 Speaker of the House Rep. John Boehner (Center) walks back to his office after a vote on the omnibus spending bill December 16, 2011. The House has passed the $1 trillion bill, by 296-121, that will keep the federal government funded through September, 2012.
December 19th, 2011
06:32 PM ET
Paying for government, 2012 The President still hasn’t signed the 2012 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which will fund the government through next year. According to White House officials it’s because the bill itself has not yet arrived at the White House. And why is that? Because it’s a big bill and takes a long time to print. Yet until that bill is signed the government is funded only by a continuing resolution that runs through December 23, 2011. So the question arises, can or will the President use the unsigned bill as leverage to keep Congress in town to resolve the payroll tax cut dispute? According to the White House, the answer is no. "The President is focused on getting the business of the American people done, and once we receive the Omnibus funding bill, he will sign it,” says Kenneth Baer, Communications Director for the Office of Management and Budget. “House Republicans should focus on the urgent task in front of them, put aside whatever political concerns they have, and pass the compromise payroll/UI bill that passed the Senate by overwhelming, bipartisan margins." 
December 19th, 2011
02:35 PM ET
Tale of the dueling clocks In the latest move in the tale of the dueling countdown clocks, the White House has stepped up their message to target the House and Speaker John Boehner. The running countdown clock, which has been displayed in the White House Briefing Room for the past couple weeks, now says "If the House doesn't act, middle class taxes increase in..." rather than calling on all of Congress to act. House Speaker Boehner also put a countdown clock on is official website last week, with the word "Congress" marked out and calling on the Senate to act. The battling clocks are both in reference to the vote in the House for an extension of payroll tax cuts and unemployment benefits. Speaker Boehner has said that he rejects the Senate plan for a two-month extension and thinks the House should work through the holidays to reach a new compromise. 
December 19th, 2011
07:45 AM ET
Morning Briefing: December 19 The 1600 Report's daily roundup of what the White House is reading this morning online and in the papers: Payroll plan likely to stall in House [NYTimes] The GOP caucus is meeting Monday AM [CNN] Rick Perry is making his last stand [POLITICO] While Newt may be blowing it [POLITICO] Romney still reaping Bain profits [NYTimes] And gets the Des Moines Register endorsement [WashPost] Condi wants veep? [Washington Times] 
December 19th, 2011
06:26 AM ET
Obama calls South Korea's LeeAs news of the death of North Korean Dictator Kim Jong Il spread late Sunday, President Obama spoke with South Korean president Lee Myung-bak, who visited the White House only a few months ago. According to the White House, "the President reaffirmed the United States’ strong commitment to the stability of the Korean Peninsula." Full readout from the White House:
December 19th, 2011
06:21 AM ET
POTUS's Day Ahead: Jong Il's death, key House votePresident Obama's official schedule Monday is precariously thin - there are no public events scheduled. The schedule was released before the news of North Korea's Kim Jong Il's death broke, so it's more than likely we will see the president in some form today. The White House must also keep a close eye on Capitol Hill, where House Republicans are likely to vote down an extension of the payroll tax holiday that the Senate passed Friday. Meanwhile, the president was supposed to depart for his holiday vacation in Hawaii over the weekend. It remains to be seen when Obama will now be able to get out of town. Full schedule after the jump: |
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