WASHINGTON, D.C. —
The fiscal cliff fiasco has been perhaps a fitting end to a year and a legislative session full of frustrating, down-to-the-wire legislative battles. Passing major legislation is often such a contentious, eleventh-hour process, it seems as if all of Washington is hopelessly dysfunctional. While this is largely true, there are a few congressional success stories worth highlighting.
Although newspapers and talk shows rarely mention it, Republicans in the 112th Congress managed to cut domestic discretionary spending for three fiscal years in a row — the first time since World War II this has been accomplished. Thanks to the failure of the previous Democratic Congress to pass a 2010 budget, the House Republican majority that took power in January 2011 had an extra opportunity to curb reckless spending. We used that opportunity to achieve the largest single-year spending cut in history when the 2010 budget was finalized in April 2011.
Granted, record spending cuts are only possible due to record spending levels. But spending is finally on a downward trajectory because the 2010 appropriations bill was followed by legislation that decreased spending for fiscal years 2011 and 2012. Spending was not only lower compared to the previous year but was $191 billion below President Obama’s budget requests. With $95 billion in spending cuts enacted since 2010 and $917 billion in projected savings over 10 years, discretionary spending is on track to match the lowest level of spending as a percentage of GDP since 1962.
The Appropriations Committee on which I serve has brought renewed focus to identifying bloated government programs and eliminating wasteful spending. Since 2010, the committee has had more than 300 hearings and markups to examine budgets and root out inefficiencies. This oversight and accountability has led to the elimination of more than 150 programs, saving taxpayers more than $2 billion. The committee itself has certainly not been immune from budget cuts. The committee has reduced its budget by 14 percent and its full-time staff by more than 20 percent. We’ve frozen pay for federal workers, including members of Congress.
Of course, much work remains. Reductions in discretionary spending are only one part of the puzzle. Almost two-thirds of federal spending is driven by Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Spending on these entitlement programs falls in the mandatory spending category and is not subject to the yearly appropriations process. No matter how much progress we make in reducing discretionary spending, we will remain in imminent jeopardy of a catastrophic debt crisis until we implement significant structural reforms to entitlement programs. This unavoidable mathematic reality is precisely why Republicans insisted throughout the fiscal cliff debate that President Obama and his party accept entitlement reforms.
The historic 2010 mid-term elections were driven by an American electorate fed up with decades of reckless spending, and the resulting House Republican majority made good on our pledge to break the cycle of yearly spending increases despite constant resistance from a president and Senate that remain mired in the liberal tax-and-spend habits of the past. The next and crucial step is tackling tax reform and entitlement reform. Just as we have throughout the 112th Congress and during the fiscal cliff debate, congressional conservatives will remain committed in 2013 to restoring fiscal sanity to Washington.
U.S. REP. TOM COLE, R-Moore, represents Oklahoma’s 4th Congressional District.
Opinion
Breaking Washington's spending addiction
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Don’t leave Oklahoma!
May is graduation season. As I have done every year as lieutenant governor, I have given multiple commencement speeches. Advice flows freely during this time and it usually runs the gamut. What to do, what not to do, how to do ‘x’, be sure not to do ‘y.’ Too often commencement speakers speak in big generalities. So general, the message is frequently lost or forgotten.
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Last-minute funding proposals not in state’s best interest
All indications point to this being the last week of this year’s legislative session. The Legislature will go home a week early. This is good news for Oklahomans as not only will there be cost savings but all Oklahomans should breathe a sigh of relief when the Legislature stops making new laws a week ahead of schedule.
As usual, the Legislature will take a number of important votes during the last week. Some will be forced due to attempts to introduce and pass far-reaching, new policies that should have been introduced much earlier in the year. -
BY THE NUMBERS: Oklahoma still needs to invest in its economy
After six months of stagnation, the Oklahoma economy finally appears to be expanding again albeit still weakly. Unfortunately, our leaders aren’t making the investments we need to give our economic prospects a boost.
Last week the Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services reported that in April state General Revenue fund collections were 5.2 percent above the estimate and 14.7 percent higher than last year’s collections. Under normal circumstances, such a report would indicate that the Oklahoma economy was very strong. But this isn’t a normal circumstance, and April isn’t a normal month. -
Americans deserve the truth on Benghazi
Lately, the media has been consumed by the controversies surrounding the White House. Among these controversies is the horrific terrorist attack on the United States’ diplomatic compound in Benghazi that took place Sept. 11, 2012. As more people come forward with additional information regarding the attack on the consulate, many Americans, including myself, are still asking for the truth.
The Obama Administration and the State Department have been less than forthcoming with key information on Benghazi and recent information points toward a major cover-up. -
Seizure of AP phone records insult to independent press
Distrust of government secrecy has been elevated to an exceptional level with the disclosure the Justice Department covertly examined two months of Associated Press phone records to determine who leaked details to the AP about a foiled terrorist plot.
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HEY HINK: Some people just are not cut out for command
Recent headlines cause me to remember an incident that occurred on an army base some years ago. Warning here: I’m taking some liberties with names and details, but the basic outline of events is accurate.
A certain company commander, let’s call him Captain Duntz, had command of a motor pool on a large army base in the continental U.S. -
We’ve become our own worst enemies
The past couple months have been marked by a seeming unprecedented number of man-made tragedies, as distinct from those caused by violent outbursts of the natural world, such as earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis.
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Let’s reimburse higher ed for remediation costs
The good news: Oklahoma schools are teaching phonics. The bad news: It’s in college.
Students at Tulsa Community College, for example, can take a college English course called “Spelling and Phonics,” which “helps students master basic spelling literacy, principles of phonics and decoding skills.”
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AGAINST THE GRAIN: Department of Commerce highlights Main Street successes
The 24th annual Oklahoma Main Street Awards Banquet was at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum last week. Oklahoma Department of Commerce Secretary Dave Lopez addressed the gathering, and spoke of how the Commerce Department works with Main Street organizations throughout the state that are working to improve their downtown areas. Lopez pointed out that the partnership between his department and those local organizations has brought new life to those communities and that the attendees would see some of that revitalization in a video presentation. Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin also addressed the gathering, and said the Main Street program has resulted in more than $1 billion in investments in the state and more than 1 million volunteer hours in its 24 years of operation.
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OUR VIEW: Be Edmond needs your help
BMX star and local legend Mat Hoffman knows what’s it like to fall from great heights and find yourself at one of the worst low points in life. He also knows how to climb back up and tackle life’s problems head on.
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Don’t leave Oklahoma!
