Republican-Controlled House Passes Spending Cuts Bill

Tonight the House passed the first of two bill aimed at avoiding the fiscal cliff. By a vote of 215-209 the House passed a bill that offsets spending cuts that would result from sequestration, and mostly impact defense, with spending cuts in other parts of the budget. After the vote, the House adjourned.

Next up is a vote to prevent tax rates for all Americans who earn less than $1 million from going up on January 1. Passing that bill would put the Democrat-controlled Senate on the spot to pass it or an alternative plan to avoid the fiscal cliff.

Not that the Senate will actually respond to the pressure. Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid has already declared the House plan dead on arrival. He and the Obama White House appear dead set on avoiding a deal so they can push the nation over the fiscal cliff, which raises taxes while cutting defense. Both have been longstanding Democratic Party goals for years.