GOP Blocks Democrats’ Last-Ditch Spending Spree

[Geee]

Human Events:




Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) forced Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-N.V.) to surrender his efforts to fund the government with Democratic priorities for another ten months.

Reid accepted a short-term, clean Continuing Resolution (CR), which funds the government at current spending levels until March 4.

The lame-duck Senate will vote on the new CR on Tuesday. To prevent a government shutdown, the CR has to pass the House and get signed by the President on Tuesday.

McConnell used the leverage from the Midterm Elections and the minority’s filibuster power to block Reid from passing both an omnibus spending bill and a long-term CR. Both the Senate Democrats' omnibus bill and the House Democrats' long-term CR would have set government spending levels and priorities until October 1, 2011.


On Thursday, Reid yielded on government spending after McConnell rallied the votes against the $1.1 trillion omnibus appropriations bill. The 1,924-page omnibus included over $1 billion for ObamaCare programs and $8.3 billion for 6,714 earmark spending programs.

In place of the omnibus, McConnell offered a one-page CR which funded the government through February 18. McConnell also said that the Senate Republicans would only accept a short-term CR so that the newly-elected Members of Congress and Senate could determine spending priorities.

[pinz]

A Republican backbone is such a beautiful thing to see.

[Sabre86]

A Republican backbone is such a beautiful thing to see.

Especially since there really isn't such a thing anymore.

 

McConnell can't control his own caucus and they are out kissing Reid's ass at every opportunity.

[Pepper]

Sabre86

 

 

 

That is not something one wants to think about before dinner, during dinner, and after dinner.

 

McConnell can't control his own caucus and they are out kissing Reid's ass at every opportunity.

[NCJim]

Political Futures

 

"A new analysis by a group of federal-spending watchdogs shows a striking imbalance between the parties when it comes to earmark requests. Democrats remain raging spenders, while Republicans have made enormous strides in cleaning up their act. ... In the 2011 House budget, the groups found that House Democrats requested 18,189 earmarks, which would cost the taxpayers a total of $51.7 billion, while House Republicans requested just 241 earmarks, for a total of $1 billion. Where did those GOP earmark requests come from? Just four Republican lawmakers.... The Senate is a different story. But even though some Republicans are still seeking earmarks, Democrats are by far the bigger spenders. The watchdog groups found that Democrats requested 15,133 earmarks for 2011, for a total of $54.9 billion, while Republicans requested 5,352 earmarks, for a total of $22 billion. ... The story of earmarks in the past year is one of Republican self-improvement. The party that wallowed in earmark spending in the past decade is trying to reform itself. ... Perhaps the reforms will be temporary -- beginning next year, Republicans will control the House and feel all the temptations of power -- but so far, it's a remarkable accomplishment." --columnist Byron York