House Passes $1.1T Spending Bill

Equal numbers blame each side

(NEWSER) - If Democrats think a government shutdown might help them politically, they might want to think again: A new survey indicates that the public would blame both parties equally for the shutdown. In a Washington Post poll, 36% say they’d blame Republicans for the shutdown, while 35% say they’d blame the Obama administration. Another 17% said they’d blame both parties—even though that wasn’t one of the options pollsters offered. More»

Tasks federal agencies with trimming the fat in four other areas, too

(NEWSER) - If you happen to be sipping from a promotional coffee cup bestowed on you by a federal agency, hang on to it: You might not be getting a new one anytime soon. As part of his "We Can't Wait" campaign, President Obama will today announce his latest effort: slashing waste. The president will sign an executive order tasking federal agencies with reducing spending by 20% in five areas that have been identified by a Joe Biden-helmed task force as particularly fatty: travel, technology, printing, autos, and swag. USA Today and Politico dig into the nitty gritty: More»

House lawmakers on track to take 35% more trips in 2011

(NEWSER) - Just last summer, congressional leaders pledged to spend less on travel—but they're not exactly traveling less. During the first five months of this year, special interest groups have spent more than $1 million on lawmakers’ trips, some 200 of them, nearly double the amount spent during the same period last year. Congressional trips, often quite cushy, are “a form of influence peddling when sponsored by private entities,” says a consumer advocacy group rep. More»

Any threat of a government shutdown is now gone

(NEWSER) - The shutdown showdown is over, at least until the fall. The House and Senate today passed a measure to fund the government through September, the end of the 2011 fiscal year. The bill passed 260-167 in the House on a bipartisan vote, required because 59 Republicans broke ranks and voted against it, reports Politico . It then cleared the Senate, 81-19, and headed to President Obama's desk for his signature. As agreed upon in last week's down-to-the-wire negotiations, it calls for $38 billion in spending cuts, notes the New York Times . More»

Not everybody's happy, but Boehner doesn't have a mutiny on his hands

(NEWSER) - John Boehner put a happy face on the grinding budget deal reached last night, but reactions varied among the GOP rank-and-file—specifically those with their eye on the Oval Office. Some reactions from around the Beltway, courtesy of Politico:

• Michele Bachman: “The deal is a disappointment for me and for millions of Americans who expected $100 billion in cuts. ... Instead, we’ve been asked to settle for $39 billion in cuts, even as we continue to fund Planned Parenthood and the implementation of ObamaCare. Sadly, we’re missing the mandate given us by voters last November."