BREAKING: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) announced Tuesday that Senate Democrats will support a short-term spending bill drafted by House Republicans. The resolution, which is expected to pass the House this afternoon, cuts federal spending by $4 billion over a two-week period. Many of the cuts were taken directly from President Obama’s 2012 budget proposal.
Following a “good discussion” with colleagues during a weekly caucus lunch, Reid told reporters that the Senate will hold a vote on the House bill “in the next 48 hours.”
“We’ll pass this, and then we’ll look to funding the government on a long-term basis,” Reid said. “The sooner we get this short-term funding of the government done, the quicker we can move to a long-term CR. That is where we are headed.”
Despite his apparent support for the measure, Reid said that passing short-term spending measures was “a terrible way to govern.” Senate Democrats, as well as President Obama, had expressed a preference for a longer, 30-day measure, but Reid said Republicans refused to budge.
Reid said he had spoken several times with the president and predicted that Obama would be involved in negotiations over a long-term resolution. Earlier today, House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio), who has also been in contact with the White House, criticized Obama for not being fully engaged in the spending debate.
Reid’s announcement is yet another example of how that debate seems to have shifted in the GOP’s favor.
This indicates the Democrats believe that the American electorate supports budget cuts. It is important to pay attention to what people do instead of what they say. I cannot think of anything that is more persuasive than this admittedly minor concession by the U.S. Senate Democrats that the GOP is on the right track.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse$4 billion down and $( ) trillion to go, but it is the start that counts, now keep cutting until the budget is balanced and we have a surplus to begin paying off our debt.
The debt is no different than the housing bubble. The Federal Government borrows or takes out a loan every year on the good faith of our economy. Every asset in America is only $72 Trillion dollars, with a $118 trillion dollar total debt. You can't keep borrowing as eventually those lenders stop lending and your holding the bag, just like the housing bubble.
You have to live well below your means and pay down your debt. As Benjamin Franklin said in Poor Richard, "Never a borrower or lender be." That should be the policy of government.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseA positive development, to be sure, but I'm reminded that just because a dirty dog doesn't bite me as I approach is no guarantee he's not waiting to do so after I pass.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI really don't see the point in this. I feel that a government shutdown would actually force the question of what to do with our fiscal crisis, and this is just a postponement of the issue.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseGee.. that was easy.
Lets ask for another $6 billion in cuts for the next 2 week extension. Than $8 billion for the next... repeat... until end of year and we'll have a substantial dent..
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSteady as she goes boys.
I'd be delighted with a drip drip dripping of budgets like this for the next 2 years.
Reid holds all the cards so the focus has to be on the GOP getting whatever concessions they can muster from Ole Dingy Harry.
I'm ok with lots of (fruitless) theatrics from the House so long as the Senate keeps pushing the budgetary string in the Senate.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseInteresting. Reid didn't change his tune without a reason. The polls must have shown that, this time around, shutting down the government wouldn't have been too unpopular.
Unlike the 90's, we have an failing president, anemic economy and massive and unprecedented deficits. In this environment, would the people really mind if Washington closed its doors for a little while?
The Republicans MUST keep this in mind as they negotiate in the future. I think they've got the upper hand here.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIf Senatewh-re Uriah Heep Reid thinks that budgeting a few weeks at a time is not the way to go, well then Senatewh-re, WHY IN HECK DIDN'T YOU CLOWNS PASS THE 2010-2011 BUDGET PRIOR TO THE FY 2011 STARTING!!!!!!!!
But, on another note, you can tell he and his band of thieves are scared.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseConsistent expenditure reductions in the billions, that's what we the voters want.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWe have to stay on offense. We are dealing with present political reality and looking forward to accelerate the expense reductions. Stay with the foot on the pedal. We are engaged now and will stay engaged. 2012 will arrive.