Tom DeLay Says Republicans Have Cut All Fat From Federal Budget

The Onion will be hosted at The Washington Times this week:

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said yesterday that Republicans have done so well in cutting spending that he declared an “ongoing victory,” and said there is simply no fat left to cut in the federal budget.

Mr. DeLay was defending Republicans’ choice to borrow money and add to this year’s expected $331 billion deficit to pay for Hurricane Katrina relief. Some Republicans have said Congress should make cuts in other areas, but Mr. DeLay said that doesn’t seem possible.

“My answer to those that want to offset the spending is sure, bring me the offsets, I’ll be glad to do it. But nobody has been able to come up with any yet,” the Texas Republican told reporters at his weekly briefing.

Asked if that meant the government was running at peak efficiency, Mr. DeLay said, “Yes, after 11 years of Republican majority we’ve pared it down pretty good.”

Congress has passed two hurricane relief bills totaling $62.3 billion, all of which will be added to the deficit.

Worth reading in this regard is a story about how one U.S. Representative Davy Crockett of Tennessee (yes, he of the wild frontier) came to regret passing a bill appropriating $20,000 of other peoples’ money for the assistance of those who were left homeless and suffering in the wake of a large fire in Georgetown.

For an overview of federal incomes and outgoes over the last forty years, there’s always the numbers from the Congressional Budget Office. (Hint: 11 years ago, the feds spent $1,461,900,000,000; “after 11 years of Republican majority” the total became $2,292,200,000,000.)