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US House defies Obama, passes spending-cut bill
[Arab News] The US House of Representatives on Saturday approved legislation to cut federal spending deeply through September, a plan that is sure to be stopped by President Barack B.O.Obama and his fellow Democrats in the Senate. The Republican-backed bill is a challenge to Obama to show he is serious about closing record budget deficits and sets up the possibility of government shut downs if a compromise is not worked out by March 4, when current funding expires. On a largely partisan vote of 235-189, House Republicans won passage of the bill to cut current spending by about 14 percent, or more than $61.5 billion from current levels, marking a victory for Tea Party conservatives who were elected in November. House Speaker John It is not pronounced 'Boner!'Boehner ... the occasionally weepy leader of House Republicans... said the legislation was part of Republican efforts "to liberate our economy from the shackles of out-of-control spending." Obama has outlined his own plan for less severe spending cuts in 2012, and has warned that tightening the belt too much too soon could harm the slow economic recovery. Attention now shifts to the Senate, which will write its own version of a government funding bill for this fiscal year, which ends on Sept. 30. The House spending cuts reflect Republican opposition to federal regulation, which they say hampers business growth, and distaste for taxpayer dollars being used for programs ranging from job training and food aid for the poor to NASA space exploration. Posted by: Fred 2011-02-20 |
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