The U.S. Congress is nowhere near reaching a deal on government funding, a senior lawmaker said on Thursday, as Republicans who control both chambers struggled to meet conservative demands and show they can avoid agency shutdowns.
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To pass a final budget, the House and Senate must jointly approve a series of budget-related bills that the governor also has to approve. At a news conference Thursday morning, Democratic lawmakers joined family members of people who have died from gun violence to call on Congress to take action to lift a ban on federal gun research. “I think this is a very profitable industry and this will add to their profitability and paying more into sustaining our nation and helping it grow is not unreasonable”. At issue are a $1.1 trillion government-wide spending bill and a sprawling renewal of tax breaks for businesses and individuals that could cost hundreds of billions of dollars over the next decade.
“There’s been a lot of talk in the Capitol regarding our framework, our lofty goals”, said Appropriations Chairman Bill Adolph, R-Delaware.
As to why Republicans are so reluctant to vote on the bill, Capuano said it is all about the GOP’s dependence on the National Rifle Association.
“The way that we will be able to finally reach an agreement here is when Republicans abandon their insistence on including these kinds of ideological riders in the budget process”, said White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest.
“Look, deadlines come and deadlines go”, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) told reporters Thursday.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), the Senate’s No. 2 Republican, previously expressed reluctance to give Democrats their request for a two-year delay in the Cadillac tax without extracting concessions in return.
“If [the government’s] budget does not allow the CDC to compile that data, that information, so we can figure out how to more effectively address the public safety-requirements of the American people, then – I’m speaking for myself – it’s a budget not worth voting for”, Israel told reporters. The San Francisco Democrat and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., see little reason to accept the GOP’s “poison pills”, and they are not only blocking Republican priorities but also pressing for their own goals.
In the shadow of last week’s mass shooting in California, the House used a near-party line vote of 242-173 to turn aside an effort by Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to hold an immediate vote on the legislation.
On Tuesday, the Senate Appropriations Committee amended the House bill to hold to the compromise framework. Ron Wyden, top Democrat on the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee. “Because both sides are treated pretty fairly”. We’re not going to let Democrats jam us with hard deadlines – these are all artificial deadlines.
Complicating efforts is a separate battle to extend – or possibly make permanent – dozens of specialty tax breaks that are routinely approved at the end of each year.
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The omnibus bill includes provisions to remove expiration dates for small business and research and development, earned income, college education and child tax credits, Bolton reports.
