I wondered from the start if that hat-tip to the Freshmen and their $100 Billion demand wasn't a feint to put the Dems in the position of looking extreme if they try to balk at the lesser cuts.
I wondered that because the "old dogs" started off at that $32 Billion number that they knew would throw everyone into a tizzy. Then they let the Freshmen "win" and agreed to the $100 Bil in principle. Plus, no matter what substantial figure they came up with to cut, they knew the Dems would wail and gnash their teeth, and they knew that at the end of the day, they can't pass any cuts into actual law that the Senate won't agree to. Their only shot at getting substantial spending cuts was to do something to force the Senate's hand, thus putting the pressure on the Chimpanzee to sign the law.