Congress passes budget, a boon for Obama
Congress this afternoon handed President Obama another big victory to mark his 100th day in office by passing a spending blueprint that incorporates many of his major policy goals ahead on healthcare, energy, and other issues.
But the votes on the budget outline belied Obama's plea for bipartisanship.
The Senate voted 53-43 for the spending plan, with no Republican support, after the House voted 233-193 earlier today, again without a single Republican vote.
In his prepared opening statement for tonight's press conference, Obama says the budget "builds on the steps we’ve taken over the last one hundred days to move this economy from recession to recovery and ultimately to prosperity."
Newly-turned Democrat Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania voted "no," as he did earlier this month when it initially passed the Senate. Three other Democrats also voted no: Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Robert Byrd of West Virginia, and Evan Bayh of Indiana.
And, still, Obama's allies declared victory.
"America’s workers applaud Congress for passing President Obama’s budget resolution that is a transformational blueprint for growing the middle class and making the economy work for everyone again," John Sweeney, president of the AFL-CIO, said in a statement.
"Now, more than ever, it is crucial that we build an economy that works for working Americans. President Obama’s budget includes a huge down payment on national healthcare reform, investment in growing green jobs and addressing climate change and more funding for education. The budget also moves away from the failed economic policies of the past and includes tax cuts for middle-class working families, rather than for the wealthy and Big Business. "
“Facing the worst economic crisis in decades, President Obama took the oath of office 100 days ago with a bold agenda to turn our economy around, get Americans back to work and lay a solid foundation for future economic growth and prosperity. And he has done just that. The budget passed today by Congress affirms and supports that vision and addresses the President’s fundamental priorities: halving the deficit over the next four years, providing quality, affordable health care to Americans, improving education investing in the clean energy revolution while reducing our dependence on foreign oil,” added Democratic National Committee chairman Tim Kaine.
Tom McMahon, acting executive director, of the labor-liberal coalition Americans United for Change, said in a statement: “While President Obama inherited a crushing recession and the largest deficit in history, 100 days later the nation is on a clear path to economic recovery paved through the transformational budget Congress passed today. In addition to returning fairness to our tax code and beginning to take control of the federal deficit, the President’s budget recognizes that without fixing our broken health care system, without reducing our dependence on foreign oil, and without investing in tomorrow’s educated workforce, America’s struggling middle-class families will never get ahead. The investments called for in this budget for health care reform, education, and clean energy are essential for long-term economic prosperity. It also remains disappointing that many of the same conservatives members of Congress that enabled the very failed economic policies that got us into this mess once again turned their backs on middle-class families and just said ‘no’ today.”
The bill includes a parliamentary maneuver, which if a healthcare plan isn't passed by Oct. 15, would allow Democrats to push through a plan with a simple majority in the Senate, instead of the 60 votes normally required for such major legislation.
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He is getting whatever he wants from the Democratic congress. Is this another bill they didn't read before voting? He is fooling the middle class into believing this is in their best interest. How will increasing the cost of driving your car and heating your home going to help the middle class? How is the 400 dollar tax credit that expires next year going to help the middle class? How is government sponsored healthcare going to help the middle class? It's not. People need to wake up and look beyond the rhetoric and see what's really happening. This administration has a very liberal agenda that is going to hurt all hard working Americans and reward the freeloaders. This administration talks about bipartisanship, but could care less about working with the Republicans. They have an agenda and nothing is going to stop them. We need to, our children are going to pay the price.
"The bill includes a parliamentary maneuver..."
How can incorporating legislation that overrides the Constitution without an amendment be legal?
Only in America can someone be proud of cutting a deficit from 1+ trillion dollars to 500+ billion dollars. We're outraged at corporations that do this but we rally behind politicians that do the same thing.
I feel sorry for the suckers that have to pay off the deficit that these idiots in congress keep running up year after year. Oh wait, that's me. Damn.
Another sad day for the American Dream. Americans need to work hard, save, become educated on things they need to and they can obtain the American Dream. Once I made so little I was poor. Now I make 5 times what I made in 1999...I'm considered rich by the Community Orgaizer in Chief. Some Americans want a free ride. Some Americans want a Socialist government. Some Americans believe in shouting down the oppostion. America is turning into a third world country. Obama is a failure...a bad failure at that. Amercans should be ashamed of themselves for electing him.
"How can incorporating legislation that overrides the Constitution without an amendment be legal?"
The Senate's rule for 60 votes needed to override a filibuster is just that, a Senate procedural rule, not part of the Constitution. The maneuver in question, reconciliation, has been used by prior Republican and Democratic administrations.
Ah yes, an article that manages to quote the President, the DNC Chair, and two liberal allies, but doesn't manage to provide a quote from anyone who might be opposed to this orgy of spending that the administration is foisting upon the taxpayer. We hear nary a word of how this budget will explode the deficit over the next five years, though we do get a ridiculous soundbite from the leader of a left-wing organization that this budget somehow "take(s) control of the federal deficit." The reader is led to wonder if Mr. McMahon was immediately struck by lightening after uttering such a bald-faced lie.
That is some first-rate journalism there, Globe. Maybe next time you can make it easier by just running the original White House/DNC press release and not bothering to have someone on staff rewrite it.
So basically the president can do whatever he wants and no-one can stop him. I'm sure i'm not the only one frightened by this.
To # 1 - the people are quite aware that Obama has a liberal agenda. That's why they voted him in. See, when the Democrats present solutions, and the GOP presents nothing but ideas that have proven to fail - tax cuts, deregulation, et al - the majority of voters choose solutions.
To # 7 - did it frighten you when the GOP Senate & COngress rubber-stamped the GOP President, GWB? I'm guessing not. Why is that?
Jim, it is true some people voted for Obama because he presented a liberal agenda, but the problem is that Bush was one of the most liberal Presidents we have seen in a LONG time, now all Obama is doing is continuing Bush's failed policies: more government spending, more regulation, more bailouts, more war, more unconstitutional actions, etc.
And speaking for post #7 Janie, my best is she was just as scared with Bush and she is with Obama, I know I was, the only difference is Obama is continuing everything Bush did except doing even more of it, so Obama scares me even more.