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The McCain Freeze
 By Tom Shoop | Monday, July 07, 2008  |  01:39 PM

If John McCain gets elected this fall, he's practically guaranteeing there will be lean times ahead for federal agencies. The Politico reports that in a new policy paper, McCain renews a promise to balance the federal budget by the end of his first term. For starters, he says, all the money that would be saved once we finish with operations in Iraq and Afghanistan would go to deficit reduction.

But McCain also proposes an immediate yearlong "pause" in domestic federal spending. Specifically, he pledges to:

Freeze non-defense, non-veterans discretionary spending for a year and use those savings for deficit reduction. A one-year pause in the growth of discretionary spending will be imposed to allow for a comprehensive review of all spending programs. After the completion of a comprehensive review of all programs, projects and activities of the federal government, we will propose a plan to modernize, streamline, consolidate, reprioritize and, where needed, terminate individual programs.

In coducting such a review, McCain says he might "use the bi-partisan commission structure used for the Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC). Such a commission could be required to report to the president who would then submit the recommendations to the Congress for a straight up or down vote."

And, for good measure, McCain promises to "reform our civil service system to promote accountability and good performance in our federal workforce."



Comments


Here we go again turning the federal government upside down by proferring to freeze the budget and domestic spending.
McCain proposes an immediate year long "pause" in domestic federal spending. How many times have we seen this proposal? He does not have a clue how to manage. Freeze non-defense, non-veterans discretionary spending. Why not freeze them too? McCain renewed a promise to balance the federal budget by the end of his first term, and I am sure that it will be on the backs of federal employees and the poor in our society. We can spend billions of our taxdollars in Iraq helping ungrateful people, but we cannot take care of our own infrastructure in the U.S.A. When will we ever get a good manager and leader in the White House? Change --- that only sound good in a casino.

frank  | Thursday, July 10, 2008 |  07:23 AM


What is all this fuss I hear about the brain freeze? It's not so terrible! I get it all the time if I drink something ice cold too fast. You just have to be careful - everyone knows that. Why I remember one hot summer years ago when I was really young and didn't know that you could drink something fast and, boy, did my brain freeze! I thought I wouldn't ever think straight. Another time I ... what? McCain freeze? the presidential candidate? Not spending money? That kind of freeze! Oh, that's very different... Never mind.

Emily Litella  | Tuesday, July 08, 2008 |  07:29 AM


Senator McCain's leadership in this area is long overdue. Politicians have not had enough political backbone to make the correct decisions for the American citizen. They have let commissions and the President make these hard decisions. Senator McCain is correct that the federal budget can shrink by 10% without harming government services and functions. We must cut "pork-barrell" programs that are not effective and projects that add no value to the taxpayer.

Chuck Floyd  | Monday, July 07, 2008 |  07:40 PM


This from the man who professed to not know as much about the economy (and, by extension, the budget) as he should.

Gimme a break.

All the money we're going to save when Iraq and Afghanistan operations cease? When is this? You can't exactly use a pullout as a cost savings fulcrum when you've pledged to stay there indefinitely in the first place. And, gee, what savings in the first place? To pay for the war, we're continually putting ourselves deeper in the red. That means borrowing money. That means interest rates. That means that there IS no savings, there are only repayment plans towards the deficit that's already in place; any "savings" realized simply means that we won't be borrowing billions more twice a year for supplementals. Plus, Paul is right in that we need to put our forces back just so again, otherwise we'll be in sorry shape for years to come as the Hollow Force label gets slapped on us again.

Oh, and about accountability and good performance in the Fed workforce: Start at the top and work your way down. Otherwise, it's nothing but lip service and setup procedures for future scandals that nearly ALWAYS come from the top levels.

Tigerhawk  | Monday, July 07, 2008 |  04:40 PM


You will notice that none of McBush's reforms will address contractor cost growth in the Federal Government, particularly the most lucrative area of all. . . DoD? So after FERS (to cut retirement) and NSPS (to cut working wages)there is going to be more performance and accountability in our federal workforce (read more pay and benefits cuts). I'm glad that I am retiring soon. After all, all those savings will be needed to give to his contractor constituents.

Jim Capers  | Monday, July 07, 2008 |  02:46 PM


Senator McCain should think hard about the idea of using the money that is not spent in Afghanistan & Iraq for deficit reduction. When we finally leave the Sand the U.S. needs to spend significantly in rebuilding our military. Our equipment is shot! Revitalization of our military weapons systems and the rejuvenation of our force must be of the highest priority.

Paul H.  | Monday, July 07, 2008 |  02:35 PM



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Government Executive Editor Tom Shoop takes a look at news and events affecting the federal bureaucracy, from the perspective of a longtime observer of government.

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