Senate approves $1.1 trillion spending bill

[Formerly Once-Ler]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/spending-bill-forces-rare-weekend-session-for-the-senate-with-shutdown-hours-away/2014/12/13/81832bf6-82e8-11e4-81fd-8c4814dfa9d7_story.html

The Senate on Saturday night approved a sweeping $1.1 trillion spending bill to fund most of the federal government through the next fiscal year, turning back a conservative rebellion against President Obama's immigration policy.

 On a vote of 56 to 40, senators passed the spending bill and sent it to Obama, who plans to sign it. The bill’s passage eliminates the threat of a government shutdown and capped days of acrimonious debate on Capitol Hill over the omnibus agreement.

A small group of conservatives, led by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), had sought to slow debate on the bill by raising concerns with Obama’s immigration policy, forcing a marathon weekend session. The move infuriated their colleagues, particularly Republicans who complained that forcing senators to stay in session produced nothing positive for the GOP and only helped Democrats in their bid to approve a final batch of Obama’s nominees for government posts.

For several hours Saturday, senators held procedural votes to begin the process of confirming dozens of Obama’s nominees for federal judgeships and top positions at the State Department and other agencies. They also approved a backstop bill to keep the federal government open through Wednesday night, if needed.

The move forced members of both parties to abruptly cancel holiday and retirement festivities back home. Some senators slogged through the Capitol hallways with young children in tow. Several skipped the Army-Navy football game in Baltimore. Staffers forced to work entertained out-of-town guests by giving them rare weekend access to the Capitol.

Prolonged debate on the spending bill came after Cruz and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) late Friday night derailed a carefully crafted plan between party leaders to allow senators to go home for the weekend and return Monday to approve the spending agreement. The pair had sought to force a vote on an amendment that would block federal agencies from implementing the immigration policy changes ordered by Obama last month.

more at link

[Formerly Once-Ler]

Sen Cruz is on a roll.

[Bigun]

more at link

And you are just BURSTING with pride aren't you?

[Formerly Once-Ler]

“We are stuck in Washington as long as Harry Reid insists that the Senate stay here,” Cruz angrily told reporters after he was rebuffed. He called the Senate leader’s decision “unfortunate” and “obstructionist.”

But several Republicans disagreed and nearly three quarters of senators later rejected a point of order by Cruz, a sharp repudiation of his tactics.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) called her colleagues’ tactics “counterproductive.”

“This reminds me very much of the shutdown last year, where the strategy made absolutely no sense,” she said, adding that until Saturday, liberals were being faulted for holding up the spending bill. “Now, I guess the blame will be shared,” she said.

Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) said Democrats whom he spoke with on the Senate floor were pleased with the ultimate outcome, despite the weekend session. “The White House is going to end up with far more nominations confirmed than they ever would have,” he said.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

And you are just BURSTING with pride aren't you?

Bigun.  I didn't pass the bill.  I didn't help Obama confirm his nominees. 
Why do you make everything about me? 
Are you infatuated with me? 

Give it up!  I don't swing that way. 


 
Well...
there was that one time...
but I really needed the money...

I'M JOKING...

I didn't need the money.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

[sinkspur]

So Cruz keeps everybody in town, and Reid jams through nominees he wouldn't have had the bill been approved last night.

Way to go, Teddy.  You're batting a THOUSAND on 'effing up your relationship with your colleagues. And demonstrating exactly how NOT to conduct legislative business.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

Here are the 22 GOP patriots who Harry Reid wants to thank.

15 of the 22 up for re-election in 2016

Lindsey Graham @GrahamBlog  ·  55m 55 minutes ago

I haven't seen Harry Reid smile like this in years. I don't like it one bit.

Lindsey Graham @GrahamBlog  ·  56m 56 minutes ago

The Surgeon General nominee - previously blocked - will be confirmed due to missteps. He was far to radical to serve.

[Bigun]

It appears that you and the Washington Post night desk may have started your little celebration early! According to MY sources all that was passed tonight was a 5 day CR previously passed b the house for just this contingency. Government only funded through next Wednesday at this point.

[sinkspur]

It appears that you and the Washington Post night desk may have started your little celebration early! According to MY sources all that was passed tonight was a 5 day CR previously passed b the house for just this contingency. Government only funded through next Wednesday at this point.

Your sources are wrong. The $1.1 trillion cromnibus was passed tonight.

[Bigun]

Your sources are wrong. The $1.1 trillion cromnibus was passed tonight.

Maybe! Maybe not! We'll see.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

It appears that you and the Washington Post night desk may have started your little celebration early! According to MY sources all that was passed tonight was a 5 day CR previously passed b the house for just this contingency. Government only funded through next Wednesday at this point.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/12/14/senate-vote-on-spending-bill/

Senate passes $1.1 trillion spending bill, averting partial gov't shutdown

The Senate passed a $1.1 trillion spending bill late Saturday that funds the government through next September, averting a partial government shutdown and sending the measure to President Obama's desk.

The Senate voted 56-40 for the long-term funding bill, the main item left on Congress' year-end agenda. The measure provides money for nearly the entire government through the end of the current budget year Sept. 30. The sole exception is the Department of Homeland Security, which is funded only until Feb. 27.

Hours earlier, the Senate had approved a short-term bill funding the federal government through Wednesday night, easing concerns of a potential partial government shutdown. The stopgap bill, which passed by a voice vote, bought lawmakers more time to comb through the separate $1.1 trillion long-term funding bill.

The votes capped a day of intrigue in the upper chamber of Congress that included a failed, largely symbolic Republican challenge to the Obama administration's new immigration policy, while Democrats launched a drive to confirm two dozen of Obama's stalled nominees to the federal bench and administration posts before their majority expires at year's end.

Several Republicans blamed tea party-backed Texas Sen. Ted Cruz for giving the outgoing majority party an opportunity to seek approval for presidential appointees, including some that are long-stalled.

"I've seen this movie before, and I wouldn't pay money to see it again," said Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., recalling Cruz' leading role a year ago in events precipitating a 16-day partial government shutdown that briefly sent GOP poll ratings plummeting.

Asked if Cruz had created an opening for the Democrats, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah said, "I wish you hadn't pointed that out," adding "You should have an end goal in sight if you're going to do these types of things and I don't see an end goal other than irritating a lot of people."

It was Cruz who pushed the Senate to cast its first vote on the administration's policy of suspending the threat of deportation for an estimated four million immigrants living in the country illegally. He lost his attempt Saturday night, 74-22, although Republican leaders have vowed to bring the issue back after the party takes control of the Senate in January.

"If you believe President Obama's amnesty is unconstitutional, vote yes. If you believe President Obama's amnesty is consistent with the Constitution, vote no," he said.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid rebutted instantly, saying Cruz was "wrong, wrong, wrong on several counts," and even Republicans who oppose Obama's policy abandoned the Texan.

The spending bill, which cleared the House on Thursday, was the main item left on Congress' year-end agenda, and exposed fissures within both political parties in both houses. The controversial package was opposed by conservative Republicans such as Cruz for not challenging Obama's immigration measures, as well as by leading liberals such as House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. who have criticized the bill for repealing banking regulation.

Despite the opposition from liberals, the package won a personal endorsement from Obama and was brought before the Senate. The legislation locks in spending levels negotiated in recent years between Republicans and Democrats, and includes a number of provisions that reflect the priorities of one party or the other, from the environment to abortion to the legalization of marijuana in the District of Columbia.

Despite protests from the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, more than 70 House Democrats supported the measure, and Obama made clear that he didn't view the provision as a deal-killer.  Obama acknowledged that the measure has "a bunch of provisions in this bill that I really do not like," and said the bill flows from "the divided government that the American people voted for."

Obama has sided with old-school pragmatists in his party like Reid, but split from liberals such as Pelosi and Warren. Warren blasted the measure in a Senate speech for the third straight day, saying it was a payoff to Citigroup, whose lobbyists helped write a provision that significantly weakens new regulations on derivatives trading by Wall Street banks.

"Enough is enough. Washington already works really well for the billionaires and the big corporations and the lawyers and the lobbyists," Warren said. "But what about the families who lost their homes or their jobs or their retirement savings the last time Citi bet big on derivatives and lost?"

Another provision loathed by many Democrats -- though backed by the Democratic National Committee -- raises the amount of money that wealthy donors may contribute to political parties for national conventions, election recounts and headquarters buildings.

Democrats will lose control of the Senate in January because of heavy losses in midterm elections last month and will go deeper into a House minority than at any time in nearly 70 years.

That source any better for you Bigun?

[Bigun]

Did you watch the video at fox? That says its only the 5 day CR. There seems to be some confusion on the night shift at the breaking news desk.

I do know that as of 5 minutes ago the Senate was still in session.

[Lando Lincoln]

You know what Once-Ler?  I seldom jump in he middle like this but you are flat-out taunting.  It is unseemly and unnecessary. 

[Lando Lincoln]

What a jolt - Cruz is close to becoming poison fruit.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

You know what Once-Ler?  I seldom jump in he middle like this but you are flat-out taunting.  It is unseemly and unnecessary.

It is not my desire to provoke an argument with you.  I respect your opinion.  Your comment is noted, but I see little difference between voters who think Cruz can do no wrong and voters who look at Obama as messianic.   Thank you for jumping in.

[Lando Lincoln]

It is not my desire to provoke an argument with you.  I respect your opinion.  Your comment is noted, but I see little difference between voters who think Cruz can do no wrong and voters who look at Obama as messianic.   Thank you for jumping in.

I need to settle down also.  No worries from me.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

I need to settle down also.  No worries from me.

Sometimes a messenger can kill the message with a lack of tact.  Tact is a talent that you possess, and I lack.  I actually appreciate you speaking up.  We both post because we think we have something important to say, and we want our commentary to be considered.  My approach made you angry rather than contemplative.  It's good for me to know that, and it reinforces some things Oceander has told me.

Wishing you a blessed and merry Christmas.

[Lando Lincoln]

Sometimes a messenger can kill the message with a lack of tact.  Tact is a talent that you possess, and I lack.  I actually appreciate you speaking up.  We both post because we think we have something important to say, and we want our commentary to be considered.  My approach made you angry rather than contemplative.  It's good for me to know that, and it reinforces some things Oceander has told me.

Wishing you a blessed and merry Christmas.

And you and yours. Thank you.