The Budget Resolution has now been passed by the House (216-211) and by the Senate (51-50, with Vice President Dick Cheney casting the tie-breaking vote). This budget is, quite possibly, one of the worst examples of the failure of our elected representatives to meet their obligation to determine tax and spending outlines that address the priorities of the American people.

As discussed in newspapers across the country, support for preserving the President's costly $726 billion tax cut package (misnamed the "Growth Package") is weakening. On March 25, the Senate voted to shrink the $726 billion package down to $350 billion. (In an earlier vote, the House passed the full $726 billion tax cut - and more than $260 billion in cuts to veterans' assistance, Medicaid, Medicare, food stamps and other programs - in a very close vote, 215-212.)

A new report issued by the Minority Staff of the House Appropriations Committee reveals the total number of jobs lost in each state since January 2001, when President Bush took office.

The House passed its FY 2004 budget resolution last week, officially kicking off the Congressional budget debates for the coming fiscal year. The Senate voted to preserve all but $100 billion of the President’s tax cut, but won’t complete work on the budget resolution until Wednesday, March 26. Though the budget resolutions of each chamber reflect much of the President’s own budget proposals, and especially his $726 billion tax cut, neither resolution passed without a great deal of effort among Republican leaders to ensure that Congressional members voted together.