And irresponsible spending can have consequences in elections.
Posted on 12/12/2009 7:52:47 AM PST by Red in Blue PA
Edited on 12/12/2009 11:05:15 AM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
WASHINGTON - The Democratic-controlled Senate on Saturday turned back a Republican effort to block a final vote on a huge end-of-year spending bill that rewards most federal agencies with generous budget boosts.
The $1.1 trillion measure combines much of the year's unfinished budget work -- only a $626 billion Pentagon spending measure would remain -- into a 1,000-plus-page spending bill that would give the Education Department, the State Department, the Department of Health and Human Services and others increases far exceeding inflation.
The 60-34 vote largely along party lines met the minimum threshold to end the Republican filibuster, a legislative maneuver to delay a final vote on a bill. A final vote on the spending package was set for Sunday afternoon to send the measure to President Barack Obama to sign.
Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, an Orthodox Jew who walks miles (kilometers) to the Capitol when voting on the Sabbath, wore a black wool overcoat and brilliant orange scarf -- as well as a wide grin -- as he provided the crucial 60th vote an hour after the tally started.
The measure combines $447 billion in operating budgets with about $650 billion in mandatory payments for federal benefit programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, which provide health coverage for the elderly, disabled and poor. It wraps together six individual spending bills and also contains more than 5,000 home-state projects sought by lawmakers in both parties.............
Elections have their consequences.
Whatever happened to the omnipresent debt clock we all saw years ago leading the evening news?????
Now, it’s like debt has become en vogue!
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Democratic-controlled Senate has defeated a GOP filibuster of a huge year-end spending bill.
The 60-34 vote during a rare Saturday session sets the stage for a final vote Sunday afternoon on the $1.1 trillion measure. The bill combines generous increases for domestic agencies and foreign aid with a 2 percent average pay raise for federal workers.
The 1,000-plus page bill includes $447 billion in operating budgets with about $650 billion in payments for federal benefit programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. It also contains more than 5,000 back-home projects sought by lawmakers in both parties.
The legislation bundles six of the 12 annual spending bills, capping a dysfunctional appropriations process in which Senate Republicans dragged out debates on the routine measures.
Just the $626 billion defense bill would remain. That’s being held back to serve as a vehicle to advance must-pass legislation such as the debt increase.
More:
The bill would also void a long-standing ban on the funding of abortion by the local Washington city government and overturns a ban on federal money for needle exchange programs in the city.
It also phases out a Washington city school voucher program favored by Republicans and opens the door for the city to permit medical marijuana.
It would also lift a nationwide ban on the use of federal funds for needle-exchange programs.
You know-I was wondering about that debt clock they had running too-was it in Times Square?
They were so proud of it and there was an interview in one of those awful docu-drama-fairytale movies about the girl who keeps it running.
It must be in the shop for maintenance-which will probably take about 4 years. Just a wild guess...
SZQczar
Yes, elections do have consequences; however, ACTIONS by elected officials also have consequences.
Spend baby, spend!!
They’ll be nothing left of this country when these bastards get through with it.
Confusing.
Post #4 says the Republican filibuster was defeated. The vote was 60-34.
==
Have they redefined what a filibuster is?
It used to be a senator refusing to relinquish the floor.
That is not a ‘defeatable’ activity, nor a voting activity; it continues until the Senator tires and ends his/her speech.
Strom Thurmond maintained the lengthiest filibuster in Senate history, and it went over 24 hours (that is continuous hours, not one of these new 2 hours occasionally type filibusters).
The media only puts up debt clocks for Republicans.
Unstinkinbelievable!
So funds for our military are being held hostage so the Democrats can use it as "leverage" to advance their destructive economic agenda?!!!
Speechless...
Unstinkinbelievable!
So funds for our military are being held hostage so the Democrats can use it as "leverage" to advance their destructive economic agenda?!!!
Speechless...
Is Senator Byrd from Wet Virginia physically able to be in the senate to vote? I thought that he was very sick and unable to travel.
“Wet” = “West”
He votes.
Basically, he cannot think and can barely function but he votes. That shouldn’t be surprising because in Chicago the dead vote...sometimes more than once. Welcome to Nobama-land.
Even the Chinese won't want it.
And irresponsible spending can have consequences in elections.
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