House GOP to Tea Party: We're Too Important to Have Our Budgets Cut

With a hat tip to Drew Ryun for the title of the post, Tim Carney brings word this morning that some Republicans think they are too important to have their budgets cut.The Republican Study Committee, the organization of conservatives in the House of Representatives, is proposing further cuts in spending to Congress’s budget. Some Republicans are flipping out and going to 12 on a 1 to 10 scale fo hyperbole. The latest among them is Dan Lungren of California.Here’s Tim Carney:

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RSC member Dan Lungren, however, is chairman of the Committee on House Administration, and he says no. Here’s a bit from his public “Dear Colleague” letter:

This amendment would severely restrict the U.S. Capitol Police’s ability to secure the Capitol complex by slashing its budget 11%. A cut of this magnitude would force Capitol Police to face today’s ever-growing security threats with significantly fewer resources and officers. The Amendment would also hamper the House’s ability to conduct effective oversight and impede on Members’ ability to serve their constituents by cutting committee and Member budgets an additional 11% on top of the 5% cut adopted last month.

As Carney goes on to note, Dan Lungren’s Chief of Staff says that if the RSC amendment passes, Lungren will cut what he pays to fund the RSC. I don’t think the RSC would have problems with that.If Congress is unwilling to make cutbacks to its own budget, it will never get serious about real spending cuts. And to use the Capitol Police as an example is silly. Can we never cut those budgets? Not even administrative costs? Sure we can. But not if Dan Lungren has his way. Ultimately, Lungren is probably worried about re-election in 2012. I’m sure he is concerned about constituent services and outreach. But what he ought to be concerned about is the appearance of a spoiled congressman telling others to make cut backs as long as he doesn’t have to.

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