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The provisions and recommendations of the 2009 fiscal budget presented by the U.S. President George W. Bush are discussed. The possibility that the Democrats may choose to leave major spending decisions to the newly elected president is not ruled out.

The fiscal 2008 Labor, Health and Human Services appropriations bill cleared by Congress, and expected to face a presidential veto, is presented.

A combined fiscal 2008 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs spending bill approved by the House-Senate conference is discussed.

The dispute over a small amount in the budget that both parties are using to symbolize all their fiscal policy disagreements is discussed.

The focus of Democrats in the upcoming elections is to focus on support for the troops and push funding for education and medical treatment especially for war veterans is discussed.

The House and Senate Democrats adopted fiscal 2009 budget resolutions by a narrow margin, with spending bills exceeding President Bush's budget request. Facing a House-Senate conference and a possible presidential veto, they are likely to take further action on the bills only after the general elections when the next president takes office.

The House and Senate are set for a budget debate with both the House and Senate Budget Committees approving separate fiscal 2009 draft resolutions. Although both draft resolutions exceed President Bush's request for domestic spending, they differ on how the one-year 'patch' on the alternative minimum tax (AMT) will be paid.

Democrats permit pending fiscal 2008 spending bills to be consolidated into a single omnibus spending package, PL 110-137 ending a longstanding impasse over discretionary spending.

The House passed the HR 2638 stopgap spending bill that would authorize funding until March 6, 2009 and awaits Senate clearance. This covers funding for Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs (VA) departments and military construction and prevent shutdown of federal agencies.

The fiscal 2009 budget resolution for $3.03 trillion adopted by both the House and Senate is discussed. The Appropriations subcommittees of both chambers would soon begin to markup their regular fiscal 2009 bills.

The article discusses the Democrats' decision to reach a compromise on an omnibus appropriations bill in December 2007 that is likely to be vetoed by President George W Bush.

The continuing political confrontation between the U.S. President George W. Bush and congressional Democrats after a presidential veto of the fiscal 2008 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill is discussed.

The Congress has cleared and sent for the U.S. President George W. Bush's signature a continuing resolution to fund federal government programs through November 16, 2007.

The Fiscal 2008 budget resolution adopted by congressional Democrats and the likely bipartisan confrontations resulting from it are presented.