Deal to avoid another government shutdown struggling in Senate

WASHINGTON -- The congressional committee that is trying to negotiate a deal to prevent the next government shutdown has run into a roadblock: Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell.

McConnell, the GOP minority leader, made the trek across the Capitol on Tuesday to tell a private session of House Republicans that his preference is not to give in when it comes to easing up on the mandatory budget cuts that are set to take effect Jan. 15.

“I wish them well,” McConnell said about the bipartisan House-Senate committee trying to craft a deal. “I hope they’ll comply with the law.”

McConnell’s foray into the budget talks come as the Kentucky senator is heading toward a tough reelection battle in the Bluegrass State where he faces not only a Democrat candidate, but a tea party-styled Republican challenging him from the right.

PHOTOS: 2013's memorable political moments

Congress is facing another shutdown threat when money to fund the government runs out Jan. 15. At that time, the next round of so-called sequester cuts are set to slice across government departments, imposed by Congress as part of an earlier failed attempt to force a budget compromise.

Finding bipartisan agreement this time has been as tough as ever. Lawmakers from both parties increasingly view those sequester cuts as a bad idea, but the divisions inside the GOP have deepened.

Fiscal conservatives want to preserve the sequester cuts as their biggest trophy from the last several years of politically bruising fights with Democrats and the White House. But the party’s defense hawks, including Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), want to undo the Pentagon reductions, saying the cuts would decimate the Defense Department.

McConnell’s suggestion for keeping the top-line spending on par with the sequester cuts is not a recipe for compromise with Democrats. His proposal would essentially require shifting the reductions away from the Pentagon and onto other government programs, something Democrats have resisted as they push for new tax revenue by closing loopholes.

“That’s not where the American people are,” said Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), who is leading the bipartisan budget committee with Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) “They want us to solve the sequester issue. They don’t want the government to shut down again.”

The committee of House and Senate lawmakers has largely moved its work to the backrooms, with no public meetings scheduled. Top leaders face a Dec. 13 deadline to cut a deal

Via: Chicago Tribune

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Pelosi: People getting their insurance cancelled for their own good

Another day, another slew of Democratic talking points on the disaster that is Obamacare. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi sought to soothe the hurt feelings of people who were bumped off their insurance plans because of the law by making the startling claim that it's for their own good.

The Hill:

"While you might like your old plan, what you're going to get under the new plan is that [it does] not discriminate on the basis of pre-existing conditions, does not deny you a key benefit like ... maternal, mental health or prescription drug coverage and cannot drop you when you are sick," Pelosi said during a press conference in the Capitol. 

"These are part of the 'patients' bill of rights,' which is a vast improvement over other plans."

Pelosi said the sharp rise in medical costs, combined with the transient nature of the individual insurance market, would eventually have forced people out of their individual plans - ObamaCare or none.

"No matter what people say about whether they like their plan or not, their plan was not going to be their plan," she said. "Everybody's premiums were going up."

Via: American Thinker

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Capitol Campus Jumps Back to Life

Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call

Doerner moves the arms of the Ohio Clock to the correct time before winding the historic timepiece on Thursday. The clock had been stuck at 12:14 during the government shutdown due to lack of staff to wind the clock.

Normalcy returned to the Capitol campus on Thursday — the Ohio Clock began ticking, tour guides circled the Rotunda and gardeners from the Architect of the Capitol trimmed grass that sprouted during the 16 days the federal government was shut down.

“Perfect timing,” said tourist Tania Johnson, who had arrived Wednesday on a flight from southern California for her first visit to Washington, D.C. Johnson and her husband, Joe, arrived on the grounds in time to join the Capitol Visitor Center’s first tour at 8:50 a.m. on Thursday morning.

“We debated for two weeks whether to cancel it or not, but that would have cost us about $1,000,” she said, joking that they were considering buying lottery tickets after the good fortune of having a deal to reopen the government signed by the president mere hours before their planned visit.

The continuing resolution that passed both chambers Wednesday night cleared the way for legislative branch employees and services around Capitol Hill to return to a normal work schedule.

CVC tour guides, normally a visible fixture of the halls of the Capitol in their bright red blazers, disappeared from the campus as part of the reduced operations plan that cut the Capitol workforce to skeletal staff levels. As a result of the furloughs, only member-led tours were allowed.

“We’re very happy to be back at full forces,” said CVC spokesperson Tom Fontana. More than 6,000 tourists had reservations for Thursday, including a group of 150 World War II veterans from Texas who fanned out across Statuary Hall in matching red polo shirts by 9:15 a.m. Some wheelchair-bound veterans cleared a path for the staffers clipping through the marble corridor, but the halls were for the most part quiet after Wednesday’s dramatic, late-night session.

Via: Roll Call

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OFA plans Tuesday rally at Capitol

The tea party had its protest Sunday at the World War II Memorial, now President Barack Obama’s supporters are set to respond at the Capitol.

Organizing for Action is holding a “Budget shutdown Day of Action event” at noon Tuesday at the reflecting pool west of the Capitol.

“Tuesday is the start of the third week of the government shutdown,” OFA wrote in a message to supporters. “With every day that passes, these members of Congress need to feel more pressure from the constituents who sent them to Washington. Millions of Americans across the country are feeling the effects of the shutdown -- and it's only getting worse.”

OFA executive director Jon Carson tweeted Monday urging supporters to "Come join OFA at an event tomorrow to say #EnoughAlready to the #TeaPartyShutdown.” 

OFA, despite its fundraising success, has shown little results in moving public opinion or members of Congress to support Obama’s agenda. A planned climate change event in August in Georgetown drew zero attendees during a rainstorm.

Tuesday will mark OFA’s first attempt to stage a large rally at the Capitol.

OFA officials did not respond to requests for comment about the event

Via: Politico

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D.C. mayor Gray confronts Reid on Capitol steps over shutdown’s impact on city

An unusual confrontation took place on the U.S. Capitol steps Wednesday when District Mayor Vincent C. Gray crashed a news conference held by Senate Democrats and asked Majority Leader Harry Reid to exempt the city from the ongoing shutdown.

“Sir, we are not a department of the government,” Gray told Reid moments after the mayor concluded his own press event about 50 yards from where Reid held one. “We’re simply trying to be able to spend our own money.”

“I’m on your side, don’t screw it up, okay? Don’t screw it up,” Reid (Nev.) told his fellow Democrat.

The intraparty tension comes after the Republican-controlled House voted last week to pass a bill allowing the District to use its locally raised tax funds to maintain operations until Dec. 15. But Democrats, including Reid and President Obama, have held fast in opposition to piecemeal funding bills, saying Republicans must come to a deal to fund the entire government, not just favored segments.

The District government has tapped a $144 million contingency cash reserve fund to keep its 32,000 employees on the job since the federal shutdown took effect Oct. 1. But the city has frozen many of its outgoing payments in order to conserve the contingency account, which is expected to be exhausted sometime next week.

At their own news conference on the Capitol grounds Wednesday, Gray and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) highlighted the partisan contradictions while detailing the drastic effect of the cash crunch on the District government — including schools, health care, services for the disabled and senior programs.

Via: Washington Post

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[VIDEO] House members forced to reuse gym towels

House lawmakers are picking up their own towels at their private gym, which has remained open during the government shutdown. [WATCH SECOND VIDEO]

The gym was to have been closed, but the Architect of the Capitol decided to keep the facility open because several House members store personal items inside.

o one is there to check members into the facility in the basement of the Rayburn House Office Building, which is open exclusively to current and former House members.

Members don’t only have to pick up their towels — they have to reuse them for their showers, because there is no more laundering service.

Lawmakers, including some who live in their offices during visits to Washington and use the gym’s showers to clean up, say they need the gym to stay open.

“This job is very stressful and if you don't have a place to vent, you are going to go crazy and that's why I've used it all these years,” said Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), who has used the facility since 1973.

Via: The Hill

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’12 Million Illegals need documents so they can unionize’- Rep Sherman

As this week wore on, the news kept getting grimmer. So many topics, so little time, and how many care. But I shall buck up today. It is a beautiful day here at the Bunker. Crystal blue skies, a nip in the air.

As if our country cannot go down the tubes fast enough what with Bernanke insuring rampant inflation, and who knows what all, I bring this good news. As if our unemployment rate was not high enough, lets bring in more illegals and by the way, by all means have them unionize. What a strange world we are living in. Here we go:

California Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman said at a press conference on  immigration outside the Capitol Friday afternoon that America needs immigration  reform to help those here illegally while also allowing them unionize for better  wages.

“We need a regular process by which the 12 million people who are part of our  society can be fully part of our society, and they need documents,” the  congressman said. “It’s important for the labor market of this country because  as long as there are 12 million people without documents, there are 12 million  people who can’t stand up for their rights as workers, and that means there are  12 million people who can be used by unscrupulous employers to keep down wages  and to prevent unions from organizing.”

Sherman was joined at the press conference by Rep. Judy Chu, Rep. Sheila Jackson  Lee and Rep. Lloyd Doggett. Each member thanked President Obama for his  executive order to stop the deportation of certain illegal immigrants, but they  said it was only the first step in a process Congress needs to finish.

Video at link below:

Read more:  Daily Caller

Rep.  Sherman: 12 million illegals ‘need documents’ to be able to unionize [VIDEO]

Via: Bunkerville

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