government spending

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Congress Running Out of Time for Debt Ceiling Fix

Deadlocked, it's on break 3 of next 6 weeks

(Newser) - Congress has six weeks to raise the debt ceiling before all hell breaks loose—and that’s a lot less time than it sounds like, because one or both chambers is scheduled to be on break for three of those weeks, the Washington Post observes. What’s more, Congress’ last...

What Travel Austerity? Congress Globe-Trots in 2011

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...

Biden: We've Got $1T in Cuts

...but Republicans want $2T

(Newser) - Budget negotiations between congressional leaders seem to be off to a strong start: The sides have identified at least $1 trillion in possible spending cuts, mediator Joe Biden told reporters yesterday. “If we keep on this pace, we can get to a relatively large number,” he said, adding...

Obama Must Call GOP's 'Bluff' on Debt Ceiling

Can't let hostage-holding House run the country: Paul Krugman

(Newser) - Look out, President Obama: House Republicans have created another “hostage situation.” This time, they’re holding the debt ceiling for a ransom of big spending cuts, writes Paul Krugman in the New York Times . The Republican Party doesn't control the White House or the Senate, so you...

59% Will at Least &#39;Consider&#39; Reelecting Obama
59% Will at Least  
'Consider' Reelecting Obama
poll says
May 16, 2011 9:25 AM CDT

59% Will at Least 'Consider' Reelecting Obama

...even though 57% of voters disapprove of his handling of the economy

(Newser) - More than half of voters approve of President Obama’s job performance and would at least consider reelecting him—even though 57% of them disapprove of they way he is handling the economy, a Politico-George Washington University poll finds. Some 52% approve of the president’s work so far, and...

'Gang of Six:' $3 in Cuts for Every $1 Raised

There's something for everyone to hate

(Newser) - The budget plan the bipartisan Gang of Six ultimately devises will include $3 of spending cuts for every dollar it raises in additional tax revenues, Mark Warner tells Bloomberg , promising cuts in health care, defense, agriculture, and other domestic programs, along with changes to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. The...

Shutdown Averted, Higher Stakes Loom

Battles brewing over debt ceiling, 2012 budget will be even bigger

(Newser) - If you think the narrowly averted government shutdown over a few billion dollars was bad, wait until you see the multi-trillion-dollar brawls coming in the next few weeks, reports the Wall Street Journal . First up, the government is about to hit its legally imposed $14.294 trillion debt ceiling by...

Tea Party on Budget Deal: 'We Won' to 'Disappointed'

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
...

Now They Can't Agree on What They Disagree About

Boehner says it's about spending; Reid says it's abortion

(Newser) - With the midnight deadline creeping closer, there's been plenty of partisan rhetoric today but still no budget deal. Harry Reid and John Boehner even disagree on the main sticking point, reports the Washington Post . Reid contends that the two sides have agreed on $38 billion in cuts and that the...

New GOP Budget Would Cut $4T

Plan would drastically slash Medicare

(Newser) - In an attempt to reframe the budget debate, Republicans are proposing a 2012 budget that features $4 trillion in spending cuts over the next decade—and would end Medicare as we know it, reports the Wall Street Journal . Democrats won’t likely support the 2012 plan, helmed by House Budget...

Tea Party Rally Message: 'Cut It or Shut It'

Members urge Republicans to push for even deeper cuts

(Newser) - Amid signs of a potential deal to avoid a government shutdown, a group of Tea Party activists gathered in DC today to urge Republicans to keep on slashing. "Cut it or shut it," and "We want less," went the chants outside the Capitol, reports the Hill...

No. of Reps Who Donated to National Debt in 2010: 3

But even if they gave full salaries, they'd barely make a den

(Newser) - For a bunch of people so concerned with the growing national debt, the House of Representatives doesn't have a lot of members putting their money where their mouths are. The House has program that allows representatives to return a portion of their salaries toward debt reduction (the Senate doesn't even...

One-Third of US Wages? Government Handouts

Social welfare benefits make up 35% of wages and salaries

(Newser) - More than a third of the total wages and salaries in the US is made up of government payouts, CNBC reports. Social welfare benefits including Social Security, Medicare, and unemployment insurance account for 35% of wages and salaries—a record figure that is up from 21% in 2000 and 10%...

White House Offers Another $6.5B in Cuts

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...

Senate Passes Spending Bill, Avoids Shutdown

Temporary measure cuts $4 billion, will last 2 weeks

(Newser) - Congress is sending President Obama a Republican-drafted bill to trim $4 billion from the budget to keep the government running for two more weeks. The Senate cleared the measure by an overwhelming 91-9 vote that gives the GOP an early but modest victory in its drive to rein in government....

Government Shutdown Poll: Republicans, Democrats Both to Blame

 Public Would 
 Blame Everyone 
 for Shutdown 
Poll Numbers
Mar 1, 2011 10:59 AM CST

Public Would Blame Everyone for Shutdown

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...

Government Shutdown Likely Averted, for Two Weeks

Democrats respond favorably to John Boehner's plan

(Newser) - Looks like a government shutdown has been avoided—for two weeks, at least. Democrats responded favorably last night to a Republican plan for a temporary, two-week extension that would allow the government to continue operating. The trade-off? It also requires a first installment of $4 billion in budget cuts to...

Obama to Propose Middle-Ground Budget Cuts

Proposed cuts will reduce deficits by $1.1T over 10 years

(Newser) - The budget cuts President Obama will propose tomorrow likely won’t be as deep as Republicans want , but they will nonetheless promise $1.1 trillion in deficit reductions over the next decade, according to a senior administration official. Among the proposed areas to be affected in the fiscal 2012 budget:...

Obama's Next Budget Cut: Heating Aid for Poor

Move likely to draw sharp opposition from Democrats

(Newser) - President Obama’s 2012 budget proposal will include a drastic cut in a program that gives heating assistance to poor people, officials tell the National Journal . The move is likely to draw sharp opposition from Obama’s own party; earlier today, Chuck Schumer called a similar Republican proposal “extreme,...

Palin: Obama's Theme Is Winning the Future&mdash;or WTF
Palin: Obama's Theme Is Winning the Future—or WTF
state of the union
Jan 27, 2011 7:19 AM CST

Palin: Obama's Theme Is Winning the Future—or WTF

Get it? Get it? Also, we need to cut 'fluffery' spending on NPR

(Newser) - Sarah Palin, not surprisingly, wasn’t a fan of President Obama’s State of the Union address . She joked with Greta Van Susteren last night that his theme “was the WTF, you know, winning the future ,” which was appropriate because “there were a lot of WTF moments...

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