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Chuck Hagel on Budget & Economy
Republican Sr Senator (NE)
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1999: Federal surplus mostly conjured by finessing numbers
The government's budget was showing surpluses in the recent past, surpluses Hagel said were mostly conjured by including the Social Security reserve in the total calculation.
In fact, he said in 1999 that his colleagues in the Senate should abandon the "cute technical finessing of numbers" that was building a dishonest 2000 budget because playing games like that robs the
American people of the opportunity for legitimate public debate about national priorities, choices, and directions. But the numbers games continued. When the Congress itself starts to believe that kind of
manipulated picture, it means "we've lost all common sense around here," Hagel said. By 2004 the budget was running badly in the red again.
Source: Chuck Hagel: Moving Forward, by Charlyne Berens, p.110
, Sep 1, 2006
Voted NO on $60B stimulus package for jobs, infrastructure, & energy.
Congressional Summary:Supplemental appropriations for:- Infrastructure Investments: Transportation: DOT, FAA, AMTRAK, and FTA
- Clean Water (EPA)
- Flood Control and Water Resources (ACE)
- 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities (ED)
- Energy Development (DOE)
- Extension of Unemployment Compensation and Job Training
- Temporary Increase in Medicaid Matching Rate
- Temporary Increase in Food Assistance
Proponent's argument to vote Yes:Rep. DAVID OBEY (D, WI-7): Congress has tried to do a number of things that would alleviate the squeeze on the middle class. Meanwhile, this economy is sagging. Jobs, income, sales, and industrial production have all gone down. We have lost 600,000 jobs. We are trying to provide a major increase in investments to modernize our infrastructure and to provide well-paying construction jobs at the same time.
Opponent's argument to vote No:Rep. JERRY LEWIS (R, CA-41):
Just 2 days ago we were debating an $800 billion continuing resolution. Now in addition to being asked to pay for a bailout for Wall Street, taxpayers are being asked to swallow an additional $60 billion on a laundry list of items I saw for the first time just a few hours ago. The Democratic majority is describing this legislation as a "stimulus package" to help our national economy. But let's not fool ourselves. This is a political document pure and simple. If these priorities are so important, why hasn't this bill gone through the normal legislative process? We should have debated each of the items included in this package.
It doesn't take an economist to tell you that the economy needs our help. But what does this Congress do? It proposes to spend billions more without any offsets in spending. The failure to adhere to PAYGO means that this new spending will be financed through additional borrowing, which will prove a further drag on our struggling economy.
Reference: Job Creation and Unemployment Relief Act;
Bill S.3604&HR7110
; vote number 2008-S206
on Sep 26, 2008
Voted YES on paying down federal debt by rating programs' effectiveness.
Amendment intends to pay down the Federal debt and eliminate government waste by reducing spending on programs rated ineffective by the Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART). Proponents recommend voting YES because:
My amendment says we are going to take about $18 billion as a strong signal from the Congress that we want to support effective programs and we want the taxpayer dollars spent in a responsible way. My amendment doesn't take all of the $88 billion for the programs found by PART, realizing there may be points in time when another program is not meeting its goals and needs more money. So that flexibility is allowed in this particular amendment. It doesn't target any specific program.
Almost worse than being rated ineffective, we have programs out there that have made absolutely no effort at all to measure their results. I believe these are the worst offenders. In the following years, I hope Congress will look at those programs to create accountability.
Opponents recommend voting NO because:
The effect of this amendment will simply be to cut domestic discretionary spending $18 billion. Understand the programs that have been identified in the PART program are results not proven. Here are programs affected: Border Patrol, Coast Guard search and rescue, high-intensity drug trafficking areas, LIHEAP, rural education, child abuse prevention, and treatment. If there is a problem in those programs, they ought to be fixed. We ought not to be cutting Border Patrol, Coast Guard search and rescue, high-intensity drug trafficking areas, LIHEAP, rural education, and the rest. I urge a "no" vote.
Reference: Allard Amendment;
Bill S.Amdt.491 on S.Con.Res.21
; vote number 2007-090
on Mar 22, 2007
Voted YES on $40B in reduced federal overall spending.
Vote to pass a bill that reduces federal spending by $40 billion over five years by decreasing the amount of funds spent on Medicaid, Medicare, agriculture, employee pensions, conservation, and student loans. The bill also provides a down-payment toward hurricane recovery and reconstruction costs.
Reference: Work, Marriage, and Family Promotion Reconciliation Act;
Bill S. 1932
; vote number 2005-363
on Dec 21, 2005
Voted YES on prioritizing national debt reduction below tax cuts.
Vote to table [kill] an amendment that would increase the amount of the budget that would be used to reduce the national debt by $75 billion over 5 year. The debt reduction would be offset by reducing the tax cut in the budget framework from $150 billion
Reference:
Bill S Con Res 101
; vote number 2000-55
on Apr 5, 2000
Voted YES on 1998 GOP budget.
Approval of the 1998 GOP Budget which would cut spending and taxes.
Status: CR Agreed to Y)78; N)22
Reference: H. Con. Res. 84 as amended;
Bill H. Con. Res. 84
; vote number 1997-92
on May 23, 1997
Voted YES on Balanced-budget constitutional amendment.
Approval of the balanced-budget constitutional amendment.
Status: Joint Resolution Defeated Y)66; N)34
Reference: S. J. Res. 1;
Bill S. J. Res. 1
; vote number 1997-24
on Mar 4, 1997
Page last updated: Sep 27, 2018