U.S. Congressman Andy Harris appeared on the WAMD Morning Show Tuesday morning to discuss the failure of Super Committee to agree on $1.2 trillion in spending cuts over 10 years.
Listen to the full audio from Harris’ interview here.
During his interview with Morning Show hosts Maynard Edwards and Cindy Mumby, Harris speculated that President Barack Obama always wanted the Super Committee to fail, allowing him to run against a “do nothing” Congress.
Harris also said the Republicans wanted to keep the Bush tax cuts in place, but offered to reduce $300 billion by closing “loopholes.” The Democrats wanted $1 trillion in tax increases or nothing. Tax reform proposed by Republicans was “beat down” by Democrats, Harris said, and the President “jumped in” with them.
Harris expressed worry about the automatic spending cuts now triggered, noting that President Obama has said he would veto any attempt to circumvent the automatic cuts.
In the defense budget, Harris said the cuts amount to $600 billion, or a 10% budget reduction, over and above the winding down of the war in Iraq.
Harris said that the defense cuts will have a “direct effect” on Aberdeen Proving Ground and other federal operations in Maryland. Nationally, he said that the defense cuts could mean layoffs of 200,000 federal employees, including soldiers, or else cuts to weapons development programs. He said that defense cuts of a few percentage points were doable, but not 10%.
As for non-defense spending cuts, Harris said that President Obama can “pick and choose” which areas to cut.
Finally, in the field of candidates seeking the Republican Presidential nomination, Harris said he is leaning very heavily toward Newt Gingrich and will likely be issuing an official statement in that regard.
Someone ask if he would at least be in favor of finally letting the bi-partisan and moderate bowles-simpson plan come to the floor for an up or down vote.
If you need any further proof of how willing and happy this jerk is to destroy america as we know it to protect tax cuts for the rich, I expect it would be the response to this question.
Harris is the tool of the tea party. He forgot that the President offered more cuts than did the GOP. He and his ilk have publically stated that their ONLY goal is to win back the presidency. To that end they would sacrifice the well being of the country. He is the worst kind of human.
I can think of many other “worst kind of human”? Are you serious? While I don’t really like Harris and his political view for sure, I don’t think that qualfies him a worst kind of anything. I would think Hitler or Sandusky (PA’s Sundusky) are actually worst kind of human category and they might just also include your comments as the “worst kind of human comments to make” ever!!!!.
I am sure he signed a no tax increase pledge. Saw the 60 minutes piece on the norquest guy and made me sick to be a repulican.
He didn’t care about the federal workers losing their jobs with any of the other cuts the GOPers made, but now he’s suddenly concerned? Pugleez!