Update: Senate passes $40 billion in budget cuts (WTF??)

[UpInArms]

here's the latest headline (50/50 tie with Cheney breaking it?)

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/newsfinder/pulseone.asp?dateid=38707.4415197685-855193444&siteID=mktw&scid=0&doctype=806&

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- The Senate Friday morning passed legislation to cut spending by $40 billion over the next five years. The Senate voted 50- 50 on the bill, but Vice President Dick Cheney broke the tie to pass the measure. For the first time in eight years, the spending measure cuts funding for several entitlement programs for the first time in eight years. Programs affected include Medicaid and Medicare, and funding for student loans. However, Senate Democrats were successful in striking some provisions from the budget bill. This requires that the measure be sent back to the House for another vote. The House is not expected to return to Washington until late January.

:argh:


http://today.reuters.com/investing/financeArticle.aspx?type=bondsNews&storyID=2005-12-21T151726Z_01_N21191050_RTRIDST_0_CONGRESS-BUDGET-VOTE-URGENT.XML

WASHINGTON, Dec 21 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Wednesday failed to overcome Democrats' objections to a $39.7 billion spending-cut bill, forcing changes to the measure that would also have to be approved by the U.S. House of Representatives.

By a vote of 52-48, the Senate failed to set aside objections by Sen. Kent Conrad, a North Dakota Democrat, over some health care provisions in the bill. Republicans needed to get a minimum of 60 votes to beat the Democratic move. The legislation was passed by the House on Monday.

The move added a new wrinkle to Republicans' year-long efforts to pass a budget bill that would cut social welfare, such as Medicare and Medicaid, student loans and other programs.

...short blurb...

updating:

http://today.reuters.com/investing/financeArticle.aspx?type=bondsNews&storyID=2005-12-21T152531Z_01_N21168678_RTRIDST_0_CONGRESS-BUDGET-VOTE-UPDATE-1.XML

excerpt:

With Vice President Dick Cheney on hand in case his vote was needed to break a tie, lawmakers had been braced for a narrow vote on the nearly $40 billion spending bill

Before voting, Democrats criticized the measure's cuts to programs for the poor.

"It's an attack on the middle class and those in greatest need on behalf of lobbyists for the powerful," said Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat.

...more at link...

[Oceansaway]

1. Touche !!

[texpatriot2004]

2. Yeah, good news. n.t

[HuffleClaw]

3. methinks this is not going to be a merry christmas for the bush admin

that is what, the third defeat for 'em now? and a fourth coming, if that alaska thing fails too.

[onenote]

4. cnn breaking news: Cheney breaks tie to pass budget bill

Can someone reconcile these stories? Not making much sense to me.

onenote

[second edition]

5. MSN reporting the same thing. I'm confused. n/t

[UpInArms]

6. I edited my OP to show that this had changed

what happened to the 52/48 vote?????

:wtf:

I hate these people!!!!

:banghead:

[onenote]

7. Here's what apparently happened

The bill that was passed with Cheney's tie-breaking vote is slightly different from the bill passed by the House, as a result of the previously reported vote that went against the administration, 52-48. However, I don't think reports that the House isn't expected back until January are correct. The House has not adjourned and it is possible, indeed, likely, that they will have a session tomorrow to pass the revised budget.

onenote

[Journeyman]

8. But why does the report about Cheney's tie-breaking vote. . .

indicate it happened "Friday morning"? It's dated 12/21. Does Dow Jones MarketWatch deal in "futures" other than pork bellies & the like?

[UpInArms]

11. good catch Journeyman

there is something not quite right with this whole storyline - first reports show that the vote was 52/48 and then suddenly it becomes 50/50 and that sneering heartless dickless pos gets to destroy the last vistages of a safety net for the least among us.

[UpInArms]

10. have to say that there is only one thing that gives me hope

these days:

http://news.monstersandcritics.com/northamerica/article_1070227.php/Bushs_agenda_hinges_on_result_of_2006_congressional_election

excerpt:

While the presidency is not up for grabs until 2008, the congressional majorities could shift in the November 2006 elections, when all 435 members of the House of Representatives and one-third of the 100-seat Senate are up for reelection.

[kysrsoze]

19. Hey, thanks BIG DICK for the "fu_ck you" to middle-class America

And to all you Repub supporters, choke on it. The middle and lower classes suffer again due to your extreme stupidity.

[moondust]

9. Republicans are pigs.

P-I-G-S

[saigon68]

16. BIG UGLY HOGS

WITH THEIR SNOUTS IN THE PUBLIC TROUGH

[leftchick]

17. There is not a fucking Christian thing about ANY of those pigs

I hate them all... :argh:

[POAS]

12. This article contains an error

It states that the House is not expected back until late January. In fact the House has not officially adjourned business for the year. They are in recess subjest to recall upon notification that the Senate has sent them a bill for consideration. They are expecting to be back in session on Thursday.

The House or Senate cannot close a session without the consent of the other body. With the Senate still considering current legislation they cannot release the house until all conference reports have been resolved.

[UpInArms]

13. it seems to contain more than "one" error

it states this happens on Friday -

At this point, I am saying that this article is in error and may be completely made up.

Is anyone out there watching CSPAN (not available to me) and can they verify any of this???

The vote seems wrong - first reported at 52/48, the date is wrong - Friday, and the congress has not been declared out until January.

Any help? Thanks.

[converted_democrat]

21. Whoops posted to wrong thread!!! Sorry....

[adigal]

14. Link to ccn story

This is terrible news for the poor and middle class, but great news politically for the Democrats. I cannot believe they cut funding for the poor, with Cheney casting the vote to break the tie. This shows what dreadful human beings they all are, and gives me lots of ammunition with which to discuss the republicans' moral values.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/12/21/congress.roundup.ap/index.html

Also, check out the photo of Cheney they used - if I knew how to paste it, I would. He looks like Scrooge!!!

[Child_Of_Isis]

15. He is sure enjoying himself ! eom

[LisaL]

18. If people still haven't figured out what dreadful human beings

they really are-than they are too stupid to ever figure it out.

[RedRocco]

26. he sure does look like Scrooge

[confludemocrat]

20. FUCK EVERY REPUBLICAN WHO LIVES and any who would appease them

and not fight them every step of the way. You want the powerless to suffer, then I want you to suffer, cocksuckers!

[tatertop]

22. they are winning

make no mistake about that

[rodeodance]

23. damn

[Thom Little]

24. Senate imposes budget cuts - barely - that trim Medicaid and student loans

Kicking off a marathon day of key votes and procedural jousting, the Senate Wednesday passed a $39.7 billion budget cuts package. Vice President Cheney, rushing back from an overseas trip, cast his vote to break the 50-50 tie.

But Democrats, citing violations of Senate rules, also succeeded in forcing changes in the bill that now send it back to the House for final consideration, expected early next year.

If it clears the House, the bill would mark the first cut in the growth of mandatory spending in programs such as Medicare and Medicaid since 1997, including $6.4 billion shaved from Medicare and $4.7 billion from Medicaid over the next five years. Overall, the bill cuts spending by less than 0.5 percent.

.......

Five GOP moderates - Sens. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine, Mike DeWine of Ohio, and Gordon Smith of Oregon - voted with Democrats against the bill.



http://csmonitor.com/2005/1222/p11s01-uspo.html

[gizmo1979]

25. That sucks!

We're still losing.I'm sick of losing.

[entanglement]

27. The targets of this brutal act of social Darwinism

The poor, the disabled, the blind, elderly people, and children

Feel the 'compassion', yet? :sarcasm: