Portman: the vetoes will happen
The President will veto 9 of 12 appropriations bills.
By Mark Kilmer Posted in The White House — Comments (6) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
The vetoes will happen. Rob Portman verifies Bob Novak's story.
On Monday, we discussed the President's pledge to veto nine of twelve Democrat-passed appropriations bills, and how part of what drove him was that his budget director, former Congressman Rob Portman of Ohio, told him that the GOP lost in '06 because of they'd lost the fiscal sanity issue.
On Tuesday, we learned that Rob Portman was leaving OMB. I noted: "I've seen no word that this has anything to do with the veto threat."
Will the vetoes go forward? According to Portman: YEP.
After announcing his resignation, Portman stuck around to speak to a few reporters, and CongressDaily's Keith Koffler reports what was said.
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"He's going to stick to the vetoes. He would very much like to avoid a government shutdown," Portman said, but "that will be a decision Congress has to make." He noted Congress could also pass a continuing resolution to maintain government operations.
Continuing resolutions. That's what Congress passed, and the President signed, after Clinton (Bill) shut down the federal government in November of 1995. He had vetoed most of the appropriations bills coming out of the Republican Congress, and Newt wouldn't send him anything different. When the CRs ran out, Clinton shut the government down again in December. Concessions were made. Clinton owned the media and the hottest spin machine, so he scored the political points.
This time, no one can spin. The media might be reluctant to go to bat for Nancy and Harry at a time when the nation might actually want some change to fiscal responsibility. Remember, Bill Clinton struck a sympathetic figure; Nancy and Harry are both hugely unpopular and could be borderline psychotic in their anti-Bush mania.
But Portman says the vetoes are a go this summer. In August, Congressman Nussle will be the man we want at OMB. Schumer and Durbin know this, so his confirmation hearings could turn into a sideshow battle.
Get ready. As we gear up for next year's election, engaging in our own set of nominating contests, a little bit of morning in America couldn't hurt. After the '95 showdown, Clinton told us that the "era of big government is over." It wasn't. Let's at least end the harebrained spending this time.
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Portman: the vetoes will happen 6 Comments (0 topical, 6 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
the director of OMB is within the Executive Office of the President.
"A man can never have too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition." -- Rudyard Kipling
At least according to Wikipedia. Outgoing director Rob Portman was nominated on 4/18/06 and confirmed 5/26/06. Sorry.
then I found out I was wrong.
"A man can never have too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition." -- Rudyard Kipling
The Senate can try to hold up Nussle, but Bush can appoint him during a recess. Since that will take Nussle to December 2008, this should not be an issue. For this reason, Bush has pretty clear sailing for any nomination other than something judicial.
I thought that OMB Director was just appointed by the President without any need for Senate confirmation. Basically, OMB is just an office within the White House, so Congress does not have oversight.