Text 26045, 151 rader
Skriven 2007-01-03 22:34:00 av Jeff Binkley (1:226/600)
Ärende: Dems
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Hang on to your wallets folks....

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http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/01/03/bush/index.html

Bush, Democrats spar on spending, taxes
POSTED: 9:08 p.m. EST, January 3, 2007 

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush and Democratic leaders in Congress 
traded jabs over the budget Wednesday in what could be an indication of 
partisan fights to come.

In a White House statement and Wall Street Journal opinion piece 
Wednesday, the president asked lawmakers to give the White House line-
item veto power to control spending.

As he prepares to deal with a Congress controlled by Democrats for the 
first time, Bush is also asking lawmakers to extend tax cuts.

"We've got to make sure we spend the people's money wisely," the 
president said in a Rose Garden statement. (Watch Bush declare what he 
sees as the 'most urgent needs of our nation' )

The White House and Congress need to "keep this economy growing by 
making tax relief permanent," Bush said.

Democrats were immediately circumspect. (Interactive: Democrats' 
priorities)

"I know people don't like to pay taxes, but the fact of the matter is, 
is that this administration has produced a record deficit that is really 
threatening in long measure our ability to make the kind of investments 
we need to keep America safe," Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-Louisiana, said in 
a Fox News interview. 

"We hope that when the president says 'compromise,' it means more than 
'do it my way,' which is what he's meant in the past," Sen. Charles 
Schumer, D-New York, said in a statement.

The line-item veto would allow the president to cut specific spending 
from legislation without vetoing the entire bill.

Previous presidents have also asked for line-item veto authority, but 
Congress has been unwilling to grant it, fearing that it would infringe 
on legislative power. 

Congress granted President Clinton a form of the line-item veto, but the 
Supreme Court struck it down, saying it violated the Constitution's 
separation of powers.

In the opinion piece, Bush warned that the Democrat-controlled Congress 
risks stalemate if it resorts to "politics as usual" and tries to "pass 
bills that are simply political statements."

"It's time to set aside politics and focus on the future," he said in 
the statement. "I'm hopeful that Republicans and Democrats can find 
common ground to serve our folks, to do our jobs, to be constructive for 
our country."

The new Congress takes office on Thursday. The 110th Congress will be 
the first time Democrats have controlled the House and the Senate in 12 
years. (Watch what poll finds about expectations of new Congress )

In February, Bush will submit a proposal to balance the federal budget 
by 2012, he said Wednesday.

The plan will make defense against terrorism a budget priority while 
preserving tax cuts that Bush said have led to an improving economy.

Lawmakers must then tackle entitlement programs, Bush said.

"We need to reform Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid so future 
generations of Americans can benefit from these vital programs without 
bankrupting our country," he said.

Line-item veto power would be a key tool in entitlement reform, Bush 
said, because money that could be used there is now wasted in a 
"secretive process" that often doesn't ever face a vote in Congress.

But incoming House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, said the 
line-item veto puts too much power in the hands of the president and 
cuts the ability of members of Congress to deliver for their 
constituents.

"Every president would like to say to the Congress only the president 
can add to the investments in communities, so that Congress would have 
to come hat in hand to the president to ask for investment" in their 
home districts, Hoyer said. 

The president's remarks in the Rose Garden came after his first meeting 
of the year with his Cabinet, whose members flanked Bush as he spoke. 

On Wednesday evening, Bush has scheduled a White House reception for 
leaders of both parties during which he will hold "informal discussions 
about the year ahead," administration officials said.

A new plan for Iraq is expected to be discussed, but Bush is not 
expected to tell the American people about his new war strategy until 
next week. (Full story)

In Wednesday's article, he reiterated his position that U.S. forces must 
stay in Iraq until the attacks by insurgents end. 

"We now have the opportunity to build a bipartisan consensus to fight 
and win the war," he wrote.

A new poll conducted by Opinion Research Corp. for CNN found 77 percent 
of the 1,019 adults surveyed said they want to see "significant changes" 
in U.S. policy in Iraq.

The poll also found strong support for the Democrats' legislative 
priorities: 87 percent of those polled favor allowing the government to 
negotiate lower prescription drug prices for senior citizens, 85 percent 
favor raising the minimum wage, 84 percent favor cutting interest rates 
on student loans, and 79 percent favor creating an independent panel to 
oversee ethics in Congress.

The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Bush said that he has been encouraged by the productive meetings with 
the new Democratic leadership. 

Protest silences Democrats

Democrats had hoped to present the Democratic takeover of Congress as a 
well-oiled machine. However, Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, Democratic 
Caucus chairman, had to abruptly end a news conference meant to showcase 
the Democratic ethics legislation when anti-war protesters started 
chants demanding that the Democrats stop funding the war in Iraq. 

"We're here to let the Democrats know that the grass roots and the anti-
war movement elected them to create change," said Cindy Sheehan, whose 
son was killed in Iraq, after Emanuel ended the news conference.

Sheehan said she and 70 other protesters intended to hold the Democrats 
"accountable" and wanted the Democratic leadership to stop authorizing 
additional funds for the Iraq war.

She said continued funding would make the Democrats "co-conspirators" 
with the Republicans in what she called "war crimes."

"There is already enough money in their killing budget to bring the 
troops home," Sheehan said.

CNN's Lisa Goddard contributed to this report.



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