Details of Debt Deal Reveal Conservatives Have Won on Major Issues

Washington is no longer talking taxes and spending, but CUTS!

In a message Sunday night to GOP House members Speaker Boeher said the following:

Since Day One of this Congress, we’ve gone toe-to-toe with the Obama Administration and the Democrat-controlled Senate on behalf of our people we were sent here to represent.

Remember how this all started: the White House demanded a “clean” debt limit hike with no spending cuts and reforms attached. We stuck together, and frankly made them give up on that.

Then they shifted to demanding a “balanced” approach — equal parts spending cuts and tax hikes. With this framework, they’ve given up on that, too.

I’m gonna tell you, this has been a long battle — we’ve fought valiantly — and frankly we’ve done it by listening to the American people. And as a result, our framework is now on the table that will end this crisis in a manner that meets our principles of smaller government.

Now listen, this isn’t the greatest deal in the world. But it shows how much we’ve changed the terms of the debate in this town.

There is nothing in this framework that violates our principles. It’s all spending cuts. The White House bid to raise taxes has been shut down. And as I vowed back in May — when everyone thought I was crazy for saying it — every dollar of debt limit increase will be matched by more than a dollar of spending cuts. And in doing this, we’ve stopping a job-killing national default that none of us wanted.

The following PowerPoint presentation by Speaker Boehner highlights the good news (we'll talk about the bad news in a minute):


Debt Deal Framework Boehner
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly!

Now, the not so good news. First, we all know that if any real cuts are made they are likely to come from the Defense Department. Washington has seen it's share of spending deals in the past and the promised cuts in anything but defense never seem to materialize.

But this is the FIRST TIME that an increase in the debt ceiling has come with strings attached and Democrats attempt to raise taxes has been soundly defeated (for now). And if promised cuts do not materialize there are other new provisions which may force the issue with the added bonus that a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution would be required if cuts were not made.

I doubt any conservative would think this is a perfect deal. Far from it. But we have advanced our agenda at the expense of the tax and spend liberals like President Obama.

We are faced with the choice of going to all out nuclear war over the debt now (a fight we would likely lose since we do not control either the Senate or the White House) or banking what victories we have achieved and then focusing on the REAL fight to come in 2012.

It will be difficult enough to win the White House and capture the Senate in 2012. We can't make it harder than it has to be by risking everything now.

Keep your eyes on the prize. But don't stop fighting the good fight every step of the way!