Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood urged members of Congress to work together in order to avoid the broad automatic spending cuts, known as the sequester, slated to take place Friday.
"We're not making this up in order to put pain on the American people," LaHood said. "We are required to cut a billion dollars and we are going to do that unless Congress gets together and works together and compromises on this." He added that there is still time to solve the problem this week.
Republicans have been critical of President Obama's handling of the sequester. Governor Bobby Jindal (R-LA) challenged the president to "stop the campaigning" and "stop sending out your cabinet secretaries to scare the American people."
Democratic Governor Deval Patrick, an ally of the president, defended Mr. Obama saying the president did not create the sequester, something that has been up for debate in light of Bob Woodward's reporting in the Washington Post. Instead, Patrick suggested that the President has not had an equal negotiating partner from the beginning.
"From the very beginning, remember, it was the leadership of the Republicans in the Senate who said that their number one agenda was to make the president a one-term president." He added that now, "their number one agenda is to slow down the recovery of our economy."
You can watch the entire program on our website including a lively discussion on the roundtable about the economic impact of sequester with CNBC's dynamic duo of Maria Bartiromo and Jim Cramer.
We'll be back next week. If it's Sunday, it's Meet the Press.
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Plainly, the conservative movement has been working hard over the last 13 years to set-up this situation. Two unfunded wars that didn't need to happen at all, and one broad-based tax cut all come together to create a "perfect" situation for conservatives to argue that we need to cut the size of government.
But why is "smaller government" an ideal at all? The Second Law of Thermodynamics plainly tells us that the more complex a system becomes, the more it is prone to entropy. That means we need more government, not less government.
The only reason the conservatives want smaller government is because they want to avoid the cops on the beat, and thus defund the SEC, defund the FCC, defund all governmental regulatory apparatus in order to let the money-mongerers and money mongrels free reign over their abusive relationship with the American people.
Over the past 30 years wealth has concentrated. The typical American has very little clout in the economic process and sharing in economic gains. We have exported jobs and decimated unions. The last remaining tools to the middle class for having a fair shot at any of the economic growth is government. Investments in education, infrastructure, public health can only come from taxes. The poor and the middle class don't have anymore income, so they really can't pay taxes to fund these programs. That only leaves the rich. They know that if they don't act quickly to dismantle Medicare (think vouchers) and social security (think privatization) and Obamacare (think repeal) that the time will come when a new generation will actually call for higher taxes to help then take care of parents and their children. That is why the Right is worried.
In many respects, this country is headed to socialism because it destroyed the very mechanisms by which the Middle Class was born after WW2--the GI bill, strong unions, investment in infrastructure. Educated people will figure it out and demand a share of the pie--which is why defund education is important to them. You get my point.
In my 61 years on earth I have never seen a President like the one we currently have lobby the citizens of The United States of America like Mr. Obama. The incorrectness of his comments along with his minions are spreading the gospel and aren't giving the american people facts. That is not to say that the republicans aren't to blame as well, but Mr. Obama is taunting and offensive the way he display's his arrogance and disdain for the people of this great country. I just hope that someone really gets it before this administration takes us to the landfill and covers us up. The only people who will ultimately benefit will be the politicians.......Not the American People!!!
I wish G. Bush let the citizens on what he was during to this country. I love what this president is doing.
Oh Pat Wolfe, you are SO RIGHT!!!
Here here, The only reason the Republicans want a smaller Government is to lower their taxes even further, they don't want to pay for anything, they want ZERO tax burden "let the peons pay the taxes"
The American people are behind the president all the way. Read all the economic data that have been coming out lately...the debt is at his lowest this year . Anyway,the point
"From the very beginning, remember, it was the leadership of the Republicans in the Senate who said that their number one agenda was to make the president a one-term president." He added that now, "their number one agenda is to slow down the recovery of our economy."To show the president up... so people can say ,he lacks leadership...when was the last time you guys saw something like that happen. I have my idea as to why...I let others you figure that out..
How can the American people be behind the squatter in the White House??? Barely 50% of the eligible population voted in the November elections, and he only won by about 5M in the popular vote. Taken the number of people that were eligible to vote and vote for him, he didn't even garner 28%. He only took 2 more states than Romney, but won the electorate because those were the democrap strongholds with lots of population.
How are the Repubs slowing down the economic recovery - by insisting there be spending cuts??? You are delusional if you think that more out-of-control spending is going to spur the economy to grow. Remember Solyndra? Remember the last "stimulus"? Both of those failed miserably, and most of the jobs that were "created" went overseas.
Jeff, he won by a greater margin on all accounts than Bush 2 did n 2000. Also, If you don't vote, you don't get a voice after the fact. Obama won fair and square in line with Federal and State regulation governing elections.
He won the majority of the popular vote and a landslide electoral vote. Bush, lost the popular vote and the Supreme Court handed him Florida.
As far as you comments on Democrap strongholds, sorry bud, that is how the system works. The minorities, the poor, immigrants, gays, women....they all get to vote. It's not your father's white man's world anymore.
If you are over 65, you will probably die before the world really changes on you. So, stop watching Fox, tune on the Brady Bunch and play those old 8mm of Summer vacation with your family and enjoy the time you have left.
We can only hope the sequester does not happen...appears the republicans and democrats are playing "chicken" with each other.Maybe el presidente can step up and. lead.
Good program...and no Carly Fiorina....hope MTP got the message about her.
I hope the readers understand that this is only a 2.4% cut. In 2012, the Federal spend was a little over $3.5 trillion......and they are only cutting $85 billion. They act like we are cutting to the marrow. I would dare to say that the American public has had to reduce their own spending by far more that 2.4%. I've worked for Federal and State governments before and wasted spending was prevalent in both. The problem today is that no one in government wants to be accountable for what is spent.
Until the president leads a discussion of meaningful entitlement reform -- getting realistic about what treatments we are 'entitled' to, especially near end-of-life -- I put the blame first on him. Once that's on the table, let's then talk about getting non-entitlement spending back to pre-war levels and seriously reducing tax expenditures.
Meantime, find the 3% to cut from current spending.
Kudos to Rep. Ford for some honest comments this morning.
I agree about end of life....we spend too much on health after 80. And I agree with your comments about Ford on MTP. I was impressed, too.
Why does no one acknowledge that the reason the GOP supported the original sequester legislation was that they firmly believed that they would win the 2012 election and be able to pass their own solutions to our economic problems. And, unfortunately, return us to the policies that got us in this position in the first place.
I agree. They never thought they would be here. Now they are trapped between cutting programs that are near and dear to them and raising taxes. The only strategy they have to blame the Obama. Now, Obama will focus his department cuts on Republican districts to inflict pain. You will see, as those defense contractor begin to scream, the Republicans will begin to push their guys in Congress for spending. Obama will then show them for what they are--hypocrites--just before the 2014 mid terms. The Republicans should have taken the grand bargain in 2011, but alas, their goal back then was to make Obama a one-term president. Poor babies!
I guess it's appropriate to call it a round-table discussion on MTP today, because there was only one side. Not a single progressive amongst the bunch. The only Democrat on the panel was Harold Ford, a Morgan Stanley investment banker, who has always been an advocate for DINO policies and today's performance was no different. Even Steve Inskeep, a supposed unbiased journalist, quite often sneaks Republican talking points into his reporting on NPR.
It's pretty sad when the moderator has to continually present the White House's view because there is no one else on the round-table to do so.
But this is not at all unexpected. Big advertiser Boeing execs must be shaking in their loafers, what with the 787 fiasco and the impending defense cuts (irrespective of the sequester). They owe it to their stockholders to tell David Gregory to keep the discussion on the right-side of the issues.
This Repulican "Slow Down" And Games they have been playing needs to come to an end. They did it with the Fiscal Cliff and now the "Sequester". Baine and his motley crew need to be pushed out of Washington.
Quit playing games - Somehow they have gotten the idea that playing the "MONEY" game, Is ok with the American people. It Is Not Ok. It shows iresponsiblity to Always wait until the last minute (scare tactic) to pay your bills. Cut out all the bounus money, the senates and congreses pay hikes,vacation pay ect... and just pay the damm bills.
Why does no one acknowledge that the reason the Republicans voted for the sequester legislation was that they were convinced that they would win the 2012 elections and be able to implement their own financial policies in 2013. And, of course, return to the policies that got us into this financial mess in the first place.
my boy, a contractor for the defense dept has been advised that he will be laid off. what does he have to come to? to hell with the GOP.
Seems like this discussion is as caustic as our politics. Recall SecDef previously noting that the Armed Forces could take the hit and still be ready to fight, the cuts absorbed through deleting the waste. Suspect government funding is too often used as a works program rather than something to promote the general welfare. Both sides are to blame since we no longer know how to play nicely together.
No Congressional pay until a budget is agreed upon. We will see a revolution in this country before long, if things continue as they have.
I heard that the republican governors secured a bunch of short yellow busses to transport them around during the republican governors convention... any truth to this?
Thank you for having a representative from NAMI on yesterday - but it was unfortunate that he had very little to say and little time to say it. Mental illness is so neglected and discussion is urgently needed - inadequate treatment, inadequate research, discrimination and stigma are issues that need to be discussed. Some of what Mr. Fitzpatrick should have been able to say is that mental illness is a physical, biologically-based brain disease. It is a disease that attacks an organ in the body - in this case the brain. Folks with heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, cancer, etc. are not treated the way folks with a brain disease are treated unless it is cancer. There is so much more to say and I hope MTP has the courage and is responsible enough to invite more effective speakers on the subject. This topic is so critical - so many people suffering. Please continue the discussion on mental illness. Thank you.
We can only hope that the Nation avoids Sequestration , but if we don't , it maybe a Wake up call to the Electorate that the People we elected are not doing their Job . It is well past time for the Bickering & Political Grandstanding by both sides to end ! It is an Embarrassment to our Nation that those we elected refuse to do their job ! Throw the Bum's Out !
It is Far past the time that the Electorate make our Elected Members of Congress and Senate be held accountable . The sequestration is proof positive that the Political Grandstanding , by both sides , is NOT working ! We , your Electorate , your Bosses , demand you do your Job or we shall " Throw you Bums Out " !!!
It is well past time for the Electorate of this Great Nation hold the Elected to Do Their Job. The Political Grandstanding ( by both sides ) is not acceptable to the public , we demand you solve the stalemate in Congress and the Senate ! Blaming the other side is paramount to just being juvenile and holding your breath and proving that you all are an embarrassment to this Great Nation ! We Will " throw you Bum's Out " !!!
Either those in Washington try to make things right or the people will find their own way around the problem. The people realize that we have two systems that are broken. And Washinton refuses to debate the issues and find solutions. One, our so-called capitalistic economic system is out of balance with all the nation's wealth being distributed to wealthiest of Americans. The stats don't lie, and there is no point to further ignore the truth. We have debated every other issue be it education, health care,etc., but for some reason our economic structure has been placed out of bounds.
Two, our political system is in shambles. When our country runs into severe difficulties as we face now, it is politics that provides the means to negotiate and find solution. Clearly, that is not happening, and has not happened for too long a time. The fact of the matter is the people will only stand for it for so long and then find their own way around it. The Tea Party on the one side and the occupy folks on the other. Either way, the people will get behind a movement and force the changes that need to be made. It will take time, but if Washinton refuses to act, the problems that face middle and poor class Americans are too large and too significant to allow to continue. If they do, the "Boil Over" effect is not going to be pretty and Washington and the power elite will only have themselves to blame.
How long will the American People put up with this? This has been on the table for 2 years and it still isnt settled. Politics in the 21st century needs to be overhauled. They simply just dont work. I am absolutely ashamed of our So Called leaders. Look at what they have done to the United States of America the last 20 years. They have Literally Bankrupt this Nation. They turned a Super Power into the laughing stock of the World. This is no longer Government of the people, by the people and for the people but instead it is Government of the Government, by the Government and for the Government. It is time for the People to rise up and fix Washington because the Politicians wont. We can not depend on them anymore. Stand Up America and lets work together and make this Nation great again.