Obama To Send Spending-Reduction Legislation To Congress

This article, written in the Wall Street Journal on May 24, 2010, is about President Obama and his issuing of spending-reduction legislation to Congress. His proposal, called the Reduce Unnecessary Spending Act of 2010, is a response to the negative criticism that the federal government is spending out of control. The legislation allows President Obama to propose a series of rescissions to spending packages approved by Congress. Congress would have to vote on whether to approve Obama's rescissions within set timeframes to limit debate and without the ability to make changes. It will give the White House broad authority to reduce wasteful federal spending and block earmarks. He has already signed into law a pay-as-you-go bill, forcing Congress to make cuts equivalent to any new entitlement increases. He has also proposed a three-year freeze on non-security discretionary funding, which could save the government $250 billion over ten years. This article is significant because it epitomizes the relationship between the president and Congress. The president can recommend legislation, but the future of the legislation depends on the willingness of Congress to accept the bill. The president often sees Congress as an obstacle to overcome, so the dynamic relationship between Congress and the president is all about persuasion. In my opinion, Congress should accept and pass Obama's legislation in order to help out those suffering in the economy, because I also agree that the government is spending ridiculous amounts of money.

Photo Credit

Extra Credit Post by OCaridi