W.E.B. Du Bois
12-17-2010, 06:11 PM
thenewamerican.com/index.php/usnews/politics/5556-reid-concedes-to-republicans-on-spending-bill
Yesterday night, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid reluctantly pulled the 1,900 page $1.1 trillion omnibus bill laden with earmarks that would have funded the federal government through September 2011 from the Senate floor. Aware that the bill would face tremendous opposition and delays, Reid instead announced that he would work with Republican leaders on a smaller, short-term budget to avoid what would have become a government shutdown.
Reid’s decision came just in time as the federal government has been operating under a stop-gap measure that expires at the end of today.
...
Instead, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell proposed an alternative one-page continuing resolution that would fund the government through February 18 at current levels, allowing the 112th Congress an appropriate amount of time to debate spending legislation.
Looks like the Democrats took another loss on this one. They avoided taking both this vote and the vote on the Bush tax cuts in order to avoid a backlash in the midterm elections. They got the backlash and lost the vote: a total loss for the D's.
It will be interesting to see what kind of cuts the Republicans have lined up when they take the House and have to pass a new spending bill in February. I think they will cut mostly programs that benefit the poor, minorities and environmental programs then. Given how explosive it can be to touch Medicare and Social Security, and Republicans desire to only spend more on the military, that's basically all that's left.
Yesterday night, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid reluctantly pulled the 1,900 page $1.1 trillion omnibus bill laden with earmarks that would have funded the federal government through September 2011 from the Senate floor. Aware that the bill would face tremendous opposition and delays, Reid instead announced that he would work with Republican leaders on a smaller, short-term budget to avoid what would have become a government shutdown.
Reid’s decision came just in time as the federal government has been operating under a stop-gap measure that expires at the end of today.
...
Instead, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell proposed an alternative one-page continuing resolution that would fund the government through February 18 at current levels, allowing the 112th Congress an appropriate amount of time to debate spending legislation.
Looks like the Democrats took another loss on this one. They avoided taking both this vote and the vote on the Bush tax cuts in order to avoid a backlash in the midterm elections. They got the backlash and lost the vote: a total loss for the D's.
It will be interesting to see what kind of cuts the Republicans have lined up when they take the House and have to pass a new spending bill in February. I think they will cut mostly programs that benefit the poor, minorities and environmental programs then. Given how explosive it can be to touch Medicare and Social Security, and Republicans desire to only spend more on the military, that's basically all that's left.