The House Democratic Blue Dogs have enshrined one policy goal above all others: balancing the federal budget. So far this Congress they've rolled over and allowed Democratic leaders to push through legislation to increase spending and maintain existing tax rates, even where such moves have expanded the deficit. Now that it's time to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan however, they say they will not budge:
So far in the 110th Congress, Democrats have added hundreds of billions in unpaid-for spending on the wars, tax cuts and domestic programs while trying to claim credit for reinstituting a PAYGO rule, albeit one that is so weak that Democrats have been able to all but ignore it.
Last year, Democrats forced through an alternative minimum tax relief package without offsets over the objections of Blue Dogs, and this year, they passed a massive bipartisan stimulus package without offsets as well.
To be clear, the Blue Dog objection is not to the war funding itself -- which is almost certain to be approved as emergency spending. Rather, it's to a $52 billion expansion of veterans' benefits that the Democratic leadership is trying to push through without paying for it. Democrats may wind up deeply embarrassed that the 'difficult vote' they had set up for Republicans -- for a clean funding bill, or for more veterans' benefits -- will be short-circuited by their own team.
And as for the funding for our troops? Don't worry -- Congress will get to it eventually...
