federal budget

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Special Interests Gave 'Super Committee' Members $3M

Donors have a stake in spending cuts

(Newser) - The 12 members of the new budget super committee have received more than $3 million over the past five years from special interests directly affected by potential cuts, an AP review finds. The money came from groups linked to defense contractors, labor unions, and health care providers, and buffered the...

Nuclear-Waste Disposal Making Federal Budget Sick

Congress has spent the money set aside on other things

(Newser) - Nuclear-waste disposal isn’t just an environmental issue anymore—it’s a budgetary one. The Wall Street Journal today takes a look at the nation’s dysfunctional non-system for disposing of nuclear waste, and the story ain’t pretty. Nuclear sites are currently holding some 65,000 metric tons of...

Apple's Got More Cash Than the US

At least if you compare the right numbers

(Newser) - It’s official: The people who made your Mac now have more money than your government. As of the end of the day yesterday, the US had a $73.8 billion operating cash balance, Business Insider reports. Apple, meanwhile, had $76.2 billion. The figures aren’t exactly analogous, notes...

Senate to Stay in Session Until Debt Deal Done
 Reid: Senate Is Open 
 Until Debt Deal Done 
TICK TOCK, TICK TOCK
Jul 18, 2011 4:34 PM CDT

Reid: Senate Is Open Until Debt Deal Done

Obama says he will veto proposed budget amendment to Constitution

(Newser) - So much for the weekend plans of the United States Senate: The Chicago Tribune notes that Harry Reid said today he'll hold session every single day "from now until Congress passes legislation that prevents the United States from defaulting on our obligations." While little progress was made...

Obama on Debt Talks: 'I Will Not Yield'

...even though 'this may bring my presidency down'

(Newser) - We already knew last night's debt talks did not go well —but not only did President Obama leave "abruptly," he really put his foot down, Talking Points Memo reports: "I have reached the point where I say enough," he said, according to those present....

Obama: I Won't Sign Any 'Stop-Gap' Debt Deal

President says budget talks will continue 'every day'

(Newser) - Compromise was the theme of President Obama's press conference today, during which he acknowledged that yesterday's budget talks did not result in a deal—but promised that "we're gonna meet every single day until we get this thing resolved." He insisted that he and "...

Boehner to Dems: Cut 'Trillions' ... or Else

Speaker wants Medicaid part of the 'conversation' to boost debt limit

(Newser) - House Speaker John Boehner has warned Democrats to agree to at least $2 trillion in budget cuts or GOP legislators won't back measures to raise the federal debt ceiling, he told a rapt crowd of Wall Streeters and political leaders yesterday. He also insisted that Medicare is still on...

House Progressives Release Their Own Budget

Ends Bush tax cuts, adds public health care option

(Newser) - As the budget debate continues, the House Progressive Caucus has released a plan of its own—and it's all about taxes. Their proposal would end the Bush tax cuts, add new tax brackets for millionaires, and raise corporate taxes. It would also add a public option to health care...

Cantor Escalates Debt Ceiling War

GOP ready to plunge nation into default, he warns

(Newser) - Republicans have been outspoken about their opposition to raising the debt ceiling, but comments from House Majority Leader Eric Cantor yesterday appeared to escalate the battle. The GOP "will not grant [Democrats'] request for a debt limit increase" without serious spending cuts or budget process reform, he said,...

Tax Reform: The Simple, Perfect Budget Fix

Both parties can get what they want: just fix the 'lunatic' tax code, writes Clive Crook

(Newser) - Tax Day is a painful reminder that Form 1040 "is to personal finance as waterboarding is to asking some questions," writes Clive Crook in the Financial Times . But it doesn’t have to be: "If ever there were a free lunch, if ever there were a dollar...

No One's Being Honest About the Budget

Both parties' fixes amount to 'wishful thinking': Robert Samuelson

(Newser) - Republicans and Democrats both claim to have a plan to fix the budget, but neither party is offering a realistic approach. It’s time for Dems to admit that “spending control requires genuine cuts in Social Security and Medicare”—and it’s time for the GOP to recognize...

Limbaugh: Obama Fans 'Savages, Debris'

Savaging us is their 'orgasm,' Rush fumes

(Newser) - Rush Limbaugh has pulled out the shovel to heap abuse on supporters of President Barack Obama. Using language a bit harsh even for Rush, he called backers "savages" and "walking human debris." Obama's base "is made up of people even more vile than he is,...

Biden Appears to Nod Off During Obama Speech

Vice president takes a ribbing as video takes off

(Newser) - Only Joe Biden knows for certain, but it sure looks like he nodded off today during President Obama's big budget speech . Either way, the VP is taking a ribbing as the video makes the rounds: See ABC , Politico , Mediaite , and the Daily Caller .

GOP Blasts Obama Speech: 'I Missed Lunch for This?'

Republicans call it a partisan campaign speech

(Newser) - A sampling of Republican reaction to President Obama's budget speech today, from USA Today and Politico :
  • Paul Ryan: He called it "excessively partisan, dramatically inaccurate, and hopelessly inadequate" in getting the nation's debt under control. It was "a political broadside from our campaigner in chief."
  • Jeb Hensarling:
...

Moby Video Rips Budget
 Moby Video 
 Rips  Budget 

Apr 13, 2011 4:02 AM CDT

Moby Video Rips Budget

Singer plugs 'rolling fast' to protest cuts

(Newser) - Remember when celebrities made videos crowing about politicians? What a difference almost four years makes. Moby has just released a video slamming the new "Republican budget" (hammered out with the White House) featuring the first track from his new album. His song, "The Day," plays over photos...

Romesh Ratnesar: Pentagon Budget Must Shrink to Fix Deficit
Face It, Washington:
Defense Budget Must Shrink
OPINION
Apr 11, 2011 12:20 PM CDT

Face It, Washington: Defense Budget Must Shrink

Pentagon's policies 'outdated'; deficit's the biggest threat: Romesh Ratnesar

(Newser) - The latest budget compromise may have resulted in “sweeping” and “historic” cuts, as the White House, Congress, and the media have claimed—yet “not a solitary penny” was cut from defense spending. Instead, spending will break $700 billion in 2011, which happens to be a post-World War...

Shutdown Averted, Higher Stakes Loom

Battles brewing over debt ceiling, 2012 budget will be even bigger

(Newser) - If you think the narrowly averted government shutdown over a few billion dollars was bad, wait until you see the multi-trillion-dollar brawls coming in the next few weeks, reports the Wall Street Journal . First up, the government is about to hit its legally imposed $14.294 trillion debt ceiling by...

Hoyer on Budget Deal: '70% of the Way' There

No deal yet, but 'very close' to compromise

(Newser) - As the clock ticks down, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer says budget negotiators are "very close" to a deal. "I think we've come 70% of the way in terms of dollars," Hoyer tells Today . "That's a long way to go in trying to reach compromise."...

Things That Could Happen if Government Shuts Down

Unfortunately, two of them involve, er, waste

(Newser) - As a government shutdown looms once again, Miller-McCune notes 10 things that could happen if Congress doesn't agree on a budget by Friday:
  1. Toxic waste could pile up: During the last shutdown, cleanup was halted at 609 Superfund sites.
  2. Disease hotlines could go unanswered: They did last time, when the
...

To Stave Off Shutdown, GOP Wants $12B in Cuts

New cuts would offer one-week delay

(Newser) - Once again, a government shutdown looms Friday—and another delay will cost $12 billion in budget cuts if the GOP has its way. The House Appropriations Committee is drafting a bill that will, for another $12 billion in new cuts, keep domestic agencies and the State Department running for one...

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