Chances For Small-Bore Budget Deal Said To Improve
Despite a polarized Congress, The Associated Press reports that the prospects for a modest, end-of-year budget deal are looking up. Neither party would achieve its biggest priority with such an agreement, however.
The Associated Press: Prospects Brighten For Small-Scale Budget Deal
Despite the poisonous environment in Congress, chances are improving for a small-scale budget deal next month that would ease automatic spending decreases that threaten to cut more deeply into domestic programs and military priorities in 2014. Neither party will get its biggest priority -- for Democrats, higher taxes; for Republicans, slowing the exploding cost of retirement programs. ... Democrats have taken curbs in Social Security cost-of-living increases and higher Medicare premiums on upper-income beneficiaries off the table (Taylor, 11/25).