Senate
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Ping Pong on Reconciliation: Senate Votes to Pass Reconciliation Measure, House Must Now Vote Again
The Senate passed the reconciliation bill on health care bill reform (that includes student loan provisions) this afternoon by a vote of 56 to 43...
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Spring Arrives: Bring Out the Baseball Caps--And the Budget Caps
Signaling bipartisan support for much-needed spending restraint, more than 100 members of the House and Senate are sponsoring legislation that would...
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‘Line’ Items: March Madness Edition
The madness tipped off last week – Across the country curious spectators kept constant tabs on the latest action, scores were breathlessly awaited...
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Vote-a-Rama: Stay Tuned for Drama
For the United States Senate, which likes to be referred to as the "Upper Chamber," the term "vote-a-rama" does not sound too dignified. But the term...
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‘Line’ Items: Health Care Moves, Budget Doesn’t
Health Care Reform Moves Toward Showdown – The House Budget Committee today voted to push health care legislation forward. It now moves to the House...
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Will Third Time Be the Charm for Spending Caps?
Legislation from Senators Jeff Sessions (R-AL) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO) to establish discretionary spending caps may get a third vote this week in...
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Senate Approves Safety Net and Tax Break Extensions
The Senate has just approved, by a 62-36 vote, HR 4213, which extends unemployment compensation and COBRA benefits for the unemployed, along with many...
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Senate Should Post Information on Spending
UPDATE: The Coburn amendment was agreed to on a 100-0 vote. The Senate today will consider a proposal from Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) to post...
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Past Uses of Reconciliation
In last week's backgrounder blog post on budget reconciliation, we said that the process has been used 22 times in the past, with the President having...
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‘Line’ Items: Oscars Edition
Temporary Tax Extensions Avoid “The Hurt Locker” – The Senate passed H.R. 4691, a 30-day extension of several expired tax breaks and unemployment and...
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Constitutional Route Becoming Popular
Given the present economic and political climate, many are eying Constitutional changes to help improve the budget situation. In yesterday’s Wall...
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Health Reform by Reconciliation: Maligned, Misunderstood, but Misused Is Up for Debate
Unable to pass health care reform using “regular order,” Congressional Democrats now are turning to much-misunderstood process known as “budget...