Jeb Hensarling: Congress Probably Deserves To Be 'Tarred And Feathered'

Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) reacted to a budget deal struck between Democratic and Republican leaders late on Friday to avert a government shutdown during an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday.

"On the one hand, this is the single largest year-to-year cut in the federal budget, frankly in the history of America in absolute terms," he said, adding that for the accomplishment members of congress deserve "medals." He added, however, "Relative to the size of the problem, it is not even a rounding error. In that case we probably all deserve to be tarred and feathered."

White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer detailed the spending cuts in the budget agreement on Saturday. He wrote on the White House blog:

This deal cuts spending by $78.5 billion from the President's FY 2011 Budget request -- the largest annual spending cut in our history. These are real cuts that will save taxpayers money and have a real impact. Many will be painful, and are to programs that we support, but the fiscal situation is such that we have to act.

The two sides agreed to cut $13 billion from funding for programs at the Departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services as well as over $1 billion in a cut across non-defense agencies, forcing everyone to tighten their belt. There will be reductions to housing assistance programs and some health care programs along with $8 billion in cuts to our budget for State and Foreign Operations. These significant cuts to the State Department and foreign assistance will mean we will not meet some of the ambitious goals set for the nation in the President's Budget.

"At some point, you just got to quit spending money you don't have," explained Hensarling on Sunday. "I do not want America to default on its debt. But the president is going to have to start the process of cutting up the credit cards, pure and simple."

Comments

[ritamary]

11:12 AM on 04/13/2011

Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) definitely deserves to be tarred and feathered.

[carwoolaman]

08:49 AM on 04/12/2011

You know you always reduce the nuclear arsenal so that it only can blow up the entire world once. That should save a few 10s of billions, shut down a few foreign bases and save another few 10s of billions. The US would still be the most powerful military power. However there would be more money in the kitty

[Osapient1]

04:07 PM on 04/11/2011

WOODSTOCKER51 8 hours ago (8:11 AM) 666 Fans
Become a fan Unfan
SOME DAY...AFTE­R YOU GET AN EDUCATION.­.YOU WILL SEE.WERE NOT ELITESTS..­WERE JUST SMARTER THAN POTATOHEAD­S LIKE YOU!
-------------------------------------------------
And someday, when you learn how to spell elitist, you may actually become one...

[Onlygodknowswhy]

01:43 PM on 04/11/2011

We got to wait for the repulicans to get finished with rush limbaugh.

[Onlygodknowswhy]

01:41 PM on 04/11/2011

This stuff is funny

[melobster78]

01:34 PM on 04/11/2011

WOW! I never thought I would see a headline say a REPUBLICAN thinks Congress should be tarrred and feathered in my lifetime(I'm only 32)!!! I hope he is sincere in this statement.

[graphixart]

01:44 PM on 04/11/2011

Don't get your hopes up...he was just pandering to the TP.

[dbailey]

01:25 PM on 04/11/2011

at some point, you republicans have got to stop giving our money away to corporations. This is a captial market society, if they want our money they should have to earn it like everybody else. The public is not all stupid. We know we have to cut our budgets but we also know there has to be revenue coming in. STOP GIVING AWAY OUR REVENUE. Those companies are going to create jobs, but not in America

[jsgaetano]

01:12 PM on 04/11/2011

EVERY conservative should be tarred and feathered.

[rosiebond007]

12:54 PM on 04/11/2011

Nasty comment from a nasty man

[offred]

12:19 PM on 04/11/2011

Rep. Hensarling: There's a category in Craig's List under Tarring and Feathering. If the idea appeals to you, maybe you should check it out.

[Epimenides]

12:17 PM on 04/11/2011

I agree with the "tarred and feathered" part.

However, corporate henchmen such as Jeb Hensarling ought to be among the first to go.

[tangelan]

12:10 PM on 04/11/2011

It's absolutely stunning how the GOP has tossed off all their responsibility for driving the deficit up in the first place. First, Cheney says deficits don't matter. Now the GOP wants everyone to believe we only have deficits as a result of the stimulus package. Two tax cuts, two wars, Medicare Part D, and W's stimulus were all paid for, apparently.

[Wheelo]

02:13 PM on 04/11/2011

F & F!

That should be repeatedly thrown in Boehner & Company's face. You'd think the provision in Part D forbidding the Feds from using their purchasing power to seek the lowest drug prices would be a no brainer. Which really means it's not about deficit spending at all.

[Javalation]

11:57 AM on 04/11/2011

"Tarring And Feathering" was done to con artist who lie to the public and cheat us, you know like the conservatives typically do.

[Rene Epicurus]

11:13 AM on 04/11/2011

I am now convinced that the GOP should immediately allocate another $10 billion in the budget yearly for a high-level R&D cash infusion in the areas of Physics and Biological effects of time-space travel through warping the continuum.

The purpose?

To build a massive time machine to take the entire GOP, Tea Party, its corporate benefactors, lobbyists, attorneys, "think" tanks minions, and paid media mouthpieces -- all of the way BACK to 10th century England (but they would not be allowed to take advanced weapons or Viagra).

There, in that time and place, they could finally find true happiness as members in the peerage system as Feudal Lords, at the appropriate point of human civilization right where they belong; because they have been having serious issues adapting to the needs of modernity, and I just want to help.

[Robert Gambee Sr]

12:32 PM on 04/11/2011

Just make sure you are able to wipe their memories. If their modern knowledge of how to convince the masses is sent with them The Manga Carta will never happen. Right now they only ignore its existance and importance to the constitution they are attempting to dissemble. ie: skipping over embarrassing parts to tjhe during the House reading.

[Rene Epicurus]

07:36 AM on 04/12/2011

Okay, add another $5 billion for Psy-Ops R&D.

[jsgaetano]

01:14 PM on 04/11/2011

Or we could just help them "Go Galt" with more "Fiscally Conservative" handouts to encourge them all to move to the no-tax, small gubment Conservative Paradise called Somolia.

[Rene Epicurus]

07:35 AM on 04/12/2011

Your idea has merit and is far cheaper.

[MissingAmerica]

10:57 AM on 04/11/2011

In rereading, I need to correct now. "... the right to be "American", withOUT the skin color being an issue!" Other typos, too! Boy, it's amazing how bad ones typing can get when the only thing you can see is red!!!!! But, hopefully, the message comes through although, clearly, it will still not be understood by the Republicans.