A game of chicken begins after House cuts and defunds Obama programs
The House of Representatives spent all week and several late nights debating hundreds of amendments to the Omnibus appropriations bill that would continue our federal government funding through Sept. 30, 2011. The amendments were permitted to be offered under the new GOP leadership practices outlined by Speaker Boehner during the opening days of the 112th Congress. This is the first time in over four years where any member of the House is permitted to offer a floor amendment to a massive spending bill. This new open and transparent way of operating the House resulted in having over 700 amendments filed in the Congressional Record for possible floor consideration. Once the dust settled and the House ultimately passed the bill it turned out that more than half of the couple of hundred amendments considered were authored by Republican members of the House.
The amendments ran the gambit from defunding or severely cutting items like mohair subsidies, funds to the EPA to implement cap and trade regulations to cutting Planned Parenthood funds and the funding for the national endowment for the arts. One GOP amendment cut all federal funding for some of the Obama administration’s CZARS if those positions hadn’t been confirmed by the Senate. Another huge policy change was in the form of amendments that weaken the Administration’s Wall Street-financial reform bill and defund all provisions of Obama Care. The bill passed by a vote (http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2011/roll147.xml) of 235 to 189 after the House conducted 105 roll call votes. The House adjourned just before 5AM Saturday. Both the House and Senate are now in recess for the President’s day holiday until Monday, Feb. 28. The Senate was able to wrap up the Federal Aviation administration bill before they adjourned for the holiday and both chambers were able to pass a 3 month extension of the Patriot act.
The prospect of the Omnibus appropriations bill passing the Senate when they reconvene is basically nil. Sen. Reid said in a statement that he is prepared to pass a 30 day continuing resolution because the House GOP cuts and defunding of hundreds of programs cannot pass the Senate. Speaker Boehner wants any extension bill to include some across the board funding cuts. Congressional democrats are opposing the Boehner plan. Unless an agreement can be reached on a brief extension, funding for our federal government will cease as of close of business on March 4, 2011. The House chairman of the appropriations committee, Cong. Lewis (R-CA) said late Friday: “There’s absolutely no way” the government will shut down.
In the meantime, House and Senate members will be back in their states and districts this week hearing from their constituents. Stay tuned to see if these back home visits help resolve the game of chicken that is occurring between the House and Senate when Congress reconvenes on Monday, Feb. 28, 2011. Let your voice be heard on GradeGov.com and tell you member of Congress how you feel about the cuts and defunding of 100's of administration programs.
Elizabeth B. Letchworth is a retired, elected United States Senate Secretary for the Majority and Minority. Currently she is a senior legislative adviser for Covington & Burling, LLC and is the founder of GradeGov.com (http://www.gradegov.com)
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Tags: ObamaCare, appropriations, continuing, defunding, government, omnibus, resolution, shutdown
Comment
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Comment by Tim Duvall on February 23, 2011 at 10:15am -
Is it just me or do the rest of you think this is the most irresponsible, inefficient, senseless form of running anything, let alone our National Government.
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Comment by James R. Norris on February 21, 2011 at 8:01pm -
Shut it down. Let's see who's got the guts.
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Comment by Lester Sheets on February 21, 2011 at 10:15am -
Democrats will suffer the RAGE of determined Americans, though they will TRY to blame the Tea Party. LATCH ON, Americans. Help Liz Letchworth. This is about continuing America as the democratic republic that it is today, or allowing America to become a Communist state in a world government, which is OBAMA'S dream.
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Comment by Douglas Van Dyke on February 21, 2011 at 9:29am
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I say shut down the government! I'm a retired Marine and a civil servent. I won't be out eating grilled rats although a Chinese friend at work says rat is very tasty. So go after the rats in DC!
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Comment by Vincent Calderone on February 21, 2011 at 9:22am -
Thank you Ms. Letchworth.
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Comment by Donna McCown on February 21, 2011 at 9:11am
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Shutting down the government reminds them they are there For the people and By the people. Shut down the government. We have spoken. For the Obama et al, I remember a song from long ago, " got along without ya before I met ya, gonna get along without ya now."
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Comment by Robert Bechtel on February 21, 2011 at 6:09am -
I am telling my congressmen and senators to let it close. We put them there we can get them out so they better do as their told or get voted out.
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Comment by USARogue on February 21, 2011 at 2:13am -
SHUT IT DOWN ! ! ! ! ! ! !
The TEA Party will not move away from our train-wreck of a government. We demanded cuts in spending, defunding Obamacare, less regulations, Constitutional legislation and more last Novemeber, we will accept no less.
Call your Senators and Representatives and demand, don't ask.
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Comment by Dan on February 21, 2011 at 1:40am -
i was so happy on this, watch it all on cpan, their were so meny??? i got confused as they whip thru them all , WE ALL . have to watch the patroit act???
to meny of us killed under it crap i fill like a spy in my own country
thanks for the post
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Comment by richard dunnell on February 21, 2011 at 12:54am
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the best thing to happen is for the government to shut down. the libs have attempted to con everyone into thinking social security checks and medicare payments would be delayed, airlines would suspend flights because air controllers would not be working. This is the same scam being pulled on a suspected gullible public, as global warming and the deadly effects of second hand smoke. The last shutdown was short-lived and nothing was lost, except the Republicans'loss of face. Shut it Down!
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