Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011 H.R. 1473 Roll Call 268 Final Results.

FFS: On Friday April 8th, House Speaker John Boehner, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and President Barak Obama worked out a compromise agreement on appropriations for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2011. The last-minute agreement prevented a government “shutdown.”

According to Monday’s CQ Briefing: “The spending cuts will be $18 billion from mandatory programs and $20 billion from discretionary programs — although $12 billion of that had already been enacted in the last three short-term CRs [Continuing Resolutions].”

Early reports heralded the “compromise” as a victory for smaller government. However, other reports, including one from the Congressional Budget Office, soon questioned the reality of the cuts. The Washington Post (4-14-2011) noted: “A federal budget compromise that was hailed as historic for proposing to cut about $38 billion would reduce federal spending by only $352 million this fiscal year, less than 1 percent of the bill’s advertised amount, according to the Congressional Budget Office.”

On closer examination, some cuts appear to be legitimate, while many others are accounting gimmicks that will not show up as actual deficit reductions. Nevertheless, it was a lot of stir about little and massive unconstitutional government is still alive and well.

Good news, however, followed the “compromise”: Not all the House GOP “conservatives” went along with it (see above roll call #268). According to Roll Call: “Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) was forced to rely on 81 House Democrats to push through a six-month spending measure Thursday over the objections of his right flank — a stark political reality that could hurt him in future battles…. [Although a majority of GOP voted for it], the overall level of defections was significant and deeper than many senior aides expected.” (“Boehner Turns to Democrats to Pass CR After 59 GOP Defections,” 4-14-11)