CONSERVATIVE COLUMNIST: Spending Cuts Are Pushing Us Towards A Recession

Twitter/@jrubinblogger

Washington Post conservative columnist Jennifer Rubin has joined the voice of many conservatives lamenting the surprising drop in GDP last quarter.

In her post, Rubin argues that spending cuts and Obama's regulations are pushing us toward a recession.

The big reason for the surprise drop in fourth-quarter GDP was because of a drop in government spending, particularly a stunning fall in defense and military spending.

Rubin writes:

"I don’t know why they say the drop is unexpected. We are preparing to decimate national security, at a cost of perhaps 1.2 million jobs. The country was and still is poised to accept more tax hikes. The regulatory burden on employers and the prospect of Obamacare hang over our heads. No wonder we are in an economic slump. One more quarter of this, and, according to the technical definition, we will be in a recession. [...]

"This is why Republicans must talk growth, jobs and economic opportunity. The president isn’t because his policies stifle all three."

Conservatives and Republicans want to cut government spending, which they often say is out of control. The Republican argument on the GDP report, as noted by RNC communications director Tim Miller in an email, is that the economy is not in a good spot when government spending cuts combined with already-large deficits creates GDP shrinkage.

The U.S. is scheduled to endure more across-the-board spending cuts as a result of sequestration, which both parties agreed to as part of the Budget Control Act. As of now, both parties seem resigned to letting that happen. Earlier this month, House Speaker John Boehner said he was willing to let it happen and had Republican support in his pocket.