The American Spectator

The RSC budget’s out. The quick synopsis: it’s great, but it has the chance of a snowball in hell. It’s here as a Word document. The highlights:

-It’s boldly titled the “Contract for America Renewed.” It apparently takes this title from its heavy reliance on a 1995 Contract for America budget, H.Con.Res. 67, which the House passed.

-Eliminate USAID, Millenium Challenge Accounts, and assistance to Egypt. That saves about $32-33 billion over five years.

-Eliminate the space shuttle and President Bush’s Mars/Moon initiative. Good riddance to both. Savings: about $18 billion over five years.

-Eliminate Amtrak, the transportation bill earmarks, and the essential air service; privatize the FAA; and devolve federal highway aid. Savings: about $72 billion over five years.

-Eliminate Community Development Block Grants. $21 billion over five years.

-Under Education, Labor, and HHS, some conservative favorites are revivied: eliminate the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, NEA, and NEH, cut Education bureaucracy (remember when the GOP called for the elimination of the department? sigh…)

-Miscellaneous: it repeals Davis-Bacon, which mandates union-established prevailing wages for federal construction contracts, and opens ANWR.

House Republican leadership should have been on this since President Bush took office. It’s unfortunate that it takes the earnest backbenchers to revive conservative principles in the budget on Capitol Hill.