2010 Budget: M.I.A.

[SubGod22]

Revolt: Republicans Angry About Spending Bill Decry 'Total Mess'

Republicans poring over a 1,924-page spending bill proposed by Democrats to cover the rest of the fiscal year are threatening to ground the legislation to a halt, citing hidden earmarks and massive spending that would be enacted into law without a review process.

They also were expected to seek debate on all earmarks and any amendments. According to one source, Republican anger is aimed at the fact that earmarks are buried and word searches are so tough it's hard to dig out the details.

On top of that, Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., also is revolting against the Democratic-sponsored bill, saying she will not support an omnibus spending bill unless it includes an amendment proposed by McCaskill and Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., that calls for a three-year cap in discretionary spending. Democratic leaders told McCaskill on Monday that they would meet a one-year gap, which she rejected, according to sources familiar with the conversations.

Currently, the continuing resolution, the stopgap measure to keep government operational until a budget is passed, is set to expire on Saturday. If another CR or the bill itself isn't passed and signed into law by President Obama by then, the government will shut down.

[wu_shizzle]

[Shirley Schmidt]

More pandering to the voters by both parties.

Nothing will be done by either.

[ISASO]

SHUT IT DOWN

[SubGod22]

Taxpayer Calculator: $8Billion in Earmarks

Sources say the deal was hammered out principally by Sen. Dan Inouye, Democrat of Hawaii and Thad Cochran, Republican of Mississippi.

Not only are they the ranking members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, they are the also the reigning kings of pork. In 2010, Cochran won 240 earmarks worth $490 million, while Inouye sponsored or co-sponsored 151 programs worth $387 million.

[SubGod22]

Government May Shut Down Amid Standoff on Pork-Filled Spending Bill

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is expected Thursday to take up the $1.27 trillion omnibus spending bill that would fund the government through the end of the fiscal year, to Sept. 30.

But Republicans have threatened to stall debate by forcing the 1,924-page bill to be read aloud in the Senate -- a move that would take 35 to 40 hours and push the debate into Saturday, according to numerous aides.

A temporary stopgap measure currently funding the government is set to expire midnight on Saturday. But a number of procedural steps would prevent the Senate from getting to a final vote until late Monday or early Tuesday.

"It's not our fault," a senior Senate Democratic leadership aide said about a potential government shutdown. The aide argues that Republicans are insisting on obstructing this bill.

[ISASO]

And the Senate spending bill, aka budget bill, goes
DOWN
IN
FLAMES!

It was due to a lack of support. Maybe the message is getting through.

[SubGod22]

Reid Pulls Controversial $1.2 Trillion Spending Bill in Favor of Short-Term Budget Fix

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, bowing to Republican opposition to a 1,924-page $1.2 trillion spending measure packed with earmarks, withdrew the bill and said he would work with Republican leaders on a smaller, short-term budget fix to avoid a looming government shutdown.

The government already is operating on a temporary stopgap measure, set to expire at the end of Friday. Republicans had insisted on having the massive spending bill read aloud – a move that would have delayed a final vote until next week.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has offered a one-page stopgap bill that would fund the government for just the next two months. Reid said he would with McConnell to finalize such a measure.

Reid, in announcing his decision, lashed out, saying that he had the support of the nine GOP senators needed to pass the measure, but suddenly that support evaporated.

"This action taken by my friends on other side of aisle going to cause people to lose their job," Reid said.

Hopefully this means something semi-reasonable will be done when the Republicans take over.

[ISASO]

I wish the pork-meister would lose his job. The Obama Administration, Pelosi and Reid have had the better part of a year to get this done. It was part of their statutory duty to have this budget in the can by the first week of October. Instead of playing pre-election peek-a-boo with the voters, they should have done their jobs. They failed and they should be fired. This B.S. of waiting until the week before Christmas to do this while (they think and hope) no one is watching is a treasonous joke and they should be water-boarded for thinking that was the best way to represent their constituents and the best way to run this country.

Are public executions still legal?