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Sen. Tom Coburn, (R-Okla.), on the need to cut spending rather than increase taxes.
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Tom Copeland joins us now.
-- -- the Wall Street Journal says that the president already has the power to make these cuts less painful he could do it if he wishes to make them less painful but he's not doing it.
And why why -- why does he insist on forcing paying down the American throat.
All right you know -- it's all the politics of it rather than policy -- You know.
This is that it relatively speaking this is a small amount of cuts that could easily be accomplished by.
Given him a little more flexibility eight -- in addition to the flexibility has now.
You know -- a decision tonight he can he can make these cuts very fact painful and -- the policy benefit to blame that on the political benefit to blame that on.
Those of us who think things federal government ought to -- growing as fast as it's -- Or can do it where he can make them as least painful as possible and get a cooperative congress -- giving me more flexibility.
If we don't make these cuts.
The pain that's gonna come in the future.
Is going to be far worse and there's going to be much more severe cuts you so.
-- you know it's it's all politics Stuart it's not policy and it's the right thing for us to do it's the second time we've cut spending since World War II.
And the last time was 99 -- not.
Senator you've got a list of cults which could be made very easily and painlessly can you -- just couple of -- items with us.
Well you you first of all the GAO has put out -- report there's three and 47 billion dollars in expenditures a year for we have multitude of layers of programs that duplicate one another.
So just -- hope pulling back on some of those programs and enhancing the others.
You could accomplish what the American people need for example 47 job training program.
All but three totally overlap one another we spent almost nineteen billion dollars a year on the house.
We have stamp programs 209 up throughout the federal government that science technology education in the engineering and math.
We we spent about six billion dollars a year on that.
And and we have 209 programs which means we have -- -- -- nine sets of administrators.
Federal housing programs we have 3700.
Different housing agency directors in the country in Oklahoma we have a housing agency that has no homes but we're still planet director.
I mean if it their all sorts of thing if we just -- what we're doing better we can save hundreds of billions of dollars a year.
And looks the most of our viewers and myself and I'm sure to many people in congress -- that we are indeed gonna go and get these cuts on Friday.
What will you tell our viewers if skies -- it if planes are going to be delayed next week.
Our children not gonna be vaccinated next week is -- not going to be inspected next week is that gonna happen.
-- Absolutely flat.
You -- does -- into it if it happens.
It's the ineptitude of the administrative branch because they want it to happen for a political purpose.
Do you think will ever really get a handle on around debt when we make such of thoughts of costing.
2% about total three point 8% to expenditure.
Well it important yes we're gonna eventually get a handle on our debt and the reason while we ours their arithmetic doesn't work.
And the rest of the world's going to quit loaning us money that we can afford tomorrow.
So we're gonna do it and that'll be very very painful Stewart.
If we do it this way and then we reform do do things like the Simpson Bowles commission said.
If you're gonna reform the taxes use it to lower the rates ultimately increase the revenues the federal government.
And to have actual really good plans and reforming Medicare reform and Social Security to save those programs.
What we can do that and we will do.
But that the timing is it just shows in the government's twice the size it was eleven years ago.
And it shows you that the career politicians.
Pay more attention to parochial interest than they -- -- long term best interest of the country so.
