Dems Play Hardball! Reject Short-term Spending Measure.

[chill_wind]

Shutdown? House votes to reject short-term spending measure
By Pete Kasperowicz - 09/21/11 05:43 PM ET

The House on Wednesday afternoon surprised Republican leaders by rejecting a temporary spending bill allowing the government to operate through November 18.

The defeat was due to strenuous objections from Democrats who opposed cuts to a Department of Energy program in order to offset the cost of additional disaster funding. But several Republicans also rejected the bill in an apparent protest of a lack of larger spending cuts.

The vote will leave House leaders scrambling to come up with an alternative continuing resolution in order to ensure government funding past September 30. It also appears to increase the chances of more congressional work week next week, when both the House and Senate plan to be off.

Members rejected the bill in a 195-230 vote that saw 48 Republicans vote against the measure, and only six Democrats support it.

(see Pelosi comments in The Hill)

http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/183069-house-rejects-temporary-spending-bill-over-fema-funding


Reid warned yesterday, shutdown is possible.

"We're not going to cave on this."

Shutdown fight looms amid House-Senate disaster aid impasse
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=1971968&mesg_id=1973442

TPM:
Battle Over Disaster Relief Threatens Gov’t Shutdown
GOP Legislation To Continue Funding Gov’t Fails In The House 195-230 …
Dems Reject GOP Effort To Offset Disaster Relief With Spending Cuts


http://talkingpointsmemo.com/

"Battle Over Disaster Relief Foils Stopgap Spending Bill
GOP legislation to continue funding the federal government failed in the House Wednesday by a vote of 195-230, after Democrats rejected a controversial measure to nix a popular manufacturing program to offset federal disaster aid.

A successful Democratic whip effort left Republicans without enough support in their caucus to pass the bill along party lines. Over 40 Republicans, demanding steeper cuts to federal programs, rebelled against GOP leadership."

Only six Democrats voted in favor of the legislation, a version of which must pass both chambers before September 30, or the government will shut down.

The bill's failure in the House foils the GOP's effort to jam the Senate, which recently passed stand alone legislation to provide FEMA significantly more emergency funds, without a partisan budget cut to offset it.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/09/foiled-democrats-gop-conservatives-tank-government-funding-bill.php?ref=fpa

[MannyGoldstein]

1. Are they finally starting to use the zillion tons of powder they've kept dry?

I guess we'll see!

[chill_wind]

2. Feels WEIRD doesn't it?

I kinda like it.

[MannyGoldstein]

3. I'm holding off on weird

I'll do weird if the Dems hold tight for a couple of weeks.

[abelenkpe]

4. +1 nt

[chill_wind]

5. That seems sensible.

It's going to get real interesting in the next few days.