Support for stimulus falling apart as Dems balk

[jimpeel]

Not all is goodness and light it seems.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/03/03/senator-martinez-working-dems-kill-omnibus/

Senator Martinez Working With Democrats to Kill Omnibus Bill

Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., is working behind the scenes to kill the massive spending measure now wending its way through the Senate because of provisions that loosen restrictions against Cuba.

By Trish Turner

FOXNews.com

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Cuban-born Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., is working behind the scenes in a bipartisan way to kill the massive spending measure now wending its way through the Senate because of provisions that loosen decades of restrictions against his native land.

The senator took to the floor in a blistering speech ticking off a host of examples of human rights abuses committed by the dictatorship, formerly led by Fidel Castro and now by his brother, Raul, including the flaunting of international law and the cozying up to other authoritarian regimes throughout the world that sponsor terror, like those in Iran and Venezuela.

The omnibus spending bill, which funds most government agencies through September 30, eases restrictions on travel and extends credit for increased trade to the island nation, all moves that Martinez says will not benefit the Cuban people as the measure exacts no positive actions in return.

"As we consider changing U.S. policy toward Cuba, why are we doing this without asking anything?" Martinez implored his colleagues, suggesting that the U.S. should, for example, demand the release of political prisoners.

The bill does not lift the decades-old embargo against Cuba, but it would allow the nation to buy U.S. goods on credit from groups like U.S. farmers, who have long clamored for the opening of this marketplace. But, Martinez sees this as a recipe for disaster in these hard economic times, noting that Cuba "owes $29 billion to the Paris Club (an informal, international financing group) ... in fact, Cuba has the second worst credit than any nation in the world."

Cuban American Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., has also decried the change in policy. He has even placed a hold on two of President Obama's nominees to government posts, attempting to use this as leverage to get the Cuba policy changes stripped from the bill, this according to a senior Democratic leadership aide. The Washington Post first reported this move.

Menendez, on Monday, said the Cuba changes are "so deeply offensive to me, and so deeply undemocratic, that it puts the omnibus appropriations package in jeopardy, in spite of all the other tremendously important funding that this bill would provide.''

Indeed, even the Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid voiced faint support for the provisions, but he said, "There are a couple of those that I don't like very much, but it's not enough to bring the bill down, in my opinion."

But, bringing down the bill is exactly what Martinez now has in mind. "A better strategy might be to kill the bill," the senator said, as opposed to offering amendments to rid the bill of the offending items, a move that Martinez acknowledges would surely fail.

Martinez says he is working with Menendez and his fellow Floridian, Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., to amass the necessary votes to deprive supporters of the spending bill of the necessary 60 votes for final passage, unless changes are made. It is unclear if they could round up enough votes, but most Republicans are not likely to support the bill because of funding levels, so Martinez's effort does stand a chance.

Obama has said he favors provisions like those in the bill, one that has passed the House of Representatives, already, and awaits House-Senate negotiations.

Congress faces a tight Friday deadline by which the $410 billion omnibus spending bill must pass to fund the majority of government agencies now running on a temporary, stopgap spending measure. If it does not pass, the government would either have to shut down or another temporary measure would have to be hastily crafted.

 

[jimpeel]

http://www.cqpolitics.com/cq-assets/eap/static/dem-revolt1.html

CQ TODAY PRINT EDITION
March 2, 2009 – 9:37 p.m.
Democratic Revolt May Slow Obama Agenda
By Alan K. Ota, CQ Staff

Democratic Reps. Jim Matheson of Utah and Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona have joined a quiet revolt in the House that could slow some of President Obama's fast-moving priorities.

The two are among 49 Democrats from congressional districts that backed Republican Sen. John McCain 's 2008 presidential race and whose support for the Democratic majority's progressive agenda is increasingly not assured.

A dozen of them were among 20 House Democrats who voted against the $410 billion discretionary fiscal 2009 spending package (HR 1105) on Feb. 25. Another group later forced House leaders to sideline a contentious bill (HR 1106) to allow bankruptcy judges to modify home loans.

Although only a handful of moderate and conservative Democrats abandoned their leaders during party-line votes on the economic stimulus law (PL 111-5), the group of vulnerable Democrats branded the omnibus spending bill as a budget buster and questioned whether the mortgage bill would raise interest rates on average home-owners and cause some struggling homeowners to rush to bankruptcy.

The defections could cause heartburn for Democratic leaders charged with ushering through Obama's three biggest priorities: a health care overhaul, a cap-and-trade system to curb carbon emissions and his fiscal 2010 budget blueprint. The president might also have trouble winning their votes for an anticipated second financial bailout package.

"My job is not to be a rubber stamp for the president or Democratic leadership, but to be a voice for the people that elected me," Giffords said. "I voted for the stimulus, but found I could not vote for the omnibus." She faces a tough 2010 campaign in a state that will be dominated by McCain's expected re-election to his Senate seat.

For his part, Matheson echoed Giffords' concerns about an increase of $31 billion, or 8 percent, in discretionary spending in the nine bills contained in the omnibus measure. Like Giffords, he also has raised concerns about the mortgage bankruptcy bill, which many banks oppose.

"A lot needs to be done to help people keep their homes. But I'm just not sure about this bill," Giffords said.

John B. Larson of Connecticut, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, said party leaders would respond to recent defections by trying to slow the pace of bills to allow more time for hearings and debate. "Everything's coming at them fast and furious. The more that people get an opportunity to go back and forth . . . the greater the comfort level they will have," Larson said.

Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer , D-Md., acknowledged the defections, saying: "We have a very diverse party, with diverse opinions. We're working on it."

Many of the 49 Democrats in the group have particular concerns about Obama's call for allowing the Bush-era tax cuts for wealthy families to expire.

"I don't agree with the administration about letting all those tax cuts expire for upper-income families," said Harry E. Mitchell , D-Ariz. He argues for retaining the current 15 percent rate on capital gains and for permanent reductions in the estate tax.

[more]

 

[spike]

Damn Jim maybe you could quit being such an alarmist. Support is not "falling apart" they're simply still just working on the normal amendments and modifications.

This sensationalism of yours is ridiculous.

The U.S. Senate put off a final vote on a $410 billion spending package until next week after Republicans demanded time to offer more amendments.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, said he was “probably a vote short” of the 60 needed to cut off debate late yesterday and bring the bill to a final vote. “We’re going to have to continue work on this bill,” he said.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aw_3KpF9IQIk&refer=home

Calm down.

 

[jimpeel]

It'll be close one way or the other.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0309/19622.html

Martinez: GOP in 'striking distance'
By MANU RAJU | 3/4/09 5:02 PM EST Updated: 3/5/09 8:14 AM EST

Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) said Wednesday Republican opponents of the $410 billion omnibus spending bill are within "striking distance" of bringing down the massive measure.

Derailing the spending bill would be a huge victory for Republicans, and they might accomplish the goal with the help of a few reform-minded Democrats.

Opposition to the sprawling measure has been growing for a variety of reasons, including a proposed change of Cuba policy, the inclusion of thousands of earmarks and the spending bill's overall price tag. But even critics of the measure are wary of blocking a bill that is essential to funding key government programs at a time of economic malaise. This omnibus spending bill is essentially last year's business — funding for a handful of government agencies for the fiscal year that began last Oct. 1.

But critics have latched on to the 8,000-plus earmarks in the bill, and the opposition has gained steam as the legislation has been debated on the Senate floor this week.

With 60 votes needed to advance the measure, Democrats will need every vote with GOP opposition hardening. It's not clear yet if Republicans are completely unified against the omnibus — Republican appropriators have plenty of earmarks of their own in the measure.

Two Democrats - Evan Bayh and Russ Feingold - have said they'd vote against it, and Sens. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) both said they're undecided on how they'll vote.

Sen. Christopher Bond (R-Mo.) wouldn't say how he'd vote.

"We'll just take a look at the whole thing," Bond said.

Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) said he's still weighing the package and he's concerned about the bill not moving through regular order.

"It's very unsatisfactory to have an omnibus here in march and it should have been done Sept. 30th," Specter said. "I'm not happy with the way we've abandoned regular order here in the Senate."

If Specter votes for the bill, it would be ammuniton on the campaign trail, where he is likely to face a conservative challenger in a primary next spring.

Democratic leaders declined to discuss the bill's prospects.

"We'll just have to wait and see when we end the process — every day is another day in the Senate," Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).

 

[MrBishop]

SO many people tend to equate the term earmarked with the term pork...and many are being led down the garden path because of it...including politicians and media.

 

[Gonz]

Considering the job the Republicans did fron '02 - '06, they have some more proving to do before they can declare victory over anything.

 

[jimpeel]

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/conrad-obama-budget-lacks-votes-2009-03-10.html

Conrad: Obama budget lacks votes
By Walter Alarkon
Posted: 03/10/09 04:45 PM [ET]

President Obama’s budget doesn’t have enough support from lawmakers to pass, the Senate Budget Committee chairman said Tuesday.

Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) said he has spoken to enough colleagues about several different provisions in the budget to make him think Congress won’t pass it.

Conrad urged White House budget director Peter Orszag not to “draw lines in the sand” with lawmakers, most notably on Obama’s plan for a cap-and-trade system to curb carbon emissions.

“Anybody who thinks it will be easy to get the votes on the budget in the conditions that we face is smoking something,” Conrad said.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs, when asked Tuesday about the Democratic criticism of the budget, told reporters that it wasn’t unusual. He noted that lawmakers and the president often have competing agendas.

“I don’t think, ultimately, the criticism is surprising,” Gibbs said. “That certainly happens and is all part of a process.”

Conrad joined Sen. Judd Gregg (N.H.), the top Republican on the Budget Committee, and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) in criticizing the administration’s cap-and-trade proposal for not doing enough to counterbalance increases in energy costs that will be felt by consumers and companies, especially those in energy states such as North Dakota.

Conrad said that it would be a “distant hope” to expect the climate change plan to pass unless it includes help for industries that would be hit hard by limits on carbon emission production.

The North Dakota Democrat also knocked the Obama administration’s plan to cut subsidies for farmers with incomes of more than $500,000. He noted that Congress just rewrote its agricultural policies last year in a bill that received 81 votes in the Senate. The administration has said that it could save taxpayers nearly $10 billion over the next decade from stopping direct federal payments to wealthy farmers, but Conrad denied that the farm policies were not fiscally responsible.

“The Farm Bill was paid for. We made a lot of tough choices. We raised money. We made spending reductions,” Conrad said. “Those who suggest that not fiscally responsible — I don’t think they’re very aware of the history of how we got a Farm Bill passed.”

Conrad said that he hopes the administration understands that “accomplish[ing] big things takes compromise around here.”

Orszag acknowledged concerns over the budget and added that the budget plan represents the administration’s “best judgments.”

“We look forward to working with you,” he said.

Conrad and Gregg also pressed the Obama administration not to stick controversial bills on carbon emissions and healthcare reform in special budget reconciliation bills.

Gregg said that attaching a cap-and-trade or healthcare plan to reconciliation bills, which need only a simple majority to pass, would be an “outright act of violence” against the Senate, where most legislation needs 60 votes to advance. Using the special process would also hinder the administration’s ability to win votes from centrist GOP senators such as Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), who has supported limits on carbon emissions in the past, Gregg said.

Orszag, however, didn’t rule out the use of reconciliation bills.

“We would prefer not to start there, but we’re not taking anything off the table at this point,” he said.

Gregg, who nearly joined Obama’s administration as Commerce secretary, also criticized the president’s budget plan for failing to include enough detail. The Republican, who withdrew his nomination over ideological differences with Obama, counted three questions that Orszag deferred answers on until a more detailed budget proposal was unveiled next month.

Orszag said that first-year administrations usually put forth a budget outline that they later fill in, but Gregg said lawmakers want more information soon.

“I would think it would be incomplete if you’re not going to put the meat on the bones before you have the votes,” he said.

 

[Cerise]

Calm down.

 

[spike]

Jim was right, the Omnibus is in huge trouble. Thanks for raising the alarm Peel!

How are we aver going to get this passed.