Senate reaches deal to avoid government shutdown

[cal04]

Source: The Hill

Senate leaders struck a late deal Monday night intended to avert a government shutdown.

Under a last-minute arrangement reached by the two parties, the Senate agreed to pass a measure that would fund the government for six weeks, through Nov. 18.

The Senate also was set to approve a one-week stopgap measure that would fund the government through Oct. 4.

The House also would have to approve that stopgap measure by unanimous consent later this week in a pro forma session. This would give the lower that chamber enough time to return from Congress's week-long recess to consider the six-week measure.

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/184011-senate-reaches-deal-to-avert-government-shutdown

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Senate Averts Gov’t Shutdown
Dems Fund FEMA Without Caving To GOP Demands For An Offset
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/09/senate-averts-government-shutdown-threat-funds-fema.php?ref=fpa
What ultimately broke the impasse was FEMA's announcement Monday that it won't run out of funds early this week -- a presumption House Republicans had hoped would force Senate Democrats to accept a partisan budget cut, on the threat that disaster victims would otherwise be deprived of assistance for days or even weeks.

CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/26/politics/fema-funding/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
(snip)
In two votes, the Senate approved short-term spending measures to fund the government for the start of the new fiscal year that begins Saturday.

It passed the first measure on a 79-12 vote, and then approved the second measure on a voice vote.

The measures now go to the House, which must approve them to ensure the government continues to be funded after the end of the current fiscal year at midnight Friday.

[bemildred]

1. And the soap opera continues. nt

[DCKit]

3. Thin plot, really bad acting, totally predictable, bad hair and make-up. Yeah, it's a soap opera. nt

[toddwv]

8. It's a repeat...

There's GOT to be something else on another channel...

[defendandprotect]

11. Right ... can't wait until Dems have only the HOUSE and can blackmail Repugs ....

We can stop financing of all the RW crap -- !!

[No Elephants]

22. LOL!

Yes, that is how it always goes when Dems control one House of Congress, isn't it?

Or two Houses and the Oval Office through historic wins.

[DCBob]

2. unaminous consent? is that possible?

[BumRushDaShow]

4. Yes

They used to do it ALL the time. I used to watch the House on evenings right before they would recess where they would have like 2 people in there (usually the leadership) reading and then declaring passed, a stack of unanimous consent bills. They would often sneak all sorts of stuff on these.

[DCBob]

6. Ha! another one of those odd procedural things that are so critical to getting things done.

in our dysfunctional government.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. Yup.

Senate does these too! :hi: But one person can "object" and it kills it until that person withdraws their objection.

[Plucketeer]

5. We can bitch and moan all we want, but...

Unless and Until the money's taken out of the election process, we're stuck with this festering abcess. :grr:

[defendandprotect]

12. All that has to happen is that Obama/Dems STOP taking corporate money ... !!

Keep in mind, no matter how "legal" the fascists on the SC want to make

corporate bribery, no one is forcing the Dems to take these bribes -- !!!

[No Elephants]

21. Sadly, that will take a Constitutional amendment and Congress is not going to pass it, so it will

not get to the states. And, despite all the memes and stereotypes, I doubt you could even get a majority of the Democrats to vote for it.

And even if it got to the states, it would never pass.

No controversial amendment has been adopted in over 50 years. Bear in mind, something that seems as self evident in 2011 as equal rights for females still has not been approved by the required number of states. (forgot if that is 67.7% of them of 75%) Don't forget, it wasn't only gays whom Falwell and Roberts blamed for 911, but also the women's liberationists.

Welcome to the land of the nutcakes.

[benld74]

9. THEY didnt STOP SHIT, they only postponed it!!!

[fascisthunter]

10. Our system is being strangled to death

all this shit is kabuki... the GOP wants to take complete control of this country(A right wing DICTATORSHIP)... it is all out in the open, yet what do the dems do... fucking play along.

[defendandprotect]

13. True -- and do you think elected Democrats don't know all of this ????

Or that Obama doesn't know --

Here's Al Gore in this summer's Rolling Stone --

"Congress is controlled by the oil and coal industries" --


What we have to understand is that maybe we can't kill corporate money in elections --

But we can try to kill the willingness of elected officials to take that money -- i.e.,

to sell themselves!

they can ... 'JUST SAY NO' ---


For too long we've been ignoring that part of this bribery deal -- !!

[davidthegnome]

16. Good point

They could say no... but how many people do you think have the will to resist greed? There's a reason it's called consumerism. We live in a society that consumes a great deal - a hell of a lot more than it creates. I know I've thought about what I'd do if I had that kind of money, I don't think I know anyone who hasn't considered it. College? No problem, for myself, my kids, or my grandchildren. Never having to worry about rent, car payments... so many comforts of wealth for such little actual effort. Oh I'm sure there's paperwork involved, social functions to attend, legislation to argue about... the bribes are just one of the perks of the job, so to speak.

[defendandprotect]

17. Saying NO would be one of the healthiest moves for the Dem Party and the Dems ....

and for citizens --

Unfortunately -- imo -- what will stop such thinking is corporate control over the

party itself -- third way -- and the many millionaires/multi-millionaires in the Dem

Party who don't necessarily have "the general welfare" on their minds -- :evilgrin:


And I did find this very interesting ---

I know I've thought about what I'd do if I had that kind of money, I don't think I know anyone who hasn't considered it. College? No problem, for myself, my kids, or my grandchildren. Never having to worry about rent, car payments... so many comforts of wealth for such little actual effort. Oh I'm sure there's paperwork involved, social functions to attend, legislation to argue about... the bribes are just one of the perks of the job, so to speak.

I could see how someone who had a family member in trouble -- maybe into payday loans or

loan sharks -- or some family member who was ill and not insured -- then I could see

succumbing to taking these corporate bribes -- those circumstances are true threats to

survival that we can't really expect someone to be able to say "c'est la vie" about -- !!

And peace of mind isn't a small thing either!


But for the things you've described -- which I think we parents would all understand -- I don't

think you could avoid thinking twice about what you'd be doing.

Lying every day of your life and betraying your fellow citizens I don't think is that easy?

And, it's kind of like having food, I think, when no one else does --

tough to digest?


Plus these people aren't stopping at Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid --

one day you might find yourself voting for a return to child labor -- !!


Yikes!


:hi:

[davidthegnome]

25. Oh I agree in principle

They should say no. They probably won't. The point is that it's all too tempting when full disclosure isn't necessary, when it's not technically illegal to accept campaign contributions (bribes) in enormous amounts that don't all have to be absolutely accounted for. That's just, of course, what's on the books.

Hard money, soft money... any sort of corporate or political bribery such as we've known over the last decades should be absolutely illegal and punishable by loss of office - and depending on severity, a long time in prison... gen pop. Maybe implement mandatory service to the poor, the unemployed and the convicts for all members of government. It might make them think twice about bending the rules and screwing us all. If they want to serve their Nation, well, they should have no objection to serving all of it.

[russspeakeasy]

14. A cheap imitation of professional wrestling...

Not a spine in the place.:evilfrown:

[defendandprotect]

20. +1 --

[Historic NY]

15. I think the members in an orgainzation I chair is much like this congress...

they drive me crazy........I got in from a near 2 hr slug fest of attitudes. Almost threw the gavel a few times.

[sarcasmo]

18. How many more times will this happen before the next election?

[midnight]

19. Nice to hear they are doing their job....

[No Elephants]

23. Phew! What a relief! We narrowly avoided government shutdown yet again.

Safely past yet another cliff hanger.

I sure hope Democrats did not have to give up too much this time, because that Super Committee was a lot to give up just to get us past the last budget/debt ceiling crisis.

But, seriously folks, am I the only one who heard Republican after Republican say on TV that they remembered what happened to them when they shut down government during the Clinton admin and were not about to do that again?

It wasn't their opening line, mind you. Most said it only after the interviewer pushed a bit. But I heard at least six, including McConnell and Boehner, say it on different occasions.

Kabuki.

[gkhouston]

24. So they'll visit this again around Turkey Time. How appropriate. n/t