There were a lot of lies told by House Republicans during the debate on Saturday night about the Continuing Resolution, but I want to concentrate on just one category of those lies -- those concerning the failure of the "Democrat-controlled Senate" to pass appropriations bills. Oh, if only the Senate were REALLY controlled by Democrats, and if 41 Senators couldn't block action on anything they don't like (or for tactical reasons don't want to see passed, even if they actually do like it).
FACT: The Senate passed a Budget Resolution for the 2014 fiscal year on March 23, 2013. Although the Republicans have been complaining for several years about the failure of the Senate to pass a formal budget resolution, Senate Republicans have prevented the Budget Resolution from going to a Conference Committee to resolve differences with the House because they refuse to appoint members of the Conference Committee, ostensibly because they're afraid there might be a compromise.
FACT: The Senate Committee on Appropriations reported out a bill on appropriations for the Departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and related agencies on 6/27/13. It was not passed by the entire Senate because Senate Republicans blocked it in a cloture vote of 54-43 in which every Senate Republican who voted at all voted against cloture.
FACT: The Senate Appropriations Committee has approved appropriations bills for the following agencies on the dates indicated, and by the margins indicated. None of them have come to a vote in the full Senate because the Senate Republicans have managed to almost complete muck up the machinery of the Senate by filibustering, or at least threatening to filibuster, virtually EVERYTHING:
Agriculture: 6/20/13 (23-6) Military/Veterans: 6/20/13 (23-6) Energy and Water: 6/27/13 (24-6) Transportation/HUD: 6/27/13 (22-8) Labor/HHS/Education: 7/11/13 (16-14) Legislative Branch: 7/11/13 (16-14) Commerce/Justice/Science: 7/18/13 (21-9) Homeland Security: 7/18/13 (21-9) State/Foreign Operations: 7/25/13 (23-7) Financial Services: 7/25/13 (16-14) Defense: 8/1/13 (22-8)
With the exception of the 16-14 vote margins, ALL of these bills were reported out of the Appropriations Committee with substantial Republican support, and several of them with the support of most Republicans on the Appropriations Committee. But none of these appropriations bills have reached a vote in the full Senate because the Tea Party Republicans have done everything possible to prevent the Senate from doing ANYTHING.
FACT: The ONLY Appropriations Bill that has not been reported out of the Senate Appropriations Committee is the Interior and Environment Appropriations bill, and it hasn't been reported out by the Appropriations Committee of either the House OR the Senate.