Senate Passes Budget That Would Fund Government Into 2017

[yeoman6987]

Source: NPR

The Senate passed a bill at 3:12 a.m. Friday that would raise the debt ceiling and fund the government into 2017. This means that there would be no fiscal standoffs and threats of government shutdown for more than a year.

The measure is now on its way to the White House for President Obama's signature, NPR's Ailsa Change reports for the Newscast unit:

"For months, there was real concern the looming Nov. 3 deadline to lift the debt ceiling was going to send Congress into crisis mode, right when it was picking a new Speaker of the House.
"But now Congress has days to spare, having passed a budget agreement that raises the debt ceiling until March 2017. The deal also increases federal spending by $80 billion over the next two years — splitting that amount evenly between defense and domestic programs.
"The agreement was negotiated by former Speaker John Boehner, three other congressional leaders and the White House. The newly elected Speaker, Paul Ryan, supported the deal but says he'll ensure a more inclusive process next time important legislation is at stake."
As we reported earlier this week, the package also includes provisions that delay a hike in Medicare premiums, sell oil from the emergency reserve to offset spending, and shift Social Security money around.

"The Social Security Disability Insurance fund will, as of right now, be unable to pay full benefits late next year, when it would have to slash them by 19 percent. This bill would shift money from the old age fund and into the disability fund — a tactic Congress has used several times before."

Read more: http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/10/30/452941227/senate-passes-budget-agreement-funding-the-government-into-2017

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Discuss......Looks like the Democratic Senators went with quite a few Republicans. Of course Rand Paul, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio all tried to filibuster it and failed as usual.

[BumRushDaShow]

1. This is the budget but the appropriations will come next

It is anticipated that they'll do an Omnibus appropriations bill and the devil will be in the details for what ends up in that. I expected that the establishment GOP realized that it was bad enough that their clown shows were being highlighted and ridiculed, but adding this new shut-it-down act to their stage right before a Presidential election, would be lethal. So they had to put an end to the Paul and Cruz sideshow, quick, fast, and in a hurry (Rubio is a wannabe loon and a non-entity in this case).

[nitpicker]

2. More from thehill

http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/258629-senate-approves-budget-deal-in-overnight-vote

(snip)

The deal was approved in a 64-35 vote after 3 a.m. after a late speech by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who criticized the legislation as a blank check for President Obama to add to the nation's debt.
(snip)

Thirty-five Republicans opposed the deal, including Sens. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), who are facing tough reelection battles in blue-leaning states next year.
(snip)

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) was the only GOP presidential contender to vote for the package. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) all voted against it.
(snip)

With the deal headed to Obama’s desk — where he’s expected to sign it — lawmakers will now turn their attention to passing either 12 individual spending bills or one large omnibus bill.
(snip)

[yeoman6987]

3. So now the 12 spending bills or one large one is where we get screwed?

I thought we were done with this crap until 2017.

[mpcamb]

4. This calls for a round of self-congratulatory back patting

for actually doing the job they're paid to do... however poorly.