Last updated on September 25th, 2023 at 01:37 pm
The White House announced that the President will be releasing his budget very soon. One thing that will not be included in that budget is chained CPI. While Obama was willing to attempt to meet Republican demands to compromise in the past by using the Consumer Price Index as a way of deciding increases to Social Security benefits and federal worker pensions, he has now taken it off the table. This move proves that POTUS has the average American’s best interests at heart.
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White House spokesman Josh Earnest also stated on Thursday that the President’s budget will include an increase of $56 billion of spending. Besides getting rid of the chained CPI, the budget will include funding towards a universal pre-K program, the creation of manufacturing schools across country, a jobs training program and the ‘Race to the Top’ energy intitiative. It appears that the Obama budget will finally push many of the progressive policies that many on the left have been asking for from this President.
The announcement came as good news to Democrats on Capitol Hill. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) sent the following tweet on Thursday afternoon.
I commend the President for his commitment to keeping Social Security strong, and for rejecting GOP calls to cut badly-needed increases.
— Senator Harry Reid (@SenatorReid) February 20, 2014
Also sending a tweet of support was Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who has been very outspoken about the need to protect Social Security and increase domestic spending to help the middle class.
NEWS: Sanders Welcomes White House Decision to Protect Social Security: http://t.co/kCQw6nPUUr #SocialSecurity pic.twitter.com/BlalzVvTWy
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) February 20, 2014
Of course, you know Republicans had to whine about the news. And whine they did! Brendan Buck, spokesman for Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) made the following statement:
“This reaffirms what has become all too apparent: The president has no interest in doing anything, even modest, to address our looming debt crisis. The one and only idea the president has to offer is even more job-destroying tax hikes, and that non-starter won’t do anything to save the entitlement programs that are critical to so many Americans. With three years left in office, it seems the president is already throwing in the towel.”
With this pending proposal, the President is moving forward on the progressive path he rededicated himself to prior to this year’s State of the Union. He has given up the ghost of bipartisanship, realizing that House Republicans will never, ever work with him. Instead, he is going to do whatever he can on his own and/or with the help of Democrats in Congress. The President is going to make his case to the American public and show them that he is willing to stand up and fight for the lower and middle classes.
While it is extremely likely that this budget will not pass through the House, at the very least the President is letting the American people know that he isn’t looking to balance a budget on the backs of the poor. The economy is improving and the unemployment rate is getting lower, but there is much more that can be done. Instead of allowing Republicans to take us back to regressive policies that do nothing but increase the gap between the rich and the poor, while not spurring job growth, the President is willing to move forward in a progressive direction.
Justin Baragona is the Managing Editor at Politicus Sports as well as Senior Editor at PoliticusUSA. He was a political writer for 411Mania.com before joining PoliticusUSA. Politically, Justin considers himself a liberal but also a realist and pragmatist. Currently, Justin lives in St. Louis, MO and is married. Besides writing, he also runs his own business after spending a number of years in the corporate world. You can follow Justin on Twitter either with his personal handle (@justinbaragona) or the Sports site’s (@PoliticusSports).
