Before November’s election, Republican leaders in the House of Representatives solemnly promised that they would cut spending by $100 billion this year alone if voters put their party in charge. Voters did, in the House at least, and on February 19th the new Republican majority repaid the compliment by approving cuts of $100 billion in the budget Barack Obama proposed for last year (compared with the short-term “continuing” spending resolutions Congress has actually adopted, the cut is only $61 billion).
The hitch is that the measure will not become law, since the Democrats who control the Senate, not to mention the president with his veto pen, are implacably opposed to it. With the continuing resolution due to expire on March 4th, there is little time to work out a compromise, and little evidence either side wants one.