“The national debt nearly doubled under former President Obama and is poised to exceed $20 trillion before the end of 2017. To help chart a path out of this calamitous economic hole, Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) is releasing Prime Cuts 2017, a comprehensive account of options the federal government possesses to cut into the constantly growing debt,” the group said.
In a release to the Daily Business News (DBN) on MHProNews, CAGW released its Prime Cuts 2017 facts report.
Why It Matters to Business, Taxpayers, and Manufactured Housing Professionals
“Federal spending, they have argued,” said the Washington Post, “crowds the private sector and piles regulations and bureaucracy onto companies. Trump’s [then] chief strategist, Stephen K. Bannon, has said Trump will lead a “deconstruction of the administrative state.”
That statement by Bannon on behalf of the Trump Administration dovetails with another source, which made a similar argument 4 years ago (see graphic, below).
A recent report on the Daily Business News regarding self-described “street fighter” Bannon, is linked here.
CAGW’s Plans – A Blueprint for Washington’s Fiscal Conservatives?
Per CAGW’s Curtis Kalin, “Prime Cuts has been published annually since 1993 and addresses every area of government spending.”
The group cites National Review’s description as, “CAGW members are an iconoclastic bunch skeptical about politicians’ promises.”
As Democrats and Republicans alike are accused of treating the rising federal debts and deficits with relative calm – and an all-too-common, politics as usual stance – CAGW boldly says that implementing their proposals would balance the federal budget in just 3 years.
MHProNews has previously cited the group’s work on several occasions (example, linked here). While editorially noting that a proper implementation of the Constitution, including the spending limits of Article 1, Section 8 ought to be the standard for any president, elected or appointed federal official, the CAGW’s work represents attainable standards and goals, given the recent decades political/economic climate.
In their release, CAGW bullets:
- “607 recommendationsfrom bipartisan and nonpartisan sources including the Government Accountability Office, Congressional Budget Office (CBO), President Trump’s fiscal year (FY) 2018 budget, and former President Obama’s “Cuts, Consolidations, and Savings” budget recommendations.
- Total savings from Prime Cuts 2017 are $336.2 billion in the first year and $2.3 trillion over five years. “
The group states that since 1984, implementation of past recommendations they’ve provided “saved taxpayers more than $1.8 trillion.”
The group further stated that the bipartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) “estimates that the FY 2017 budget deficit will be $693 billion. Therefore, if all the Prime Cuts recommendations are adopted, a balanced budget could be achieved within three years.”
CAGW points to President Donald J. Trump’s speech to the Urban League last month and his promise, “I will ask that savings be accomplished through common sense reforms that eliminate government waste and budget gimmicks.”
This year’s Prime Cuts – with a featured image and a play on words implying federal pork – is found at this link here. MHProNews will plan to cite this document in future reports and editorial commentary. ## (News, analysis.)
(Image credits are as shown above, and when provided by third parties, are shared under fair use guidelines.)
