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Top Dem Dogs Ready to Retool Obama's Budget

Prez lets lawmakers take the lead—and they have their own ideas

By Gabriel Winant, Newser User

Posted Mar 10, 2009 10:00 AM CDT

(Newser) – To clear Congress, President Obama’s budget is going to have to survive committee turf wars and parochial interests—and that’s just the Democrats. The New York Times reports that key committee chairmen in the House and Senate have ideas of their own on health care, energy, and taxes. “The legislative process requires compromise and being open to different alternatives,” says House Energy chair Henry Waxman.

The hardest sell might be Obama’s proposal to limit deductions for the wealthiest taxpayers, with Sen. Max Baucus and Rep. Charlie Rangel worried about philanthropy. Rangel is also jostling with Waxman over a piece of the energy action, and Baucus is doing the same with Ted Kennedy on health care. Meanwhile, Budget chair Sen. Kent Conrad doesn’t like Obama’s cuts in agricultural subsidies.

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Senate Budget Committee Chairman Sen. Kent Conrad, D-ND, talks with reporters Jan. 11, 2009, on Capitol Hill. (AP Photo)

Rep. Charles Rangel, foreground, and Rep. Henry Waxman are two of the key Democratic committee chairmen who will have a hand in shaping President Obama's budget. (AP Photo)

In this Jan. 21, 2009, file photo, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., top, listens to Timothy Geithner. (AP Photo)

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Not every problem is a deal breaker. We will try and make corrections and accommodations. - Rep. John Spratt, chairman of House Budget Committee

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COMMENTS

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Showing 2 of 2 comments

Guest

Mar 11, 2009 4:44 AM CDT

We need money for schools, healthcare, homeless people, jobless people. Or we need money for big agribusiness, hedge funds, rich people with offshore accounts. I'm voting for the former group. How about you?

Snowleopard

Mar 10, 2009 1:14 AM CDT

"Sen. Kent Conrad doesn’t like Obama’s cuts in agricultural subsidies." One can imagine where his campaign contributions come from. Stop subsidizing the huge corporate-farms and let independent farmers compete.

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Politics

Congress • Henry Waxman • Ted Kennedy • Charles Rangel • Senate Finance Committee • House Ways and Means Committee • House Energy and Commerce Committee • Max Baucus • House Budget Committee • federal budget • Kent Conrad • President Obama

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Top Dem Dogs Ready to Retool Obama's Budget