Heritage Foundation Leadership for America

OK, this (from Roll Call) wasn't surprising, but it's good to see the proposal even on the table:

Proposals from House GOP conservatives to cut federal spending to offset the costs of Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts ran smack into political reality Monday, as the White House rejected a plan to delay implementation of a new Medicare prescription drug program for one year, an idea that conservatives said would save at least $40 billion.

And they're sticking to their guns:

"With all due respect to the White House and their intentions, House conservatives will vigorously pursue the one-year delay in the Medicare prescription drug entitlement," [RSC Chairman Rep. Mike] Pence said in an interview on Monday. Pence voted against the program when it was originally approved by Congress in November 2003, and the Indiana Republican said waiting until January 2007 to roll out the drug initiative would be "a great service to future generations of Americans."

Pence and other RSC members, including Reps. Jeff Flake (Ariz.) and Jeb Hensarling (Texas), will take part in a press conference on Wednesday to unveil "Operation Offset," their plan to pay for at least some portion of the Katrina recovery through cuts in government spending.

"Operation Offset." We like the sound of that. With so much fat in the budget, a determined group of Members could shame the larger body into making some substantial cuts. It's good to see serious conservative leaders like Reps. Pence, Flake, and Hensarling who have been active on spending issues for some time heading up the charge this week.