even those things we LOVE like public television which is wonderful and educational. Then PRAY that the private sector will step up and fund the worthy causes established to help the less fortunate and to provide intelligent media content. Otherwise this debt will be our doom. Cut. Love. Pray. And work hard with integrity and creativity. We can do this. Thank you!
• Dee Glover commented on 2/22/2011
  So far I have seen some very good work coming out and I thank God that "Speaker Boehner" has started to get us back on the right track....Now I ask "Speaker Boehner" to continue to cut where it is needed for Our Country to Survive......THANK YOU Speaker Boehner........GOD BLESS OUR COUNTRY USA
• Jennifer Koehler commented on 2/22/2011
  Even without all of these glowing remarks, I am delighted, as an American, to see such consistency in stated purpose and action once elected. I LOVE seeing both sides lay it on the line. For too long, Dems have been able to pass their horrid bills without meaningful debate or challenge, and now all will be able to state their case. Americans will finally be able to see each side for who they are and see just who wants to preserve our country on sound principles vs. those who want to destroy us under vacuous pretenses. GO BOEHNER! You cannot cut too much! Government was made to protect our nation and uphold its laws--not redistribute wealth or become a nanny/welfare state. It's time we got back to the basics.
• Yvonne Goersch commented on 2/22/2011
  Hello, I am here to let you know that the 99ers are in really big trouble we need Republican support we can't feed our families most of us are losing our roof over are head and we can't even put gas into our car (if we still have it)!!!!!!!!!!! You have the luxury of eating and sleeping while we have nothing I am tired of people saying we are lazy and we just want free money it makes me sick to my stomach and the Republicans have not helped us at all we aren't even on there minds and that is plain wrong, we are American People who still need the Governments help while jobs are being created. We are all so upset with Republicans that come term time all the Republicans will be voted out because they care about the rich and themselves only!!! We have nothing but you can give money to other Countries while we can't eat here in America it makes me so upset and we don't deserve that we need your support because we are getting up to the millions and lives will be lost because we will run out of options for ourselves and we won't know what to do with our lives can't eat, can't sleep no calls for interview but no gas anyway so we will think what do we have left and just give up. The Republicans have not supported us and haven't been out there for us because why do we need to live right? Your going to see how many millions we will turn into and you would let just die so you don't have to deal with us!!! I don't want to hear our deficit is to high this is a number one issue the most important to our Government and the worst part of it all is that this money would go right back into the economy but screw that and us right? I hope Republicans will care about there own people and support us before voters need to vote again. Please support us fast when you get back from your VACATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 Thank you!!!!!!!!!!
• Jan S commented on 2/22/2011
  Speaker Boehner, You’ve passed your cuts impacting Americans and doing nothing about bringing jobs to the USA. You’ve cut helping your neighbors, educating children and could put another 1 Million Americans on Unemployment. Those cuts could also lead the way for making Americans homeless. You didn’t do anything to stop jobs from being outsourced. Indeed, last fall you gave bonuses to people and companies who outsource American jobs. And you gave yourself a tax cut. Now you want middle class and poor Americans to pay for them. Nice job! First you borrowed from other countries to fund outsourcing jobs. And now have a bill asking average Americans to pay for it. Sir, we need more good JOBS in the USA NOW. Jan
• Jackie Messersmith commented on 2/22/2011
  @ Yvonne...really? I'm in the same position as you, but have sense enough to know that we need to address spending and the deficit in this country. Just like you and me, the government has to stop spending what they don't have. That's the path to financial and economic security. Do you think simply printing or borrowing more money will solve your problem? Not even. (BTW, foreign aid was reduced) I'm behind you Speaker Boehner, and encourage you to take the next hard step to tackle entitlements, including Obamacare. We're not going to get to where we need to be by passing the buck to the next congress or the next generation.
• Brian Griffith commented on 2/22/2011
  DON'T BACK DOWN!!! If not now - when? If not us - who? Nobody likes the prospect of a government shutdown, but if it comes to that in order to drive this point home, then do it. Buckle up people. Time to take our medicine.
• Jackie Messersmith commented on 2/22/2011
  @ Jan...I think you've confused the previous Congress of four years with Boehner.