Right Question, Wrong Answer

Instead Of Cutting Waste, Obama’s Choosing To Cut Crucial Parts Of Our Economy

• As we rapidly approach Obama’s sequester, the president and his appointees are choosing to cut devastating segments of our economy, instead of the billions in documented waste.

• President Obama spoke Tuesday about the need to prioritize and make smart decisions; he should take his own advice.

• It’s time for Obama to stop playing politics with his devastating sequester and finally put forth a responsible plan to avoid harming our economy.

President Obama, In Newport News, Virginia, Tuesday Said We Needed To Prioritize Our Spending Choices And Make Smart Decisions. “You step back and you say, what is it that’s important — our child’s education, making sure they’re healthy, making sure we can get to the job, keeping our house repaired?  And then you say, here are the things that aren’t so important and you cut those out.  You prioritize, and you make smart decisions.  Well, we should be doing the same thing.” (President Barack Obama, Remarks, Newport News, VA, 2/26/13)

Federal Officials Have Freed Hundreds Of Illegal Immigrants In Several States Due To Obama’s Sequester. “Several hundred illegal immigrants have been released from detention centers in Georgia and other states, federal officials confirmed Tuesday. They said the releases were made to cut costs in advance of automatic spending cuts that are scheduled to take effect Friday.” (Jeremy Redmon, “Feds Free Illegal Immigrants In Georgia, Other States,” The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, 2/26/13)

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano Will Furlough 5,000 Border Patrol Agents. “Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano warned Monday that her agency would be forced to furlough 5,000 border control agents under mandatory spending cuts, likely allowing more illegal immigrants into the country and potentially compromising national security.” (David Nakamura, “Napolitano Warns That Sequester Would Affect Border Security,” The Washington Post, 2/25/13)

TSA Agents Would Also Be Furloughed. “There could also be longer security lines at airports because of anticipated furloughs of Transportation Security Administration workers. In addition, deplaning from international flights could be slower because Customs and Border Protection agents are expected to work fewer hours.” (Matthew Wald, “Federal Spending Cuts Threaten Delays In Air Travel,” The New York Times, 2/21/13)

Obama’s Sequester Will Cut Medicare By 2 Percent. “With the imposition of at least some of them appearing more and more likely, here’s a look, by the numbers, at Washington’s self-imposed budget austerity (aka ‘sequestration’ or the ‘sequester’) … 2% – Cuts to Medicare if sequestration takes effect.” (Amy Roberts, “By The Numbers: Automatic Spending Cuts,” CNN, 2/19/13)

Up To $902 Million Will Be Cut From Loan Guarantees To Small Businesses In The Sequester. “With the imposition of at least some of them appearing more and more likely, here’s a look, by the numbers, at Washington’s self-imposed budget austerity (aka ‘sequestration’ or the ‘sequester’) … Up to $902 million – Reductions in loan guarantees to small businesses if sequestration takes effect.” (Amy Roberts, “By The Numbers: Automatic Spending Cuts,” CNN, 2/19/13)

The Federal Government Awarded $99,000 To A New York Distillery. (2012 Waste Book, Office Of Senator Tom Coburn, Accessed On 2/27/13)

It Cost The Federal Government $1.6 Million To Develop A Video Game Based On A Fictional NASA Mission. (2012 Waste Book, Office Of Senator Tom Coburn, Accessed On 2/27/13)

The Federal Government Spent $947,000 On Researching Food To Serve On Mars. (2012 Waste Book, Office Of Senator Tom Coburn, Accessed On 2/27/13)

$697,177 Was Used To Develop A Musical On Climate Change And Biodiversity. (2012 Waste Book, Office Of Senator Tom Coburn, Accessed On 2/27/13)

The Federal Government Spent $325,000 To Develop A Robotic Squirrel. (2012 Waste Book, Office Of Senator Tom Coburn, Accessed On 2/27/13)