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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsRepublicans are blocking $100 billion in immediate infrastructure spending.
The Senate Democrats' budget includes $100 billion in infrastructure spending.
The budget includes $100 billion of immediate infrastructure spending designed to boost the economy and raise $975 billion over the next decade through tax reform, which would eliminate various loopholes and tax expenditures.
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/03/senate-passes-budget-after-all-night-debate.php
Republicans have been blocking this budget for more than 120 days as of today. This was early July.
By Alan Pyke
Monday marks 100 days since the Senate passed a budget amid bipartisan praise of the open process. But initial Republican eagerness to work on a budget has given way to the obstructionism thats defined the Senate minority under Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
Over the past hundred days, Republicans have blocked 15 separate attempts to go to a budget conference with the House of Representatives. Now that the House and Senate have passed their own versions, each is supposed to appoint representatives to a committee that reconciles them into one bill that can be passed by each body and signed by the president.
The handful of Republicans who are blocking a conference on the 2014 budget cite a variety of reasons, including fears that the conference agreement would include a deal preventing another debt ceiling crisis. Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Marco Rubio (R-FL) have insisted that the conferees be barred from addressing the debt ceiling, which needs to be increased by this fall to avoid a catastrophic default on U.S. obligations. McConnell, who has praised the use of the debt ceiling as a pressure point for extracting spending cuts despite the tactics negative impact on the nations credit rating, is one of many prominent Republicans who demanded regular order on the budget. In January, he called for a speedy budget conference because thats how things are supposed to work around here.
Yet McConnell has joined the Cruz/Paul/Rubio wing of his caucus in blocking progress on the budget over the past 100 days. Spokespeople for the Republican Senate leader did not respond to multiple requests for comment on Monday, but by joining with members like Paul hes wrapped his arms around the obstructionists spin. According to a sign Pauls staff whipped up for a May floor speech, theyre Preventing A Back Room Deal To Raise The Debt Limit and counting the days without budget conferees as a mounting victory.
- more -
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/07/01/2241941/republican-obstruction-of-budget-process-hits-100th-day/
JaneyVee
(19,877 posts)ZombieHorde
(29,047 posts)leftstreet
(36,109 posts)DevonRex
(22,541 posts)The GOP is blocking. The GOP is trying to repeal what's already been done. They have not intention of passing anything, according to Boehner.
Gee, I wonder what's different about Obama? Especially since you guys say he's one step to the right of the Koch bros. The GOP ought to be passing everything Obama proposes, since he's so corporate and all.
Or, they should be passing everything he proposes because he's blackmailing them with evil NSA information.
madokie
(51,076 posts)nothing more or nothing less
DevonRex
(22,541 posts)obviously not the "evil dictator" of the "evil U.S. Empire" some like to fantasize about.
madokie
(51,076 posts)Ian David
(69,059 posts)Cha
(297,323 posts)DevonRex
(22,541 posts)You mean that Mother Jones article was silly??
freshwest
(53,661 posts)DevonRex
(22,541 posts)Tim Wise rocks.
freshwest
(53,661 posts)divider" hashtag
mick063
(2,424 posts)I think it is worthwhile to question the details of all government spending.
If infrastructure investment is wisely spent, I am 100% behind it. If it amounts to a taxpayer giveaway to corporations collectively fleecing us, I'm against it.
What I am saying is that just appropriating money doesn't go far enough. The corporations that provide the services we collectively pay for must have legitimate government oversight. Remove the government oversight, and soon, federal spending is what the corporatists will be championing. In the future, after the restraints are gone, we will see a big change in the "small government" mantra. Corporate socialism, forced consumerism is the next big step for the corporatists. Folks on DU will be declaring victory as taxpayers feed the coffers of unethical money grubbers.
Having said that, our infrastructure is in dire need of help.
Scurrilous
(38,687 posts)Laelth
(32,017 posts)-Laelth
msongs
(67,420 posts)great white snark
(2,646 posts)Are there such things as Libertarian bots? Not accusing you I just figured you'd know.
BumRushDaShow
(129,117 posts)there's no such thing as "Congress". The President can haul off and demand that the Treasury print the check right fucking now!!!!!111!!!!! Yeah, that's the ticket!!!!111!111!!1
sheshe2
(83,791 posts)great white snark
(2,646 posts)Frustrating news ProSense.
Cha
(297,323 posts)yeah, Pro has some whacked "fans".
valerief
(53,235 posts)hue
(4,949 posts)flamingdem
(39,313 posts)jwirr
(39,215 posts)failing to hold the storms. We are not doing anything about our energy grid or the need for internet access in rural areas. And as all of you know this is just a small part of the need.
90-percent
(6,829 posts)is using his wits and intelligence to slowly and modestly recraft legislation to be favorable to dems and palatable to repubs. He's getting stuff passed in this era of Repub obstruction and sabotage of our government.
He is reinventing how to be effective in Congress, and without selling out his Congressman with Guts sound bites. Actually, he's not doing too many; Republican Health Plan: Die Quickly, stuff as much as he used to? Probably because he's a big thinker more focused on advancing a progressive agenda than getting unfairly edited in the evening corporate news.
-90% Jimmy
Initech
(100,081 posts)They represent big wealthy business interests, the billionaires, and the war machine. Time for them to go!
zbdent
(35,392 posts)ha ha ha. toll roads/bridges (especially bridges). Least of the issues. Where are the "free market" businesses going to get the capital to buy the materials needed? Are they going to be able to hire workers to do the work that won't get paid until the company turns a profit on the venture? (If it ever "turns a profit", according to the books that nobody but the company is allowed to see).
No police ... you have to hire your own security. How about that fire department where the guy was begging to pay double the fee that he didn't pay before his house caught fire?
Pure "free market" forces there ...
AnotherMcIntosh
(11,064 posts)Send them back to their own party.
riqster
(13,986 posts)The Reeps we have to de-job are the ones who have the power to block Dem policies, or enact Reep policies. None of the rest matter.
putitinD
(1,551 posts)Cha
(297,323 posts)mahalo Pro