Gah! This is SO frustrating! Why gut an agency that saves billions of dollars! It’s the same nonsense as slashing the IRS, which brings IN billions of dollars.
Grassley is such a wet noodle. What is he afraid of? He should sit on every Trump judicial nominee until Trump responds on the Inspectors General. That, of course, would require a spine.
Thank you. GAO or Inspector Generals serve the best interest of the country. Ignoring GAO is proof of ignoring independent inquiry--I think supported by most Americans. Elimination of Inspector Generals, or at least most of their authority, will also prove politically reckless for R's.
I hope some of your readers, from the Republican or MAGA camp will respond to your column. I would value learning their perspective.
Yes, the debt is a problem. But the real problem is a GOP whose idea of solving the debt is cutting funding willy nilly without regard to what it means. We need to keep in mind the vast majority of federal spending is for so called safety net programs. I don't consider Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid to be "silly programs". I personally consider spending money on a border wall is a "silly program". The GOP is always about saving money by cutting things like taxes. Or cutting spending on programs they don't like or watchdog agencies like the GAO. Perhaps the GOP should consider the revenue side of the equation when it comes to solving the debt problem.
If you want to have great education, great transportation systems, healthcare for all---not just the wealthy, affordable housing, police and fire safety, a great national park system, and the best military in the world---YOU MUST HAVE REVENUE---YOU CANNOT KEEP GIVING MORE TAX-CUTS TO THE TOP 1% and CORPORATIONS. Many Americans (50%) rely on SOCIAL SAFETY NET PROGRAMS TO SURVIVE DAY-TO-DAY. OUR CONGRESS HAS NO INTENTION OF A BALANCED BUDGET--THEY ONLY WANT MORE TAX-CUTS FOR THE WEALTHY WHO DO NOT CARE IF MOST OF THE COUNTRY IS ON POVERTY , WHY ARE WE LETTING THIS HAPPEN??
At the end of the day it will likely be written that more was said than done. The GAO will still be intact completing its mission. The players will change and the complaints will continue.
What does need to be addressed by Congress is the spending. There's $7-$9T of debt that needs to be refinanced in 12-18 months. Debt service at current interest rates will be more than 18% of GDP; that's a problem.
I applaud members from both parties that are willing to cut programs and be conservative in their mindset toward spending. If it takes refusal to send money to seemingly silly programs than so be it. Have that conversation in public so the American people can be informed.
Gah! This is SO frustrating! Why gut an agency that saves billions of dollars! It’s the same nonsense as slashing the IRS, which brings IN billions of dollars.
Grassley is such a wet noodle. What is he afraid of? He should sit on every Trump judicial nominee until Trump responds on the Inspectors General. That, of course, would require a spine.
Wet noodle - perfect!
Thank you. GAO or Inspector Generals serve the best interest of the country. Ignoring GAO is proof of ignoring independent inquiry--I think supported by most Americans. Elimination of Inspector Generals, or at least most of their authority, will also prove politically reckless for R's.
I hope some of your readers, from the Republican or MAGA camp will respond to your column. I would value learning their perspective.
Ed, thank you so much for elevating this threat to the GAO watchdog role.
Yes, the debt is a problem. But the real problem is a GOP whose idea of solving the debt is cutting funding willy nilly without regard to what it means. We need to keep in mind the vast majority of federal spending is for so called safety net programs. I don't consider Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid to be "silly programs". I personally consider spending money on a border wall is a "silly program". The GOP is always about saving money by cutting things like taxes. Or cutting spending on programs they don't like or watchdog agencies like the GAO. Perhaps the GOP should consider the revenue side of the equation when it comes to solving the debt problem.
If you want to have great education, great transportation systems, healthcare for all---not just the wealthy, affordable housing, police and fire safety, a great national park system, and the best military in the world---YOU MUST HAVE REVENUE---YOU CANNOT KEEP GIVING MORE TAX-CUTS TO THE TOP 1% and CORPORATIONS. Many Americans (50%) rely on SOCIAL SAFETY NET PROGRAMS TO SURVIVE DAY-TO-DAY. OUR CONGRESS HAS NO INTENTION OF A BALANCED BUDGET--THEY ONLY WANT MORE TAX-CUTS FOR THE WEALTHY WHO DO NOT CARE IF MOST OF THE COUNTRY IS ON POVERTY , WHY ARE WE LETTING THIS HAPPEN??
At the end of the day it will likely be written that more was said than done. The GAO will still be intact completing its mission. The players will change and the complaints will continue.
What does need to be addressed by Congress is the spending. There's $7-$9T of debt that needs to be refinanced in 12-18 months. Debt service at current interest rates will be more than 18% of GDP; that's a problem.
I applaud members from both parties that are willing to cut programs and be conservative in their mindset toward spending. If it takes refusal to send money to seemingly silly programs than so be it. Have that conversation in public so the American people can be informed.