re: How do you get appropriations bills that Democrats will support?

The vast majority of Americans would riot if we actually cut the budget. The neocons, neolibs and Zionists would be irate about cutting the military budget. The progressives would riot about any welfare or social spending cuts. The law enforcement bootlickers want more money for the FBI and DOJ. You have about 20% of this country that's actually fiscally conservative, and I'd wager a good chunk of them are checked out because of the futility of actually changing anything structurally.