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110th Congress Reaches Milestone Of Failure

"Today Congress set a record they should not be proud of: October the 26th is the latest date in 20 years that Congress has failed to get a single annual appropriations bill to the President's desk."

- President George W. Bush, 10/26/07

The latest date a Congress has sent the President its first annual spending bill since 1987 is October 25.

Congress has failed to send a single annual spending bill to the President's desk.  Fiscal Year 2008 began 26 days ago, but only seven of the 12 annual spending bills have passed both houses of Congress. 

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has not appointed any conferees to reconcile differences between the House and Senate spending bills.  It has been 133 days since the bill providing funding for our Nation's veterans passed the House, but Speaker Pelosi continues to delay this necessary step to get this spending bill and others to the President's desk.  In fact, when House Republicans put forward a motion to go to conference on the veterans spending bill, 225 Democrats voted against progress for the men and women who have bravely served our country.  (Roll Call Vote #990, 10/23/07) 

"Congress Needs To Keep Their Promise, To Stop Wasting Time, And Get Essential Work Done On Behalf Of The American People"

President Bush: "[T]oday Congress set a record they should not be proud of: October the 26th is the latest date in 20 years that Congress has failed to get a single annual appropriations bill to the President's desk."  (President George W. Bush, Statement On Appropriations, The White House, 10/26/07)

"That's Not The Only Thing Congressional Leaders Have Failed To Get Done"

"They have yet to make the Internet tax moratorium permanent, or even extend it - even though this moratorium is set to expire in just a few days."  "The House and Senate have both passed temporary extensions but have not agreed on a final bill.  I urge Congress to keep the Internet tax-free - and to get a bill to my desk that I can sign."

"They have yet to move Judge Michael Mukasey's nomination to be Attorney General out of the Senate Judiciary Committee - even as members complain about the lack of leadership at the Department of Justice."

"They have yet to act on our emergency war funding supplemental - even though our troops on the front lines depend on these vital funds to fight our enemies and to keep us safe at home."

"I returned to Washington late last night.  And when I got back to the White House, I was disappointed by what Congress had been doing - and even more disappointed by what they had not been doing."  "As the House was debating SCHIP, the Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee unveiled a massive tax package that raises taxes on more than a million small business owners, among others.  Earlier this week, Congress sent me a fiscally irresponsible water resources bill.  The House version came in at $15 billion.  The Senate version came in at $14 billion.  So the House and Senate compromised - and sent me a bill that costs $23 billion.  In Washington, they call that 'splitting the difference.'"

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