Sense of surreal as Senate makes quick work of House bill

[Agravan]

Sense of surreal as Senate makes quick work of House bill


By Alexander Bolton - 09/30/13 09:23 PM ET



A sense of the absurd spread on the Senate floor as lawmakers voted a second time within hours to reject a House-passed funding stopgap shortly before a midnight deadline to avoid a government shutdown.

Senators defeated the House proposal along party lines, 54-46 There were no defections. The measure would have delayed the individual mandate, a core piece of the Affordable Care Act, and prevented congressional lawmakers and staff from receiving federal subsidies when they enter healthcare exchanges.


The situation appeared surreal to lawmakers as the clock ticked toward midnight and there appeared no evidence of progress or even negotiations between the two sides.

“Three and a half hours essentially until the government begins to shut down. Can you believe this?” said Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), the chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “We are the United States of America. We are a superpower. We’re supposed to be a nation governed by rule of law and we’re about to shut down.”

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) invoked Albert Einstein's definition of insanity as performing the same action repeatedly and expecting a different result.

He panned the House-passed legislation for increasing the out-of-pocket healthcare costs of lawmakers and staffers.

“This time the House has attached a poison pill that would punish 16,000 congressional staff,” he said.



Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/325679-senate-quickly-rejects-house-latest-funding-measure#ixzz2gSyEFnos

[Alyosha]

The mail will still run, planes will still fly, and the American people will be worried for a day or two max and then go about their business.

[Mainecoons]

Surreal is how I'd describe the U.S. Federal government these days.

This isn't going to get any better until the career pols are gone.

[Cigar]

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7221/7137187813_07652229ec_z.jpg

[Peter1469]

The House passed a "budget." The Senate said no. Who controls the Senate again?

[jillian]

The House passed a "budget." The Senate said no. Who controls the Senate again?

not how it works. the senate has been asking them to go to conference for months on their differences.

they thought they were going to extort the country so they can do what they've wanted to do for 5 years and screw with the president...because heaven forbid it should work out well and they can't use the ACA to raise money from the teaparty groups.

too bad. let them pick something they can actually get. it won't be the ACA... they know it won't be the ACA and they're going to cost us billions with their giant tantrum.

as much as i respect you and respect our differences of opinion, it is unacceptable to say the senate has to give in to a bunch of petulant babies

it reminds me of the scene in Blazing Saddles where Cleavon Little holds the gun to his own head, and puts him own arm around his neck and says "stop or the [insert explative] gets it".

[Peter1469]

not how it works. the senate has been asking them to go to conference for months on their differences.

they thought they were going to extort the country so they can do what they've wanted to do for 5 years and screw with the president...because heaven forbid it should work out well and they can't use the ACA to raise money from the teaparty groups.

too bad. let them pick something they can actually get. it won't be the ACA... they know it won't be the ACA and they're going to cost us billions with their giant tantrum.

as much as i respect you and respect our differences of opinion, it is unacceptable to say the senate has to give in to a bunch of petulant babies

it reminds me of the scene in Blazing Saddles where Cleavon Little holds the gun to his own head, and puts him own arm around his neck and says "stop or the [insert explative] gets it".

We can just as easily say that the House should not have to give into a bunch of petulant babies.

[jillian]

We can just as easily say that the House should not have to give into a bunch of petulant babies.

no. we really can't. and i'll remind you that the ACA is still effective today... but the government is shut down.

what did they gain?

[Mister D]

We can just as easily say that the House should not have to give into a bunch of petulant babies.

Exactly. What's the difference other than the dominant party?

[Peter1469]

no. we really can't. and i'll remind you that the ACA is still effective today... but the government is shut down.

what did they gain?

But it is not fully in effect. Lots of waivers. And the website is overloaded, so good luck getting a price quote today.

[Matty]

Sense of surreal as Senate makes quick work of House bill


By Alexander Bolton - 09/30/13 09:23 PM ET



A sense of the absurd spread on the Senate floor as lawmakers voted a second time within hours to reject a House-passed funding stopgap shortly before a midnight deadline to avoid a government shutdown.

Senators defeated the House proposal along party lines, 54-46 There were no defections. The measure would have delayed the individual mandate, a core piece of the Affordable Care Act, and prevented congressional lawmakers and staff from receiving federal subsidies when they enter healthcare exchanges.


The situation appeared surreal to lawmakers as the clock ticked toward midnight and there appeared no evidence of progress or even negotiations between the two sides.

“Three and a half hours essentially until the government begins to shut down. Can you believe this?” said Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), the chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “We are the United States of America. We are a superpower. We’re supposed to be a nation governed by rule of law and we’re about to shut down.”

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) invoked Albert Einstein's definition of insanity as performing the same action repeatedly and expecting a different result.

He panned the House-passed legislation for increasing the out-of-pocket healthcare costs of lawmakers and staffers.

“This time the House has attached a poison pill that would punish 16,000 congressional staff,” he said

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/325679-senate-quickly-rejects-house-latest-funding-measure#ixzz2gSyEFnos









Yep, that's democrats alright. Cadillacs for we but none for thee!

[Ethereal]

“Three and a half hours essentially until the government begins to shut down. Can you believe this?” said Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), the chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “We are the United States of America. We are a superpower. We’re supposed to be a nation governed by rule of law and we’re about to shut down.”

What a bunch of nonsensical blather. How does "we're supposed to be a nation governed by rule of law" follow from "we're about to shut down"? Don't these politicians understand that the law can exist totally independent of the federal machinery? I guess it's just part of the prevailing mental disorder wherein all that is good and right with the world emanates from Washington DC, as if every individual owed their very existence to that cesspool when in reality it's nothing more than a giant burden on the economy and an enemy to individual liberty.

[Cigar]

I wish the Elections was this November ...

[Peter1469]

I wish the Elections was this November ...

And I wish tax day was November 1 rather than April 15th....

[Ethereal]

I wish the Elections was this November ...

Elections, the true opiate of the masses.

[jillian]

Yep, that's democrats alright. Cadillacs for we but none for thee!

really? you see democrats voting against you having health insurance like your righwingers?

nope. once again, you have it butt backwards.

[jillian]

And I wish tax day was November 1 rather than April 15th....

you think it would make a difference? i guess if one didn't care about actual issues and only cared if rich people's taxes went up a percentage point.

[Cigar]

Looks to me like The Weeping Cheeto TeaParty Puppet needs to step down. :laugh:

[Cigar]

And I wish tax day was November 1 rather than April 15th....

Some of us pay quarterly :angry:

[Ethereal]

really? you see democrats voting against you having health insurance like your righwingers?

I see Democrats voting to force me into a collectivist polity that is characterized by fraud, theft, corruption, waste, and authoritarianism and ignoring every shred of evidence and logic that says their recycled marxist ideology will bring millions of people down with it before it implodes.

[jillian]

Looks to me like The Weeping Cheeto TeaParty Puppet needs to step down. :laugh:

sounds good.

who replaces him? which wingnut?

[Mainecoons]

One can always count on the average IQ level dropping drastically when the above pair post.

[Cigar]

sounds good.

who replaces him? which wingnut?

The one with the least experience ... Rafael Edward Cruz :grin:

[Cigar]

One can always count on the average IQ level dropping drastically when the above pair post.



I understand your anger and bitterness ... I can see it really hurts you to be in such a long losing steak.

You'll get use to it ... some day. :laugh:

[jillian]

The one with the least experience ... Rafael Edward Cruz :grin:

he can't be speaker of the house.

[Cigar]

he can't be speaker of the house.



That's what you think ... try telling that to Rafael :laugh:

[Peter1469]

you think it would make a difference? i guess if one didn't care about actual issues and only cared if rich people's taxes went up a percentage point.


I think it would make a lot of difference if people vote just after filing their taxes.... Let's try it. If you don't think it would change votes, then there is no harm in it. :wink:

[Mainecoons]

he can't be speaker of the house.

I'm glad at least one of you knows this.

:rofl:

[Cigar]

I'm glad at least one of you knows this.

:rofl:

I'm glad someone can find the humor in this.

After all ... the Jokes are on you. :grin:

[Alyosha]

Hey look, we can still be spied on!

https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/1383163_484958868278028_1761482674_n.jpg