FY11 Cuts, Cold Comfort, and the FY12 Battle Ahead
Politically, the final budget deal that closes the books on the seven-months-past-late FY11 budget is a undeniable triumph for House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), who masterfully played "good cop" to his Tea Party caucus's "bad cop" in negotiations with the White House and Senate Democrats. The overall reduction in FY11 spending is $38.8 billion, which is well more than half of the $61 billion House Republicans had originally sought and far north of the Obama administration's $20 billion opening gambit and later $33 billion counteroffer.
In addition, Boehner was able to extend the Washington, D.C., schools voucher program that is anathema to congressional Democrats for five years and eliminate the cap on the number of students who can participate. In exchange (in what has now become a recurring theme), the White House secured funding for its prized Race to the Top program
