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This story originally appeared in the Jackson Free Press. It was added to the Mississippi Free Press website in 2025.
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WASHINGTON – The Republican-controlled Senate passed legislation to cut federal deficits by $39.7 billion on Wednesday by the narrowest of margins, 51-50, with Vice President Dick Cheney casting the deciding vote.

The measure, the product of a year’s labors by the White House and the GOP in Congress, imposes the first restraints in nearly a decade in federal benefit programs such as Medicaid, Medicare and student loans.

After this news, I felt the urge to express myself artistically:

cheney_congress_wx101.jpg

Would anyone else like to add their creative touch to this photo?