In a rare Saturday session Congress finally did it.
The Senate passed the $1.1 trillion government funding bill (a.k.a. the CRomnibus) late Saturday night in a vote of 56-40.
The bill now heads to President Barack Obama’s desk where he’s expected to sign it.
The bill’s passage means that government will stay funded through September of 2015.
The entire episode of averting a funding bill came with drama right up until the end thanks to Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Mike Lee (R-UT) who tried to use procedural maneuvers on Friday to stop other senators from voting on the spending bill in order to fight President Barack Obama’s executive action on immigration (which resulted in the ire of Republican senators and a little glee for Democrats).
But earlier in the week Democrats also had their own resistance to the bill as Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) made a serious push to remove a provision rolling back aspects of Dodd-Frank. That effort failed.
Ahead of the vote on late Saturday the Senate was able to move forward a number of the Obama administration’s nominees for the executive branch and judgeships (partially thanks to the Cruz and Lee resistance).
Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is trying to have those roughly two-dozen nominees before the end of the year.
Also ahead of the bill’s passage, Lee and Cruz were still able to raise a point of order against the constitutionality of the spending bill as part of their fight against Obama’s executive actions on immigration. Earlier in the night top Senate aides said they were unlikely to win on the point (and scuttle the bill). The motion failed 22-74.
I am disappointed that the progressives in the senate didn’t join with Cruz and Lee. They could’ve used their leverage to clean the anti-middle class elements out of the bill. They’re certainly not going to get another chance in coming years to stand up for the middle class (other than theatrically) and prove their allegiance. Oh well, Citigroup wins another round, middle class gets another clue as to who owns their government, and DC continues on as they have. Funny how bipartisanship is at hand when it comes to giving Wall Street exactly what they want, and taking away money for WIC and all the other crap that was in this bipartisan bill. REally disgusting.
I’m disgusted by all the petty childish behavior I see in the House and Senate. They are supposed to be our best 'n brightest …at least that’s what I was taught when I was a kid in the 1950’s. Since then I’ve become increasingly cynical. And their current behavior is not improving my impression of them.
I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused.
What’s the difference? Its the same shit sandwich only a different day.
Man this is a pisser.
WooHoo! A bunch of liberals I respect, voted with the hard RW and failed to protect the middle class. 56-40.
Oh, thank goodness, the status quo has been preserved. At least we might finally have a surgeon general…