The House Rules Committee just approved H J Res 117, the six-month continuing resolution that will keep the government up and running until March 27. The bill now heads to the House floor for a vote, which could come as early as tomorrow.
The bill also contains a provision — requested by President Obama, and denounced by federal unions — further freezing federal pay until an actual budget is passed.
House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers, R-Ky., testified before the Rules Committee and called the bill “basic and necessary legislation that must be in place before the end of the fiscal year” Sept. 30. But he also said it is “not good governance” and “risky for the nation’s financial future” to keep funding the government on temporary continuing resolutions that only extend current spending levels, and not by passing actual budgets.
The Office of Management and Budget issued a Statement of Administration Policy before the vote that backed the bill as “reflecting a compromise.”
The Rules Committee also passed HR 6365, the National Security and Job Protection Act, which would undo the defense — but not the domestic — sequestration cuts now set to go into effect in January. OMB also issued a statement strongly opposing that bill, and recommending that Obama veto it.
“The bill’s unbalanced approach breaks the agreement reached in the bipartisan Budget Control Act of 2011 and fails the test of fairness and shared responsibility,” OMB said. “HR 6365, which contains no elements of compromise, fails to replace the entire sequester in FY 2013, fails to eliminate any of the reductions beyond FY 2013, and fails to ask the most fortunate Americans to pay their fair share.”
5 Comments
If Congress can’t agree on a budget, all agencies should take the budget hit. DoD is a bloated agency; there is plenty of waste to weed out. By the same token, the democratic cry of “make the rich pay more” is getting old and has no merit – it is only a ploy that plays well to the uneducated and government entitlement crowd. Change the tax law, removing loop holes, to ensure everyone contributes. As long as close to 50% of Americans are on the government dole, we do not stand a chance of real growth in this country. America will continue to lose world standing because we are becoming a nation of lazy whiners.
Don’t expect congress to proceed with two tasks at the same time, ie, passing a sensible budget and sequestration.
What this article fails to mention is that this bill also included aid to Libya and Egypt. When federal funding is continued at present levels that means that foreign aid will continue at present levels. This week the house passed this bill without reviewing the foreign aid provisions they were voting on.
This is an example of a poorly written bill. It includes a freeze on federal pay and aid for Egypt and Libya: how can a representative vote correctly on such a bill.
Of course, there is a remedy for this when it reaches Obama’s desk for his signature. He could redline the aid or he could veto the bill and give a strong message to Congress. Well, dream on. We don’t have a President who has the strength to stop the aid to Libya and Eygpt!
Of Course, this government and President “Do Not” have the strenght to say “NO”. Congress does want to tackle our more important problems that face the United States.
The problems are as follows:
the deficit, foreign aid, the GSA crisis, and passing a budget on time.
The real problem is waste within the government. Without bringing on trained inspectors with real powers of decision, waste cannot and will not be eliminated or, at least, curtailed. I agree that positions have to be eliminated and downsizing the workforce should be a priority. Without comprehensive studies, downsizing will not be effective. It will be a case of management looking out for their own best interests as usual. Until they come up with a solution for contract fraud, overstaffing and position underutilization, this is all political talk.