Paul Ryan’s budget is out, and is the current rallying point for “cuts only” budget enthusiasts. It’s been widely criticized as draconian, redesigning Medicare and giving more tax cuts to the top 2%. Fortunately it’s also seen as a model budget without much chance of passing. Many budget proposals are like this, giving examples of priorities from a particular ideological point of view but not expected to garner the necessary votes from other camps. They’re kind of like “what I’d do if I were king” documents that give us a peek into the thinking of the proposers. Along with President Obama’s budget, that puts two serious plans on the table to examine. These two competing options will be the starting point for the budget debate.
Whatever its strength’s and weaknesses may be, the Obama budget is not a “Progressive” budget, and many of the Progressive priorities are not reflected in it. Rather than sit back and whine, the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) put together their own budget alternative. Like the others it has no real chance of passing as-is, but it illustrates what Progressives would do if they were in charge.
Features of the CPC proposal (People’s Budget):
• Primary budget balance by 2014.
• Budget surplus by 2021.
• Includes a jobs creation program
• Protects the social safety net
• Ends the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq
• Is FAIR (Fixing America’s Inequality Responsibly)
