Republicans pass $60B in spending cuts in FY11 budget despite Pelosi being up to her Old Tricks -- Will someone tell her she is not in charge?

Turns out that Pelosi lost this battle before it started. Early this morning the House passed the Budget Bill with $60B in cuts including for the Foreign Aid and State Department. Ron Paul did not vote. Flake (AZ), Campbell (CA), and Jones (NC) were the only Republicans to vote with the Democrats against the bill. We have no idea why they voted against this bill. Some members of the Conference wanted even bigger cuts but looks like they voted for the bill.

This bill funds the Government until 30 September 2011. This bill has been under a continuing resolution since the Democrats in the House never had a formal budget bill for FY11 and just threw a bunch of items in the bill with no hearings and 'deemed' the budget bill. Now Pelosi wants to vote on a bill that keeps everything at the same funding levels even though she knows they went against their own rules to pass.

Wonder how the people of Oklahoma's 2nd District who returned Democrat Dan Boren to Congress feel now that he voted lockstep with the Democrats which he promised not to do. Note to the 2nd District of Oklahoma, get a better Republican candidate this time to run against Boren. Republicans in this district have run some pretty bad candidates.

Now what is the Senate going to do? Since the big battle looming in 2012 is for control of the Senate, will the Democrat Senators march in lockstep with Obama or will a few get some common sense? Time will tell.

The next test will come if Obama has the nerve to veto and shut down the Government. The buck stops at his desk! What will Obama do? Will he sign the bill with saying it is to keep the Government open and toss the Congressional Democrats under the bus or will he veto and shut down the government? Should be some interesting times ahead -- reminder this is the budget for FY11 which started 1 October 2010. Just wait until the Republicans with Paul Ryan as Budget Chair get done with the budget for FY12.  The House Republicans are doing the work of "We the People!"  Looks like the Democrats didn't hear the voters on November 2nd. 

Final passage of the bill came on a 235-189 vote before dawn, capping an all-night session (AP Photo)

House passes $60 billion in spending cuts

By DAVID ROGERS | 2/19/11 5:23 AM EST Updated: 2/19/11 7:05 AM EST

More a battering ram than a budget, a giant government-wide spending bill passed the House early Saturday morning, packing $60 billion in Republican spending cuts together with scores of legislative riders to impede President Barack Obama in carrying out his policies.

Final passage came on a 235-189 vote shortly before dawn, capping an all-night session and marathon week during which literally hundreds of amendments were debated.

The open process — and largely civil tone — represent a victory for Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio). But by moving so far right to appease his large freshman class, Boehner picked up no Democratic votes and sacrificed what many saw as his best shot of scoring a quick win in the Senate at the expense of Obama.

Instead, Senate Democrats will be more united now and Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) stronger after Saturday’s margins. And the real question becomes: can Reid, Boehner and Obama pick their way through the coming weeks without falling into a government shutdown?

The $60 billion in reductions are concentrated in the last six months of this fiscal year and represent a 14 percent cut that will severely impact Obama’s agenda at home and abroad. Foreign aid and State Department operations would be cut as much as $10 billion from Obama’s latest request. Pell Grants for low income college students are reduced, and School Turnaround Grants cut by almost two-thirds.

The Environmental Protection Agency lost $2.7 billion from its current appropriations. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, charged with major new responsibilities under Wall Street reforms, would get a third of the funding Obama wants. And the new Republican majority would block not just federal regulators but Obama’s signature achievement thus far: healthcare reform.

Excerpt: Read more: Politico

Pelosi tried to keep funding levels the same but there was so much waste in the last budget that is still in limbo we doubt she knows just how much was wasted. She was doing what she does best -- being Obama's puppet in the House.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi introduced a stopgap
pending bill Friday night that would fund the government at
current levels through March 31, laying down a Democratic
marker against Republican efforts to cut from the budget.

The California Democrat’s resolution was introduced as
House Republican leaders tried to wrap up work on a bill
that would cut $61 billion in funding the government through
Sept. 30. If no deal is reached by March 4, the government
would shut down.

Source: Politico