U.S. shutdown battle begins as Republicans kill spending measure

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

U.S. shutdown battle begins as Republicans kill spending measure

By David Lawder
WASHINGTON | Thu Aug 1, 2013 8:24pm EDT

(Reuters) - A battle in Congress expected this fall over the budget and a potential government shutdown broke out early on Thursday as Republicans in the Senate effectively killed a $54 billion spending bill for transportation and housing projects.

All but one Republican voted against the measure, denying it the 60 votes it needed to advance past a procedural hurdle.

Blockage of the Senate's first appropriations bill, along with a decision on Wednesday by Republicans in the House of Representatives to halt consideration of their own transportation funding measure, sends Congress back to the drawing board to find a way to agree on spending and taxes.

It marked the failure of a much-touted return to normal budgeting practices in Congress as a way to try to overcome deep fiscal divisions between the two parties.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/02/us-usa-fiscal-transport-idUSBRE9701GP20130802

[northoftheborder]

1. Can Congress persons be sued for non-performance of duties of office?

[bigwillq]

2. That would be a lot of lawsuits (nt)

[Rosa Luxemburg]

3. Americans should hold Congress accountable

The public don't really know what is going on and how it will affect them. Democrats need to inform them as soon as possible.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

4. Nah! They'll just blame Obama, just like we do here on DU. I work at HUD and we and my

friends over at DOT are shaking in our collective boots. So angry. So tired. We worked so hard to put together budgets through fiscal year 2015. So when I hear people falsely claim that Obama has no budget, I call bullshit. Most agencies have submitted budgets two years in advance from now.

[SunSeeker]

5. Thank you for your service to the public.

I too share your frustrations with the Obama blaming, particularly here on DU. But I guess all the inflammatory statements by the hair on fire Obama haters gets clicks and replies, which is what keeps the site in business, and may explain the admins' tolerance of this toxic atmosphere.

Your job is hard enough, though. It is unfortunate you don't have more support.

[SunSeeker]

6. OFFS, Reuters! It's not a "procedural hurdle," it's a REPUBLICAN FILIBUSTER.