Senate Clears $410B Spending Bill

(AP) - With a $410 billion catchall spending bill stalled in the Senate and a midnight deadline looming, Congress rushed through stopgap legislation today to keep the government running for another five days. With most Republicans denouncing the bill as too costly and a few Democrats opposing it as well, Majority Leader Harry Reid called off a key procedural vote—just one vote short of the 60 needed to send the measure to the White House. More»

Pressure on Senate leaders to find a way

(NEWSER) - With all eyes on the Senate this weekend, one name keeps cropping up as pivotal deal-maker: Mitch McConnell. Politico and the Wall Street Journal see the Senate minority leader as key to any potential compromise that could be struck as Harry Reid's bill winds through the Senate. As Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin puts it, “What these senators on the Republican side are waiting for is a permission slip from Sen. McConnell.” The Washington Post says McConnell is ticked because President Obama rejected a potential compromise last week and is insisting that the White House be at the table in weekend talks. More»

President will meet with key lawmakers next week

(NEWSER) - Step aside, Joe. A day after congressional Republicans called off debt-reduction talks with Vice President Joe Biden, the White House announced President Obama will meet directly with key lawmakers next week, reports the Washington Post . Obama will meet with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Monday. More»

Officials: We're meeting GOP 'halfway' with budget proposal

(NEWSER) - The White House has proposed another $6.5 billion in spending cuts, its latest offer in an effort to avoid a government shutdown as another deadline looms. Vice President Biden brought the proposal to talks with congressional leaders yesterday. While it’s far less than the House’s proposed $61 billion in cuts, administration authorities call it a place to start, the Washington Post reports. “We're willing to cut further if we can find common ground,” said a White House economic adviser. More»

Proponents hope measure will create 250K jobs

(AP) - US companies that hire unemployed workers will get a temporary payroll tax holiday under a bill that easily won final congressional approval today. The 68-29 Senate vote sends the legislation to the White House, where President Obama has promised to sign it into law. Optimistic estimates predict the tax break could generate 250,000 jobs through the end of the year, a tiny fraction of the 8.4 million jobs lost since the start of the recession. More»