White House Veto Threat Issued Over GOP Spending Bill

WASHINGTON -- The White House on Monday vowed to veto a House spending bill for the Justice Department, NASA and several other agencies, charging its GOP authors with violating last summer's budget pact and cutting programs like legal aid to the poor too deeply.

The legislation in question is the first appropriations bill to come to the House floor this year. Republicans are cutting domestic agency operating budgets below levels agreed to with President Barack Obama last year as part of budget legislation setting an overall "cap" on the day-to-day budgets for Cabinet agencies.

A GOP budget plan adopted in March cuts $19 billion below the $1.047 trillion agency budget cap agreed to last year and transfers an additional $8 billion to the Pentagon. The resulting $27 billion cut to domestic agencies has Democrats howling that GOP leaders are breaking a deal they agreed to less than a year ago.

At issue is a $51 billion measure funding the departments of Commerce and Justice, as well as NASA and other science programs. The GOP measure doesn't cut such programs very severely – just $731 million below Obama's requests – but the White House has taken a blanket stand that Obama won't sign any spending bills until Republican leaders agree to abide by the deal struck last summer.

GOP leaders like House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, orchestrated the additional $19 billion in cuts as a way to placate conservatives and win enough tea party votes to pass its budget blueprint in March.

The administration opposes cuts to the Legal Services Corp. and for hiring grants for local police departments, among others.

Some Democrats are likely to support the measure despite the veto threat as a way to keep the annual appropriations process on track. They expect Republicans ultimately to agree to the higher levels.

Also on HuffPost:

Comments

[Cunningham]

12:15 AM on 05/16/2012

A republican handshake means nothing. They have no honor and can never be counted on to stand behind an agreement.

Come on, Dem pols, you already knew that.

[cuddlebaer]

11:51 PM on 05/08/2012

Pressident Obama is not BLUFFING! He is going to VETO the Spending bill because the Republicans again broke their promise! The GOP knows nothing but lies. They know they are losing everything in november, so why shouldn't they take the entire government down with them? In other words they are sabatoguing the entire US Government!

[Demonthenes]

02:21 PM on 05/08/2012

What a suprise, republicans not keeping their word...

[CimmerianX]

01:02 PM on 05/08/2012

GOP is really pushing for tea party votes. Soon we can expect a bill that eliminates 90% of the gov. It will never pass of course, but they might get another .5% points in the Tea party polling numbers.

[cpman93]

12:38 PM on 05/08/2012

You folks amaze me. The country is on the brink of going broke and all POTUS and apparently a large number of you on here are worried about a house sponsered budget that hasn't made it to the senate where it will die without any work on compromise. The Senate has done nothing for over 1000 days. That extends back to both houses being democratic. You quibble over nothing at this point. If we don;t CHANGE direction in November we are going to need our guns and bibles to survive. And a lot of prior planning might be in order just to survive. What have you done for your family just encase food and water become unavailable and the dollar is worth ZERO. POTUS is planning to sell the soul of the US to the UN. We will have one world order.The US will not be a Soverign nation. The US will not be able to do a thing wuthout UN approval and we will be paying more to international coomunity because the UN will be in charge. Better start praying to GOD to save our Union or hope to raptured out of the world before you starve to death. POTUS HOPE & CHANGE has not worked in his 4th year into Office. Time for him to be turned out to pasture.

[good4you]

12:44 PM on 05/08/2012

Where do you get this misinformation???

[fisch123]

08:59 PM on 05/08/2012

voices in his head.

[storgrisdemo]

01:06 PM on 05/08/2012

Really a "new world order".....if I am not mistaken, St Georgie Bush's daddy made that his dream....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rc7i0wCFf8g

[Views from the Middle]

11:32 AM on 05/08/2012

Here's an idea: why don't they cut the budget of every elected official IN HALF. And why don't they make elected officials start paying for their own haircuts and transportation and other perks?

[exchef100]

12:21 PM on 05/08/2012

I'm with you. Find any other job in the world that compensates you for haircuts, transportation, food, etc. They don't exist. Term limits and no perks/benefits would be an absolute game changer.

[Demonthenes]

02:22 PM on 05/08/2012

While that sounds like fun, it is less than 1% of the overall government budget.

That is all of those salaries.

So if we cut it in half, that is .5% of the governments budget.

[fisch123]

09:00 PM on 05/08/2012

But it would make me feel better.

[Talkingjunky]

11:28 AM on 05/08/2012

Shame on Republicans for trying to get government spending in order! How dare they try to stop the Democrats from increasing frivolous spending!

[Views from the Middle]

11:33 AM on 05/08/2012

Give me a break. The Republicans are just as guilty as the Democrats are when it comes to frivolous spending. This is a political ploy so they can say the White House doesn't want to balance the budget. They are just playing politics.

[exchef100]

12:22 PM on 05/08/2012

Because the dept. of defense needs more money? Really?

[le marc]

10:58 AM on 05/08/2012

The GOTP House reasoning,"If drastic cuts aren't made to the sciences, social services, and other programs for the common good, how can Og's chosen few receive their reward through tax cuts and expanded loop holes?". As the modern conservative's philosopher, Ayn Rand, said, "There are the 'losers' and then there are the Alpha Elites".

[supersajin]

10:54 AM on 05/08/2012

Has Obama veto'd anything yet?

[spiritcosmo]

11:03 AM on 05/08/2012

he hasnt had too. so far the threat of a veto has been enough.

[supersajin]

01:35 PM on 05/08/2012

this is bad policy. remember how much we complained when bush didn't veto anything? there has been plenty for him to veto!!

[purplewg]

10:46 AM on 05/08/2012

Isn't it funny, "Republicans are cutting domestic agency operating budgets below levels agreed to with President Barack Obama"? The GOP trying to cut spending and excess and who is opposing it? lolololol

[22tryon]

10:55 AM on 05/08/2012

Purplewg,That budget cuts domestic spending ,and with saved dollars gives this to the pentagon.Which is already bloated.Also,zero repubs for campaign finance reform..zero.Tells ya that the lobbiest have the repubs by the balls.

[purplewg]

03:12 PM on 05/08/2012

I though BO said he would run the lobbiest out of town if elected.

[gramma61]

11:09 AM on 05/08/2012

Your ignorance is on full display..How lovely

[purplewg]

11:30 AM on 05/08/2012

Don't worry about it your 5th grade reading comprehension teacher will understand why you don't get it. It was that bump on the head you took right?

[purplewg]

07:56 AM on 05/09/2012

You are correct. Every time we read about the folks who still want to kiss BO's feet we see the ignorance shining.

[TROOPER-X]

10:39 AM on 05/08/2012

Instead of issuing threats and engaging in political theater, the President should be looking for much deeper cuts across the board. Only a few months left to fulfill the "cut the deficit in half" promise. One cannot be viewed as fiscally-competent, while attempting to preserve cradle-grave coddling.

[gramma61]

11:13 AM on 05/08/2012

Why? Where has austerity worked so far? With private industry hiring without all the govt layoffs our unemployment would be closer to 7 per cent...

Plus programs such as unemployment,food stamps etc would be far lower in overall cost for the taxpayer..nevermind more tax dollars coming in..

[giftsthatpurr]

12:40 PM on 05/08/2012

f.f

[Catseye71352]

07:20 PM on 05/08/2012

He could do it overnight by reining in wasteful milit5ary spending, but the 'Piggies have to have their pork for McDonnell-Douglas and Raytheon.

[cuddlebaer]

10:26 AM on 05/08/2012

The GOP going back to their stop President Obama mantra! The GOP believes that if they stop the Democratic budgets and stop Preident Obama's ideas they will win in November! I for one am looking at November as a new beginning! A new beginning for the Democratic party. We will retake the House, and we will gain at least 10 Senate seats. This will give us a majority in both houses, and a democratic Presidency. House Speaker John Boehner will no longer be in the speakers chair, in fact I believe that John Boehner will be defeated in Novemeber! Every GOP speaker has been defeated in the following election because he let the power go to his head. The GOP is just power hungrey, and they care not about our great country! The Democrats care but lacked the guts to take the bull by the horns until now! The Progressives within the party are now leading the way! I believe the GOP needs to change or wither away!

[giftsthatpurr]

12:41 PM on 05/08/2012

I sincerely hope for what you have stated.

[rocks4aliving]

10:26 AM on 05/08/2012

Vote in November.... Volunteer ... get involved if you care. The Republican Party is Wrong for America.

[ejfreeman]

10:25 AM on 05/08/2012

We must show these bullies that we want a different Congress and country.

[JonnyLogic]

10:23 AM on 05/08/2012

C'mon Mr.Pres. You think the GOP is going to stay true to their words? Just look at the past 3 years alone.