Last Call

Republicans looks like they will buy three more weeks of government operation at the price of $6 billion in cuts, and the Dems are all but thrilled to take it.

As the standoff continues over funding the government for the rest of the fiscal year, both parties agreed on Friday to move ahead with a three-week stopgap bill that would cut an additional six billion dollars and avoid a potential federal shutdown.

The measure, introduced by House Republicans, eliminates or reduces money for 25 government programs, saving $3.5 billion. Republicans chose from a list of programs President Obama wants cut or eliminated his 2012 budget and from items Senate Democrats proposed in a bill that failed earlier this week.

The bill also rescinds funding that U.S. Department of Commerce never spent on the 2010 U.S. Census and eliminates $2.6 billion in earmarks that were extended in last year's spending bill.

The House is expected to vote on the bill early next week and send it to the Senate for a vote.

So what's getting cut now?

* Climate Effects Network – Science Application (U.S. Geological Survey) = -$10.5 million. This program to “provide data for forecasting the effects of climate change” was not funded in the President’s budget request.

* Greenhouse Gas Cap and Trade Funding (EPA) = -$5 million. This funding was provided by the last Congress for the EPA to assist Congress in enacting the Cap and Trade legislation. This program was not funded in the President’s budget request.

* Local Government Climate Change Grants (EPA) = -$10 million. This program was not funded in the President’s budget request. In addition, the Administration has indicated that this program lacks focus and effectiveness, and is too broad to allow fair competition for grants.

* Targeted Airshed Grants (EPA) = -$10 million. The program funds diesel retrofits and replacements for pollution reduction. Funding for similar programs is already available, and the program was not funded in the President’s budget request.

Surprise, a bunch of environmental programs.  Oh, and this:

* Corporation for Public Broadcasting = -$50 million. The bill terminates the “Fiscal Stabilization Fund” which provides funding increases to public broadcasting stations to offset reduced public donations. The bill also terminates the “Radio Interconnection” project that was completed in 2010. These programs were also terminated in the President’s budget request as well as the Senate Democrats’ most recent CR proposal.

Both the White House and Congressional Dems were curiously more than happy to put this on the block.

But hey, this way Democrats get...hey, what ARE Democrats getting out of this, anyway?

Does anyone in the Donks know?