In response to:
And so it once again comes down to an argument over how much money we don't have should we spend. Neither side it talking about real spending reform, without which the deficits and debt will continue to grow. No one in Washington is serious about getting our house in order; they are all just looking to kick the can down the road one more time.
The new year is fast approaching and there’s still “significant distance between the two sides,” according to Harry Reid. However, he also said there’s still time to reach an agreement. The House Rules Committee approved a rule that would allow the chamber to immediately consider a Senate deal—although, with less than 24 hours left to strike a deal, time is quickly running out. The Senate will reconvene at 11am.
Where negotiations stand (via The Hill):
Leaders in the upper chamber narrowed their differences Sunday as Republicans agreed to drop a demand to...
and Ron and Rand Paul
almost all federal spending is unconstitutional (50+% i'd have to take a hard look for a specific number, but medicare, food stamps, medicaid, social security, cell phones, obama-care to name a few unconstitutional programs)