Thanks for jumping in on this. While I certainly recognize that the Congress has the constitutional authority to write the checks, I think you understate the role of the executive. You write, “The only recourse for the Administration would be a Presidential Veto.” This may be true in theory, but what about a threatened veto? A threatened veto can be just as powerful as a veto, as we are seeing right now with the President threatening to veto any renewable energy tax package financing by rescinding some of the tax breaks on big oil.

You also pay no heed to the tremendous power vested in the Office of Management and Budget – an office that saw an expanding role during the Reagan administration. Even if the money is there, OMB has the power to reorganize and redirect funding within the agency to other projects more favorable to the administration’s agenda.

Despite your assertion, I’m not laying the entire blame for cutting funds to government projects entirely on Presidents, and perhaps I could have made that point clearer. I am merely showing that the institutional dysfunctionalism of the US system (call them ‘checks and balances’ if you will) can have a crippling effect on legislating coherent policy.

Thanks for jumping in on this. While I certainly recognize that the Congress has the constitutional authority to write the checks, I think you understate the role of the executive. You write, “The only recourse for the Administration would be a Presidential Veto.” This may be true in theory, but what about a threatened veto? A threatened veto can be just as powerful as a veto, as we are seeing right now with the President threatening to veto any renewable energy tax package financing by rescinding some of the tax breaks on big oil.

You also pay no heed to the tremendous power vested in the Office of Management and Budget – an office that saw an expanding role during the Reagan administration. Even if the money is there, OMB has the power to reorganize and redirect funding within the agency to other projects more favorable to the administration’s agenda.

Despite your assertion, I’m not laying the entire blame for cutting funds to government projects entirely on Presidents, and perhaps I could have made that point clearer. I am merely showing that the institutional dysfunctionalism of the US system (call them ‘checks and balances’ if you will) can have a crippling effect on legislating coherent policy.