It’s the government’s equivalent of looking under the couch cushions for every last penny.
The new budget deal negotiators reached late Monday changes federal law to allow debt collectors to call Americans’ cell phones — as long as the debt is owed to Uncle Sam.
And the deal orders the administration to sell off part of the government’s strategic oil reserves to cover one-time costs this year. Some lawmakers have said it’s a real money-losing proposition because the oil was purchased when prices were higher, and selling it now means the U.S. is losing money on the investment.
With looming deadlines for both debt and annual spending, negotiators looked everywhere for cash they could count on to make the budget numbers work as they seek to boost spending in 2016 and 2017, in exchange for longer-term cuts.
Congressional leaders insisted the $80 billion in new spending over the next two years — evenly divided between defense and domestic needs — is all offset by cuts and new taxes or fees spread out over the next decade.
Meanwhile, the bill also siphons more money into the Social Security disability trust fund, but imposes new checks so the government can better vet applicants to make sure they’re truly disabled.
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And the legislation suspends the government’s debt ceiling through March 15, 2017, or nearly two months into the next president’s term.
Democrats said the deal meets all their goals: It boosts domestic spending by the same amount as defense spending, and it forced the GOP to back away from major entitlement cuts that Republicans had insisted be part of any deal.
“Democrats and Republicans have come to a responsible agreement that places the needs of our nation above Republicans’ partisan agenda,” said Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid. “While this agreement is not perfect, it addresses both investment in domestic priorities that benefit the middle class and defense spending. And with this agreement, we avoid a major threat to jobs and the economy.”
Republicans, meanwhile, said they pushed back against Mr. Obama by attaching conditions to the debt ceiling increase and winning a boost in defense spending, saying it was worth the increase in domestic spending if it meant giving the Pentagon more money, too.
“It’s a solid agreement, and I told my colleagues there isn’t any reason why any member should vote against this,” House Speaker John A. Boehner said.
Republican leaders also touted the changes to the disability program, saying they will produce major savings over the life of the program by keeping undeserving beneficiaries from getting checks.
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But conservative pressure groups were already lining up in opposition, and demanding rank-and-file Republicans vote to reject the deal.
“This budget and debt deal is being brokered by a lame duck speaker and a lame duck president,” the Club for Growth and Heritage Action, two prominent groups, said in a joint statement. “It represents the very worst of Washington – a last minute deal that increases spending and debt under the auspices of fiscal responsibility. If this deal moves forward, it will undermine efforts to unite the party by those promising to advance serious policy reforms.”
The deal spans 144 pages, which were finalized as Monday night slipped into Tuesday morning. House lawmakers will have less than 48 hours to digest it before they’re asked to vote on it Wednesday. Action in the Senate could take somewhat longer, because of procedural hurdles.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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