GOP Aims to Turn Sequester Ax Into Scalpel - From Sen. Tom Coburn's "Wastebook" report: "Furlough robosquirrels not screeners" (a robotic squirrel designed to help researchers understand squirrels' interaction with rattlesnakes uses a portion of a $325,000 National Science Foundation grant).
From The Wall Street Journal:
The $85 billion in across-the-board spending cuts that went into effect this month have given Republicans in Congress a fresh opportunity to shine a light on the sometimes peculiar-sounding items in the federal budget.
In the weeks leading up to the March 1 start of the broad cuts, known as the sequester, the White House warned of the harm they would inflict. With the cuts now kicking in, GOP lawmakers are trying to direct attention to where they think government spending could be trimmed less painfully. Discretionary spending, the roughly 40% chunk of the federal budget that Congress sets each year, is bearing the brunt of the sequester, but Republicans are zeroing in on particular pieces of that pie that they think should be eliminated to spare other funds, such as those for airport screeners or other safety personnel.
Few have embraced the moment more than Sen. Tom Coburn (R., Okla.), who for years has pushed to cut spending for programs he deems less than crucial. In recent weeks, he has penned letters to U.S. departments and agency heads offering recommendations for what he thinks might be painlessly cut.
Some of the suggestions were culled from Mr. Coburn's "Wastebook" report last October that enumerated spending items he found particularly egregious. One example: a robotic squirrel designed to help researchers understand squirrels' interaction with rattlesnakes, using a portion of a $325,000 National Science Foundation grant.
"Furlough robosquirrels not screeners," Mr. Coburn's office tweeted recently.
An NSF spokesman said less than 1% of the project's budget went to the robotic model's parts, with the bulk of the award supporting the training and education of 34 graduate and undergraduate students.
Few in Washington disagree that the sequester's cuts could be better designed. Some Republicans, as well as Democrats, have warned of the harm they may bring to the economy and government programs, in particular the Pentagon. Yet while the impact still feels light—and to some, theoretical—the sequester has encouraged conservatives to hunt for more to trim.
The $85 billion in across-the-board spending cuts that went into effect this month have given Republicans in Congress a fresh opportunity to shine a light on the sometimes peculiar-sounding items in the federal budget.
In the weeks leading up to the March 1 start of the broad cuts, known as the sequester, the White House warned of the harm they would inflict. With the cuts now kicking in, GOP lawmakers are trying to direct attention to where they think government spending could be trimmed less painfully. Discretionary spending, the roughly 40% chunk of the federal budget that Congress sets each year, is bearing the brunt of the sequester, but Republicans are zeroing in on particular pieces of that pie that they think should be eliminated to spare other funds, such as those for airport screeners or other safety personnel.
Few have embraced the moment more than Sen. Tom Coburn (R., Okla.), who for years has pushed to cut spending for programs he deems less than crucial. In recent weeks, he has penned letters to U.S. departments and agency heads offering recommendations for what he thinks might be painlessly cut.
Some of the suggestions were culled from Mr. Coburn's "Wastebook" report last October that enumerated spending items he found particularly egregious. One example: a robotic squirrel designed to help researchers understand squirrels' interaction with rattlesnakes, using a portion of a $325,000 National Science Foundation grant.
"Furlough robosquirrels not screeners," Mr. Coburn's office tweeted recently.
An NSF spokesman said less than 1% of the project's budget went to the robotic model's parts, with the bulk of the award supporting the training and education of 34 graduate and undergraduate students.
Few in Washington disagree that the sequester's cuts could be better designed. Some Republicans, as well as Democrats, have warned of the harm they may bring to the economy and government programs, in particular the Pentagon. Yet while the impact still feels light—and to some, theoretical—the sequester has encouraged conservatives to hunt for more to trim.
posted by Sid Cottingham | 6:37 AM
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