While some Republicans are wary of giving
President Obama the flexibility to implement sequestration
at his discretion, two of the most libertarian senators in the
party agree that Congress should make him allocate the
spending cuts more efficiently than current law requires.
President Obama the flexibility to implement sequestration
at his discretion, two of the most libertarian senators in the
party agree that Congress should make him allocate the
spending cuts more efficiently than current law requires.
“Allowing the president the flexibility to move money
around? I think it’s a good idea,” Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.,
told The Washington Examiner after the Republican
Steering Committee debated the issue during a
members-only meeting in the Capitol. “The thing
is, I think he’s using scare tactics and emotionalism
and really he needs to make some wise decisions.
We need to give him the power to not make those
decisions.”
around? I think it’s a good idea,” Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.,
told The Washington Examiner after the Republican
Steering Committee debated the issue during a
members-only meeting in the Capitol. “The thing
is, I think he’s using scare tactics and emotionalism
and really he needs to make some wise decisions.
We need to give him the power to not make those
decisions.”
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., agreed. “It’s really the
president’s job to manage [sequestration],” Johnson,
who describes himself as an Ayn Rand Republican,
said in an interview after the GOP meeting. “[T]o
manage it efficiently, effectively, to create as little
disruption [with] the least amount of pain as opposed
to the approach he’s taken, [with] the maximum
amount of pain.”
Republicans were mulling the proposal, but the
House is concerned about giving such authority to Obama.
president’s job to manage [sequestration],” Johnson,
who describes himself as an Ayn Rand Republican,
said in an interview after the GOP meeting. “[T]o
manage it efficiently, effectively, to create as little
disruption [with] the least amount of pain as opposed
to the approach he’s taken, [with] the maximum
amount of pain.”
The Examiner reported last week that Senate
Republicans were mulling the proposal, but the
House is concerned about giving such authority to Obama.
“We don’t want to cede any type of authority to
the administration in terms of how the sequester is
applied,” said one GOP aide familiar with leadership
conversations said in an interview. “There’s no
precedent [to make us think] that he’s going to do it
responsibly.”
the administration in terms of how the sequester is
applied,” said one GOP aide familiar with leadership
conversations said in an interview. “There’s no
precedent [to make us think] that he’s going to do it
responsibly.”
Johnson said that the flexibility proposal puts Obama
in a political bind. “What could be more reasonable?”
he asked. “Hey, listen, you’re the manager; you’re the
CEO; you’re the executive; you ran for president.
Congress establishes the spending limitations. He signed
it. He signed the bill into law. Now it’s up to him to
manage it efficiently and effectively and we’re trying
to give him the maximum flexibility to do that.”
in a political bind. “What could be more reasonable?”
he asked. “Hey, listen, you’re the manager; you’re the
CEO; you’re the executive; you ran for president.
Congress establishes the spending limitations. He signed
it. He signed the bill into law. Now it’s up to him to
manage it efficiently and effectively and we’re trying
to give him the maximum flexibility to do that.”
Paul said that Obama doesn’t want the flexibility
proposal to pass “because he wants to use it as a
campaign issue; he doesn’t know how to stop campaigning.”
proposal to pass “because he wants to use it as a
campaign issue; he doesn’t know how to stop campaigning.”
Obama attacked the proposal at a campaign-style rally
yesterday. “You don’t want to have to choose between,
let’s see, do I close funding for the disabled kid, or the
poor kid?” the president told Virginians. “Do I close this
Navy shipyard or some other one? When you’re doing
things in a way that’s not smart, you can’t gloss over the
pain and the impact it’s going to have on the economy.”
yesterday. “You don’t want to have to choose between,
let’s see, do I close funding for the disabled kid, or the
poor kid?” the president told Virginians. “Do I close this
Navy shipyard or some other one? When you’re doing
things in a way that’s not smart, you can’t gloss over the
pain and the impact it’s going to have on the economy.”
The Insomniac Libertarian 