Exactly. So long as the Senate refuses to pass (or even votre on) any of the House's departmental budget bills, or pass a budget of their own, spending is controlled by the baseline budget and the debt ceiling.
In other words, Justice has last year's spending -- plus a certain percentage increase for inflation -- as a budget. And there is nothing the House can do to change it.
The only control the House has on overall spending is the debt ceiling negotiations -- where Boehner hasn't shown himself to be much of a negotiator.
Of course, it doesn't help that Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell cuts the legs out from under Boehner whenever he seems to be gaining an advantage.
So why has McConnell been so willing to break the Constitution for Obama? The world wonders as yet another turkey trots to water.
Unperceived magic sprinklings and lustrations on Kentucky interests wouldn't have anything to do with McConnell's pliability, would they?