House Falls Short in Vote to Override Veto of Spending Bill [heating funding included]

[rodeodance]

Source: wash post

House Falls Short in Vote to Override Veto of Spending Bill

By Elizabeth Williamson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, November 16, 2007; A06



House Democrats were unable to override President Bush's veto of a key domestic spending bill yesterday, forcing the party back to the drawing board on some of its most important domestic initiatives, including early-childhood education and heating-bill payments for the elderly.

With a vote of 277 to 141, Democrats lost their bid to defy Bush's veto of the labor, health and education bill. The vote was a setback for the Democratic social agenda championed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and Appropriations Committee Chairman David R. Obey (Wis.), the bill's chief architect.

The $606 billion bill includes spending for entitlement programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, as well as $151 billion in discretionary spending, including more money for medical research, Head Start, student loans, job training and a range of assistance programs for low-income people.

The bill is the largest of a dozen 2008 spending bills at the center of a battle between the White House and Congress over the federal budget. It was the first to draw a veto from Bush, who has threatened to do the same to most appropriations bills because of what he says is excess spending by Congress


Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/15/AR2007111502624_pf.html

[rodeodance]

1. looks like Obey tried hard to compromise. but no deal:

"The president says we can't afford to provide help with home heating oil as winter approaches. This would be a million and a half families across our country, for a day and a half or so in Iraq," Pelosi said yesterday.

Obey, a 19-term congressman with a reputation as a dealmaker, tried to draw in Republicans by adding requested money for special education and abstinence-only sex education.

In crafting the bill, Obey avoided ideological flashpoints by rejecting changes to anti-abortion measures that some party liberals wanted, but that the White House identified as reason to veto the bill.

The effort at compromise lured 54 consistent Republican supporters and had a dozen more on the fence. But in the end, White House allies proved reluctant to buck Bush on a bill that was equally symbolic to him as an opportunity to demonstrate to skeptics in his party that he is willing to hold down federal spending.

[aquart]

2. Some people need to spend long cold nights.

[Frances]

3. Can Congress send a bill just for heating?

I think Bush would start to look ridiculous if he had to veto each separate item, especially the really popular ones.

[k8conant]

4. I'm sick to death of * saying "spend, spend, spend" on war ...

and then accusing Congress of wanting "excessive spending" on things that matter and should be funded.

[Patchuli]

5. We the People

need to tell them so...!