Leaving piles of unfinished business in the fall, the U.S. Congress began to withdraw from Washington Thursday five weeks of vacation, its achievements few months of effort in the budget battle through collective nerves in tatters and wear.
House of the major achievements of the week is Wednesday's vote on a bipartisan deal with student loan interest rates spiking ready, legislation, President Barack Obama's signature. However, this bit of progress to that day, embrace painful automatic budget cuts crash crash an important transportation and housing bill Republican strategy.
This measure fell victim to top lawmakers say opposition are more moderate conservative Republicans and expose the party's budgetary strategy, promised deeper cuts than domestic projects Sakura is willing to provide funding to implement commitments defective ballot paper.
Before leaving town, Republican House ready 40 attacks Obama's signature health care law other legislation aimed at embarrassing the management and sharpening the party's political message, met with constituents back home will vote on Friday.
In addition, on Friday, Republican leaders looked forward to an easier time with the other two votes, to prevent implementation of "Obamacare people who do not buy health insurance and other" stop the government from abusing Law "penalties, the IRS," which states that will allow people to tape record the conversation, they and the IRS agents and other federal workers.
As the Senate out of their doors last Thursday, Samantha Power confirmed Obama's nomination as U.S. ambassador to the UN. Stamped with an unusual production run reform of the administrative nomination - but one came after the majority Democrats threatened Republican filibuster rewrite rules take such nomination.
Senators from both parties also held a closed-door luncheon wish to continue comity sense of vulnerability has enveloped the chamber because it defused filibustering.
However, a few minutes after the start of the Republican senators to unite the Democratic Party's attempt to shut down in order to promote their own, far more generous version, Transportation and Housing Act, which is filled with money popular items, such as road and bridge repairs local projects and community development grants,
Republicans united to kill the $ 54 billion measure, the following command Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY, who kept only one Republican defections: moderate Susan Collins of Maine, who co-wrote the measures from her position Appropriations Committee. Republicans killed the bill because it exceeded the spending limits punish automatic budget cuts itself a product of Washington's failure to deal with its financial problems.
McConnell said, advancing on the bill will be considered abandoned promised two years ago to develop commitment over 10 years to reduce the deficit $ 2.1 trillion deficit reduction agreement to cut spending. Automatic cuts totaling $ 1.2 trillion in 2021.
Collins, trying to convince other Republicans Mitch McConnell break, struggled at first, the Senate heard above the din.
This prompted Majority Leader Harry Reid, D - Nevada, an unusual outbreak.
"Madame President, Senators sit down, shut up, okay?" He Presiding Officer Tammy Baldwin, D-WIS, who broke into the C-SPAN cameras captured smiling roar.
After the vote, Democrats rushed to the news cameras appear with union construction worker helmet accused Republicans killing work.
"We have a bill that would put people to work, fixed bridges and highways, improve public safety, said:" a disappointment, but combative Barbara Mikulski, D-MD, chair funding. "This has been the U.S. move and it will be American jobs."
Leave the House of Representatives and Senate transportation measures demise drawing board when it comes to the budget, as it prepares to leave Washington a month. The new fiscal year starts from October 1 and will take piecemeal, stop-gap funding bill to avoid a government shutdown.
Tea Party Republicans are willing to force the government partially closed, more than "defunding Obamacare," the idea, House Speaker John Boehner, R Ohio, privately opposed, but unwilling to openly criticize. More likely outcome is a common headache medicine head-gap measures to keep the government running at current levels for a few weeks or months. This measure will also keep food voucher program running while lawmakers figure broader rewrite the way food stamps and farm subsidies approved.
A larger showdown comes late in the fall must pass legislation to increase the government's borrowing limit in order to prevent the first time ever, market-rattling default U.S. obligations.
Republican leaders have tried to establish a budget showdown this summer need to pass legislation to increase the government's $ 16.7 trillion borrowing limit. However, better than expected economic performance postponed showdown - this summer's sense of drift.
Republican debt ceiling measures should be linked to a broader budget agreement, but Obama said he would not negotiate on the debt ceiling, as he promised two years ago, he repeated his allies in the House of Representatives and the Senate closed-door meeting at the Greek Parliament Seoul on Wednesday.
Paralysis of both sides to reverse the automatic cuts, but a partisan deadlock - seek to raise taxes Obama and his Democratic allies and cut the so-called mandatory programs such as Medicare and food stamps required by the Republicans - shows no signs of breaking.
Glass half full view is barely functioning, Congress will return in September willing to make agreements, problem-solving solutions, so far proved elusive.
Boehner said: "I'm sure the August recess of our members will have a better mood, when they come back."
 



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