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War Funding Bill Comes to Senate Floor
By Mark ImpomeniMay 20th 2008 8:30AM
Filed Under:eBush Administration, Senate, Democrats, Featured Stories, Iraq
Taking a cue from their counterparts in the House, the Senate will begin debate on the president's supplemental war funding measure today. The Administration is seeking $108 billion in funds for the remainder of the fiscal year, which concludes on September 30th, and has agreed to include $70 billion for operations lasting into the first half of 2009. That allows Congressional Democrats a small victory on one of their key goals, avoiding a vote on war funding in the month before the November elections. Many House and Senate Democrats may have felt compelled to support funding so close to an election, potentially angering their anti-war base.Also like the House, the Senate is weighing the bill down with additional spending on domestic programs. The Senate would include some $50 billion more for education benefits for veterans, a new G.I. Bill for returning soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan, $14.5 billion in extended unemployment benefits, home heating oil assistance for the poor, money for rural schools, funding to fight Western wildfires, and an immigrant farm labor provision that would allow about 1.4 million farm workers to stay in the country for up to five years to help pick crops. Altogether, the Senate would spend $193.1 billion in the bill, more than $10 billion over the president's request. The White House has threatened a veto.
Whereas in the House, extra spending items were added as inducements to get Democratic support for the bill, the Senate has taken a much more bi-partisan approach to its spending largesse. Republican Senators Kit Bond (R-MO), Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX), Larry Craig (R-ID), Thad Cochran (R-MS), and Judd Gregg (R-NH) are among those adding unrelated spending to the measure. Democrats seeking funds for pet domestic projects include Diane Feinstein (D-CA), and Barbara Mikulski (D-MD).
It is as yet unclear whether the White House will follow through on its veto threat. Last year, the president vetoed at least two versions of supplemental appropriations bills before finally agreeing to $17 billion in additional domestic spending. He did so as the price for getting a bill with no troop use restrictions or withdrawal deadlines. But the troop surge in Iraq has been so successful that there are hardly any calls now for immediate withdrawal emanating from the halls of Congress. The House did pass some anti-war provisions as part of the Democratic leadership's three-strep dance to approve the supplemental. But those provisions were never expected to clear the Senate, not even by the leadership itself. The White House will likely get a clean bill this year, and will have to decide whether to accept the increased spending. President Bush has been trying in his final year to establish his fiscally conservative credentials and has vetoed bloated spending bills. But the White House has also plugged domestic spending into the supplemental request, $5.8 billion to construct levees in Louisiana. In light of its own use of the troops to secure unrelated funds, the Administration may have a harder time justifying a veto this year.
Recent Comments
(Page 1 of 2)Que sera sera11:03AMMay 20th 2008
The people in Congress at this point in time, are the most spiteful, mean spirited group of control freaks that I have ever seen. They are determined to hand the nomination and the presidency to one Barack Obama. They have determined to give America away as well. Of course they will be among the elite and they think they will have it all. And so it goes.
Splash11:58AMMay 20th 2008
Just a thought -
Maybe we should amend the constitution so that our representatives are randomly chosen from our peers like we do in our jury system. Within the confines of a congressional district, two voters would be drawn at random. Those two people would go to congress, one as the official rep of the district, the other as that rep's assistant. If the official rep fell by the wayside for any reason the backup would step in and another backup would be chosen from the district's pool of voters.
All their DC expenses would be paid.
Their salaries that they were making at whatever job they had at the time would be paid out of the federal budget (w/cost of living increases).
Their jobs back home would be filled by temps and turned back over to these public servants when their term was complete.
They would serve only 2 years in the house or senate.
When they were done, they would return home, pick up where they left off and that would be that.
In a system like this where there is zero vested interest in maintaining power, I believe that the average Joe would do a much better job saving this country from itself than these selfish pigs we have in congress now.
These representative jurists would make better decisions that were less clouded by unrelated or vote pandering issues. Focus on politics and partisan idiocy would be eliminated. Expensive elections would become an unnecessary thing of the past. Lobbyist would become a laughing matter. Big business would no longer have friends in high places. We wouldn't have courts that decided elections and would never have to recount a single hanging chad. The people would be serving the people.
In a nutshell, the solving of problems would be more efficient, less costly and more in line with the will of the people than the decisions that are made by the pandering, purchased or politically motivated and power hungry losers that we are pained to call our congressional leaders.
If our founding fathers were to rise from the dead and pay a surprise visit to a joint session of congress with 535 reps and all the staff, lobbyist and media that come with the circus they would be baffled as to why we hadn't made a change sooner. They would say that the system THEY created had morphed into the very reason they revolted in the first place.
Back then, there were only 13 states and only 2 million people. The unpredictable growth that America experienced is the very reason the constitution was made to be changed, so it could adapt with and to US.
True, certain constitutional principals should always remain constant, but how we choose our reps or even our president, is certainly not one of them. Especially when career politicians have stolen our money in outrageous percentages, lost sight of our best interests and trampled on many of the freedoms we use to hold dear.
I can't see how a randomly chosen House and Senate could do any worse than what we are force to stomach today.
g1blu12:58PMMay 20th 2008
There is something to be said for "continuity" when describing a well functioning Congress.
Having said that when you depend on people like Arlen Specter, "Pinky" Reid, Comrade Pelosi, Dicky Turbin and the rest of these free spending, "Hate America First" uberliberal socialists to put the function of a representative government as their first priority you can see, after the past two years, exactly what you get.
Sad isn't it?
blondssspice3:38PMMay 20th 2008
ANYONE APPLYING FOR A JOB in a high security area, would need Q Clearance, therefore,
will have to undergo serious security check, in-depth scrutiny and investigation.
The same standards apply to Presidential candidates because they will be Commander in Chief of the greatest military power in the world.
The office of the President of USA requires the highest scrutiny and security investigation. That includes OBAMA.
The fact that Obama admitted to using drugs should automatically disqualify him for the office.
A. Bad judgment
B. Possible brain damage
C. Weakness of character
D. Addictive personality
E. Bad role model
F. President is like a CHIEF law enforcement official in the land
G. Possibility of relapse of drug use
H. Possibility of physiological and organ damage to body
I. Unable to gauge actions and consequences
J. Blackmail possibilities ie national security risk
K. Heightened increase of irrational and scandalous activities
L. Has a different set values, feels invincible and untouchable
M. Users live in alternate reality, they are irresponsible idiots
N. Feels No remorse, no accountability, sociopathic and narcissistic behavior
O. Drugs are illegal in all 50 states. People go to prison for what Obama has admitted to doing.
Posted by: nancy sabet | May 20, 2008 9:41 AM
OBAMA-MONEY-TALKS4:19PMMay 20th 2008
HAMAS ENDORSED BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA.
OBAMA, THE BIASED MEDIA AND THE DNC WILL FURTHER DIVIDE OUR COUNTRY --- THEY MAY DESTROY US!
WHO IS THIS IDIOT? OBAMA SAYS HE’S VISITED 57 STATES! IF YOU ADD FLORIDA AND MICHIGAN — THAT MAKES 59! WHERE ARE ALL THESE NEW STATES? WHAT COUNTRY IS HE RUNNING IN?
Watch closely — more superdelegates will be “BOUGHT AND PAID FOR” BY OBAMA. THEY WANT THE MONEY HE HAS COLLECTED FROM HIS ANTI-AMERICAN, TERRORIST FRIENDS AND CONTRIBUTORS!
SUPERDELEGATES ARE ROBBING US OF OUR DEMOCRACY — OUR RIGHT TO CHOOSE THE CANDIDATE WE WANT.
Superdelegates = the end of democracy!
HILLARY ’08!
blondssspice5:54PMMay 20th 2008
Here is a sobering message to the DNC: You can NOT go to the general election with 48 states denying Michigan and Florida. You certainly can NOT go to the general election WITHOUT the WOMEN's vote. If you do, I guarantee you a landslide LOSS.
The DNC has treated the voters disrespectfully and angered the working class Americans. The DNC supports a junior racist nominee like Obama, who ridicules working class Americans, their values and beliefs. You
are supporting a junior rookie, over an experienced competent woman like Sen. Hillary Clinton. This will come back and bite you. We are NOT voting Obama, EVER. We will vote Hillary or McCain. No Obama.
Obama may win the nomination but
he will LOSE the election big time.
You can take that to the bank.
Peggy6:39PMMay 20th 2008
To: blondssspice
According to Obama, we have 59 states. He has visited 57 of them and only missed Hawaii and Alaska. To address point "O" in your post, it's very possible that whereever he used drugs isn't in one of the 50 states most Americans know about. It's in one of the other states he visited while he was high on drugs.
Rich7:25PMMay 20th 2008
Congress is loaded with the boomers from the 1960's which are the absolute worst group of self centered people who could be assembled under the dome. Spoiled, dope smoking, narcissistic, coke sniffing, sex damaged bunch of self rightous louts. Their parents lived through the depression and WWII and of course they spoiled these idiots and now we are seeing the results of this pampered generation. It gets worse, we now are going to see the children of these goof balls next--they write books exposing their own drug addiction---how honest.
So what do you expect---a clean bill without all the goodies and prizes from these unrestrained punks?
The picture of Harry Reid says it all--a very serious looking lad.
Rich7:33PMMay 20th 2008
Now consider these two earmarks: 1.4 million illegals to do the work legals won't do but an increase in unemployment benefits. Not to mention that the 1.4 million illegal workers will have a pathway to citizenship in 5 years--you don't think they will have any anchor babies in a 5 year period?
OBAMA-MONEY-TALKS10:10PMMay 20th 2008
THE DNC AND THE BIASED MEDIA KEPT OBAMA'S PAST QUIET UNTIL OVER HALF
OF AMERICA HAD VOTED.
OBAMA, THE BIASED MEDIA AND THE DNC WILL FURTHER DIVIDE OUR COUNTRY
--- THEY MAY DESTROY US! HAMAS ENDORSED BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA.
WHO IS THIS IDIOT OBAMA? HE SAYS HE’S VISITED 57 STATES! IF YOU
ADD FLORIDA AND MICHIGAN — THAT MAKES 59! WHERE ARE ALL THESE NEW
STATES? WHAT COUNTRY IS HE RUNNING IN?
Watch closely — more superdelegates will be “BOUGHT AND PAID
FOR” BY OBAMA. THEY WANT THE MONEY HE HAS COLLECTED FROM HIS
ANTI-AMERICAN, TERRORIST FRIENDS AND CONTRIBUTORS!
SUPERDELEGATES ARE ROBBING US OF OUR DEMOCRACY — OUR RIGHT TO
CHOOSE THE CANDIDATE WE WANT.
Superdelegates = the end of democracy!
HILLARY OR McCAIN IN ’08!
danielistical11:52PMMay 20th 2008
Cut off the funding and like magic the war will end quickly. If george w bush want's to continue his private little daddy's war tell him to grab a gun and hop on a plane, after all he is the comander in cheif.
no-obama12:54AMMay 21st 2008
Michelle said she had not been proud of our country until now. She said this is a mean country. I believe she said what she meant --- and she meant what she said. She is an anti-American. They should
both move to a country they love and can be proud of.
I personally believe Barack Hussein Obama is an “inexperienced” empty suit. He has a poor sense of judgment.
I also believe the liberal lame-stream media has abdicated it’s responsibility to ask the truly hard questions, particularly about his 20-year association with a race-baiting, former black nationalist, the not so good “Reverend” Jeremiah Wright, as well as his associations with other anti-Americans and terrorists.
I believe Obama to be an appeaser of this country’s enemies and that he would prove, if elected, to be little more than a glib, charismatic Jimmy Carter II who is in his natural element reading off a teleprompter to good effect.
I believe the evidence of his U.S. Senate voting record accurately paints him as the extreme left politician who was propelled on his way by the Chicago Democratic Machine under very questionable
circumstances. I should know, I live here in the People’s Republic of Illinois.
99% of the people willing to vote for this Manchurian candidate had never heard of Barack Hussein Obama just five short years ago. Given the scandals which already surround this presidential candidate,
scandals which after being initially reported are dropped like hot potatoes by the liberal press corps, I’m confident that even more damaging information about one messianic candidate named Obama is out
there to be mined. Mr. Obama has gotten passes from the media which neither Hillary Clinton or John McCain would get if they committed some of the same faux pas or had surrounded themselves with a laundry list of American-haters that Mr. Obama has throughout his short political career.
After all is said and done, Obama gives the impression that he does not want to be questioned by inferior reporters or the general public --- after all he is an entitlement program, the affirmative action nominee of the DNC.
His “change” will destroy America.
Be careful when you vote!
Gvolz10:24AMMay 21st 2008
The war bill should not be weighted down with an amnesty for all the illegals in this wonderful country of ours. They should be deported.
Chris in NOLA10:51AMMay 21st 2008
Yeah! All of you Republican Right Wing Conservatives are shitting bricks because of the potential changes this screwed up government may go through. Shitting bricks because there just may be a Black P.O.U.S. in our near future. I hope you all keep on shitting bricks untill your assholes blow out! AWESOME! GO OBAMA!
4mycountry11:14AMMay 21st 2008
Obama is an empty suit, created by the media with the help of the Chicago political machine. He is a weakling whose strings are manipulated by Kennedy, Kerry-Heinz and Joe Biden.
He is at their beck and call and is unable to make a decision without their help. An empty suit.
Obama is further creating a cult which is being incited to hate the Clintons and John McCain. Along with the above three are Howard Dean, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, who are panting for Obama to become nominated --- they are further manipulation.
The Democratic party is split and I for one, will be glad to see it buried and never alive again.
I will vote for McCain if Hillary is not nominated and I will campaign that each of the above, when faced with their own re-election, may not win.
Obama is an unknown. He has told too many lies. He has no leadership experience and is not qualified to become president. And, Yeah --- I am a typical, hard-working, middle-class, blue collar person.
Count Florida and Michigan.
Florida voted. Both candidates were on the ticket.
Michigan has an election in August. Add Hillary and
Obama to the August ticket!
Vote for America!
margiepres7751:53PMMay 21st 2008
I feel we are in a period of "do nothing in Congress" "Hold hearings on every Republican they can find and get re-elected in the fall". That's what it's all about as far as I see, Their campaign is for "Re-election of Democrats" or getting "Republicans out of office" The Democrats had a chance to make changes (they've had 18 months since the last election), they have chosen to do nothing. This country will be in the biggest mess with their Solialistic ideas.
In the early 1990's President Clinton started closing military bases. In the mid 90's one nearby our home March Air Force Base was closed in California. March Air Force Base. was a large empoloyer employing approximently 4500 people. I would call it unfortunate people lost those jobs, and about that many homes went into foreclosure. My husband and I did not work at the Air Force Base. We were just caughjt in the fallout. We sold our home for $5000.00 less than we paid for it 14 years earlier. No one offered to bail us out. We didn't have a "sub-prime " loan either. We had to move to another area because of a job. No big buck made on that home in Southern California. I was happy to be able to sell it at all with what was going on in the area. Ihad been in Real Estate for manny years so I understand what hppened then and what is happening now. My point is I don't think we should be doing bailouts to help people who through there own stupidity aquired a sub-prime loan. They bought a house planning to re-finance it in three years and get a get a fixed rate loan. Well things didn't work out for them. I'm sorry I don't want my taxes going to help them out. The Democrats will give away the country and you and I will sit by and pay, pay, pay, in taxes. So if you are looking for change. "Be careful what you wish for in this election"
FLORIDA&MICHIGAN1:33AMMay 22nd 2008
THESE ARE BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA'S “RACISTS” COMMENTS:
FROM "DREAMS OF MY FATHER":
“I FOUND A SOLACE IN NURSING A PERVASIVE SENSE OF GRIEVANCE AND ANIMOSITY AGAINST MY MOTHER’S RACE”.
FROM "DREAMS OF MY FATHER":
“I CEASED TO ADVERTISE MY MOTHER'S RACE AT ABOUT 12 OR 13, WHEN I BEGAN TO SUSPECT THAT BY DOING SO I WAS INGRATIATING MYSELF TO WHITES”
AND THEN THIS SCARY ONE:
FROM ‘THE AUDACITY OF HOPE, “I WILL STAND WITH THE MUSLIMS SHOULD THE POLITICAL WINDS OF WAR SHIFT IN AN UGLY DIRECTION.
A SMILING FACE AND STUPID “NON-ANSWERS TO POINTED QUESTIONS”. HE USES ANSWERS LIKE, "OH, IT'S JUST MORE OF THE SAME OLD POLITICS." THIS IS JUST A VERY SMALL SAMPLE OF WHY HE SHOULD NOT BE PRESIDENT. HE DOESN'T GIVE REAL ANSWERS BECAUSE HE HAS NONE. HE IS JUST A SMILING FACE WITH A PAT SPEECH AND THE REST IS HOLLOW.
BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA AND HIS TERRORIST, ANTI-AMERICAN COMRADS WILL DESTROY AMERICA!
HE'S STEALING THE NOMINATION BY NOT COUNTING THE VOTES IN FLORIDA AND MICHIGAN.
NOW HE WILL ALLOW THE DELEGATES TO BE SEATED FOR FLORIDA AND MICHIGAN --- BUT--- HE WON'T LET THE CITIZENS VOTES COUNT! "WE THE PEOPLE" DON'T COUNT BUT THE "DELEGATES" DO?????
WE NEED TO VOTE FOR NEW MEMBERS IN CONGRESS. THE ONES WE HAVE DO NOT LISTEN TO OUR VOICES.
MCCAIN OR CLINTON IN 2008!
50 STATES!12:16PMMay 22nd 2008
Obama’s supporters would cover the world with smoke and mirrors to try and make Barack Hussein Obama look good, regardless of all his lies and ties to radical anti-Americans.
Obama could butcher a kitten on the White House lawn and his followers would try to make it look like a good thing.
I imagine some of the people who have already voted for Obama would like to change their votes!
Obama, along with Dean and Pelosi, are destroying the Democratic Party. They say we have 48 states … not 50.
UNITED WE STAND---DIVIDED WE FALL! OBAMA AND THE DNC HAVE THEIR OWN AGENDA: "DIVIDE AND CONQUER"!
THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT WHAT'S BEST FOR AMERICANS.
MICHIGAN HAS AN ELECTION IN AUGUST --- ADD HILLARY AND OBAMA TO THE TICKET.
THEY WERE BOTH ON THE FLORIDA TICKET --- COUNT THE “VOTERS” VOTES.
WHY WON’T OBAMA COUNT THE “VOTERS” VOTES??? HE ONLY WANTS TO COUNT THE “DELEGATES”. WE NEED TO REPLACE THE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
HILLARY '08.
4mycountry6:04PMMay 22nd 2008
OBAMA IS A HYPOCRITE. HE WORE THE PIN TO WOO AMERICANS. PREVISOUSLY, HE SAID: "As I've said about the flag pin, I don't want to be perceived as taking sides," --- "THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE WORLD TO WHOM THE AMERICAN FLAG IS A SYMBOL OF OPPRESSION. AND THE ANTHEM ITSELF CONVEYS A WAR-LIKE MESSAGE. YOU KNOW, THE BOMBS BURSTING IN AIR AND ALL. IT SHOULD BE SWAPPED FOR SOMETHING LESS PAROCHIAL AND LESS BELLICOSE. I LIKE THE SONG, 'I'D LIKE TO TEACH THE WORLD TO SING’. IF THAT WERE OUR ANTHEM, THEN I MIGHT SALUTE IT."
WE DON’T NEED A PRESIDENT WHO CATERS TO THE “WORLD”. HE AND HIS WIFE DO APPEAR TO BE ANTI-AMERICAN.
I do not trust Obama. I do not trust his so-called loyalty or commitment to the United States of America.
The fact of his 20-year relationship with radical Pastor Wright; his ties to Anti-Americans and Terrorists: Ayers, Hamas, Farrakhan, Malcolm X and Rezko, AS WELL AS HIS ANTI-AMERICAN WIFE'S “NEVER PROUD OF MY COUNTRY” SPEECH --- and the “gun-toting, religious, bitter losers of PA and small-town, rural American blue collar people”.
It all adds up to a very angry, aggressive attitude. I think Obama follows those who speak his thoughts. READ HIS BOOK. HE WILL ALWAYS STAND UP FOR THE "MUSLIM" FAITH.
I imagine the Americans who voted in January and February (before the truth came out) wish they could have a re-do!
I’m praying for: Clinton 2008!
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Tim11:00AMMay 20th 2008
Democratic-Socialists & Neocon liberals will SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND until the America is no more!