Quote:
Originally Posted by Dowly
Schumer changed his vote when it looked like it wouldn't pass. This allows him to reintroduce the bill later on.
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I don’t know if you’ve watched this yet (link below). But what he says makes sense too me. Apparently the VA already gets (over ten years) 400 billion dollars in operating expenses from discretionary funds. The 2023 cap on discretionary expenditures has already been set and agreed upon by both parties several weeks ago. I think at 1.6 trillion or some crazy outrageous number like that.
Once passed the PACT Act would obligate an additional 280 billion (over ten year) to cover the act.
Everybody's happy.
Where it seems to go wrong according to Toomey is when Democrats want to move the VA’s 400 billion dollar operating expense from discretionary funds to mandatory funds. That he says will leave a 400 billion dollar hole in discretionary funding.
By moving that already obligated 400 billion (over ten year) from discretionary to direct funding. Democrats would fill the void with another 400 billion (over ten years) to cover the ever expanding discretionary spending. That’s a crap ton load of pork if you ask me, it’s more than I’ve ever heard of. I’d think even the most ardent party fanboys would be pissed off anyone in government tried to do that.
At least that’s what I got out it, so ya it does sound a bit gimmicky. Like trying to sneak in a 400 billion dollar slush fund kind of gimmicky. Now I know what you’re thinking. The government will over the next ten years just deduct 400 billion from 2023 discretionary funds. That makes sense, however having worked for the federal government for over 24 years. You can hope, you can wish, pray, dream government would do that. But then reality slaps you up along side the head and says that’s not how government works. The FED will have to print another 400 billion more dollars to cover.
It’s like COVID vaccine shut-up, don’t ask questions just take your medicine. Now we’re at shut-up, don’t ask questions. just pass the bill so we can spend another 400,000,000,000 of tax payer dollars and put everyone even further in debt.
https://www.toomey.senate.gov/newsro...t-floor-speech