Deal Raising Military and Domestic Spending Appears Near

WASHINGTON — House and Senate budget negotiators reached agreement Tuesday on a budget deal that would raise military and domestic spending over the next two years, shifting the pain of across-the-board cuts to other programs over the coming decade and raising fees on airline tickets to pay for airport security.

Under the agreement, military and domestic spending for the current fiscal year that is under the annual discretion of Congress would rise to just over $1 trillion, from the $967 billion level it would hit if spending cuts known as sequestration were imposed next month. Spending would be capped at $1 trillion in fiscal year 2015 as well.

The $65 billion increase over the next two years would be spread evenly between Pentagon and domestic spending, nearly erasing the impact of sequestration on the military. Domestic programs would fare particularly well because the 2 percent cut to Medicare health providers would not be touched, alleviating cuts to programs like health research, education and Head Start.

That increase would be paid for in part with higher airline fees that underwrite airport security and higher contributions from federal workers to their pensions. Military pensions would get slower cost of living increases.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/11/us/politics/party-leaders-indicate-deal-is-reached-on-budget.html
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<Sigh> You just can't turn your back on them. Congress could not withstand 2 entire years of forced budget cuts and had to get back into spending mode. They've got their hands in the cookie jar again. Slowing the rate of COLA's for military pensions is a despicable way of "paying" for increased spending. Shame on you Paul Ryan.

 

The problem I have with it is that they are going to increase spending. Sure it's "only" $33B a year, for the next two years but it's going in the wrong direction. It just shows that they are not serious about cutting spending. They NEED to have control of the purse strings and not leave it in the hands of a mathematical formula.