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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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Now we know which Liberal Democrats and which Liberal Republicans to vote out next year.
We don't have any money moron because we gave all those tax breaks to the rich!
Off topic some.....but can anyone tell me if Congress voted themselves a raise in January? I've heard this from 2 people
I'm waiting for the "laser-like focus on jobs" we were promised. All I see is time wasted on Planned Parenthood, NPR and PBS, unions, gays, guns and immigrants.
WHERE ARE THE JOBS?
More aptly, where are the measures designed to entice businesses to return jobs to U.S. shores. Many conservatives seem to think that lowering the statutory tax rate would do so, it is ineffectual at best, effective tax rates on corporations are atleast on par, if not better than middle class tax rates, especially with nothing being done to address the exsistant tax breaks, and other corporate tax loopholes that make it cheaper to outsource than to hire in the U.S. This is further worsed by the fact that corporations effectively have this country by the testicles, as any action that threatens those breaks could effectively cause those companies to relocate to a more tax friendly country, save for those who's contracts require them to remain headquarted state side, and the only ones who have the capacity to address that concern is the government, but the more coporate friendly senators would vote against any measure that would effectively restrict a businesses capacity to relocate its primary headquarters out of country. The merits of such legislation can be debated, but it does nothing to change the fact that is what they would have to do to prevent a sort of mass exodus of corporate entities from this country. The merits of such an exodus and the bane or boon on this country can be debated as well.
Additionally, and very unfortunately, many politicians, regardless of party affiliation, view themselves as beholden to the campaign contributors and sponsors, rather than the constituency that elects them, which is an issue that is further exacerbated by the fact that with enough money, one could effective suppress, or ignore any negative issue, save for the most outrageous of scandals, or law enforcement action, as a result they will act in the best interest of those aformentioned sponsors, rather than the electorate, and we will see little being done in D.C. unless political altruism suddenly blossoms within our government, and they decide to do what is right for the people, and not for the corporate entity.
For some reason I thought I read an article saying unemployment was down to 8.9% since the Republicans annihilated the Democrats last November.
If Obama is thinking that he met the Republicans half way based on the budget numbers that were never passed and the government never operated under then he is in for a big surprise, the Republicans are cutting real money in the $61B and until the WH comes up with at lest $30B in real cuts from the operating spending numbers that Republicans are working from, they will be far from a deal.
It will never passs the House otherwise.
Here is hoping someone is really working towards a compromise on the Democrat side
Folks..
Sorry about the absence, but after reading some of the posts and especially the responses to my earlier post, I had to go have a coors lite, bologna sandwich, and reflect.
Educations first: If money was the solution to our educational needs, we would be a nation of "Einsteins" - We are not! With most states spending approximately $10k per child/per year, ours kids are getting dumber. Hey, I'm all in favor of paying teachers and paying them a lot, BUT, I want to see results and they are not there. Now, you can blame it on whatever you want, but the kids are not getting a quality education - so time for a change. I propose a "voucher" system for the k-12 system and for all you progressives, I will compromise to let it only be a test for 1 ~ 2 schools districts per state for the first year. Let the parents take their kids to the school of their choice be it public, private or religious. I would wager that there would be a tremendous improvement. If the public schools had to compete, you would see one he$$ of a lot of improvement or they would just go away and a private or religious school would take its place. Also, it is not the responsibility of the schools to be a baby sitter for parents, but we have to get rid of all this PC crap and let the schools install and instill discipline. If there are kids that cannot fit in to a regimented environment, then I would be in favor of funding "military" type schools for the routy ones. Our schools are currently screwed up, so lets try something else and union school teachers and the public schools are NOT doing their jobs.
You cannot show me in the US Constitution where it states that it is the feds responsibility to educate our kids, THAT IS A STATE'S RESPONSIBILITY!!!!!
So get rid of the dept of education!!!!
More to come...
Just Saying...
So you would replace the Department of Education, with something that could be perceived as a form of entitlement, and therefor be open to attack by conservatives at a later date? You are partially correct that funding is not the core issue with education, but it is a contributing factor. There are many reasons why public education fails currently in this country, much of which can actually be attributed to lack of focus on core curriculum, along with an archaic grade based system that does nothing to encourage knowledge retention, nor does it adequately assess a students knowledge. Anybody can memorise a book and pass a test, it does not mean they have actually learned anything. Revamping the system, however, does cost money, and time, and to ensure uniform application, it would have to be done at the federal level. Funding(that which actually makes it to the schools, and is not diverted to state and local coffers) is needed to ensure adequately stocked class rooms, and up to date textbook materials, as well as attracting good teaching talent. I also find it hard to believe that the states can adequately fund our education system. Dissolving the Dept of Education is actually pretty drastic(for the record, show me in the Constitution where is states that the government shouldn't help pay to educate our children. Bet you can't. Keep in mind that the Constitution is not a ridig document, it is designed to be flexible, and only has an effect on federal laws or actions, that contridict the articles and amendments).
The first entitlement to be cut should be Congressional retirement and benefits. After all. It is Congress that is to blame for the deficits. It is Congress that does not know the difference between balancing a budget (revenues vs. spending) and balancing cash flow (borrowing to make up the spending excess). It is Congress that has deregulated the financial sector including the really stupid Commodities Futures Modernization Act (Republican push) that allowed sellers of credit default swaps to sell the swaps with no reserves to back them up. It is Congress (democratic push) that decided everyone should have a house whether they could afford it or not. In short, Congress is the responsible entity that mismanaged, over spent, deregulated, underfunded the regulatory process, and basically ruined economic opportunities for the current and future generations all because they (Congress) chased money by selling their votes so one party could dominate the other. It is Congress and the two party system that has to be changed, or nothing is changed. As long as we maintain the current two party system with the current PAC influence in which corporations can donate directly to individual members of Congress with no limit, then nothing will change except the rhetoric. In fact, it was Congress that passed the laws that created the Political Action Committees in the first place which enabled the vote selling to special interests in exchange for the legislation that the special interests wanted, whether you are talking about subsidies for oil giants, or deregulated banking. I'd still like to fire Them All.
If you think that a major can do anything, look at the last two years. If you really want to see how sincere the Republicans are with their cut, cut, cut -- why didn't they force a cutting of the Congressional budget, including staff, trips, and SALARIES.
The truth is they have no intentions of balancing a think ---- ok, maybe their own checkbooks.
This is not a Rep or Dem problem, it's a nations problem. Will the fab 535 get it? Mostof them obvoiusly have NOT heard the conclusions of the Simpson(R) Bowles(D) task force (apppointed by the President) on national debt and spending recommendations last week. The Republic is in serious trouble and our representatives(I use that term very loosely) need to get off the dime and make some tough decisions and forget about the jeopardy of the next election.
Actually there is a group, can't remember if its in the house or the senate, that is working on implimenting the recommendations of the Erksine-Bowles commission, most likely to their own detriment because of what it means for people on SSI(for the record I do not agree with some of the proposals for SSI long term, such as the increased age requirement, but it is probably necessary for the time being, unfortunately) , but atleast those recommendations combine addressing revenue and spending, so its something.
There is a lack of seriousness from both parties and from the POTUS....
Weak and scared leadership in both parties......"to extreme are the cuts, not enough are the cuts, we must look at everything, everything must be on the table (except Obama-care, entitlements, SS, medicaid & medicare, subsidies for ALL industries, and on and on.......)
The last and current congress is not serious and for their lack of leadership we will all suffer and pay.
Real leadership is more than a 2 week or 3 week , or what is the next set of weeks timeframe.
replytoj001
Dear Republicans Why is it that your party only knows CUTS to the POOR? Why is RECONCILIATION a dirty word to your party? Isn't that what they used to spend TRILLIONS of dollars in IRAQ and AFGHANISTAN? Isn't that how they passed three of four TAX CUTS for the FILTHY RICH (Including Congressmen and Senators) ? Isn't that how they passed Medicare Part D That has cost the Government $1 TRILLION in DEFICIT over the past TEN YEARS and expected to cost another $1 TRILLION in DEFICIT for the next TEN years? Just think, if John McCain had been elected he would be singing his favorite songs, BOMB, BOMB, BOMB, IRAN and BOMB, BOMB, BOMB, Kadafi.
Chuck...
Eventually, you are going to have to re-think your "cradle-to-grave" entitlement syndrome. Its like the old commerical - "pay me now or pay me later" - well, chucky, my friend, the time has come to pay the piper. Do you not realize that this nation cannot survive with the debt load that we now have, and yes, it has been both parties fault and we the american people. Someone once said (Churchill, I think) - it is almost impossible to break the public from the public trough, once they have tasted it. I do not want to hurt anyone, especially the elderly and poor, but something has to be done, and quickly....
As for the wars in Iraq and Afganistan, do you not remember that it was BOTH the repubs and dems that voted for it? I am not for those stupid wars and had I a vote in it, I would have just voted for about 600 cruise missles, and a 30 day invasion to go through those places like a dose of xlax. I want this gov to declare victory and bring all the troops home, then we can have fun fighting all the Muslim terrorist in the shopping malls, subways and public streets of our cities. Sounds good to you, does it?
As for the tax cuts for the rich - well, lets talk about that for a minute. Just how much money do you think are in the offshore accounts in the Caymens Island or Swizerland. People who made it (rich), did not get that way by being dumb. Want to run them out, then raise their taxes. Want to see a lot of small businesses go out of business? Great - I have a brother-in-law that owns a gargage (3 employees) in a rural area of VA and he struggles to meet payroll each week and yet, according to Obama, he is rich because he grosses more than $250k each year. Give me a break! Some weeks he does not even take a salary for himself. Most of the time, you dem/progressive people make me want to puke!
Just Saying...
It is amazing to me that some stupid repugs still try to insinuate that Goldman Sachs and other Wall Street firms and big business supports Obama because they contributed to his campaign.
Well if they contributed in order for him to weaken financial reform and regulations and lower their taxes they contributed to the wrong group, it is the Anti-Amerian Repugs who blocked reform and passed tax bailouts and bonuses for failure to Wall Street and the wealthy.
The only reason these Republican Wall Street firms contribute to Democrats is that they want to at least have some goodwill on their side if their bought and paid for Republican candidate does not win. It is as simple as that. We are just now recovering from the last Republican Recession and the Repugs can not wait to get us into another one with their borrow and spend policies and their wars and no bid contracts and tax cuts for Billionaires. Half of all corporations in this country pay no tax, the Repugs would love to change that so that none pay and the burden gets passed to the shrinking middle class. What was it that famous Republican Hotel magnate would say, " I do not pay taxes only little people pay taxes".
All of the tit for tat rep vs dem this is exactly what I am tired of this blame game who cares who did what at this point, it is time to forget the past and move to real productive dialogue on how to solve the nations problems.
I just want a politician who has the desire and the ability to express in real factual terms how bad of dire straits we are in and everyone from the little old lady ss receipient to the billionaire hedge fund manager is going to have to make sacrifices. I don't claim to have all the answers but at least we need to start the dialogue. Here are some of my ideas on how to achieve this, some may be right some wrong because I do know there are some people with far more expertise in these areas than I. The only thing I do know is what been happening since Eisenhower is leading us down a road to ruin.
A. balance the budget
This will take dramatic cuts in all spending no sacred cows here defense, social security, corporate welfare, subsidies, food programs, increase in taxes for almost all wage earners not just the rich. We can no longer live beyond our means a 10 yr old child can look at the deficit and debt projections and realize we are on the road to ruin.
B. eliminate the debt in 10 yrs
I propose a temporary and I MEAN TEMPORARY national sales tax of say 3-5% to start knocking this out.
C. get the middle class income rising as fast as the wealthy
Tax breaks for company's who pay past a certain level lets say 60k a year hit that level for all your workers and you pay no tax. Why should a company that pays their workers a good wage be taxed at same rate as Wal-Mart workers who drain our social programs but yet work for a highly profitable company. The lost federal revenue is made up in workers who pay more income tax. Do away with the inheritance tax this gives people who own small to medium size businesses the ability to pay workers more rather than save 55% to pay Uncle Sam at the time of death just because they want to pass it on to their children.
D. get us off foreign energy dependence
We have vast reserves of natural gas we should be building infrastructure to take advantage of it.
We should already have big rig trucks running on it develop the damn engines to do it.
Nuclear power the French have it down to an art form we should to. Drill baby drill responsibly which means billions in a worst case scenario fund I was sorely disappointed in our Govt, and BP for not having the ability to contain this disaster. Coal we have vast reserves but yet we can't develop a way to burn it without choking ourselves to death. Research Research and more research into sustainable cost effective power production solar cannot do it all.
E. get us out of non-productive and costly WARS
Stay out of conflict period we are not the worlds policeman. But finish the job in Afghanistan I remember Viet-Nam and those tough son of bitches called the Mong they supported us with their blood and loyalty and when Viet -Nam fell we did not do @!$%# at the time to get them out a truly disgraceful event for the US.
F. give us a sound immigration policy and enforce it
I live in South Texas and the downward pressure on wages this creates is incredible. Not to mention this is I believe hurting Mexico they are losing their most ambitious and motivated people this is the same type of people who can effect change in that country. According to wikipedia "The economy of Mexico is the 13th largest in the world in nominal terms and the 11th by purchasing power parity, according to the World Bank" if being a poor country is the reason to let them in then we should just move all of Haiti here.
G. Figure out how to provide health care to all
This is a tough problem and probably not enough space here to discuss all options. One thing I do know is our healthc care costs are way out of line with any of the developed countries of comparable size and all of the mortality rates tell us the expense is not adding anything to our overall health.
H. bring our education system to being the WORLD standard of envy without breaking us (We might need to totally start from scratch here)
Time to start over the system is broke I remember my first 2yrs of college was nothing more than a rehash of things I learned in High School considering the cost it seems to be a huge waste of money. We now have these wonderful things called computers and e-readers do we really need 40lbs of paper anymore. I am no education expert but I do know we are not using technology in the most constructive and useful way. We should have learning software that gives every child in the US an advantage over all other countries. Again I stress I think we need to rethink the whole process from first grade to doctorate.
I have little trust and very little respect for congress. As long as they pass one set of laws for us and another set for themselves I cannot trust them.
Amen!!!!!!!!
Vote Dem and have a chance. Vote GOP and abandon ALL hope!
Vote libertarian or Tea Party and thrive!!!!
Just Saying...
Vote neither, go true Independent and move forward
I say close the government for good and send the @ssholes home. Lets just go at it alone. Lets face it, government has their own self-serving interest at heart not ours.
Well I guess it is time to find out who voted for it and get them out the next election We need to show them we the people do not forget how they voted and no matter what happens they must go even if things turn around they still must be voted out the next time they come up for election just to let them all know we are the ones that put them their and we are the ones that take them out so we need to show them how we the people will stand strong no matter what they MUST GO
Wow you gals & guys have all the answers has anyone thought most Corp. are in control of republicans who are waiting out this mess, to hire some people. they already sent most jobs overseas we will only see jobs in the peon stage it has always been like that & will continue as long as the republicans can control the govt.
Well there are 54 smart people trying to work together for America. 54 people who know the only REPUBLICAN agenda is to do anything, to stop OBAMA from getting anything done. 54 people who know America is ready to clean the house and senate every 4 years if we must, to get some jobs and action on all our problems. By the way, i'm sure this is in bad taste, but Japan's horrible misfortune could help America's economy.
Pauly, Those rich people don't pay taxes. People that make over 107,000 are rich in Obama 's eyes. Rich people pay capital gains taxes. Clinton was the last president to cut them. Buffet, Gates, and Soros never draw a salary, they recieve capital gains. You must have gotten your figures from the Obama White House. You and I know they wouldn't lie, well maybe just a little, only if their eyes are open.
where is leadership obama, hiding, nice going, no news on here either, all trying to protect a worthless communicator,,,
There are two sides to a budget, spending and revenue. No one wants to cut where the major deficit comes from, 2 wars not payed for ,tax cuts and health care. Republicans don't want to increase the revenue side, admitted by most.
So all you labor people, very few teachers, police and fireman and government workers, who voted republican have gotten what you asked for...........oh, and military pensioners, your next........lol
Thanks for the warning.....lol
Those in both parties of Congress are well aware of the facts, as is Obama. The budget deficit is far to big and the national debt exploding upwards at too high a rate to be solved by either tax increases or economic growth. Even though taxes will eventually need to go up on EVERYONE, it simply cannot solve the problem or even a major piece of it. There will need to be deep budget cuts, and everyone knows it. That is why the bipartisan budget commission recommended $3 trillion in budget cuts and $1 trillion in tax increases over the next ten years, and those recommendations do nothing to address the huge unfunded mandate we have in Medicare.
Yes, taxes will probably have to go up, but ladies and gentlemen if there were jobs in the United States our taxes would help with a lot of the years where we did not have sufficient jobs.
The Republicans campaigned on JOBS even tho they could not really do anything about them. They held the unemployed captive until their Rich buddies got their huge tax again.
It really is time to start the jobs back into the U.S. ABC tried to show what would happen if you bought American. But, I doubt if anyone will actually give up buying overseas made products for a period of time, even if it would help us the United States.
We can blog all day long and all night and we are doing nothing to help us.
All of the budget projections being used by the government assume that both the unemployment rate and economic growth rates return to normal levels within a couple years. We need to stop the nonsense about how we got here, it really doesn't matter. The simple fact is that only through very deep spending cuts coupled with some tax increases on everyone can we keep the country from financial armagaddon. The sooner we start the process, the better. It will be painful because no matter where those spending cuts are, it will mean many jobs cuts or less government program benefits to individuals. What you are seeing now in some of the state legislatures is only a small sample of what is coming.