Congress early Friday sent President Barack Obama an ambitious budget and debt measure that averts a catastrophic national default and sets spending priorities for the next two years.
The Senate voted 64-35 to approve the bill just after 3 a.m. EDT, with Democrats and Republican defense hawks uniting to overcome opposition from GOP presidential candidates Rand Paul of Kentucky and Ted Cruz of Texas, both members of the body.
President Barack Obama had negotiated the accord with Republican and Democratic leaders who were intent on steering Congress away from the brinkmanship and shutdown threats that have haunted lawmakers for years. Former House Speaker John Boehner felt a particular urgency to get the legislation finished before leaving Congress, while many lawmakers wanted the issue resolved as they look ahead to presidential and congressional elections next year.
The opposition was strong in the Senate, and Paul, a Kentucky Republican, left the presidential campaign trail and returned to the Capitol to criticize the deal as excessive Washington spending.
In an hour-long speech that delayed the start of the final vote, Paul said Congress is “bad with money.” He railed against increases in defense dollars supported by Republicans and domestic programs supported by Democrats.
“These are the two parties getting together in an unholy alliance and spending us into oblivion,” Paul said.
Cruz, another Republican presidential candidate, canceled campaign events in Nevada to return to Washington for the votes. Speaking on the Senate floor late Thursday, he said the Republican majorities had given Obama a “diamond-encrusted, glow-in-the-dark Amex card” for government spending.
“It’s a pretty nifty card,” Cruz said. “You don’t have to pay for it, you get to spend it and it’s somebody else’s problem.”
The agreement would raise the government debt ceiling until March 2017, removing the threat of an unprecedented national default just days from now. At the same time, it would set the budget of the government through the 2016 and 2017 fiscal years and ease punishing spending caps by providing $80 billion more for military and domestic programs, paid for with a hodgepodge of spending cuts and revenue increases touching areas from tax compliance to spectrum auctions.
The deal would also avert a looming shortfall in the Social Security disability trust fund that threatened to slash benefits, and head off an unprecedented increase in Medicare premiums for outpatient care for about 15 million beneficiaries.
The promise of more money for the military ensured support from defense hawks like Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., chairman of the Armed Services Committee, while additional funds for domestic programs pleased Democrats.
Obama and Democratic allies such as House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California were big winners in the talks, but GOP leaders benefited as well, clearing away political land mines confronting the party on the eve of 2016 campaigns to win back the White House and maintain their grip on the Senate.
The measure leaves a clean slate for new Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., as he begins his leadership of the House.
Obama had repeatedly said he would not negotiate budget concessions in exchange for increasing the debt limit, though he did agree to package the debt and budget provisions.
“I am as frustrated by the refusal of this administration to even engage on this (debt limit) issue,” said Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. “However, the president’s refusal to be reasonable and do his job when it comes to our debt is no excuse for Congress failing to do its job and prevent a default.”
The budget relief will lift caps on the appropriated spending passed by Congress each year by $50 billion in 2016 and $30 billion in 2017, evenly divided between defense and domestic programs. Another $16 billion or so would come each year in the form of inflated war spending, evenly split between the Defense and State departments.
The Appropriations committees will have to write legislation to reflect the spending, and they face a Dec. 11 deadline to get that done.
The cuts include curbs on Medicare payments for outpatient services provided by certain hospitals and an extension of a 2-percentage-point cut in Medicare payments to doctors through the end of a 10-year budget. There’s also a drawdown from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and savings reaped from a Justice Department fund for crime victims that involves assets seized from criminals.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Rand Paul and Ted Cruz are about the only two senators that seem to have any sense.
Santa came early for the politicians this year. Like all Christmas gifts, the bill will eventually arrive. Everyone who voted for this scheme has basically indebted their grandchildren for politically expedient spending now. I would like to see the politicians pensions moved into Social Security. That way they will get to pay their fair share when this mountain of debt wipes out the future of the rest of America.
I wish the Constitution gave us the ability to have a vote of no confidence and vote all these bums out of office. They are just as dangerous to America’s future as al Qaeda and ISIS.
AMEN AMEN!
I’d like to thank each one of these TRAITORS with the PROPER RESPONSE FOR ALL TRAITORS… But, this is not possible at this time. I am a veteran, so I do have a DOG IN THE FIGHT… These TRAITORS are PROTECTED by the same laws that protect me… BUT, it shouldn’t be this WAY… IF, politician’s want to PLAY FAST AND LOOSE, Let’s RETURN THE FAVOR…. How about a vote of NO COFIDENCE BEING MADE INTO LAW… Where the voter’s of these Congressmen and ladies can be RECALLED by the VOTERS… For NOT DOING WHAT THEY SAID THEY WOULD????
AGREE
yeah and add Mile Lee to that list. There are far too many that are RINO in nature and repub in political bent. We were betrayed …AGAIN! by dirtbags who were only thinking of themselves and NOT us. I demand my COLA for 2016, now!
Nice article but I have learned nothing about the “New Congressional Budget Deal” , nothing at all. Then I see Associated Press contributed to the article. Anotrher main stream media assault on truth using words like “catastrophic” and “unprecedented” National debt as scare tactics. If yuou want to scare readers, fill in the details. Social security is no longer a trustb fund, but years of IOU’s neatly packed away. There is no money in the trust fund! Social Sec COLA’s are not available to seniors because Obama’s government is giving any excess illegal aliens swarming over our borders, including the Islamics supposedly escaping war.
The next Congress apparently has been denied its role in doing what we send them up there for, legislating, meaning spending tax payer money according to law. All that was swept away with this alleged two year budget deal. American’s, stand by, the screwing with continue.
By George ByGeorge, you seem to understand absolutely nothing about anything. President Obama doesn’t affect the COLA, no president does, Congress set it up that way 40yrs ago, the CPI determines the raise (or lack of one) and only Congress can change it, just be thankful the check amount doesn’t drop when the CPI does. The SSI trust fund is solvent with almost $3 trillion tucked away in it, the only IOU’s in it are accounting gimmicks that didn’t actually take a dime from it, FDR set it up that way because he knew Congress would try. Failure to raise the debt ceiling would indeed be catastrophic for 99% of Americans, it just wouldn’t be bad for the wealthiest, in fact, it would be a financial windfall for them if we default on our loans and obligations. The only thing illegals get for free is ,medical treatment in the ER due to a law signed by Reagan, and illegal children can get a very small SNAP benefit along with an education. The Islamists aren’t fleeing the war zones, they’re flocking to it because that’s where the fighting is going on, any Islamist that attempts to flee Daesh’s “caliphate” is executed, anyone suspected of wanting to flee is executed, the only ones leaving the war zones are civilians who want to find someplace peaceful to raise their children and fighters who are tired of war and want to just live in peace.
As much as I would like to believe that there are enough decent, law abiding, God fearing lawmakers, and other politicians…I can’t say that there are enough of them. We must rely on God, and trust him. Even those politicians who are trying to make good of this crazy and sad situation cannot solve all that is going on in our nation. I do believe that Jesus is coming soon to deliver us from this Babylonian-like system. We need to stick together and help one another. And there is no excuse for all the millions of homeless people in this country. They are also treated like second-class citizens. While others live in luxury or are doing pretty well…others suffer. With the cost of living being so high; I am just going to be thankful for what I have for now. Draw close to the Lord Jesus people! He can help you! No, life is not an easy road, at times, but don’t give up! And remember…the most valuable, precious part of you is your soul. It is your choice. Heaven-Jesus Christ…or hell-the devil (this world’s system). Don’t be selfish nor greedy. Bless others. Do good. The Lord will see this and ask you to join him. You will be on your way to being a candidate for his kingdom…paradise. God bless you all, and God bless America!
AMEN