Today in Washington D. C. - March 10, 2008

On The Floor: The Senate will reconvene at 2 PM today. The Senate will then begin consideration of the fiscal 2009 budget resolution (S. Con. Res. 70). The budget is scheduled for 50 hours of floor debate, as is required. The annual “vote-a-rama” on a series of amendments to the budget could come Thursday night.

Following the Democrats budget would result in growing the federal budget at the expense of the family budget. Because the Democrats assume that all of President Bush’s tax cuts will expire in 2010 and 2011, 43 million families could expect to pay $2,300 more per year in taxes. This would amount to the largest tax increase in American history. Much like last year, Democrats have proposed a budget that would, according to Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH), raise taxes by $1.2 trillion, increase spending by $210 billion, grow the debt by $2 trillion, ignores the looming entitlement problems, and is stuffed with frauds and gimmicks.

From Senate & News Sources: While Democrats are focusing on their usual tax and spend agenda, national security continues to fall by the wayside in the absence of House action on the FISA bill. Matthew Continetti writes in The Weekly Standard, “It’s been three weeks since Democrats in Congress allowed the Protect America Act of 2007 to expire. Three weeks in which House Democrats have allowed marginal special interest groups veto power over national security legislation. And no one in the House Democratic leadership seems particularly bothered by it.” Continentti notes, “A vote may be put off until after next week's congressional spring break.” Last Friday, Sen. Mitch McConnell warned House Democrats: “The patience of the American People is wearing thin. It is long passed time for the Democrat Leadership in the House to do its part. They face a simple choice: either take up the Senate-passed bipartisan bill that is guaranteed to pass their chamber and be signed into law, or go on another vacation, leaving intelligence agents without the tools they need and America more vulnerable to terrorist attack.”

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