The Government Did Not Shut Down--That's The Good News

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Today's Washington Examiner reported  that just around midnight, the Senate and the House passed a six-day "bridge" bill to keep the government running while they draft the legislation that will keep the government running until the end of fiscal 2011 (September 2011). 

The Washington Examiner reports that the budget passed cuts spending $38.5 billion.  The Republicans originally wanted $61.5 billion, and the Democrats originally wanted $6.5 billion.

Just to put this agreement into perspective, CNS News reported today:

"The federal debt increased $54.1 billion in the eight days preceding the deal made by President Barack Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D.-Nev.) and House Speaker John Boehner (R.-Ohio) to cut $38.5 billion in federal spending for the remainder of fiscal year 2011, which runs through September." 

We really do need to get spending under control.

Yahoo News posted an Associated Press story today stating:

"Not all policy "riders" were struck. One provision in the final deal would ban the use of federal or local government funds to pay for abortions in the District of Columbia. A program dear to Boehner that lets District of Columbia students use federally funded vouchers to attend private schools also survived."

Both of these riders are important for what they represent.  The Hyde Amendment is supposed to prohibit the use of federal funds to pay for abortion--the rider simply brings the District of Columbia under that law, but it reminds us that the Hyde Amendment needs to be restated on a regular bases.  The voucher program in the District of Columbia is a desperately needed program in a city with failing schools.  It needs to continue and can serve as an example for other cities with failing schools.

This is not a perfect deal, but the big fights are looming--raising the debt limit and the 2012 budget.  The budget proposed by Paul Ryan is a workable way to get spending under control and bring future entitlement spending into line.  Hopefully, that budget will be given serious consideration as we move forward.

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This page contains a single entry by Granny G published on April 9, 2011 6:22 PM.

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