文章基本信息

标题：See No, Hear No, Speak No Spending Cuts
作者：Gizzi, John
期刊名称：Human Events
印刷版ISSN：0018-7194
出版年度：2005
卷号：Oct 31, 2005
出版社：Eagle Publishing

See No, Hear No, Speak No Spending Cuts

Gizzi, John

White House Still Mum on Katrina Offsets

As conservative Republicans in Congress continued clamoring for spending cuts to offset the huge spending proposed for relief and rebuilding in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the White House continued last week to avoid citing any specific cuts that President Bush would find acceptable.

On September 22, when I asked White House Press secretary Scott McClellan whether the administration had rejected the suggestion from the House Republican Study Committee that the start of the Medicare prescription drug program should be postponed for one year, he replied: "It's important to move forward. Millions of low-income seniors will have everything [prescription drugs] paid for."

When I asked a follow-up question about whether the administration would consider other congressional suggestions such as cutting some of the $286-billion highway bill, which includes $24 billion in pork-barrel earmarks, McClellan told me: "You're trying to get me into a bunch of ideas." He made it clear he would not get into them.

During subsequent briefings at the White House, I persisted with queries to McClellan about whether the administration would ever produce a list of programs it would subject to the knife, reminding him that the budget Bush submitted earlier this year already contained a large deficit.

"In the short term, yes, because of Katrina," McClellan told me. "The budget is a good starting point.... The appropriations process has begun.... We would like to cut discretionary, non-[national] security spending, and it's important to look at mandated spending as well." He concluded by telling me the President's advisers "are working with members of Congress" to find areas in which to make spending cuts. But he did not cite any specific cuts they were recommending or endorsing.

We will stay tuned-watching, waiting and listening to see if the White House will ever name the names of spending programs it wants to cut.