(attempting to ask a question that won't be labeled "partisan" and ignored)... Are there provisions for reclaiming "stimulus" dollars that haven't been spent? Or have those savings been accounted for already? I mean, even a fraction of 800B is some pretty decent change, especially if you're talking about reducing mohair subsidies for 1M. The list reminds me a bit of "Dave", where a grizzled Frank Langella tells the President "And if you can find a way to cut THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY MILLION DOLLARS from the federal budget, then you can keep your lousy shelters. And don't ever send for me again." Enter Charles Grodin and some fancy accounting.
BTW, I know some make the mistake of lumping TARP and stimulus bill together as government spending...TARP, which was originally authorized with the backing of the Bush administration, was authorized to spend 700B on the program. The total cost (without all the repayments yet) is down to 25B and could go lower (maybe make a "profit"?!?). http://cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=11980&zzz=41404
To answer this part regardless of what bill gets passed or not, the military (aside from war spending, which I don't get a view of) has since FY10 (October 09) had a lot of cutbacks and had to "give money back" from operational funding. It will always survive -- it's law that there will be a standing Army, Navy and Marine Corps. But it will require cutbacks in mission as well, which will require some tough decisions by the political masters. As far as the question above about "travel costs in half", it's actually pretty easy. I don't know what it's like at your job, but in the government all travel has to be authorized (since you're not allowed to pay your way). If there's no money in the budget line, you don't get to go.
Which is why the Reps picked those to cut, rather than cut enormous business subsidies, weapons stockpiles, stop waging wars, raise taxes on the obscenely rich, or anything else that would actually reduce the size of government. This list is an attack on civilization.
