Once you strip all of the spin and lies away from various political congress critters it comes down to this:
Every Congress Critter's primary job is to be personally knowledgeable of every bill that comes before Congress no matter how big or small,
We have had more than two decades of bills being amended with blank sheets of paper to be filled in later. Yet we still pay them. Would you pay a person for not mowing your yard?
Senate Democrats began rolling out Tuesday a year-end, government-wide spending bill that cuts more than $26 billion from President Barack Obama’s 2011 requests even as it defies earmark bans – or veto threats over Joint Strike Fighter engines.
Filling more than 1,900 pages w/ 6,739 earmarks, and costing $1.1 trillion, the measure is sure to invite criticism as a last stand by the Senate’s old bulls before the more conservative, tea party-oriented Congress takes hold in January. But weeks of bipartisan work have gone into the effort to meet spending targets previously embraced by the Republican leadership and also try to salvage something from the failed budget process this year.
The Departments of Defense, State and Homeland Security have the greatest stake in the increased appropriations that are permitted above 2010 levels, but to a surprising degree, the bill also makes room for (illegals) new education and health spending in addition to billions to meet a shortfall in Pell Grants for low-income college students (illegals).
The first test—getting to 60 votes to limit debate—could come as early as Saturday. The $857 billion price tag for President Barack Obama’s tax cut deal with Republicans makes this task harder.
And if the Senate falls short of 60, it will have to either embrace some version of a stripped-down House-passed continuing resolution for 2011 or simply punt the fight into January when Republicans will have more power. (Excerpt) Read more at dyn.politico.com ...