Over 16,529,784 people are on fubar.
What are you waiting for?

zhen1989's blog: "zhen1989"

created on 12/11/2011  |  http://fubar.com/zhen1989/b345233

Senate leaders said on Friday night that they had reached a deal that would extend a payroll tax cut for two months — falling far short of the year-long extension they had been seeking. The agreement would also speed the decision process for the construction of an oil pipeline from Canada to the Gulf Coast — a provision necessary to win over Republicans who opposed the tax break. mulberry bagsA senior administration officials said that the deal announced Friday night meets the test that President Obama had set out: that Congress would not go home without preventing a tax increase on 160 million Americans. However, rank and file members of the House said on Friday that they were opposed to a short-term extension. Approval in that chamber, even with the provision on the Keystone XL pipeline, is no sure thing. The Senate agreement would also allow jobless workers to continue receiving unemployment insurance benefits as permitted by current law for two months. For the same period, there would be no cut or increase in fees paid to doctors for treating Medicare patients. The cost of these items will be fully paid for, Congressional aides said. News of the deal came as the 112th Congress lurched toward the end of its tumultuous first session. Earlier on Friday, the House finished off one of its last major pieces of business for the year, voting 296 to 121 to approve a sweeping $1 trillion spending bill that would keep the government funded through Sept. 30. The Senate is set to approve it Saturday. mulberry saleThat conflict, which mirrors the broader political dynamic across the country, is unlikely to ebb in the second session, as Republicans labor to make life more difficult for President Obama and Democrats struggle to hold the White House and the Senate. “It’s a presidential year and it may even get worse,” said Representative Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska, a Republican who has served since 2005. “My hope is that the institution can regain some stature in the eyes of the people,” he said. “Sadly next year, because of the dynamics of politics, because of the dynamic of the media because of the dynamics of money, it’s likely to be more difficult.” The omnibus spending bill approved by the House on Friday provides more than $900 billion for the Defense Department, Homeland Security, public works, foreign aid, veterans benefits and a wide range of health, education and labor programs in the 2012 fiscal year. Under the bill, the National Institutes of Health would get $30.7 billion, which is $299 million above last year’s level and $758 million below the president’s request.mulberry bags for saleThe bill provides $3.5 billion for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program — $1.2 billion less than last year but $909 million more than the president requested. The measure also cuts President Obama’s Race to the Top education initiative by more than 20 percent, to $550 million, from $698 million. The bill says health officials cannot use federal money to advocate gun control or to carry out needle exchange programs, intended to curb the spread of AIDS.

Leave a comment!
html comments NOT enabled!
NOTE: If you post content that is offensive, adult, or NSFW (Not Safe For Work), your account will be deleted.[?]

giphy icon
blog.php' rendered in 0.058 seconds on machine '110'.