(At 1am est Wed. night) House Passes a $2.7 Trillion Spending Plan

[Robbien]

WASHINGTON, Thursday May 19 — After more than a month of delay as Republicans feuded among themselves, the House early Thursday narrowly approved a $2.7 trillion spending plan for next year.

The vote, 218 to 210, came at 1 a.m. after Republican moderates dropped threats to withhold support unless they received commitments to add $3 billion for education, health and community-development block grants. In a nod to the moderates, House leaders included a statement "recognizing" that those programs should receive more than President Bush had requested if savings could be found in other areas.

. . .

The House spending resolution, though largely symbolic, would set broad limits on spending for next year and nonbinding goals for the next five years.

The measure calls for increasing military spending by 7 percent, to nearly $558 billion in 2007, a figure that includes $50 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The package would essentially freeze or cut spending on most domestic discretionary programs, including education, energy and national parks, and it calls for trimming $6.8 billion over five years from entitlement programs like Medicaid and farm subsidies.

The plan would raise the debt ceiling by $653 billion, to $9.6 trillion, and it assumes that the shortfall next year will be $348 billion, about what it is likely to be in 2006.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/18/washington/18budget.html?hp&ex=1148011200&en=03b8053694c5aed3&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[Mojorabbit]

1. Well they did it. I am sick of calling.

It just does no good. These people have no conscience.

[fooj]

2. We have a Congress PACKED with treasonous traitors.

[faithnotgreed]

5. they ALL need to be voted out

who are these pod people running an entire country
(into the ground)

[napi21]

3. Every time these idiots work really late, they're up to NO GOOD!

I'm thinking about promoting a law to lock the buildings in DC at 6PM! Get your damn work done in the light of day, or don't do it at all!

[rodeodance]

4. folks--these 'reasurances' by the leadership are bogus and we all know

that!


...The vote, 218 to 210, came at 1 a.m. after Republican moderates dropped threats to withhold support unless they received commitments to add $3 billion for education, health and community-development block grants. In a nod to the moderates, House leaders included a statement "recognizing" that those programs should receive more than President Bush had requested if savings could be found in other areas.hey

[anotherdrew]

6. "Republican Moderates" about as usefull as the "Iranian Moderates"

I'll choose orbital mind control lasers for a thousand Alex...

We've flushed our futre down the drain, nothing's going to turn this around anytime soon now.

[woodsprite]

14. That's why I'm voting against Castle (DE). Even if the only one

running against him is Nick Berg's dad (Mike), who's running for the Green Party. So far, I haven't seen firm info on a Dem who is running against him. I saw something about Oberly awhile back, but I really don't like him alot, and haven't seen anything since.

Edited to add: I say it that way only because I don't think the Green Party really has much of a chance against any incumbant in Delaware - Especially Castle. I do think him not getting a huge lead would send a message to him. On the other hand, maybe we can take after PA and send a real loud message!

[BreweryYardRat]

7. Well, crap!

Just what the country DIDN'T need.

Although, don't the House and Senate budget plans have to match before the budget can go into effect? The article made it sound like the Senate's bill doesn't match the House budget.

[Robbien]

9. Yes, this is not the final budget

but the passage of the House plan is viewed as a victory for the GOP, in political terms only.

The bad thing about it is that it forms the basis for negotiations with the Senate bill.

[sandnsea]

8. Democratic proposal had balanced budget by 2012

"Republicans voted down a Democratic alternative that contained more funding for popular domestic programs such as education, veterans health care and health research while balancing the budget by 2012 -- but only by allowing hundreds of billions of dollars in GOP-passed tax cuts to expire."



http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/18/AR2006051800012.html

[radfringe]

10. congress and the bushies just don't get it

I keep hearing the GOP choir out there singing how great the economy is doing. They sing about how much tax relief "americans" are getting...

well, according to the latest "tax relief" - I'll see between $14-$20 for the YEAR of tax relief. Doesn't even fill my 13.5 gallon gas tank.

either it hasn't occured to them, or more likely, they have chosen to ignore the fact that the greater bulk of this tax relief goes to people who really don't need it. Most Americans are seeing barely a drip out of the trickle.

This Letter to the Editor in our local paper pretty much sums it up:

Taxpayer would like advance on $20 tax cut to fill her tank
http://www.timesleader.com/mld/timesleader/news/opinion/14597878.htm

President Bush, I was watching Good Morning America on May 11, enjoying a cup of coffee, a really good cup I may add, when I was delighted to hear that you were extending a tax cut to the hard working American people.

I was just wondering if I could get an advance on the twenty bucks because I would like to top off my gas tank before the price goes up again.

I surmise you won’t be getting any requests from the wealthy that of course will reap from this tax cut.

So, there should be no problem, right? I’m waiting.

the republican bribe of $100 for "gas relief" (or as we refer to it --the 'BEANO bill') offered us more to sit down and shut up...

[Vinca]

11. So much for "fiscal responsibility."

Give these people a dime and it's gone in a heartbeat, along with a loan for 6 or 7 more dimes. And they cut taxes for the wealty to boot.

[depakid]

12. Republican "moderates?"

No such thing.

Yet another set of issues for the Dems to nationalize the campaign and pound them with- if they only would....

[SaveAmerica]

13. How can I find who voted for this? Thanks...

[MaineDem]

15. Roll Call Vote Here - Dems all voted Nay

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll158.xml