When Boehner became speaker on Jan. 5, 2011, the federal government was operating under a continuing resolution that had been passed on Dec. 21, 2010 by a lame-duck Congress. That CR expired on March 4, 2011.
On March 1, 2011, Boehner agreed to a new short-term spending deal with President Barack Obama and Democratic congressional leaders to keep the government running past the March 4, 2011 expiration of the old CR. Since March 4, 2011, federal expenditures have been carried out under a series of CRs approved by both the Republican-controlled House and the Democrat-controlled Senate and signed into law by President Obama.
At the close of business on March 4, 2011, the total federal debt was $14,182,627,184,881.03, according to the Treasury Department's Bureau of the Public Debt. At the close of business on May 31, 2012, it was 15,770,685,085,364.14. That is an increase of $1,588,057,900,483.11—in just 15 months
The House republicans had a chance to kill a New Deal dinosaur program that caters to a handful of special interest. The Export/Import Bank’s charter was up for renewal last month. The GOP leadership shoved it through without blinking an eye:
House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) reached an agreement on the measure last week.
The bill will reach the House floor under suspension of the rules, which requires support of two-thirds of the House for passage.
There could still be some suspense in the outcome because Republicans are split on extending the bank's life. Meanwhile, Ex-Im has strong backing from big business, while it is opposed by fiscal conservative groups like the Club for Growth, Heritage Foundation and Council for Citizens Against Government Waste.
In the past, the bank has faced little resistance, but this time around, conservative Republicans have pressed their case that the bank represents a federal government overreach.
Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has publicly called for its approval.
This country can’t afford business as usual politics. It’s plain for all to see that the current Republican leadership has to go.
Source: http://cnsnews.com/news/article/debt-159t-under-gop-house-more-15-months-first-97-congresses-combined
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/06/01/4531634/ex-im-bank-approves-68-billion.html
http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/1007-other/226235-overnight-money-export-import-bank-reauthorization-hits-the-house-floor
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/06/01/4531634/ex-im-bank-approves-68-billion.html
http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/1007-other/226235-overnight-money-export-import-bank-reauthorization-hits-the-house-floor
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