WASHINGTON—A continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government through March 2011 is expected to pass this evening in both the Senate and the House.
Had Congress not acted, the current continuing resolution would have expired at midnight, forcing a government shutdown, a result elected officials did not want to happen. On this issue compromise of some form was inevitable.
Last week Republicans opposed a 1,924-page omnibus measure that would have provided $19 billion in additional funding over 2010 levels, in a move led by Tea Party supporter Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.).
DeMint invoked a formality rarely used in the Senate, demanding that the entire bill be read out by the Senate clerk.
DeMint’s protest was predicated on his opposition to the $8 billion in earmarks contained in the omnibus. He was supported by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, and eight other Republicans who withdrew their support of the omnibus, according to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), who was then forced to defer a vote and proceed with a resolution instead.
Thirty-one Republicans and eight Democrats voted early in the lame duck to avow themselves of earmarks, which involve setting aside dollars for projects designed to benefit elected leaders’ constituents. Over two dozen of them, including McConnell, were criticized for having earmarks in the omnibus.
The 36-page continuing resolution provides a nominal increase of $1.16 billion over 2010 spending levels, according to a summary produced by the Senate Appropriations Committee.
The CR includes the two-year freeze on federal civilian workers proposed earlier this month by President Obama.
The resolution was agreed upon after a comprise between Republicans and Democrats, the former preferring a simple resolution without increases until February, and the latter requesting increases for veterans and education, as well as the additional month.
The Senate voted twice on Tuesday on the continuing resolution. In the morning they voted 82-14 to end debate on the subject. A final vote in the afternoon passed 79-16.
The House is expected to pass the measure before the current continuing resolution expires at midnight.
The Senate’s deferral of the omnibus fiscal year 2011 appropriations bill on Dec. 16 in favor of a continuing resolution effectively places the government on autopilot for another two plus months, said Sen. Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee in a statement.
“My colleagues should all understand the consequences of this decision. First, a CR does virtually nothing to accommodate the priorities of the Congress, and it abdicates responsibility for providing much needed oversight of the requests of the executive branch,” stated Inouye the day after the deferral.
Each year the Appropriations Committee conducts hundreds of hearings, and committee members and staff conduct thousands of meetings with members of the executive branch, states, and municipalities as well as business leaders, outside experts, and the general public to determine the proper allotment of taxpayer dollars, according to Inouye.
Thousands of adjustments are made to the budget each year based on this large amount. A CR fails to take into account the committee’s work, says Inouye.
“Nothing good comes from a continuing resolution,” stated Inouye.
Savings in the CR come primarily from reducing national defense and security funding, including more than $12 billion from Defense and $800 million for Homeland Security. Hundreds of programs will be left unfunded by the CR.
The long term fate of government funding will now be decided by the next session of Congress, which will feature a Republican controlled House and an influx of Tea Party supported candidates, many of whom deeply avow government spending and oppose earmarks.
Had Congress not acted, the current continuing resolution would have expired at midnight, forcing a government shutdown, a result elected officials did not want to happen. On this issue compromise of some form was inevitable.
Last week Republicans opposed a 1,924-page omnibus measure that would have provided $19 billion in additional funding over 2010 levels, in a move led by Tea Party supporter Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.).
DeMint invoked a formality rarely used in the Senate, demanding that the entire bill be read out by the Senate clerk.
DeMint’s protest was predicated on his opposition to the $8 billion in earmarks contained in the omnibus. He was supported by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, and eight other Republicans who withdrew their support of the omnibus, according to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), who was then forced to defer a vote and proceed with a resolution instead.
Thirty-one Republicans and eight Democrats voted early in the lame duck to avow themselves of earmarks, which involve setting aside dollars for projects designed to benefit elected leaders’ constituents. Over two dozen of them, including McConnell, were criticized for having earmarks in the omnibus.
The 36-page continuing resolution provides a nominal increase of $1.16 billion over 2010 spending levels, according to a summary produced by the Senate Appropriations Committee.
The CR includes the two-year freeze on federal civilian workers proposed earlier this month by President Obama.
The resolution was agreed upon after a comprise between Republicans and Democrats, the former preferring a simple resolution without increases until February, and the latter requesting increases for veterans and education, as well as the additional month.
The Senate voted twice on Tuesday on the continuing resolution. In the morning they voted 82-14 to end debate on the subject. A final vote in the afternoon passed 79-16.
The House is expected to pass the measure before the current continuing resolution expires at midnight.
Less Oversight
The Senate’s deferral of the omnibus fiscal year 2011 appropriations bill on Dec. 16 in favor of a continuing resolution effectively places the government on autopilot for another two plus months, said Sen. Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee in a statement.
“My colleagues should all understand the consequences of this decision. First, a CR does virtually nothing to accommodate the priorities of the Congress, and it abdicates responsibility for providing much needed oversight of the requests of the executive branch,” stated Inouye the day after the deferral.
Each year the Appropriations Committee conducts hundreds of hearings, and committee members and staff conduct thousands of meetings with members of the executive branch, states, and municipalities as well as business leaders, outside experts, and the general public to determine the proper allotment of taxpayer dollars, according to Inouye.
Thousands of adjustments are made to the budget each year based on this large amount. A CR fails to take into account the committee’s work, says Inouye.
“Nothing good comes from a continuing resolution,” stated Inouye.
Savings in the CR come primarily from reducing national defense and security funding, including more than $12 billion from Defense and $800 million for Homeland Security. Hundreds of programs will be left unfunded by the CR.
The long term fate of government funding will now be decided by the next session of Congress, which will feature a Republican controlled House and an influx of Tea Party supported candidates, many of whom deeply avow government spending and oppose earmarks.
