Senators avert government shutdown, pass temporary spending measure

[DonViejo]

Source: Washington Post

By Ed O'Keefe December 13 at 4:03 PM

The Senate convened for a rare Saturday session after a bloc of conservative senators upended plans to quickly pass a $1.1 trillion spending bill.

But a backstop measure to extend current government funding until Wednesday was approved Saturday afternoon, averting a potential government shutdown that would have started at midnight.

The spending measure is expected to be approved with bipartisan support, but disagreement over how to proceed mean that the first procedural vote on the bill won’t be until after midnight tonight. Final passage of the bill is scheduled for early Monday morning.

In the meantime, “we wait,” Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) said as he convened the chamber at midday.

The impasse infuriated members of both parties and was especially aggravating for senators set to leave office, either by retirement or because they lost reelection.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/spending-bill-forces-rare-weekend-session-for-the-senate-with-shutdown-hours-away/2014/12/13/81832bf6-82e8-11e4-81fd-8c4814dfa9d7_story.html?

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Other Senators Fume Over Cruz's Push For Vote On Obama Immigration Action

By DANIEL STRAUSS Published DECEMBER 13, 2014, 2:05 PM EST

Other members of the Senate fumed Saturday over objections by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Mike Lee (R-UT) that held up a $1.1 trillion omnibus bill meant to keep the government open. The objection was fueled by the two conservatives' desire to fight President Barack Obama's executive action on immigration.

The objections by Cruz and Lee mean that the Senate must slog through procedural votes Saturday on nominees and also vote to end a filibuster on the omnibus bill at 1 a.m. on Sunday.

It was too much for Democrats and even Republicans to bite their tongues over.

-snip-

more
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/ted-cruz-mike-lee-omnibus-obama-obama-executive-action-immigration

[Veilex]

1. Boo-freakin-hoo

"The impasse infuriated members of both parties and was especially aggravating for senators set to leave office, either by retirement or because they lost reelection." - Do your freakin jobs and you might not have that problem!

[onethatcares]

3. yeah, it had nothing to do

with the shitibanc inserts or the cutting of food stamps, just grandstanding by the doofus from texas and a cohort.

[valerief]

2. How was this too much? Most of the year, they're on vacation. nt

[Cha]

4. Of course the assholes cruz and mike lee wanted to hold it up because of Immigration.

[davidpdx]

5. Is this the one with the roll back of regulations on the financial industry?

I'm confused.

[ucrdem]

6. Yes, but a different group of Senators objecting.

Dodd-Frank objections were led by Warren and Vitter, and the immigration EO objections by Cruz and Lee, joined by Sessions of Alabama, per the WaPo article at the link. Apparently the vote will take place on Wednesday. Not sure about these two amendments, but per WaPo, their chances of passing are slim.

[davidpdx]

7. good

[merrily]

8. "bipartisan support" How often did we hear that during the last six years? But we hear it

about this POS.

DC KABUKI.