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The House has passed a stopgap measure to continue funding the federal government until April 8, with over 50 Republicans bucking their leadership to oppose the three-week spending bill.
Fifty-four Republicans – more than many observers expected -- voted against the continuing resolution, which GOP critics said demonstrated a lack of seriousness about solving the nation’s long-term budget woes.
Earlier this month, only six Republicans opposed their House leaders and voted no on a similar two-week extension containing comparable budget cuts. But patience with the lurching funding measures has begun to run out in both chambers and on both sides of the aisle.
Despite the GOP revolt, the bill was propelled to passage by 85 Democrats who joined with Republican leaders to support the measure, which cuts about $6 billion in spending. Over 100 Democrats supported the similar measure that passed earlier this month.
The measure passed 271-158. The Senate is expected to approve it later this week, staving off a government shutdown for another 3 weeks.
But the defections mean that the chances are slim that yet another temporary funding bill could pass the House if both chambers fail to approve a budget before April 8 that covers the rest of the fiscal year.
*** UPDATE *** Here's the White House's statement:
"The short-term funding bill passed in the House of Representatives today gives Congress some breathing room to find consensus on a long-term measure that funds the government through the end of the fiscal year. The President urges the Senate to pass this bill to avoid a government shutdown that would be harmful to our economic recovery. But the President has been clear: with the wide range of issues facing our nation, we cannot keep funding the government in two or three week increments. It is time for us to come together, find common ground and resolve this issue in a sensible way. There is no disagreement on whether to cut spending to put us on a path to live within our means, but we can't sacrifice critical investments that will help us out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build our global competitors to win the future. We have already met Republicans halfway, and we are optimistic that Congress can get this done."
NBC's Domenico Montanaro notes: That last line, however, is going to cause raise questions among Republicans if the White House is negotiating in good faith. The White House's $50 billion contention is off a budget that never passed and funding levels they're not operating under.
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Speaking very generally, the idea that jobs can be magically regenerated by political parties or the President is naive.
The working class jobs, particularly in manufacturing, are gone FOREVER. They are gone due to the way capitalism works in a global world; yes, they were outsourced and no particularly politician is really to blame. Companies look for cheap and compliant labor.
What is to be done? We need to retool. How do we do that? Start with education. The current extension, No Child Left Behind, etc., of the old system, one designed to produce workers and middle managers, is obsolete.
No, the teabaggers, the aging population, is too distant to really understand. What do they care about the younger generations
We care that you will experience freedom and liberty.
I'm old enough to have remembered when it was still around...before the "entitlement mentality" took hold.
America was once known as the "land of opportunity." Now...it's a land of hand-outs.
America's federal government is not supposed to act as a "safety net." Instead, it should exist only to defend our freedom and liberty.
Defending freedom and liberty, like in Wisconsin you mean?
Public service unions should be ABOLISHED! Period exclamation point!
You CANNOT burden property owning taxpayers with worker's pensions! It is not right, you marxist socialist pig!
But you don't mind burdening tax payers with unfunded and off the books foreign wars? Or paying for the support and defense of the worldwide business interests of multinational corporations who pay no taxes in this country, some of them receiving tax payer supported subsidies to boot? So you expect firemen, police officers ,and teachers to work for substandard pay and even worst benefits while having no bargining rights? Where do you think those policies will go? Do you really thinK that will attract better teachers, better policemen, etc?? Tax payers are NOT BURDENED with workers pensions, those are insurance policies, remember that? They pay into the plan over their working life and in exchange get a pension when they retire and its no different than thousands of similar plans in the private sector. They are essentially worker funded, not tax payer funded. Its only the reprehensible and greedy Repoopblicans who do not want to make good on the promises they made under these plans decades ago, no, they want to seize the money, put it into the general fund and then declare what great heros they are of fiscal reform. What utter nonsense!
If you seriously want to return to the 18th Century I suggest you give that life style careful consideration, the government does alot for you that you can't do for yourself, that's why its there. learn a little graditude.
LOL!!!!
Financial Data for Wisconsin
State Spending on Teachers
* Salary expenditure on all teachers (including home schoolers, special education, non-certified teachers): $3,571,389,694
* Benefits expenditures for teachers: $1,719,827,769
* Instructional expenditures for teaching supplies: $196,466,650
* Total current instructional expenditures per student (teacher salary and curriculum): $6,730
* Total current expenditures per student: $11,418
So what? Check it out, http://edmoney.newamerica.net/node/36914
Wisconsin is about in the middle of the pack in per student expenditures at $11K. But note that it has one of the highest GRADUATION RATES in the country! And isn't that the goal of education to get kids educated. Looks like they are doing a pretty good job to me.
20% of US citizens are functionally illiterate to the point where they cannot earn a living wage, 50% of Americans cannot read above an 8th Grade level. 75% of the people on wellfare cannot read, and 50% of the people in prisons cannot read. Gosh, do ya think that maybe a poor education is a very big and very expensive social problem?? While you and your like are beating up on teachers over short term short sighted budget issues, you are promoting policies which can only aggravate this very expensive problem, a poor education is the number one issue which will turn America into a non-compeditive and third rate nation.
Yep, just write the names down, we removed a lot of republican incumbents in the primaries last year, looks like we have to remove s a lot more yet, before we have a conservative republican party, again.
That's okay,we have the time.
Boehner you are making noises like a RINO, again, get with the program or be prepared to find other employment.
If Boehner pulls this BS again in the next vote scheduled for April...it will be his 3rd strike!
tea-party-fan,
Looks like you did a cut and paste right off the Tea Party website. Do you have any thoughts of your own?
Let's start with "stopping SS payments to anyone who hasn't paid into the program". You mean illegal immigrants, right, TP? Here's a fact that may prove inconvenient to you: IT ISN'T TRUE!
http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/p/petition-illegals.htm
As a membe of the Libertarian party, I take exception at the Tea Party being referred to as Libertarians. Financial responsibility requires a balance of tax and spending policy over the long run, not a focus on just cutting programs supported by the 'other' party.
All programs need to be on the table, with a long term focus that allows the economy to get back on its feet. Short term focus needs to be getting people back to work. If the deficit was not a key issue for Republicans for 8 years, I do not understand why it is the only issue today.
Evidently, the vast majority of elected "crooks" representing "we the people" did not get the message last election.
The majority of voting responsible Americans want and need a balanced budget from our Federal Governement.
Cuts across the budget are needed, including cutting the military, entitlements, and government!
Difficult decisions need to be made!
America Lacks Leadership!!!
I feel you OzMan and Tea-party-fan! Let's kick those Repub out of office and put in some Dems!! That is the only way we can change things! LOL
Yeah...we have seen what you libtard drones can do...in the past two years...and in the past 80+ years.
If the republicans produced any jobs, they would be shouting it from the highest building in America. Problem though, no jobs created, and no program yet to make any jobs. Of course there is plenty of job loss on the future, just ask the people in WI. Thanks repubtards......
Ya know its funny i was just browsing to see who the top 5 presidents were in percentage of increase in spending and guess what i found in numerous studies. 4 of the five were republicans with GW topping everyone out by a huge percentage. I really have trouble with people who talk about the Liberal spending policies and how they have brought us here?
My next search is is to find out what percentage of the US Public cannot add and subtract.
When will you folks get it through your heads that whatever jobs are created by politicians it is short term or not at all. You all seem to think someone at any level gets elected and poof a job is born. Unless you want more government and fed and state jobs then what do they produce? You complain about that too. Then you complain when big corps get bail outs, bonuses but they are the ones that really create jobs. But they too get a piece of the pie by not paying fed taxes...so get your heads out of the sand and pick your poison. Stop boo hooing.
Hooray for the 54. Lets do the right thing and pass a budget thats responsible and take the damn politics out. Do whats right for our country. Please.
Republicant, demoncrat yadda yadda yaddda, get off your butt and make a difference yourself and quit blaming others.
Heavens knows Im not a smart as you liberals. But I do know that when my check book says Im out of money, I'm absolutely sure my bank will not let me spend any more. Just curious where you think the money will come from. Even the dreaded "rich" will run out sooner than later.
I wish you would have told Reagan and the Bush's we are out of money!
bushisanidiotisanidiot
" NBC's Domenico Montanaro notes: That last line, however, is going to cause raise questions among Republicans if the White House is negotiating in good faith. The White House's $50 billion contention is off a budget that never passed and funding levels they're not operating under"
Is this really MSNBC?
Bravo, Domenico. See, it isnt so hard to buck the Obama Party Line.....Keep that up and you may graduate someday to real journalism, instead of dishing out NBC leftwing koolaid..
The Republican hypocrisy is outrages. All the pubs post as if their party was fiscally responsible when the facts show otherwise.
And we're paying these useless pieces of s##t? WTF are they doing up there? Patty cake?
Meanwhile the fuse burns closer to the powder keg.
But we are not broke.
The fiscal is half over March 31. Just pass straight budget this year and work on a 2012 budget so it is in place at the beginning of the year Oct 1.
As I have stated many times, jobs are not created by shiping work overseas. Stop sending our work abroad .
Then lower our corporate tax rate, right?
Corporate Tax Rates by Country With Ranking
Rank
1 Japan 39.54
2 USA 39.25
It has little to do with the corporate tax rate, OzMan. Mostly it is the costs incurred before taxes are even factored into the equation. When American workers agree to work for the wages paid to foreign production workers, we may have jobs again. When the minimum wage for unskilled labor in the US is over $7.00 an hour leading to over $56.00 a day ~ and a foreign worker can be hired for $20-25 a day ( and in many cases far less), we have no hope of competing in the labor market. Moreover, the 40-hour workweek is laughable off shore and overtime is unheard of. The tax dodge and regulations are the convenient argument of conservatives when in actuality it is the cost of production in a free-wheeling environment that drives jobs offshore. Additionally, foreign labor has overcome the myth that they can't do the work Americans can do. We can compete for jobs ~ all we have to do is lower our standards of expectation. Wanna be the first to lead that parade?
I can not understand how the real problem is so misunderstoud . Most of the other countries are now attemping to solve the problem in the only way possible.Keep our jobs for our own people.
My question: If we are to 'out-educate' as quoted in the statement from the White House, then....why is education spending cut? How many states are telling their teachers (good or bad) they will have no job because they have no money to pay them? That makes no sense.
And why can't every program/department take a 2-5% cut instead of this pick and choose game?
The Department of Education has done... what?
This is a department RIPE for REVOCATION in its entirety!
Here it is again, just so you don't miss it! Check it out, http://edmoney.newamerica.net/node/36914
Wisconsin is about in the middle of the pack in per student expenditures at $11K. But note that it has one of the highest GRADUATION RATES in the country! And isn't that the goal of education to get kids educated. Looks like they are doing a pretty good job to me.
20% of US citizens are functionally illiterate to the point where they cannot earn a living wage, 50% of Americans cannot read above an 8th Grade level. 75% of the people on wellfare cannot read, and 50% of the people in prisons cannot read. Gosh, do ya think that maybe a poor education is a very big and very expensive social problem?? While you and your like are beating up on teachers over short term short sighted budget issues, you are promoting policies which can only aggravate this very expensive problem, a poor education is the number one issue which will turn America into a non-compeditive and third rate nation.
Look at states who spend less per student like Nevada, they are verging on third world status. You get what you pay for, if you really want to defund education, America will soon become a nation of snaggletooth hillbillies, high crime rates, and even higher welfare rolls. There is no free lunch or haven't you learned that yet?
Get rid of these RINO's who have taken over the Rep. Party: many have retired, but what is left is double crossing the voters. They should ALL go in 2012.
Limbaugh referenced today what I have been predicting since last November ~ a third political party comprised of Tea Party activists and hardline conservatives outside their group. Rush's reasoning was in direct parallel with my stated observations. I'm not certain if he is as smart as I am or I am as smart as he is ~ but we both agree that the Republican orthodoxy and the radical T-sippers cannot long coexist. I still hold that before Thanksgiving, the Tea Party will adopt a credible name for itself and declare their own slate of candidates for 2012. This continual budget debate will ultimately drive the T-sippers to take independent action if they hope to achieve their goals. Such a move would be suicidal for both the GOP and T-sippers but sometimes principles trump sanity.
@Jim in Texas--tea party should be their own entity and not sell out by legislating as Republicans. They say they have higher principles-time to show it! They can start with Michele Bachmann, she should run as tea party not Republican.
The unemployment rate and lack of jobs would be the same if McCain and Waldo Palin(god forbid)if they were elected.Remember,under who's watch did this crisis unfold,Ditto Heads?
The seed was planted when Jimmy Carter passed the community re-investment act with a Dem. controlled house and senate.
Clinton advanced that act in 1994-95 and began pressuring banks to loan money to low income families for "affordable housing" or risk losing access to federal funds and guarantees. Banks began changing their normal loan guidelines so as to allow for insufficient incomes to become sufficient incomes and the wheels were set in motion.
Everything was fine right away, because the home values were growing each year as more and more people became "qualified" buyers. But, the wheels can only turn for so long before they begin to wear down and eventually go flat.
This is a housing crisis. If housing was stable, the banks would still be stable. If the banks were still stable, credit would still be flowing. If credit were still flowing, businesses would be growing and expanding and consumers would still be spending.
The CSPAN videos are on YouTube. Go back and listen to Barney Frank, Nancy Pelosi and democratic legislators in hearing after hearing telling everyone that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are just fine and that we shouldn't discuss it or it could lead to a catastrophe.
YouTube Video Keyword Search: "Burning Down The House: What Caused Our Economic Crisis? Bombshell"
YouTube Video Keyword Search: "Shocking Video Unearthed Democrats in their own words Covering up the Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Scam"
YouTube Video Keyword Search: "Timeline shows Bush, McCain warning Dems of financial and housing crisis; meltdown"
Go watch the videos, take notes and then do some research on your own and see where it leads you.
Our president is a Community Organizer. Go look up what a Saul Alinsky organizer does. He is Agitator-in-Chief. Compromise for a Community Organizer is when his target/enemy is coerced into giving into the demands of the "Organization". The organization, in this case, is the Democrats partnered with the media. The Agitator and the missus are going on a much needed weekend abroad, South America, on our dime, and the Vice President will be in Europe, on our dime, while Congress decides whether or not to fund the Government for another 3 weeks. (We know there won't be a shutdown, but they have to say something provocative.)
So, he (Mr. O) is once again leaving the asylum in the capable hands of the inmates (ie: democrats and the media) and the staff (republicans) is trying to figure out how to get control back. If we all didn't need our jobs, I would say a march on D.C. is in order........and it will have to be a Tea Party march because we have seen what happens when the Unions organize their mobs.......
OZ man .Thats not the problem but thanks for the simplistic right wing take.. The jobs go to places where the labour is a lot less and whose safety and enviromental standards are so low they wouldn't be in business in a first world nation.
Once again, the Senator from Chicago who famously voted "present" on the tough questions he faced while in the Senate, has now voted "present" as president on the tough issue of government spending. There seems to be little substance to the man and even less leadership. Watch out Democrats. He is going to throw you under the bus.
The Democratic controlled house, senate and Pres. did not pass a budget for 2011 for the first time in over 20 years. $14.5 trillion deficit, $1.6 trillion additional debt in 2011. EVERYTHING must be cut. ALL will suffer. If not now, when?