Panel Plus: March 10, 2013
Watch the ‘FOX News Sunday' panel, Kim Strassel, Julie Pace, Laura Ingraham, Juan Williams, as they discuss controversy over drone strikes, in our web exclusive Panel Plus
Paul Ryan Previews Upcoming Budget
House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) will release his budget proposal for the coming fiscal year Tuesday, with the ambitious goal of balancing the budget in 10 years.
“We don’t have to do too much” to balance the budget in 10 years, Ryan explained, because of a new fiscal outlook the Congressional Budget Office produced earlier this year.
Policies implemented by the Obama administration have produced the more favorable outlook, among them the tax increase on the wealthy, which is to bring in about $600 billion in revenue.
Ryan says it is fair to say his job is made easier by these policies he campaigned against as the GOP vice-presidential nominee, but he adds he has no interest in re-litigating some of these issues either.
He also gave “Fox News Sunday” some details of his forthcoming blueprint.
Ryan said the proposal looks similar to his FY 2013 plan, which would cut about $5 trillion in spending over 10 years.
Ryan specified that these are cuts in the rate of growth, not absolute cuts.
In fact, Ryan said, his budget will grow spending 3.4% a year, and still cut $5 trillion.
Ryan also made clear his budget proposal will seek to repeal the Obama health care law, as did his plan last year.
Panel Plus: March 3, 2013
Watch the ‘FOX News Sunday' panel, Bill Kristol, Kirsten Powers, Scott Brown and Chuck Lane, as they, discuss sequestration, in our web exclusive Panel Plus
Exclusive: First Post-Election Interview with the Romneys
The Romneys sat down with “Fox News Sunday” anchor Chris Wallace in their first post-election interview, reflecting on election night and how they think things might be different if Mitt Romney had won the presidency.
The Romneys both said they thought they were going to win going into election night.
As Florida and Ohio’s returns came in, and Ohio looked lost, Mitt Romney said that is when he first knew it was probably over.
Headed out to give his concession speech, Romney said he was thinking, “I just haven't been able to get the job done.”
Are they over defeat?
Mrs. Romney quoted “Princess Bride”:
“I think I'm mostly -- you know, the great ‘Princess Bride’ line, ‘mostly dead.’”
Mitt Romney will be speaking at CPAC this year, the annual gathering of national conservatives, which raised the question “What role do you want to play in the party and the country’s future?”
While Romney acknowledges he will not be the party’s leader, he does want to play a role in helping the party find success.
Reflecting on current policy fights and politics in Washington since the election, Romney said, “It kills me not to be in the White House doing what needs to be done.”
“The president is the leader, brings people together, does the deals, I don't see that kind of leadership happening right now,” Romney said.
“Nero is fiddling,” Romney said, and the president needs to “start fighting for national victories,” instead of campaigning.
“The hardest thing about losing is watching this golden moment just slip away,” due to politics, Romney added.
Romney supporters have theorized that Romney lost substantial momentum when Hurricane Sandy rolled ashore near New Jersey and New York in the final week before the election.
Romney said he did not blame Hurricane Sandy, or New Jersey governor Chris Christie’s embrace of the president during that week for his loss.
“I lost my election because of my campaign,” Romney said, adding that Christie did what he thought was best for his state.
On his future in the national conversation Romney said that, although he will not run for president again, “sitting on the sidelines when so much is at stake is just not in my nature.”
Countdown to Sequestration
With five days to go, sequestration was front and center for both federal lawmakers and state executives on Sunday.
Senators Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO) agreed that there does not seem to be a viable plan in the works to avoid the March 1 deadline when spending cuts are scheduled to kick in.
Senator McCaskill argued that there probably is not even a plan that could pass the Republican controlled House, citing a "civil war among the ranks" of Speaker John Boehner's caucus.
A disagreement over a plan to avert the cuts is not the only debate in Washington though. There is a difference of opinion as to how harmful the cuts would be to the economy.
Senator Coburn said the president is “absolutely” exaggerating the impact of these cuts.
“Give me a break” that you cannot make these cuts without harming the public, Coburn said, adding that “not cutting will be disasterous” for us.
Senator McCaskill took the oppposite view.
There is "no question these cuts are going to be painful, and they are thoughtless," she said.
However the, "biggest danger is we have a dysfunctional Congress who cannot compromise," she added.
Two of the nation's governors joined "Fox News Sunday" to weigh in on the impact of sequestration facing their respective states.
Coupled together with the recent tax increases, Governor Scott Walker (R-WI) said cuts would pose a problem for those in his state, and he called for a "better alternative."
Governor Jack Markell (D-DE), the chair of the National Governors Association, said he did not think "there's any doubt" that severe cuts could send states back into recession.
Panel Plus: February 24, 2013
Watch the ‘FOX News Sunday' panel, Bill Kristol, Mara Liasson, Nick Ayers and Evan Bayh, as they discuss the sequester, in our web exclusive Panel Plus
Senators Lindsey Graham and Rand Paul Discuss Hagel, Brennan Nominations
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) was a central force in blocking the nomination of Chuck Hagel from coming to a vote in the Senate this week. He explained why he and some of his fellow Republicans took the unprecedented action on “Fox News Sunday.”
“I would worry about our Congress being jammed to support a nominee the Washington Post has said is to the left of Obama on foreign policy,” Graham said.
Had the White House not rushed the vote, and held it after the current recess instead, Graham said it would have been different.
And while Graham calls Hagel, “one of the most unqualified radical choices for Secretary of Defense in a long time,” he said will in the end allow a vote to go forward because, the “president deserves great deference in his choices” for secretary.
Graham’s efforts have also been aimed at getting answers he believes the administration is withholding regarding the investigation into Benghazi.
“There are so many unanswered questions,” Graham said.
Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), who joined “Fox News Sunday” in the second segment, has concerns about the president’s nomination of John Brennan CIA director.
Paul’s concern is over Americans being targeted by drone strikes, and questions he has over the parameters and process of these operations.
“The president will not answer that he will not target Americans on American soil,” Paul said.
Paul says he does have some objection to targeting Americans citizens overseas as well.
“You should get some protection for being an American citizen… there probably should be some process,” Paul said.
Panel Plus: February 17, 2013
Watch the ‘FOX News Sunday' panel, Karl Rove, Bob Woodward, Kim Strassel and Juan Williams, as they discuss sequestration, in our web exclusive Panel Plus
Congressional Leaders Sound Off on Sequestration Cuts
Two Capitol Hill leaders gave their take on sequestration, the automatic budget cuts set to take effect March 1, and while they both agree the cuts need to be averted in their current form, they disagreed on how to achieve that goal.
House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) says allowing the cuts to take place should be “out of the question,” and she advocated what the president describes as “a balanced approach.”
Pelosi said that indiscriminate cuts will harm economic growth.
She argued that investments, in the area of education in particular, will bring the needed revenue into the Treasury.
But she also added that the wealthy need to contribute more.
“We are not talking about raising rates, we did that.” Eliminating subsidies for big oil, implementing the Buffet Rule are among the ideas House Democrats have put forward.
Senator John McCain (R-AZ) said that while he does not want to see taxes raised, he might be willing to looking at some revenue closers.
McCain laid the responsibility for solving the current impasse at the president’s door though.
McCain said he would “like to see the president call us over to the White House to solve this.”
