Dems Shrug Off Obama's Call to Battle Earmarks

Obama says he will veto proposed budget amendment to Constitution

(NEWSER) - So much for the weekend plans of the United States Senate: The Chicago Tribune notes that Harry Reid said today he'll hold session every single day "from now until Congress passes legislation that prevents the United States from defaulting on our obligations." While little progress was made last week, President Obama met with John Boehner and Eric Cantor in secret yesterday in an effort to get deficit talks back on track before the Aug. 2 deadline, adds Politico . “We're making progress,” he said today. More»

Approval of $3.5T budget clears way for Obama's agenda

(AP) - The Democratic-controlled Senate has passed a budget drafted to President Barack Obama's specifications, voting a few hours after the House approved a similar plan. The budget calls for spending of $3.5 trillion for the year beginning Oct. 1 and has a deficit projected at $1.2 trillion. The Senate vote was 55-43, along party lines. More»

(NEWSER) - Frustrated Senate Democrats today urged their GOP counterparts to stop criticizing President Obama’s proposed budget and provide an alternative, the Hill reports. “If it were easy to write a budget, then the Republicans would be writing one,” Dick Durbin said. Republicans responded that as the minority, that wasn’t their responsibility. “We will offer a series of alternatives by amendment,” a spokesman said. More»

Under Obama, Majority Leader no longer needs to be attacker

(NEWSER) - When George Bush was boss, Harry Reid had to play attack dog—but with Barack Obama in office, the Senate majority leader has returned to a role more comfortable to him, writes Shailagh Murray in a Washington Post profile. These days, he’s a “dealmaker”—like Obama, he aims to win bipartisan support for legislation. And he fits the post well, says Rahm Emanuel. “He knows all the senators' strengths and vulnerabilities.” More»

Lawmakers attach special funds to budgets to direct cash homeward

(NEWSER) - Congress' ban on earmarks doesn't seem to be stopping members from channeling money to home-state projects. These days, instead of tacking such projects on to bills, legislators are creating "slush funds" that ultimately serve the same purpose, watchdog groups tell the New York Times . Included in the Army Corps of Engineers' latest budget, for instance, are 26 funds containing a total of $507 million that is to be spent on building projects not listed in President Obama's budget or in the final bill. That money will likely go to lawmakers' pet projects, according to analysts. More»