Empty GOP Threats and an Overdue Spending Bill
Posted by Michael Link on February 15, 2007 at 03:39 PM
The Republican-dominated Congress failed to fulfill their obligations last year by putting off approving a spending bill funding nearly half the federal government. Senate Democrats, however, passed the spending plan today despite the GOP threatening to block the bill.
Despite the empty threats, the bill passed 81-15. The Washington Post cited the failure of the Republican Congress to approve the appropriation bills:
Congressional Democrats blame Republicans for leaving them a fiscal mess from last year, when Congress approved just two of the 11 appropriations bills and forced them to craft an omnibus bill that would fund a large chunk of the government for the remainder of fiscal 2007."Today's action is another step towards cleaning up the fiscal mess left by the 109th Congress," said Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.).
So it appears there will be no "showdown." This is a victory not only for the Senate Democrats who stood up to Republican empty threats, but also for the American people. Here's more information from the Washington Post about the bill that passed in the Senate:
The spending plan would maintain funding for most federal agencies at their 2006 level, but it would add billions of dollars in funding for Democratic priorities such as veterans' health care and Pell grants for higher education.The additional funding for Pell grants would mean an increase of $260 per year, up to $4,310, for students, according to congressional estimates. The National Institutes of Health will have an additional 500 research grants to administer because of almost $620 million in increased funding.
The Republicans were wise not to block the bill and shut down the government because of their own failure to resolve this in the 109th Congress.
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