Friday, October 30, 2015

Regarding H.R.1314 - Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015

That's the official name of the budget bill that passed the Senate last night.

- Click here for full info on the bill from congress.gov.

For background:

- National Journal: Senate Approves Budget Deal, Raises Debt Ceiling.
- Huffington Post: Senate Passes Budget Bill.
- Washington Post: Congressional leaders, White House reach two-year budget deal.
- Politico: House passes sweeping budget bill.

Here's text from the NYT:

The Senate approved a crucial bipartisan budget agreement early on Friday that would avert a government default and end nearly five years of pitched battles between congressional Republicans and the Obama administration over fiscal policy.
The measure, which was approved 64 to 35, now goes to the White House, where President Obama has said he will sign it.
“This agreement is a reminder that Washington can still choose to help, rather than hinder, America’s progress,” Mr. Obama said in a statement.
The Senate vote, held in the dead of night, was perhaps a fitting cap to the clashes between Republicans and the White House, which many warned had put the United States on the edge of economic calamity and which, in 2013, forced a16-day shutdown of the federal government.
Unlike the 2013 fight, in which Republicans ultimately surrendered and conceded defeat in trying to force a repeal of Mr. Obama’s health care law, this week’s budget accord was largely a draw.
The deal would increase spending by $80 billion over two years and raise the federal debt ceiling, averting a default that the Treasury had warned would happen early next week. It was approved in the House on Wednesday with the overwhelming support of Democrats, but with less than one-third of Republicans backing it.