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Roll Call: “House appropriators are proposing a final fiscal 2013 spending package that would effectively cap federal operating expenses at $982 billion, while giving military and veterans programs new flexibility to cushion the effects of the sequester’s automatic cuts. The House is expected to vote Thursday on the measure (HR 933) unveiled Monday, which combines Defense and Military Construction-VA bills with a stopgap continuing resolution covering most of the rest of the federal agencies. That will give military and veterans programs greater ability to move around the funds that are provided, although it doesn’t protect them from the cuts through the sequester.”
Menendez watch: NBC’s Kasie Hunt reports: Sen. Robert Menendez on Monday again denied allegations that he patronized prostitutes in the Dominican Republic. He made the comments in light of a Washington Post report saying an escort who claimed the New Jersey Democrat paid her for sex has told Dominican police she was paid to make accusations. "I've always said that these are all false, they're smears, and so I look forward to seeing whatever the Dominican courts have to prove what I said all along," Menendez told reporters in the Capitol.
Hunt also reports that two Republican senators central to the push for immigration reform -- Marco Rubio and John McCain -- said separately Monday that they don't share former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's position that a comprehensive immigration plan should move forward without a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants. "We are proceeding on the principle that once we have effective control of the border that that would establish the path to citizenship," McCain told reporters. Asked if he would support a bill that didn't include such a path, McCain said: "It's not that I couldn't. It just would go nowhere."
Rubio told reporters he is sticking by the principles he laid out with the so-called Gang of 8 senators who are working on the broader bill. Key among them: immediate legal status, followed by a path to citizenship that opens after the southern border has been secured. "After weighing both sides of it just kind of concluded - that every country that's done this, that's had millions of people living within it that are permanently barred from applying for citizenship, it hasn't worked out really well for them," Rubio said. "I have my principles."
NBC’s Mike Viqueira reports that ahead of the committee vote on John Brennan's nomination for director of the CIA today, the three amigos -- Sens. McCain, Graham, and Ayotte -- have released their primer on Benghazi, including their version of a timeline and what they regard as unanswered questions. The full Senate is expected to take it up on Wednesday or Thursday. Graham had said he and McCain are “hell bent” on getting answers on Benghazi and using the Brennan nomination as leverage.
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Republicans providing answers again, while Obama continues the gloom and doom tour between golf dates with Tiger. This is why people on the left think the GOP controls things. Because they do.
The GNOP Webster Dictionary....."NO"....
The grand old party has become the party of hate, discrimination, and stolen elections.
HEY LIBBIES, WHERE IS THE BUDGET!!!!!!
It's been 1,406 days since the largest economy in history has created a budget.
We're in our 4th year of TRILLION DOLLAR DEFICITS!
We just burned through the $2.1 TRILLION from last Augusts debt ceiling increase, that's $1.4 TRILLION a year of deficit.
The sequester is another "Dog and Pony" show to try and scare the unwashed masses.
We waste $123 BILLION EVERY YEAR on 25% of social programs that have shown to do NOTHING for the populations they're supposed to serve! Our own government auditors provided 5 years of information indicating which programs do and don't work. Barrack Hussein cancelled the study.
Clean up the massive waste, fraud, abuse and corruption in our government before you start trying to scare anymore hard working Americans with your incompetence!
Your profligate spending for decades on your feel good programs and crony legislation to get reelected is NOT THE AMERICAN PEOPLES FAULT!
You fu**ed it up, you fix it!
The mutineers in the engine room (Republicans in Congress), banned (by voters) from the wheel house, are attempting to have their way (reverse) using differential power.
GOPeaParty: There are (very good) reasons the American people don't want your hand on our rudder.
2014 is quickly coming over the horizon and EVERY ONE of you Congressional Tea Party renegades will be up for election.
Isn't republicans providing answers a oxymoron, Seems to be their answer to everything is to cut taxes for the very rich. That is not the answer to our biggest problem which by the way is the disparity of wealth. Hopefully in 2014 the tea bags can be removed from congress and replaces with real republicans and democrats that can fix this countries biggest problem, sending Grover Norquist to the dump he belongs in.
Wow you guys seem bitter about republicans getting things fixed. We don't mind if the Dems want to do some fixing too. Maybe they can figure out how to get rid of Obamacare while we fix sequester. Lord knows we can never afford it, and it has to go away sometime soon.
Let's not jump the gun here. When, and if, the Republicans ever fix anything (besides an election) I'm sure they will be given due credit. It just seems as though they've had a propensity for breaking things during the last decade or so. (The budget surplus, the national economy, campaign promises...)
We know all about how Republicans "fix" things. They cut spending on areas that spur growth, areas that make this a liveable country for people who need to breath, eat clean food, drive over stable bridges and educate their kids, and push more of the nation's wealth up into the pockets of the 1% where it gets spent on adding an elevator to some rich guy's garage for his vintage car collection.
You mean Jay Leno?
Wait...doesn't Jay Leno vote Democratic?
Amy,
I know this space is about opinions, but really? Adding an elevator to a rich man's garage...you really care about that? Like that was going to save the economy. Why is it that the left always portrays rich as some hidden force...no names, no facts...just more fantasies that you dream up about rich people. You really should stop watching "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous". Why don't we talk about all the welfare fraud that happens in this country? Why don't we talk about an illegal immigrant population that we support with our tax dollars? So as for all your pointing to some rich guy's garage elevator that wouldn't have made a difference either way to the economy (actually it benefits it since he had to hire people to design and build it--or did you forget that part?) to issues that do affect the economy?
Where do you guys live? We have the best living conditions in the world. Sure we have to continually guard against people willing to do anything to make a buck. But he wont be in the White House forever. But Irv, bringing up campaign promises was just for fun right. I'm still looking for that Hope, Change, and transparency. Thanks for the giggle.
After the very dark years of Baby Dub I finally have some hope restored. There has been a lot of good change, as much as possible with a Congressional majority that has publically sworn they are enemies of the President (and thereby the country). And yes, Obamacare is good change - it's a crime that so many people can't afford health coverage in the wealthiest nation in the world. Transparency is in the eye of the beholder. I for one am happy to have a Democratic President who isn't a political wimp.
Sane-2794278......
The ONLY hope you folks have, in the foreseeable future, of being anything but tourists in the White House rests with candidates most of you consider RINO's.
Keep it up. It seems you forget the majority of voting Americans CHOSE President Obama. Every time you attempt to thwart his efforts to repair the damage done by you folks, you anger that majority.
Imagine how you are going to feel on the day Nancy Pelosi retakes the gavel from Boehner.
Yup.
This is what to expect from the republicans: They will try to fix things for defense spending and leave the stupid across-the-board cuts for other discretionary spending. Then they will act to restore spending to pre-sequester levels. They don't care about the debt, they only want to make government under-funded so that it won't work well and they can privatize more and more of it.
Ian, I never forget that a very narrow majority put their faith in Obama to lead this country. He is rightfully in the White House and we are getting what we voted for. That does not give him a free pass from being wrong or opposed on legislation. Remember it was the same narrow margin that put both Bush's in that office. He is no more flawless or above question. Liberals are turning a blind eye to the corruption of this administration so it's good that others are keeping an open mind. Sure they will be called unpatriotic, and racist because that is what you have been told to do to anyone who questions Obama. It wont make it true, so some of us will tolerate being called a few names to keep the balance in power.
There was nothing "narrow" about President Obama's ELECTORAL victory. His popular vote victory, also, was (by Presidential election standards) not "narrow".
The (Bush's) election of 2000 was "narrow".
Of course, President Obama does not and should not get a "free pass". But, to thwart the will of the majority (which is what Republicans are about) also will not get a "free pass".
Where ( in #4.2 ) were you called "names"? RINO is a Tea Party pejorative term and used in that context.
We (Democrats) demand tax reform. It is outrageous that fabulously wealthy folks (i.e. Romney) pay a lesser percentage of their income toward federal taxes than do the minimum (slave) wage earners who manicure their many estates. This (fairness) is what you thwart and many are paying close attention.
5 million people is not a "very narrow majority" insane, it is a huge win for democrats. If it wasn't for the gerrymandering that happened because of the 2010 elections the republicans would have no power in Washington. No white house, no Senate and and no house of representives. Put that in your pipe and shove it where the sun don't shine.
LOL. Never let the truth ruin YOUR reality John. If all that is true where is that leadership you voted for? Every thread on here claims that the GOP even after five years, has controlled our political agenda. No way this could have been done unless a large percentage of democrats do NOT support most of Obama's agenda. You would have rolled right over the GOP. He knows he can't provide all that he has promised, and counts on enough detention to save him from actually backing up that lip service. And speaking of lip service where are the convictions of voter fraud you refer to? I can whip up accusations as easily as the next guy, but no cases ever found the guilt of conspiracy you refer to. But keep that anger, it's all ya got.