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Subscribe to RSSIn a step to avert a government shutdown before the current funding measure expires later this week, the House has passed a two-week spending bill would cut federal spending by $4 billion.
The vote was 335-91, with six Republicans opposing the GOP-authored measure. On the other side of the aisle, 104 Democrats voted for it, while 85 voted against the bill.
The Republican-backed stopgap bill was considered palatable by many Democrats because it drew on suggestions made by President Barack Obama in his budget for this year.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Tuesday that the Senate will approve the bill within the next two days, giving lawmakers an additional two weeks to negotiate a longer-term measure to fund the government.
Some GOP House members opposed the bill because it did not include more controversial measures to defund Planned Parenthood and the implementation of the Obama-backed health care plan.
Conservative Rep. Steve King of Iowa tweeted shortly before the vote, “I will vote "NO" on 2week CR bc some of ObamaCare is funded by it & Pence amendment to block Planned Parenthood is not in.”
*** UPDATE *** Per NBC's Shawna Thomas, the six Republicans who voted against the spending bill were: Reps. Steve King of Iowa, Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, Ron Paul of Texas, Walter Jones of North Carolina, Louie Gohmert of Texas, and Justin Amash of Michigan.
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@jnap-1622552 or anyone else who thinks that raising taxes is even a consideration for a viable solution:
You wrote: "It is impossible to cut spending enough to cover the deficit. To repeat, it is impossible to cut enough to cover the deficit. To even attempt to do so would plung the US and the world into a depression unseen by humanity."
It is impossible to raise taxes enough to cover the deficit, must be what you meant to say. To repeat, it is impossible to raise taxes enough to cover the deficit. Here are the facts:
Total tax revenue last year, corporate and federal income taxes together, was $1.1 Trillion. With that we ran a deficit of $1.3 Trillion, meaning that we spent $2.4 Trillion. EVEN IF WE DOUBLED ALL REVENUES (raising $2.2 Trillion), WE WOULD STILL BE $200 BILLION SHORT. Read that last part again.
Even if we doubled ALL taxes, we would still be SIGNIFICANTLY short and run a deficit. Our annual deficits have become completely unlinked to taxes and that is a FACT. Yet we still have 50% of the population who do not pay one red cent in income taxes and more than likely do not care how the money is spent (who would care how someone else's money is spent). Their entitlement is all they care about and we now have huge entitlements designed to simply buy the vote (on both sides), that no one wants to cut.
There is no other option, I repeat there is no other option. Everything else is simply designed to make you feel as if your Congressman and Senator is doing some work on your behalf. The only option is to drastically cut spending in each and every program. THERE ARE NO SACRED COWS.
Any FOOL that spends more than he makes is going to go BROKE I learned that in first grade now with that in mind who runs this country or has been running this country anybody ????
No overtaxed, right wingers seem to take a militant position that they don't like the government telling people what to do.
Guess what, nobody likes the right wing telling people what to do.
It's a little thing called "Hypocrisy"
And it's not a "little" thing for the right......They take hypocrisy to grand levels.
DIPPO, we are perfectly willing to let you do anyhing you want to do as along as you don't try to force it on us or force us to pay for it.
See how easy this is, leave us alone, pay for what you want. Piece of cake
We are going to have to raise taxes on the rich and the big businesses. And don't tell me that raising them on the big businesses will cost people jobs because they go overseas and do all their business anyways. The mom and pop stores are the ones we need to help. The way to cut back on our budget is to draw all of our troops from overseas and bring them home they don't have any business over there anyway. Put our troops around OUR border to protect OUR country. Quit bailing out all of those Eastern countries use our money for the USA. Churches should have to start paying taxes. Especially the Big rich ones. They Are rich, in case you doubt it, look at all the new big churches being built. There also needs to be a price cap put on gas, insurance and hospitals. Salaries should be cut on people working in our government, senators, congressmen etc. We also need to cut down on the people employed in our government.
Ken Wells...That's the part of labor that has changed most. The right wingers rely so heavily on Wall Street. Watch what happens when Big Insurance gets taken down a few pegs. When Big Oil can't claim the historic profits they've been enjoying in the worst Recession in history.
No matter how the right wing tries to cover it up, they are responsible for sticking it to Americans who want to work. The right wing greedheads made sure they got theirs. They only live in America. They aren't Americans. Because Americans don't divide themselves along ideological lines. Real Americans know you can't keep taking from the system and never give back what you take. Real Americans know that in unity, the common good of ALL not just the right serves the nation and makes us whole and prosperous.
The evil of the right wing is their need to bully, control and decimate democracy. They are Birchers under that slicky slicky oily slime ball routine they act out so well. If they had all the answers, the country wouldn't be in the mess it's in now. The rich would be suffering along with the poor.
We made a huge mistake bailing out these takers of the system. They didn't learn a single lesson from their stupid chief decisions and now, every 5 years they will demand tax credits. What do you call a billionaire 10 years from now? A pauper? And I suppose the new middle class will be the trillionaires?
Wow, republicans are unpleasant. I just read all these comments and I actually feel physically ill at the sheer hatred and vitriol directed at 'libbies', women, minorities, the poor, gays, and everyone who doesn't subscribe to their world view.
The rage, the resentment, the desire to control, the dishonesty, and the sheer toxicity of you guys truly amazes me. If there are any republicans reading this who don't fit this category, then I suggest you get away from the rest of these people before they eventually turn on you, because the only unifying quality I can see amongst republicans is nastiness, coupled with a belief that only they pay taxes, a sense of entitlement and a heartfelt desire to subjugate women.
The whole thing makes for a really distasteful, dangerous and very sad combination. I'll pray for you, though, and hope you find kindness.
Kara,
Wake up. Your interpretations are biased by your false liberal beliefs.
Repubs do not want to kill kids, they do not want to have a weak country, they do not want to overtax businesses which supply jobs to the idiots who want to crusify business because they want to make the same as the execs do, repubs do not want government telling them nor their family what to do in their lives, nor determine what amount of money they must collect from each of them to take care of the liberals of this country who have decided it is up to the gov to take care of them.
Repubs are saying, "DO YOUR JOB Washington.....protect our country, and leave us alone." We don't need your help to survive. We've done that alone now since 1781 without needing support from the government, and we've done a very good job. Until the liberals came along. They just can't seem to do anything for themselves.
Who brought in the Liberals and from WHAT country? Heaven help us.
KARA, Okay well here is some info for you, first I am married to avery small lady who has attained the age of 68 year.
Attempting to subjugate here will cretainly get you some knots, at best.
For the rest of it, you are free to do what ever you like as long as you make no attempt to make us do it your way, or to make us pay, for what you want..
Ie, if you wish to have 20 abortions, feel fre, we are not going to pay for it..
Nasty, sunshine, you haven't seen anything yet.
We have had it, we are done, we are finished, you can quit tyring to steal our wages and use them for your own ends or hand them to the life forms kicked back with their hand out, other wise oh yeah, you are going to see nasty.
Kara..
You're an idiot..
Angelic...Wake up and smell the coffee. Big Business doesn't hire or create jobs. I can prove it. In 2001, Bush handed them billions to hire and create jobs. By 2008, 8 million Americans were jobless. You want to explain where all that money went? You want to explain why any American should fork over a single cent more to Big Business when all we get is a fast kick to the curb for our efforts?
Big Business only creates jobs overseas. But, they are in for the worst ride of their lives. All those cheap foreign laborers are beginning to recognize how they were exploited for greed and now they want what you have. Why should any American have to work longer, harder and for less when the only segment of society not feeling any pain is the same sector that gets back more from the government than the rest of us and we are the ones bailing their idiotic butts out.
Sorry, but the right wingers had a Gravy Train going since Reagan. No trickle down...no gentler kinder and definitely only "MY Way or the Highway". The richest country of the world has a population so broke they can't afford healthcare and that includes the ones who scream the loudest....employers.
The richest country of the world has pandered, powdered and cushioned the rich butts for too long. Either they feel the same pain as we do or we want some answers as to why we must but they don't.
And before you even go there with the BS line that Big Business earned it...they didn't earn it without our help. Find me a single CEO who made his billions without some bank teller earning 500 times less than him or a truck driver hauling his products barely earning a living wage. Sorry, that BS line has gone as far as it can go. It's threadbare and no one believes that right wing crappola anymore.
wilburn a "liberal" dosent sound so bad. open your mind please:
Liberal:
favorable to progress or reform, as in political or religious affairs.
2.
( often initial capital letter ) noting or pertaining to a political party advocating measures of progressive political reform.
3.
of, pertaining to, based on, or advocating liberalism.
4.
favorable to or in accord with concepts of maximum individual freedom possible, especially as guaranteed by law and secured by governmental protection of civil liberties.
5.
favoring or permitting freedom of action, especially with respect to matters of personal belief or expression: a liberal policy toward dissident artists and writers.
6.
of or pertaining to representational forms of government rather than aristocracies and monarchies.
7.
free from prejudice or bigotry; tolerant: a liberal attitude toward foreigners.
8.
open-minded or tolerant, especially free of or not bound by traditional or conventional ideas, values, etc.
9.
characterized by generosity and willingness to give in large amounts: a liberal donor.
10.
given freely or abundantly; generous: a liberal donation.
11.
not strict or rigorous; free; not literal: a liberal interpretation of a rule.
12.
of, pertaining to, or based on the liberal arts.
13.
of, pertaining to, or befitting a freeman.
In reading this lengthy blog, I see multiple references to Social Security and the funding of that by the government, but it seems that something is being overlooked. Ever since the Johnson era, every congress has taken every cent of the Social Security Trust Fund (the money we all pay into FICA) and issued government obligations to the Trust Fund in exchange. No matter what that money was spent on, what it left behind was a whole pile of IOUs and what the government is funding is not Social Security per se, but repayment of their borrowing from within. I guess it is better than selling bonds to China, but it is a miss-statement to view the government as funding Social Security (at least not yet).
The 800 lb. gorilla is in the room and beginning to get antsy. The feds can cut to the bone on programs for the most vulnerable Americans. They can cut to the quick the hopes and dreams of the future generations. They can manipulate the system so that the only sector of society untouched by sacrifice, by the same "pain" the rest of us are supposed to just suck up until we meet our makers doesn't have to give up a single luxury.
It wouldn't be necessary to cut public worker salaries, private sector salaries, downsize, outsource or offshore if the only sector of society untouched by any pain or suffering was forced to give back what they've been stealing from the system for decades now.
The reality is that no matter what the government does, the obscene wealth is the major obstacle to any future for this country. I blame Republicans for placing US labor in the kind of degrading position of being a liability all the while cushioning the blows on the wealthiest one percent. No trickle down, no gentler and kinder--only "My Way or the Highway". Well? Looks like their wealth protection is "Mission Accomplished".
I wish they would just shut the Gov. down.. That way obozo couldn't go on anymore spending sprees...
kdubb...How is it Clinton left Bush a surplus but Obama walked into the presidency empty handed? Don't talk about spending sprees when you didn't stop the biggest big spender in history. How exactly does a Harvard MBA end his presidency with that 2008 Financial Meltdown? You want to explain how he managed not to notice that the more he spent the more Americans lost jobs?
He made sure his state got new museums, libraries and other frou frou BS all the while the rest of the country was paying for it. You want to explain why Big Business under Bush became more profitable than it has in its history?
This country was not founded on Corporate America. It was founded on the blood, sweat and tears of ordinary American small business entrepreneurs. What you have now is a government of Corporate America, For Corporate America....BY Corporate America. And why not when the Conservative Supreme Court is doing all it can to reduce the power of the single vote?
Big Business has a surprise coming. All those Biggie Piggies still feeding at the trough and feeling no pain the rest of us are shot themselves in the foot. NO MORE BAIL OUTS. This time they can do the coward CEO thing and jump out of their skyscraper offices. We'll just stand and watch and count the bodies of the pigs oinking on their wall down.
The Executive Branch does not make budgets, cannot obligate the government to fund, or provide warrents to contracting officers (who disburse funds for all these multi million dollar contracts to build or maintain things). That is the authority of Congress - and who was in control of Congress during the 'melt down' you refer to (2006-2008)?
What congress was comprised of when the economic timebomb explodes has little to do with the economic collapse. You need to point to legislation that was passed and signed into law to make that argument, which you can't. Let me help your ignorant, azz. GRAMM-LEACH-BLILEY Act; voted through the Senate 92-8, couldn't be vetoed by Clinton.
Paul, you are right, and there was more than one timebomb in play. But, to point to a specific time (as in the transition of the Executive Office holder) negates that many budgetary items were passed two years (and more - as you point out) before the cited 'meltdown'. Even into this current administration we are reaping legislation of the past. My point was basically that Congress holds the purse strings not the President. The US has been on this collision course with destiny for a long time, and the starting point for recovery is submittal of a balanced budget - BY CONGRESS - each and every year.
The economic meltdown of 2007-2008 had little or nothing to do with the budgets for those years. The fraud of the economic "bubble" expansion was going on for decades before it popped a little early on Bush.
Sounds to me like putting the finger in the dike. The middle finger that is.
If you want to get the budget on track, start charging these illegal aliens to live here. I have always been oppossed to having them here, but the fact is they are here so, make them legal and STOP letting them live here and pay no taxes and no medical. Also, it;s amazing these congressman and senators WE elect would still get paid if the government shuts down. THEY HAVE NO vested interest and wont' in helping this country until they follow the same rules as us. They work FOR US not the other way around.
Those that think that Bush put this country in its current position, think again. Where has NOBAMA's trillions put us? Unemployment still over 9%. Banks still not lending, housing market still a mess. Nobama care going to cost billions more. Our childrens' future is being bankrupt through his "great" policies.
You talk about Bush being an Oil man, funny how we havent heard ONE word from the NOBAMA administration concerning the price of gas at the pump. If they truly want to help America, cap the price of gas at the pump. If you want to get people out spending money have them spend it at something other than the gas pump.
NOBAMA's trillion$ are a direct result of Bush's mistakes. Bush failed to defuse the economic timebomb. He had eight years to avoid the disaster, instead he cut brush in Crawford and accelerated our economic demise.
Congratulations Al ! You win the @!$%# post of the day. Cap the price at the pump! So you want price controlled gas. Great idea! I wonder how long it wouldtake for every gas station in America to run dry. Oil is a world commodity and producers will not sell oil at a loss.
they have no problems cutting throats..their pockets are already full enough to skip the country. New Zealand is nice i hear!!?
tariffs! tariffs!!! tariffs!
@Houston!
Considering the wire refers to the deficit and you are spewing off about raising taxes, it sounds like you have small man's disease, a bit jealous, or maybe looking for a handout. Fix the deficit, then we can look at generating tax revenue. You fix the deficit by controlling spending...do you understand that? You pay down our national debt by generating tax revenue. I'm sure that's a bit hard for you to understand as you obviously feel the rich are the key to our economic prosperity.
We don't need to pay down the debt. All that is necessary is to stop it's growth and grow the economy.
Same old %hit - different day.
When will these people stop trying to get a leg up and work together to reduce spending and the size of government.
They just don't get it - the voters are sick and tired of their crap.
To my conservative fellow typers. Dont you all find a similarity between searching on Bing and debating a liberal??
I work in my state's job service department, assisting the unemployed to locate new positions. I was told today not to be surprised if I become one of the unemployed within a month or less. The budget cuts passed today included ALL of the federal money that supports the Workforce Investment Act, which established and maintains the One-Stops and Job Service offices in EVERY state. This will mean the shuttering of all job service offices nationwide and the loss of several hundred thousand jobs. Where will job seekers get resume assistance, career counseling, retraining for new opportunities? Nowhere. Yep we cut the spending alright, but create yet more unemployment, which reduces the tax base for every state and increases the number of people on food stamps and unemployment rolls. Somehow I can't see the advantage in that. Those of you who retain your jobs, don't get too comfortable, your time is coming. More unemployment, on this massive a scale, will soon affect your jobs as well. I have to think that cutting money going abroad would be a more sensible solution, when cuts must be made. The claptrap about our being responsible for the world is a passe' attitude--we aren't taking care of our own, do you think thats not noticed abroad? It weakens our infrastructure, national morale and confidence in our leaders. That's how the seeds of rebellion are sown, and governments fall. study the hyper-inflation of 1930s Germany, the rise of Hitler, and the resulting world war; read about the Russian revolution that toppled the tsars and ushered in communism--you may find some troubling similarities. Far from being foreign terrorists who are our greatest threat-the danger lies within our own political structure!
Be careful. They are goading us into rebellion for a reason.
Beware, beware of Sarah Palin....
She is a RUSSIAN SPY!!!!
Jon Stewart proved it on his tv show, so it
MUST be true!!!!!!
bush had 8 yrs and look what he left us. i'm sorry i should have have said cheney.bush had to ask him if he go piss.obama has had only 2yrs.i'm sure the fat ass elephant party thinks that john and sarah would have everthing fixed by now.bush and cheney should have those boys lives on their minds anb the members of the congress and the senate at that time and that includes the donkey ass party that voted with them.god help those greedy souls.
get our boys out now.obama you said you were going to bring our boys home.keep your word.
Whoopie, the government can keep screwing us for another two weeks.
How about we stop giving away our money to the foreign countries.....we support nearly every country out there...how about keeping those bucks and helping us get back on our feet. Then we can talk about helping someone else......
They should do some cuts on Planned Parenthood. Maybe if there wasn't always and easy out people would be more responsible. There should also be some budget cuts when it comes to Michelle Obama'a staff. She was not elected so tax payers should not be paying for her staff!
Yello cake from NIGER, please!
Slightly as I recall the verbiage used during the election was that Republicans were going to lower spending, lower taxes, and get out of business way so they can create jobs. Of course being a Democrat you change the verbiage (lie) about what was said and continue to repeat said lie to the masses until they believe it. As one of the Americans TIRED of PAYING we WILL get elected officials off the taxpayer teat. Hope you will wake up and come on the ride to restore our country to being the greatest nation on the planet but if not just get out of the way. There has been little done since January except for a 4 billion dollar cut yesterday but I will predict that the RINO's that voted against the spending cuts, grate leader, and the Democrats that do not get it will be replaced in 2012. You see this is not party but business as usual and if one intends to continue spending we will allow them to scratch their unemployed donkey.
There has been little done since January except for a 4 billion dollar cut yesterday but I will predict that the RINO's that voted against the spending cuts, grate leader, and the Democrats that do not get it will be replaced in 2012.
That would depend on WHY they voted against it. If it was because the cuts were not deep enough then they will be rewarded in 2012, if because they thought the cuts were too deep then they should start looking for that lobbying job soon.
Every! Every! Every! gov't department needs to be cut down! and every earmark needs to be reviewed, no matter how small. I'm tired of people protecting certain earmarks on the basis that "It's only 30 million"... every penny counts.
I they can't get the votes to completely defund Planned Parenthood then at the very least trim down their grant. I'd say 50%, i think i read in 2007 or 08 it was in the neighborhood of 360 million, cut it down to 180 or 200 million, let their supporters make up the difference. (It's their Baby!.... pun intended!)
lets get rid of all entitlements! 1. flat tax, no deductions [ won't happen because politicians won't have anything to sell to the highest bidder]. 2. give everyone back their medicare deductions, with 5% interest and let everyone buy their own health insurance. [ they didn't pay the 500.00 dollars for medicare from their pay check each month. why do they feel entitled to recieve that amount in health care insurance now. let them buy their own]. 3. get rid of farm and corporate welfare, [ notice no elected official is talking about these entitlement programs. with all the tax breaks corporations get, they do not pay 35%. 4. remove everyone from the social security rolls, but the worker's who contributed to social security from the rolls. 5. get rid of federal pensions at all levels, [including our elected officials] and for those who are qualified now, make them wait until they are 65 years old to start collecting benefits and no health care benefits. 6. put all federal employees on social security.
Social Security is really messed up. You should not be able to draw Social Security if you have never paid into it. It's basiclly supposed to be like a savings account for when you retire. If you don't pay into a savings account you cannot draw money from it right? You also should not be able to draw off you ex-husband's social security they are your EX! That is a huge area that budget cuts could be made. I absolutely hate to look at my paycheck and see that I am paying so much into a fund that will most likely be broke long before I am old enough to draw from it.
Another is illegals. We are paying so much into benefits for people that are not even citizens. They get so many benefits they shouldn't. For example Free meals at schools, They may not be able to qualify for traditional medicaid but they can qualify for emergency medicaid for the month their babies are born. If they go to a non profit hospital the rest of their care can be written off through financial aid programs.