As the Obama sequester hits America, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) is taking aim at the President over his failure to agree to much-needed spending cuts. In a statement released Friday, as the sequester cuts took effect, Cruz pointed out they only represent a drop in the bucket of government spending:
The Constitution assigns Congress the power of the purse and the responsibility to appropriate federal funds. Congress should take up that obligation, pass a budget, and finally get serious about reducing federal spending. Today, forty-six cents of every dollar the federal government spends is borrowed. Our national debt exceeds the size of our entire economy, threatening future generations. And, in the face of these grave economic challenges, Washington, DC, is agonizing over a 2.4 percent cut.
We need to cut a lot more than 2.4 percent. We should adjust the sequester so that it does not disproportionately target vital defense spending. Instead, Congress and the President should work together to eliminate government waste, and no government agency should be exempt from scrutiny where savings can be achieved. In fact, in a report issued just today Citizens Against Government Waste offers many promising suggestions, outlining $1.8 trillion in specific savings over five years.
The Obama Administration has the ability to implement the sequester so as to avoid damaging national security and compromising the best interests of Americans. The only reason it might do otherwise would be to score partisan political points.
Monday, Cruz posted a statement on his Facebook page that pointed to Obama's faulty rhetoric with some facts. "President Obama says the only way to cut 2.4% from the federal budget is to fire police officers, firefighters, teachers, and airtraffic controllers," he said. "Yet, this week, John Kerry announced he's sending another $250 million in aid to Egypt....we shouldn't be sending that money to Egypt - without any preconditions - while at the same time threatening to cut vital services at home."
Victor Medina writes for Yahoo News and his political blog WhenLiberalsAttack.com. His other writing credits include The Dallas Morning News and SportsIllustrated.com. He has served as a Dallas County election judge and on the Board of Directors of The Sixth Floor Museum. You can follow him on his blog, VictorMedina.com or on Twitter at @mrvictormedina. He can be reached by email at vic@victormedina.com. To be notified of future stories by Victor Medina, click the SIGN UP or SUBSCRIBE button at the top of this page.
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