Moore, Boyda go to battle over House budget

Here are today’s headlines from the Kansas congressional delegation:Rep. Dennis Moore (D) !(The Examiner) House split on ‘largest tax hike in American history’: Congressional Republicans on Wednesday blasted what they called “the largest tax hike in American history” in the latest budget proposed by House Democrats. The House Democratic budget, like the one approved last week in the Senate, is based on the assumption that Congress won’t renew President Bush’s tax cuts. That would cost taxpayers more than $700 billion over the next five years. … Democrats in both chambers say that at least some tax cuts will be extended but that others won’t unless they’re offset by spending cuts. “There’s no doubt there will be tough choices to make as we live within this budget,” said Rep. Dennis Moore, D-Kan. “But Americans are not afforded the luxury of living beyond their means, and our government should stop doing so at the expense of our children and grandchildren.”Rep. Nancy Boyda (D) !(Topeka Capital-Journal) New Web site roasts Boyda: The target is officially on Rep. Nancy Boyda. Already the focus of weekly news releases critiquing her votes, the Topeka Democrat now is a centerpiece of a Web page devoted to her demise. The National Republican Congressional Committee is expected to put online today a site laying out what it sees as Boyda’s poor voting record. She is one of 11 Democratic freshmen under the microscope on the site www.therealdemocratstory.com. “People are sick of this, and I think in general they’re tired of the mean-spiritedness of this,” Boyda said on Wednesday.(The Hill) NRCC to aim at 50 Dems vulnerable after budget: The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is preparing to target over 50 Democrats who campaigned on a platform of fiscal responsibility – and today’s expected budget vote will be the GOP’s chief weapon. Republicans say this vote will be a test for freshman Democratic members from traditionally red districts, a factor the NRCC intends to exploit. “After masking themselves as agents of fiscal responsibility, many Democrats had their cover blown after last week’s pork-stuffed supplemental proved to protect more peanuts and tropical fish than troops in the field and veterans at home,” said NRCC spokesman Ken Spain. “Now they mistakenly think they can get away with voting for the largest tax increase in American history. This is an assault on the pocketbooks of middle-class Americans that will not be allowed to go unnoticed in their districts back home.” Targeted Democratic members include Reps. Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Tim Mahoney (Fla.), Jason Altmire (Pa.), Zack Space (Ohio), Patrick Murphy (Pa.), Chris Carney (Pa.), Nancy Boyda (Kan.), Harry Mitchell (Ariz.), Steve Kagen (Wis.), Brad Ellsworth (Ind.) and Stephanie Herseth (S.D.)Rep. Jerry Moran (R) !(North Texas E-News) Subcommittee reviews Farm Bill commodity proposals: Today the House Agriculture Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management held a hearing to review proposals to amend the commodity provisions of the 2002 Farm Bill. … “For rural areas, the farm bill is the single most important piece of legislation Congress will consider this year,” said Subcommittee Ranking Member Jerry Moran of Kansas. “It was good to see such a broad representation of American agriculture in one place today. Agriculture across this nation is diverse and while each organization may have a different perspective on how to improve the commodity title of the farm bill, we can all agree that maintaining a strong and vibrant agriculture industry in the United States is essential to the well-being of our nation.”