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Opinion

Politics and Budget Constrain Congress’ Job-Creation Push

The health care reform debate in the Senate is going to have a fascinating sideshow to watch. There are several must-pass measures Congress has to tackle before the year’s end — cleaning up budget and appropriations, some authorizations, including key parts of the USA PATRIOT Act, raising the debt ceiling, and passing measures such as an estate tax fix. Most are moving through the House on a reasonable timetable. But the Senate is wholly consumed with the health issue, each long day soaked up with delays and obstacles thrown out by the minority in order either to kill the bill or to delay it into next year. How can the Senate take time to do other things?

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Sen. Scott Brown arrives in the Capitol via the Senate subway for votes on the Food and Drug Administration reauthorization bill on Thursday.
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Defense Sequester Policy Briefing

Defense Sequester Policy Briefing

Nobody seems to like the automatic Pentagon spending cuts set for January, but there is little Congressional agreement on an alternative.

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