Senate approves around $36 bln spending cuts

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Thursday approved about $36 billion in net spending cuts to several mandatory programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, the health care programs for the elderly and poor.

The Senate voted 52-47, for the Republican plan that carries out the goals of a five-year budget blueprint approved by Congress last spring.

The House of Representatives has not yet debated its version of a bill that would achieve around $54 billion in net cuts to mandatory programs over five years. Differences between the two chambers' bills would have to be worked out before legislation can be sent to President George W. Bush.

Reuters

Coverage from the AP...

Senate OKs Bill Cutting $36B Over 5 Years

The bill, passed by a 52-47 vote, makes mild cuts to the health care programs for the elderly, poor and disabled, but leaves the food stamp program untouched.
....
"Their budget ... actually would make the deficit worse," said Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. "That's fiscally irresponsible at any time, but especially when we should be saving to prepare for the baby boomers' retirement."

Yet Republicans did pick up the support of two Democrats, Sen. Ben Nelson (news, bio, voting record) of Nebraska and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, whose hurricane-devastated state won emergency aid under the bill.

Yahoo link

[Sandpiper]

1. They cut the Military Budget and Corporate Welfare, right?

No, no. That never happens.

The GOP only likes to cut programs that help people.

[BulletproofLandshark]

2. Yeah,don't even consider repealing tax cuts for the rich.

And BTW, fuck Ben Nelson and Mary Landrieu. :argh: :argh:

[madmark]

3. I believe those two voted down an amendment to prevent drilling in

ANWR today.

[wordpix]

6. sounds like they've been bought off by Rethugs

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

4. $7B a year means something for the needy.

It's a drop in the bucket for other areas of the budget.

:thumbsdown:

[MGKrebs]

5. From a related story:

"Even in advance of the 52-47 vote, the White House was stirring up veto talk..."

"Bush didn't make too much of the veto threat issued in his name, instead thanking the Senate for the cuts to health care programs for the elderly, poor and disabled while leaving food stamps untouched.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/11/04/congress.budget.ap/index.html

[wordpix]

7. thanks to the AP reporter who wrote this, (s)he really tells it like it is

"Bush didn't make too much of the veto threat issued in his name, instead thanking the Senate for the cuts to health care programs for the elderly, poor and disabled while leaving food stamps untouched."

Bushie also was pleased that the vote opens up the Arctic Nat'l Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling for his good buddies in BushCo. This was in the same bill.

[Barkley]

8. They left 'the food stamp program untouched' because

of the Farm lobby. Cutting food stamps cuts the demand for agricultural products.

Food stamps are a back-door way of subsidizing agri-business.

[UpInArms]

9. The National Debt increases an average of $3.48 billion per day

The National Debt has continued to increase an average of
$3.48 billion per day since September 30, 2005


The estimated population of the United States is 297,616,934
so each citizen's share of this debt is $27,064.37.