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Carney undercuts Obama’s sequester-scare strategy
Daily Caller
White House spokesman Jay Carney backed away Wednesday from his boss’ apocalyptic claims of imminent mass-layoffs if Congress does not stop the scheduled budget sequester by raising taxes.
“Republicans in Congress face a simple choice,” President Barack Obama claimed yesterday.
“Are they willing to compromise … or would they rather put hundreds of thousands of jobs and our entire economy at risk just to protect a few special interest tax loopholes that benefit only the wealthiest Americans and biggest corporations?” he said Feb. 19.
But pressed today by reporters about if the sequester would for immediately force of “hundreds of thousands” of Americans, Carney demurred on Obama’s dire claims.
“No, but there will be job losses,” he said.
Still, Carney pushed the same alarmist line that Obama has adopted over the last few weeks.
Republicans are willing “to drive our economy off a cliff … in order to advanced ideological goals,” he claimed Wednesday.
His rhetoric matches Obama’s Feb. 19 predictions.
“Border Patrol agents will see their hours reduced,” Obama declared. “FBI agents will be furloughed. Federal prosecutors will have to close cases and let criminals go. Air traffic controllers and airport security will see cutbacks, which means more delays at airports across the country. Thousands of teachers and educators will be laid off. Tens of thousands of parents will have to scramble to find childcare for their kids.”
The sequester will trim roughly $42 billion to $85 billion in 2013, or perhaps two percent, from the federal government’s $3.8 trillion 2013 budget.
“If lawmakers chose to prevent those automatic cuts each year without making other changes that reduced spending by offsetting amounts, spending would be $42 billion higher in 2013 and $995 billion (or about 2 percent) higher over the 2014–2023 period than is projected in CBO’s current baseline,” said CBO’s February report, titled “The Budget and Economic Outlook: Fiscal Years 2013 to 2023.”
A $42 billion cut in 2013 is equivalent to roughly one cent from every dollar of 2013 spending.
The government’s 2013 budget includes deficit spending of roughly $900 billion, which will push the federal debt to almost $17 trillion.
Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2013/02/20/carney-undercuts-obamas-sequester-scare-strategy/#ixzz2LUpNRUb5
Chieftain
February 21st, 2013
Sequester is the only way that Congress can get any sort of budget cut, so let’s take what we can get for now and move on.
The next big fight will be the “Continuing Resolution” that will come up at the end of March…
Dr. Tar
February 21st, 2013
Correct me if I’m wrong. The executive branch of government is responsible for running government. So any job layoff and criminal cases not pursued is because the executive branch decided that was the place to cut and not something like HHS or Commerce Dept. or HUD or NEA. Therefore the threats of layoffs and chaos go right back on this administration for mismanagement, waste, and corruption.
Bet O and company wish they had that Solyndra money back now.
IMPEACH Obama
February 21st, 2013
Let me fix Carney’s statement: “Democrats have been willing “to advance their ideological goals … in order to drive our economy off a cliff .”
The best way to create hundreds of thousands of new jobs is to remove at least 12 people from theirs: Obama, Reid, Holder, Napolitano, Lew, Carney, Pelosi, Biden, Bernanke…..
Ornery1
February 21st, 2013
The answer is right there–the US Postal Service found it–offer an apparel line. Obama can sell environmentally friendly, fair trade, flip-flops, mom jeans, brown shirts and pantywaists. Deficit problem solved.
McFartus Spontaneous
February 21st, 2013
And they only talk about gov’t employees losing jobs, not us Joe Shmoes who can actually provide a service without the backing of the taxpayers. I have been laid off since 11/9/12 Carney, thankfully my wife still has her job, but I am sure Dear Leader is coming for her position too! I hate these smug assholes!
McFartus Spontaneous
February 21st, 2013
Obama is such a friggin liar. Remember back in the day when ya said a bad word or told a lie your mom made u chew on a bar of soap? Someone needs to wash Barry’s mouth out with soap, preferrably Palmolive!
Anonymous
February 21st, 2013
preferably 20 mule BORAXO
Houston
February 21st, 2013
This is so sadly transparent it would be comical if people wouldn’t accept it for fact.
A 2% cut will result in total chaos? Are we so utterly dependent on the government that we cannot survive without them in our day to day activities?
The answer is no.
I remember our discussions on “Let it Burn” and how we were concerned about how bad things would get (or could get) if we let us go “Over the Cliff”. Now we have the actual details and the amount of worry, hand-wringing and arguing has turned out to be completely ridiculous.
Let. It. Burn.
These cuts are cuts in GROWTH!!!! What a load of crap. I am ashamed to be associated with our current government representatives.
Bad Brad
February 21st, 2013
WATCH THE OTHER HAND! Mr. Redistribution is up to something.
Steve in Tulsa
February 21st, 2013
they are going to blame the massive job losses caused by Obamacare on the sequestration that Obama invented. And they are desperately trying to blame Obama’s sequestration that he invented and signed into law on republicans. It is one more lie from the king of liars
Navy Squid
February 21st, 2013
Hell’s Bell! You’re only talking about 40 Billion dollars a year! (out of trillions!) They can find *that* much just going through the sofa cushions in Nancy Pelosi’s and Harry Reid’s offices!