Bloomberg reports the House could vote as early as today on its $554 billion defense spending bill for fiscal year 2013.

House Speaker John Boehner reiterated his position that another increase in the debt ceiling must be combined with spending cuts. Roll Call has the details.

The Daily Caller reports the federal government has spent about $70 billion on “climate change activities” since 2008.

The Washington Post says Republicans want to reform the tax code next year.

The Wall Street Journal says leaders in Greece have said the country will stop paying its debts if the EU cuts off aid. The Washington Post looks at how continued strife in Europe  is affecting U.S. and world markets.

On the opinion pages: Matthew Philips argues the coming “fiscal cliff” will drive the U.S. back into recession.

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In what can now be considered traditional fashion, the Senate will continue to operate for the third straight year without a budget resolution controlling its spending limits. Meanwhile the government is on track to run a $1.2 trillion deficit this year, states are struggling to meet budget gaps due to a stagnate economy, and unemployment remains at 8.1 percent. Hopefully the Senate will soon follow the president and the House’s leads by fulfilling their constitutional duty and passing an annual budget.

The Five Budget Resolutions

President Obama’s Budget Proposal – 0 Yay – 99 Nay – 1 Not Voting

House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s Proposal – 41 Yay – 58 Nay – 1 Not Voting

Senator Rand Paul’s Budget Proposal –16 Yay – 83 Yay – 1 Not Voting

Senator Pat Toomey’s Budget Proposal – 42 Yay – 57 Nay – 1 Not Voting

Senator Mike Lee’s Budget Proposal – 17 Yay – 82 Nay – 1 Not VotingBA

The Senate voted down five different versions of an FY 2013 budget resolution yesterday.  Politico, Roll Call, The Washington Examiner,The Washington Times have the story.

The Hill, The Washington Post report President Obama said yesterday that he wants a “clean” debt ceiling bill and will not tolerate a fight like last year’s.

The New York Times reports the number of depositors taking their funds out of Greece has increased as uncertainty about the nation’s fiscal status has also increased.

According to Reuters, the European Central Bank has stopped offering liquidity to some bank in Greece. The ECB says a lack of capital is the cause.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the Federal Reserve is wary about the economic recovery’s strength, while the Washington Post says the nation’s bank is considering new measures to stimulate growth if recovery worsens.

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The University of California, San Francisco was awarded a grant for over $1.26 million to study and identify “ways to improve the accuracy of responses” regarding self-reporting high-risk sexual behavior, which has created a whopping 0.85 jobs. Through 200 video interviews (Yes, that is over $6000 per interview) UCSF researched conversational methodologies and techniques as they apply to the reporting of sexual behavior.

Another grant, awarded to a hospital in Rhode Island went to studying erectile dysfunction. The hospital was awarded over $725k to determine “whether lifestyle intervention is effective” in middle-aged men with impotence and created 1.61 jobs while doing so.

Neither one of the studies has been completed yet, according to Recovery.org, but are the results really necessary? We have a national debt of over $15.6 trillion, and this is a use of $1.5 million that government could do without.BA

Think about it.  It takes a simply majority vote in the Senate to begin the debate on the budget, a process so critical the Senate exempts the budget from its filibuster rule.  Why can’t they at least debate a budget?  Well, it’s an open secret in Washington that the Senate wants to avoid a budget debate because they fear it will lead to tough votes that can be used against them in upcoming elections. Budget debates open the amendment floodgates and force senators to take clear stands on a vast range of contentious fiscal and social issues by casting politically perilous votes. After all, no incumbent, Republican or Democrat, relishes the prospect of seeing his or her voting record used as a weapon in a challenger’s campaign ad. The instinct for self-preservation is understandable, but I wouldn’t exactly call it admirable.

Senator Harry Reid (D-Nev.), who leads the Democratic majority in that chamber, has claimed that the Budget Control Act (BCA) passed in August 2011 to resolve the debt-ceiling standoff, with its enforceable discretionary spending cap of $1.047 trillion, gives him the budget he needs for the upcoming fiscal year.  Sorry, but no. Both houses of Congress and the White House have a responsibility to produce detailed budget proposals, to work through the arduous process of reconciling competing plans and to deliver an annual budget document to guide government spending for the year. That’s not just my opinion. The Senate Parliamentarian, the referee on matters of legislative process, issued a procedural ruling in March that undercuts the claim that the BCA is enough to suffice as a budget blueprint for this year. For Reid and other budget hold-outs, this ruling is a black eye.

A budget is one of the most rudimentary aspects of governing.  In fact, it’s even required by law.  Take a look for yourself:  the law requires Congress to pass a budget.  On page 926 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, it says that on or before April 15 of each year “Congress completes action on concurrent resolution on the budget.”  How can it be that Congress is able to disregard its own deadline?  Well, actually, since the law doesn’t contain any enforcement mechanisms, there are no consequences imposed on Congress if it fails to enact a budget by April 15.  Do you think you could ignore a law simply because it didn’t have any enforcement mechanisms?  Sorry, but no.

The Senate owes the American people a budget.  And the least they could do is allow the legislative body to begin debating one.BA

The Associated Press reports foreign holdings of U.S. debt are at an all-time high.

Despite a current ban on the practice, Politico reports lawmakers are still pushing for earmarks.

The Associated Press says the White House has threatened to veto the House FY 2013 defense appropriations bill since spending in it exceeds what was agreed to in last summer’s budget deal.

House Speaker John Boehner said Republicans would block any debt ceiling increase that  is not accompanied by spending cuts. Bloomberg,The Hill, The New York Times, Politico, Reuters, The Washington Post have the story.

According to The Hill, Speaker Boehner is also pushing for quick action on tax legislation. Meanwhile, according to Politico, former President Bill Clinton is advising lawmakers raise taxes across the board.

The Hill and The Washington Free Beacon says the Senate is poised to reject several different budget outlines on Wednesday. According to Politico, some moderates are frustrated with the Senate’s inability to pass a budget.  

The Hill, Politico and The Washington Post report the Senate has passed a House-supported bill to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank.

According to The New York Times, states are using funds from the housing settlement with banks to plug their budget gaps. Also on housing, Bloomberg says Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may soon be allowed to forgive homeowners’ debts.

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The Washington Post says businesses are getting nervous about impending tax increases.

The Washington Free Beacon reports money from the 2009 stimulus went to study erectile dysfunction.

According to The Hill, Politico and Roll Call, the bill to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank is moving forward.

The New York Times and The Washington Post looks at how the crisis in Greece is affecting the European and world economy.

On the opinion pages: The Wall Street Journal looks at underfunded private pension systems.

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The House voted to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank. The legislation “would raise the bank’s lending limit to $120 billion immediately, $130 billion in 2013 and $140 billion by the end of the 2014 fiscal year.” See our fact sheet on the Bank, here. The House also passed the Fiscal Year 2013 Commerce-Justice-Science spending bill, which lays out $51.1 billion in funding for those programs over the next year. The White House has threatened to veto the legislation since it cuts funding more than was agreed to in last summer’s debt limit deal.

The Senate rejected cloture on a bill that would have prevented interest rates on student loans from doubling from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent. Republicans and Democrats disagree on how to pay for the measure, with Democrats favoring tax increases and Republicans offering a plan to repeal a program set up in the 2010 health care bill.

Check below for more on last week’s House and Senate action.

What you paid

Last week taxpayers spent roughly $100 million on Congress.

Salaries of Members of Congress and their allowances/week:

Speaker of the House: $223,500/52 = $4,299

House and Senate Majority and Minority Leaders: ($193,400/52) x 4 = $14,877

Other Representatives and Senators: ($174,000/52) x 530 = $1,773,462

Average weekly budget for all House offices: ($1,446,009/52) x 435 = $2,096,421

Average weekly budget for all Senate offices: ($3,409,093/52) x 100 = $6,555,958

Non-salary money allocated for Congress: $4.656 billion/52 = $89,538,462

What you got

In addition to the legislation noted above, the House voted to approve four bills and resolutions that will have not any cost.

• H.R. 4133, To express the sense of Congress regarding the United States-Israel strategic relationship, to direct the President to submit to Congress reports on United States actions to enhance this relationship and to assist in the defense of Israel. COST: $0
• H. Con. Res. 118, Authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the District of Columbia Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run. COST: $0
• H. Con. Res. 117, Authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the National Peace Officers Memorial Service. COST: $0
• H. Con. Res. 105, Authorizing the use of Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center for an event to celebrate the birthday of King Kamehameha. COST: $0

In addition to the cloture vote mentioned above, the Senate confirmed Jacqueline H. Nguyen, of California, to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit.

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California’s budget deficit now tops $16 billion. The Los Angeles Times and The New York Times have the story.

Politico reports federal transportation authorities have told California they must use their high-speed rail funds, or risk losing them.

According to The Wall Street Journal, economists predict “subdued” economic growth this year.

The Telegraph says Greece “will soon run out of money.”

On the opinion pages: John Snow looks at how scheduled tax increases will affect the economy; The Wall Street Journal says high tax rates aren’t helping the state of California; and Robert Samuelson argues against farm subsidies.

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The House passed a bill Thursday to cut spending by $237 billion over 10 years. The Associated Press, Bloomberg, Fox News, The New York Times,Politico, Reuters,The Washington Post and The Washington Times have the details.

The Wall Street Journal reports the nation’s CEOs are organizing a campaign to urge Congress to take action to reduce the national debt and deficit.

The Hill says the Senate is likely to pass a reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank next week.

President Obama signed an executive order mandating all federal agencies conduct an annual review of their regulations. The Associated Press and USA Today have the details.

On the opinion pages: Henry Miller argues a new tax on medical devices could harm U.S. innovation.

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