Capitol Report: Pelosi hopeful Democrats will back spending bill

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was treading carefully in the wake of the Tuesday-night release of a spending package to keep the government open past Thursday.

Pelosi, a California Democrat, said shes hopeful Democrats can support the $1.1 trillion spending bill slated for a vote later this week, according to the Hill. She declined to show her hand, however, saying she first needs to read the bill. Our goal has always been to keep [the] government open, and to accomplish that goal in a bipartisan manner, she said in a statement. Until we review the final language, we cannot make a determination about whether House Democrats can support this legislation, but I am hopeful.

The spending bill, reports The Wall Street Journal, funds most of the government through September and the Department of Homeland Security through February. The shorter Homeland Security funding ensures Republicans can try to take aim at President Barack Obamas plan to curb deportation for millions of undocumented immigrants, without threatening to close the federal government. The measure provides $521 billion for defense and $492 billion for non-defense spending, hewing to a bipartisan budget deal.

Cuts for EPA, IRS: The budget agreement conforms to spending caps that lawmakers and the White House agreed to last year. But there are winners and losers underneath the overall number. For example, reports the Washington Post, the Environmental Protection Agencys budget would be cut by $60 million. The Internal Revenue Service would lose $345.6 million. Meanwhile, the bill authorizes a 1% pay raise for military service members and allows a 1% raise for federal employees. For the first time, the Post said, Congress would allow the benefits of current retirees to be severely cut, part of an effort to save some of the countrys most distressed pension plans.

Harry Reids new battle: Harry Reid was not chastened by the midterm elections. The New York Times writes the Senates incoming minority leader wont be discouraged from picking fights with Republicans on issues including the environment, financial regulations and womens rights. Were going to have to set up for the new battle, which is going to begin on Jan. 6, Reid told the Times. Reids Democrats lost nine seats in the election and handed control of the Senate to the GOP.

Lobbyists return to Hill: The lure of a Republican-dominated House and Senate is drawing some lobbyists back to Capitol Hill. The outgoing chief of staff for Ohio Republican Sen. Rob Portman, for instance, has helped recruit a lobbyist to replace him, reports the Hill. And Rep. Jason Chaffetz, the Utah Republican who will lead the House Oversight Committee in the next Congress, recently hired a Podesta Group lobbyist as staff director for the panel. People are interviewing all over the Hill, said Ivan Adler, a principal at The McCormick Group.

Here is the original post:
Capitol Report: Pelosi hopeful Democrats will back spending bill

Related Posts

Comments are closed.