Friday, December 20, 2013

ECONOMY - Impact of the New Budget Deal

"What the budget deal means for Americans" PBS Newshour 12/19/2013

Excerpt

GWEN IFILL (Newshour):  There's been a lot of talk about the politics behind the bipartisan budget agreement.

We take a closer look now at the devil in those details.

Senate Democrats were happy today to tout the budget deal headed to the president's desk.

Budget Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray said, the agreement was about more than just funding the government.

SEN. PATTY MURRAY, D-Wash.:  We showed the American people that members of Congress can work together, that we can listen to each other and get into a room and talk frankly without trying to hurt each other politically.  Secondly, by breaking through the partisanship, we finally ended the seemingly never-ending cycle of lurching from one crisis to the next.

GWEN IFILL:  The budget plan averts another government shutdown like the one this past October that lasted for 16 days.  It also gives the Pentagon some relief from automatic spending cuts and restores billions of dollars to domestic programs, including scientific research.

The $62 billion price tag will be paid for in part by scaling back benefits for military retirees under the age of 62.  But, already, there is talk from both sides about finding the money somewhere else instead.

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