Sen McCaskill Claims the Senate Passed a Budget Last August

This is hardly a left/right issue here, but apparently Senator McCaskill (D) from Missouri believes that the Senate has indeed passed a budget and that the president has signed a budget into law.



Of course, not to parrot possibly a, and I quote from Sen. McCaskill, "Fox news, and a talking point by the political Right" lie, I did some investigative work. Searching the Congressional Record for the month of August 2011; using the word "Budget" we can see that on August 2nd, 2011, the senate passed S. 365 "The Budget Control Act of 2011"

This bill has nothing to do with establishing a budget for Government to operate on. This was the bill that created the backward process of Congress "disapproving" automatic debt limit increases, discretionary spending caps, "balanced" budget amendment attempt and the "Super Congress".

One of these in which I did a post about (the Debt Limit Disapproval Process).

This lady either is being intentionally obtuse and ignorant or just flat out completely insane. Right, Left, Conservative, Democrat; get your act together America because this is why the Congress does whatever it wants to.

The statement was IMO, deliberate.

They use that tactic because many who hear it will automatically believe it and won't hear or listen to any any rebuttals.

It's an old trick.

Plus that, looking "stupid" is in style right now.

It helps the "Stockholm Effect" agenda.

In the long run however, it might cost Obama votes, as well as other "coat tail" Democrats.

Some people will vote "against" stupidity if they see enough of it.

So what part is it that you are having trouble understanding? She's right they did pass a budget and you even provided a link for it.

Originally posted by buster2010
So what part is it that you are having trouble understanding? She's right they did pass a budget and you even provided a link for it.

This is the answer you're looking for. We've had several budgets over the past few years. Mainly just statements saying we'll continue spending the same amount of money as we did the last couple months.

Your idea of a budget is what is called an 'omnibus'. It covers income and revenue for the federal government over a given fiscal year. The USA hasn't had an omnibus budget for about two years now, we have had several stop-gap measures passed though.

This also ties into the argument about how much spending this administration is accused of, the GOP realizes that so long as they don't allow an omnibus budget to pass they can continue to spend at the same levels that were agreed to in 2008 (a budget that was requested by an outgoing republican president passed by a democratically controlled congress and then signed into law by a new democratic president).

So yes, we've had a budget for nearly a year now, it just hasn't had anything new since March 2009.

Originally posted by buster2010
So what part is it that you are having trouble understanding? She's right they did pass a budget and you even provided a link for it.

The link provided is budgetary measures...not a budget. I am not trying to label one side or the other on this. Just that the Senator claiming that it is, isn't true. It limits overall discretionary spending (without touching the larger "discretionary" portion)

Originally posted by links234
This is the answer you're looking for. We've had several budgets over the past few years. Mainly just statements saying we'll continue spending the same amount of money as we did the last couple months.

And a good answer. In the context though, there has been no budget -- only measures, continuations, resolutions and "stop-gaps". For the senator to say that they have passed a budget and point to the "Budget Control Act of 2011" as it being it, is sophistry!

This also ties into the argument about how much spending this administration is accused of, the GOP realizes that so long as they don't allow an omnibus budget to pass they can continue to spend at the same levels that were agreed to in 2008 (a budget that was requested by an outgoing republican president passed by a democratically controlled congress and then signed into law by a new democratic president).

As stated, has nothing to do with the president, with Democrat/Republican. It has to do with an actual budget. Unfortunately I cannot turn back time to post pre-Obama to make the same damn argument.

What is the projected tax receipts, what is the projected expenditures. How much can each department spend; etc, etc....

Congress honestly cannot fathom one bill in this aspect because of the near innumerable amounts of bureaucratic offices that reside with in the Federal Government.

reply to post by ownbestenemy


It's still a budget though. It's not the omnibus that is decided by the executive and legislature to cover new costs and eliminate old ones that is normally done.

This is a partisan issue as the GOP has specifically forbade the passage of both the democrats budget proposals and the presidents budget proposal. They can turn it into a talking point that we've just been stumbling along blindly because we haven't had an omnibus budget and blame the current administration.\

It's a new level of politics, purposefully hindering the operation of government and blaming the other side for it. The DREAM Act passed the house and had 55 votes in the senate. Under normal circumstances that's all you need to pass a bill, under this new form of politics it causes the bill to fail.

Originally posted by links234
reply to post by ownbestenemy

 

It's still a budget though. It's not the omnibus that is decided by the executive and legislature to cover new costs and eliminate old ones that is normally done.

The Budget Control Act of 2011 isn't a budget. Explain how it is? It provides limits on discretionary spending; that is it.

I agree with you that it isn't an "omnibus", but it is far from a budget that the Government can follow. It limits the whole the Federal government (to an extent) on its spending but doesn't direct the Government how it can spend its money.

This is a partisan issue as the GOP has specifically forbade the passage of both the democrats budget proposals and the presidents budget proposal. They can turn it into a talking point that we've just been stumbling along blindly because we haven't had an omnibus budget and blame the current administration.

Hogwash. Both sides are stonewalling this. Senator Reid has made comments otherwise. Maybe as individuals we can interpret his comments how we see fit, but he said he isn't going to put a budget up to vote.

Post Script:

I know you were merely pointing out that this is a talking point from the Right, but please -- I wasn't attacking Democrats or Republicans and lets keep this to a point of discussing if Congress (regardless of their "political parties" have acted.

Originally posted by ownbestenemy
Congress honestly cannot fathom one bill in this aspect because of the near innumerable amounts of bureaucratic offices that reside with in the Federal Government.

Individual offices request next years budget to their departments, departments send these requests to department heads (changing requests as they see fit), department heads take these requests to the president, president sends proposal to congress with all budget requests sent by department heads included, proposal is broken down and sent to each appropriate congressional subcommittee (who makes changes as they see fit), congressional subcommittees take these requests to congressional committees (who make changes as they see fit), congressional committees take these requests to either the house or the senate (who make changes as they see fit).

It's not as simple as, 'here's $3 trillion we want 100 people to sift through and agree to spend.' Congressional subcommittess consist of various senators and representatives for various things, for instance, the Committee on Agriculture for the house has about 46 members. It has six subcommittees with anywhere from 8 to 20 members each. Each subcommittee is responsible for about 10 areas.

It's very complicated and fully within the scope and ability of congress.

reply to post by links234


So I ask you then...since you quoted the poster who implied that the Budget Control Act of 2011 is indeed a "budget". Are you in agreement that it is? I contend it is a budgetary control measure and not a budget of any sorts.

That is what Senator McCaskill alluded to as being a budget of the Federal Government.

reply to post by ownbestenemy


Sure, why not. At some point we're just arguing semantics. "It's called XYZ but it's ABC."