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Subscribe to RSSA senior Democratic aide tells NBC, "At 9:30 Senator Reid will go to the floor to announce that the Senate will forego its scheduled recess for the week of July 4th and stay in session to continue forging a deal to cut the deficit and create jobs."
UPDATE: Reid announced on the floor that the Senate will return for votes on the evening of July 5 and remain in session for the rest of the week. Negotiators will spend the week continuing work on a deficit reduction deal with the House and the Obama administration in advance of an August 2 debt ceiling deadline.
UPDATE II: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell challenged the president Thursday to outline his debt plans, inviting Obama to speak to Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill and "explain his plans to hike taxes by hundreds of billions," per McConnell's office.
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Obama needs to declare a national emergency and keep both the House and the Senate in session until they are able to reach a compromise on raising the debt limit. There is no reason that the House should go on vacation, when they are the primary sticking point. The Dems are accepting cuts to programs that they don't want to cut. Yet the Reps refuse to compromise on raising revenues by closing loopholes that benefit oil companies and the top 2% income earners. Here's a message for House Republicans: If you won't compromise - if you won't govern - then you aren't doing your job and sure as hell don't deserve a vacation.
Mitch McConnell invited the president to capital hill to lay out his plans and ideas. He declined. He does not have any ideas, besides he is going on vacation
I said it in another post, but it bears repeating. Con is the opposite of pro, so it must mean that Congress is opposed to progress. Our elected officials should not have to be chastised on national TV to do their jobs, especially when a deadline is looming that affects each and every one of us who put them in those cushy offices. I'm happy that the President said out loud in that press conference what people say here every day - stop the tax breaks and loopholes and earmarks for big business and the wealthiest percentage of the population. This Republican/Democrat dynamic is merely a pissing contest, and for sure it's pissing off the American people.
Give them the California treatment, No pay or per diem or travel until the mess is fixed, that goes for demo's repub's Senators, Congessmen, and the President. Let them see how the other half live.
Why is it that it is so easy for everyone to point fingers and blame each other, but so difficult to actually try any soultions? This is a serious issue requiring serious debate and answers, not posturing.
Both sides are guilty of the posturing. In listening to the President's remarks at the press conference yesterday, he was exactly right. It is time to quit the partisan bickering and get to the job at hand. I didn't actually hear him single out Republicans or Democrats. He was chastising them all. In reality, the President is doing exactly what he is supposed to do. Congress is responsible for sending him a bill to sign. Until that time, he really is supposed to have no input. He can suggest, but Congress is under no obligation to actually do what he asks.
In repsonse to Mark Halperin being cut for his remarks, grow up! He has the First Amendment right to say what he said. At the same time, I have the First Amendment right to call him a bufoon for his disrespect of the Office of the President. I don't care whether it is a Repulican or Democrat President, the office should be shown respect. Now, following that logic, Halperin in no way truly showed disrespect to the office, he showed the disrespect to President Obama specifically, so should never have been suspended. Halperin was correct to issue and apology and since he has done so, should definitely be reinstated.
In terms of political outlook, I lean Democrat, but do my best to look pragmatically at both sides of an issue and form my own opinions. When I comment, these are my opinions only and therefore can be suspect as all opinions should be.
Sorry for the rant, but I felt it was necessary. Thanks for your tolerance.
honestly i don't think they should leave until they get it done,,,this is the repbulicans have made this which is normally just part of business yet another line in the sand....stay and work no overtime....act like grown ups and i bet it wont take a week before they want to go home....motivation
halpern's remarks don't matter what matter's to msnbc not unlike glen becks' pissing off it's advertisers ....it's not do gooders suspending him it's business and the business is making money....mark was being a jerk at work and now he's having to suffer the consequences...that's just responsiblity,, that's free speech at it's best because for the next week everything he says will be for freee........
wow the 14th amendment basically says that the president can make the congress stay until he says it can ajourn...under an emergency..wow hope he does...
Can't blame Congress for to many breaks. just following the leader.