Obama backs passage of funding bill

The Obama administration Thursday urged the U.S. Congress to support passage of a bill that would fund several departments and agencies, including the IRS. The appropriations bill "invests in areas important to the nation's ability to grow and compete in the global economy while broadly sharing sacrifices to reduce the deficit," the Office of Management and Budget said in a release. The Senate voted 81-14 to proceed with the second package of appropriation bills, which includes appropriations for diplomatic operations, general government and financial services, and energy and water development, Roll Call said. Thursday's Senate vote to end debate on the motion to proceed means the chamber can begin debating the appropriations package next week. The OMB said the administration was concerned that some parts of the bill could infringe upon the President's constitutional authority over foreign affairs "by interfering with his conduct of foreign diplomacy and interactions with foreign diplomats." The administration also expressed concern about another section it said could infringe on the president's authority as commander in chief in some instances. "The administration urges that these provisions be made advisory rather than mandatory," the OMB said.