Budget Deal Easing $63 Billion in Cuts Advances in Senate

[Purveyor]

Source: Bloomberg

The U.S. Senate cleared and sent to President Barack Obama the first bipartisan budget produced by a divided Congress in 27 years, resolving for now spending issues that had helped spur a government shutdown in October.

The $1.01 trillion budget deal passed 64-36 today eases $63 billion in automatic spending cuts, raises user fees and lowers the U.S. deficit over 10 years. The plan keeps in place about half of the reductions known as sequestration for next year, and about three-quarters of the planned cuts for 2015.

Nine Republicans joined all Democrats to back the measure.

Neither party liked the cuts, which in January would have pinched Pentagon spending as well as domestic programs. Neither party could find a way to erase them all in this compromise, which does little to address the nation’s $17 trillion debt.

“It is not going to solve every problem but it is a step in the right direction and a dramatic improvement over the status quo,” Senator Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat who helped craft the budget, said before the vote. “The American people are sick and tired of the constant crises we see out of Washington.”

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-12-18/budget-deal-easing-63-billion-in-cuts-advances-in-senate.html

[russspeakeasy]

1. Professional wrestling.

[Plucketeer]

2. Yeah Patty....

An' some of us are getting sick of ALWAYS giving the bigger share away. ALWAYS. We're even asked, flat out, to EMBRACE THE SUCK. WTF choice do we have?????????

[pampango]

3. "Nine Republicans joined all Democrats in approving the measure."

Budget deal wins final Senate approval, heads to Obama's desk

A bipartisan budget plan won final approval in Congress on Wednesday, with the Senate passing the hard-fought compromise.

President Obama was expected to swiftly sign the measure, which cleared the Senate 64 to 36. Nine Republicans joined all Democrats in approving the measure. Three Republicans who voted to advance the bill earlier in the week voted against it Wednesday. The House overwhelmingly passed it last week.

The increased spending was opposed vehemently by conservative groups, who split the GOP as they tried to stop the deal.

Some Republicans who voted to advance the bill earlier in the week opposed its final passage Wednesday. Among those was Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), who said: “I simply couldn't support a budget agreement that trades spending increases today for potential spending cuts years down the road. We've seen that movie before, and we know how it ends."

http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/politicsnow/la-pn-senate-approves-budget-deal-20131218,0,222800.story#axzz2ns1XaxDn

[tazkcmo]

4. All Democrats

supported cuts in military retirement benefits. Benefits already earned. Support our troops until they can't kill for us anymore. Yay.

http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/alert/?alertid=63026006

[Tx4obama]

5. Kick n/t

[truedelphi]

6. ALthough it is good to notice that this resolution means half of the

Coming Sequestration problems will be avoided, we are not out of the woods yet.

And who are the winners of this budget? As usual, The One Percent.

Who are the losers? Any military personnel hoping to have a decent pension, as well as those who will soon see their unemployment bennies end. And also those on Food Stamps.

Since Food Stamps return $ 1.07 worth of money to the local economy for every dollar the government provides, this is a loss to the community as well.

Oh and the military and defense budget is covered under a separate budget, so I doubt there will be any cuts made to the Big Defense Contractors, or to those doing Surveillance on all us terrorists, etc.