Congress sent President Barack Obama a $1.1 trillion government-wide spending bill Thursday, easing the harshest effects of last years automatic budget cuts after tea party critics chastened by Octobers partial shutdown mounted only a faint protest. The Senate voted 72-26 for the measure, which cleared the House a little more than 24 hours earlier on a similarly lopsided vote. Obamas signature on the bill was expected in time to prevent any interruption in government funding Saturday at midnight. The huge bill funds every agency of government, pairing increases for NASA and Army Corps of Engineers construction projects with cuts to the Internal Revenue Service and foreign aid. It pays for implementation of Obamas health care law; a fight over implementing Obamacare sparked tea party Republicans to partially shut the government down for 16 days last October. Also included is funding for tighter regulations on financial markets, but at levels lower than the president wanted. ~MP
Posted on: Fri, 17 Jan 2014 17:30:00 +0000
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