As you’ve probably heard, President Obama released a hefty $4 trillion budget proposal this past Monday for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. This serves as yet another reminder of how much money I don’t have.
Aside from the unusually high price tag (the proposed budget is a 6.4 percent increase in spending from our current budget), there are a multitude of somewhat odd provisions outlined in the proposed budget, raising more than a few eyebrows among members of Congress.
Mixed Messages
Although brazenly promoting Democratic ideology in more ways than one, Obama’s budget also veers slightly right on some hot button issues.
For instance, the president’s pitch to spend billions more combatting climate change while raising taxes on the wealthy and large banks to pay for tax breaks for the middle class and poor workers is distinctly left-wing. However, certain measures are clearly included to placate the GOP, such as a proposed $38 billion budget increase for the Pentagon, as well as a 4.5 percent increase in military spending at a time when Republicans are yearning for a military boost.
Essentially, Republicans in Washington should be all “LOL you’re kidding” one minute and “wait…do we like this?” the next while reading the document.
Give Peace a Chance?
Considering that the annual budget proposal is regarded as a presidential “wish list” rather than actual legislature (Congress largely ignores the document and ultimately has the final word), it’s safe to say that Obama could be pushing some ideological extremes to suggest a larger idea, something we haven’t seen since, well, earlier this month.
After six years of presidency riddled with administrative gridlock and party polarization, Obama may be opening up to the idea of compromise as he heads into his last two years as the leader of our country. This new attitude could also set the tone for what’s to come as America exits the Obama Era come 2016.
“You have strategic alignment in some very important areas,” said Jeffrey Zients, the director of the White House National Economic Council. “We’re hopeful we can get some stuff done.”
How This Affects You
To be honest, it kind of doesn’t, considering the chances of this budget actually taking affect are slim to none. With that being said, being able to understand and interpret what’s going on behind the scenes puts you at a distinct advantage when it comes to entering the voting booth, not to mention impressing your political science professor.
It’s important to keep an eye on the topics raised in both the budget and the State of the Union address to see how they play out over the next two years. It’s likely that a good number of this issues that are raised now will be reiterated again and again in the runoff to the 2016 elections.
Catch the full break down over at The Wall Street Journal.
