US speaker vows massive budget cuts

Editor's Note: $23.7 trillion to the banks that caused the mess, $20 trillion wars, and austerity cuts for poor Americans. Robin Hood-in-reverse wealth redistribution in full swing.

US Speaker of the House John Boehner (L)
and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor
© AFP/File Tim Sloan

AFP/Activist Post

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Republican House Speaker John Boehner on Thursday vowed the biggest budget cuts in US history as budget talks in the Congress heated up.

Some of the cuts will be part of a House spending bill to fund the US government through the end of the fiscal year on October 1, replacing a stopgap measure approved last year that expires March 4.

Boehner also wants to slash the federal budget for fiscal year year 2012. President Barack Obama's administration is scheduled to introduce its proposed budget for next year on Monday.

"We've been in the majority now five weeks," Boehner told reporters. "You're going to see more spending cuts come out of this Congress than in any Congress in the history of this country."

The sweeping budget cuts may be approved in the Republican-controlled House, but will likely change when the measure reaches the Democratic-controlled Senate.

"Next week we'll bring to floor a continuing resolution that contains the largest discretionary spending cut in the history of our country," Boehner said at his weekly meeting with reporters.

"We're working with our members and our committee chairmen to make sure that this cut is as big as possible, to make sure that we send the signal that we're serious about cutting spending here in Washington."

Proposed Republican cuts would slash funding for foreign aid, scientific research, "green" energy, and environmental protection.

Republicans also want to block financing of the new healthcare reform program, approved by legislators in the previous Congress.

"Everything is on the table. We're broke!" said Boehner. "It's time for Washington to get serious and that's exactly what the Americans expect of us."

Boehner said he was worried about Obama's 2012 budget proposal.

"I'm concerned that he'll soon send Congress a budget that destroys jobs because it sends too much, taxes too much and borrows too much," Boehner said.
© AFP