Senate dems pitch long-term spending bill

The Hill: "A long-term spending bill pitched by the Senate will not include language to strip federal funds from Planned Parenthood and implementation of the healthcare reform law, according to new highlights released by the Senate Appropriations Committee on Friday afternoon. ... Shortly after two-week CR passed, anti-abortion groups put pressure on the Senate to include language blocking federal funds for Planned Parenthood in its long-term spending bill. And a handful of House Republicans had actually voted against the two-week CR because it did not block funding for healthcare reform." This Senate draft would restore the $1 billion cut in funding for community health centers that House Republicans proposed in their version of a long-term CR (Millman, 3/4). 

Time's Swampland Blog: "The Senate today unveiled their first bid. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid introduced two bills: the House version, House Resolution 1, and his bill, which cuts $51 billion from President Obama's 2011 request. This includes the $4 billion in cuts already passed by the Senate this week" (Newton-Small, 3/4).

MarketWatch: "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Friday that the Senate will hold votes next week on Republican and Democratic bills to fund the government through the end of the current fiscal year. But the two sides are far apart and have just two weeks to avert a government shutdown" (Schroeder, 3/4).