Barb’s Blog » Entries tagged with "congress"
U. S. Capitol Tour
We often hear about the “Separation of church and State” from the onset of our Founding Fathers ideals, yet, this tour proves otherwise. Did you know that the first Bible printed in English in America today, was first printed by Congress for use in our schools? Did you know Thomas Jefferson sent missionaries to evangelize the Indians using federal funds to do so? Did you know that out of the 56 signers of the Declaration, 29 had seminary or Bible School degrees? … Read entire article »
Filed under: General
No Recession in the Halls of Congress
They’re spending like drunken sailors. From AOL News: Congress requires a lot of stuff to keep itself running. Like coffee. And plane tickets. And student loan payments. Together, the Sunlight Foundation’s three databases of this internal congressional spending — prepared in coordination with the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call — show what the House spent on itself in the last six months of 2009 and first three months of 2010. The files provide an unprecedented window on what legislators buy themselves with your money, and AOL News wanted to know what kinds of eye-opening details they might contain. After combing through the info, we found plenty, from the House’s bill for bottled water purchases to what it coughed up for new drapes. So what is the grand … Read entire article »
Filed under: News Items
Health Care Update
As people learn more about the health care bill, there is a surge of people who wish to repeal the bill. The number of Americans who want Congress to repeal President Obama’s 10-year, $938 billion health care law is on the rise, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll released today. According to the poll, 58% of Americans support repealing the law. That’s up 4 percentage points from last week. But here is an interesting twist, it’s not just the everyday people who are confused about what is in the health care bill, it’s the very people that SIGNED it into law! Congress itself may have voted itself out of the very precious health care they already have, and have to join the one they are forcing on us! Well, … Read entire article »
Filed under: News Items
Obama Health Care: Soprano Tactics?
I am only one of many, a majority of people, who recognize that the health care system in the USA needs help, but are totally against the one Obama has ready for us. For those who still favor the idea, perhaps they should ask themselves, is it a good bill? If so, then why did it take so many sweetheart deals to get it pushed through this far, and that STILL might not be enough? Why can’t this bill stand on its own merit??? From the New York Post: President Obama’s attempts to ram health- care reform through an increasingly reluctant Congress are starting to resemble a really eventful episode of “The Sopranos.” Whether or not you believe former Rep. Eric Massa’s bizarre accusations of locker-room confrontations and conspiracies … Read entire article »
Filed under: News Items
Never Saw Congress Mangle the Defense Budget as Badly as This Year
From Washington Times Senators diverted $2.6 billion in funds in a defense spending bill to pet projects largely at the expense of accounts that pay for fuel, ammunition and training for U.S. troops. Among the 778 such projects, known as earmarks, packed into the bill: $25 million for a new World War II museum at the University of New Orleans and $20 million to launch an educational institute named after the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, Massachusetts Democrat. While earmarks are hardly new in Washington, “in 30 years on Capitol Hill, I never saw Congress mangle the defense budget as badly as this year,” said Winslow Wheeler, a former Senate staffer who worked on defense funding and oversight for both Republicans and Democrats. He is now a senior fellow at the Center for … Read entire article »
Filed under: News Items
Replace Entire Congress
Now here’s a headline to get excited about: 57% Would Like to Replace Entire Congress If they could vote to keep or replace the entire Congress, just 25% of voters nationwide would keep the current batch of legislators. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 57% would vote to replace the entire Congress and start all over again. Eighteen percent (18%) are not sure how they would vote. Overall, these numbers are little changed since last October. When Congress was passing the unpopular $700-billion bailout plan in the heat of a presidential campaign and a seeming financial industry meltdown, 59% wanted to throw them all out. At that time, just 17% wanted to keep them. I guess when it comes down to it, you would still be replacing a politician with another politician, … Read entire article »
Filed under: News Items
Congress Taxpayer-financed Trips Abroad Has Risen
It’s hard to believe that we as a country, a world in fact, has fallen on hard times. The very same people who sign trillions of stimulus claiming the economic sky is falling, can’t stop taxing and spending, this our nation’s Congress. According to the Wall Street Journal: The spending on overseas travel is up almost tenfold since 1995, and has nearly tripled since 2001, according to the Journal analysis of 60,000 travel records. Hundreds of lawmakers traveled overseas in 2008 at a cost of about $13 million. That’s a 50% jump since Democrats took control of Congress two years ago. The Journal analysis shows that the government has picked up the tab for travel to destinations such as Jamaica, the Virgin Islands and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Lawmakers frequently bring along spouses on … Read entire article »
Filed under: News Items
$1 billion an hour
How much do you make an hour? How about, how much can you SPEND an hour? Congress can spend $1 billion an hour. From Politico: Senator Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has come up with a vivid new way to express his contention that the nation is spending way too much money it doesn’t have. McConnell includes the tweaks in his opening remarks on the Senate floor on the 51st day that President Obama has been in office. “In just 50 days, Congress has voted to spend about $1.2 trillion between the Stimulus and the Omnibus,” McConnell says. “To put that in perspective, that’s about $24 billion a day, or about $1 billion an hour—most of it borrowed. There’s simply no question: government spending has spun out of control.” … Read entire article »
Filed under: News Items
Illegal Immigrants Getting Stimulus Jobs?
“A government policy to rob Peter to pay Paul can be assured of the support of Paul.” – George Bernard Shaw If you are not angry enough about the generational robbery in the name of stimulus, throwing billions upon billions into programs and institutions that keep their hand out, how do you feel about the so called stimulus jobs going to illegal immigrants? In USA TODAY: Tens of thousands of jobs created by the economic stimulus law could end up filled by illegal immigrants, particularly in big states such as California where undocumented workers are heavily represented in construction, experts on both sides of the issue say. Studies by two conservative think tanks estimate immigrants in the United States illegally could take 300,000 construction jobs, or 15% of the 2 million jobs that new taxpayer-financed … Read entire article »
Filed under: News Items
Government Gone Wild
President Barack Obama got the $825 (or $1.2 trillion over a decade) stimulus package through the House of Representatives with a 244 to 188 vote. Not a single Republican voted for the bill. Now you can buy into the notion that this is politics as usual, or you can read the bill and know it’s a VERY BAD BILL. When our children live in a collapsed economy, please remember these gloating faces. Now Nanny Pelosi didn’t get … Read entire article »
Filed under: News Items
Congress gets a raise
In spite of jobs lost, companies closing, economy falling apart around them, Congress will get a $4,700 pay increase, amounting to an additional $2.5 million that taxpayers will spend on congressional salaries. “As lawmakers make a big show of forcing auto executives to accept just $1 a year in salary, they are quietly raiding the vault for their own personal gain,” said Daniel O’Connell, chairman of The Senior Citizens League (TSCL), a non-partisan group. “This money would be much better spent helping the millions of seniors who are living below the poverty line and struggling to keep their heat on this winter.” … Read entire article »
Filed under: News Items
Hooked On a Feeling
I should not have been surprised when seeing people interviewed, Obama supporters, that they had little or no knowledge of newsworthy items, high-ranking officials, or even which party was in control of Congress at this moment. Many interviewed seemed rather confused, an example being they took Saturday Night Live skits like Tina Fey’s as something factual, and when confronted with facts, didn’t know even remotely what candidate they came from. Something you can blame the mainstream media for, and this site has a name for it, Media Malpractice. Sounds right. I guess after seeing this, it’s just like what John says, "People voted a feeling, not what they knew." Indeed, that seems to be the case. Watch the video here, you will be amazed how few could answer some basic questions … Read entire article »
Filed under: News Items
A Better Congress from Random Names in the Phone Book!
Seem harsh? People were polled and most felt we could have a better congress. Congress was front and center in the national news last week and the American people were far from impressed. If they could vote to keep or replace the entire Congress, 59% of voters would like to throw them all out and start over again. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that just 17% would vote to keep the current legislators in office. Last week, the House of Representatives initially rejected a financial bailout bill proposed by the Bush Administration. Later, after the Senate added a number of items that some call “pork” and others call “sweeteners,” the measure eventually passed. While the bill survived Washington, it did so at a time when just 30% of voters … Read entire article »
Filed under: General
Wooden Arrows
“Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.” ~ Ronald Reagan Congress continues to live up to its 10% approval rating and passed the Senate version of the bailout bill last night. The bill that started out as only 3 pages long (It’s now the length of a novel) has some interesting items attached to it: New Tax earmarks in Bailout bill. - Film and Television Productions (Sec. 502) - Wooden Arrows designed for use by children (Sec. 503) - 6 page package of earmarks for litigants in the 1989 Exxon Valdez incident, Alaska (Sec. 504) Tax earmark “extenders” in the bailout bill. - Virgin Island and Puerto Rican Rum (Section 308) - American Samoa (Sec. 309) - Mine Rescue Teams (Sec. 310) - Mine Safety Equipment (Sec. 311) - Domestic Production Activities in Puerto Rico (Sec. 312) - … Read entire article »
Filed under: News Items
Democrats Write $500 Billion Spending Bill, In Secret
The legislation is coming together in a remarkably secretive process in which decisions are concentrated in the hands of just a few lawmakers such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey, D-Wis. The unusual process means thousands of lawmakers’ pet projects of the very sort blasted by GOP presidential nominee John McCain on the campaign trail would escape scrutiny, including up to $5 billion worth of such “earmarks” in the defense budget alone. San Fransico Chronicle Article Here … Read entire article »
Filed under: General
Adjourn!
Gas rises above $4, our democrat controlled congress took an early vacation. Financial crisis on Wall Street with banks folding left and right, our democrap controlled congress wants to adjourn! The Democratic-controlled Congress, acknowledging that it isn’t equipped to lead the way to a solution for the financial crisis and can’t agree on a path to follow, is likely to just get out of the way. Well, let them. I am sure if they stayed they would only make matters worse. So far they seem the most useless congress ever. Bloomberg story here Oh, and as a side note, here is good reading: From 1789 to 1815 Congressmen received $6.00 daily, but only on the days they showed up. From 1815 to 1855 Congressmen received a modest salary, compared to the massive salaries of the Congressmen … Read entire article »
Filed under: General
Congress with Fewest Bills
When Pelosi took office, she was going to have the hardest working, most honest, and even promised to have this gas price situation fixed congress ever. Instead we’ve been treated to the most bizarre congress ever. Their approval ratings are the lowest ever too, having sunk down to single digits. In two decades of record keeping, no sitting Congress has passed fewer public laws at this point in the session — 294 so far — than this one. Now, that doesn’t mean they haven’t been busy: Remember that menu change they had? I suppose that was important. They have also: Saluted such milestones as the Idaho Potato Commission’s 70th anniversary Recognized soil as an "essential natural resource." Designated May 5-9 as National Substitute Teacher Recognition Week Set July 28 as the Day of the American Cowboy Establishing July as … Read entire article »
Filed under: General
No Recess For Some
A few days ago, I blogged how in spite of the crisis facing our nation, congress decided to take an early holiday. Since Democrat Nancy Pelosi controls the cameras, we can’t see on C-Span how some House Republicans stayed behind to carry on with this issue, debating how best to handle it. “In an urgent memo sent to GOP Members and staff Saturday (“A Call to Action on American Energy”), Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO) hailed Friday’s action, which was led by Reps. Mike Pence (R-IN), Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA), Tom Price (R-GA), and others, and encouraged House Republicans to return to the Capitol beginning Monday morning to help keep the historic effort going,” said a press release just released by Minority Leader Boehner’s office. “It’s not a request … Read entire article »
Filed under: News Items
Vacation
You remember Nancy Pelosi? The one who PROMISED to fix the struggles of Americans at the gas pump? In a press release dated April 24, 2006, Pelosi said, “Democrats have a commonsense plan to help bring down skyrocketing gas prices by cracking down on price gouging, rolling back the billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies, tax breaks and royalty relief given to big oil and gas companies, and increasing production of alternative fuels.” Not only has she not kept this promise, The House of Representatives has not taken a vote since January 2007 that would expand domestic energy production. Today the Democrat controlled Congress [which has a lower approval rating than Bush] adjourned for a five-week vacation without taking a vote on bipartisan measures that would lessen our dependence on foreign oil by … Read entire article »
Filed under: General
Judicial Tyranny
I remember being a little girl, and hearing my mom say, “The one thing our very wise forfathers didn’t forsee, was how to keep the judicial branch of government from being too strong.” I didn’t understand that completely then. The Constitution establishes legislative and executive branches of government to establish policy, make laws, and govern the nation. The role of the judicial branch is to ensure fairness and justice in the application of the laws. These days, the branch that is supposed to MAKE the laws, (Congress) doesn’t. They worry about gambling in the baseball arena, they change the menu at the government cafeteria, and they waste time and money running for president, but it seems little else. (Read here for more of their activities) So, the judicial branch of government is doing exactly what mom said … Read entire article »
Filed under: General
Forget Presidents, Vote the Democratic Congress OUT
Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) makes the claim “Since George Bush got into office…[gas prices saw a ] 250% increase.” The truth of the matter is the day Democrats took control of Congress, January 4, 2007, gas prices averaged $2.33 per gallon, according to AAA. Today, the national average is $4.04 – a whopping $1.71 increase per gallon in less than a year and a half. Who is Barbara Boxer? She’s the brainchild of the Boxer Climate Tax Bill which was a deceptive piece of legislation that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell acknowledged would raise the price of gasoline at the pump BY ANOTHER $1.40 a gallon! Ok, so while you and me suffer at the high cost of gasoline, these democrats in congress can only think of ways to make it worse? They … Read entire article »
Filed under: News Items
Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay LESS
As the House passes bill to sue OPEC, (Is this the best those liberal democrats can do?), Oil hits $132 a barrel, and Obama tells us to do with less, Newt Gingrich emailed me with another thought: Drill Here Drill Now Pay Less He continues: Last week, liberals in Congress voted for the equivalent of a $150 billion tax increase. They voted to make your next trip to the gas station more expensive; to make your next airplane ticket more expensive; to make heating your home more expensive — even to make feeding your family more expensive. How did they do it? By voting to block environmentally sound production of U.S. energy in favor of continuing to be held hostage to oil from foreign dictatorships. Who’s to blame for our high gas prices? The oil companies? The … Read entire article »
Filed under: General
NBA OR NFL?
Friends Barry and Carol sent this to my email. I went to snopes.com to make sure it was accurate, now passing it on in my blog! (Keep in mind an arrest is not a conviction, but still….) 36 Have been accused of spousal abuse 7 have been arrested for fraud 19 Have been accused of writing bad checks 117 Have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2 businesses 3 Have done time for assault 71, Repeat 71 Can not Get a credit card due to bad credit 14 Have been arrested on drug-related charges 8 Have been arrested for shoplifting 21 Currently Are defendants in lawsuits, and 84 Have been arrested for drunk driving In The last year Can You guess which organization this is? Neither, it’s the 535 members of the United States Congress. The Same group that crank out hundreds of new laws each year Designed to keep the rest of us in line. 71 can’t get CREDIT and … Read entire article »
Filed under: General
Power Trips
Along the same theme as my blog regarding pork barrel spending, is my confusion over how our Congress are awarded these “Power Trips.” Wouldn’t we all like a suite in London and to be at Wimbledon watching the finals, dipping our spoons into our strawberries and cream, all for free? Why not? Congress is. There are laws prohibiting our Congress from accepting gifts over $50, I read, but some loophole seems to regard trips not a gift. So, now we have special interest groups and lobbyists, wooing our members of congress with perks of travel. It’s not done cheaply either. Who are top of the list? Well, Maryland’s democratic senator, Paul Sarbanes, made the top 25. (I wasn’t surprised). Here are the rest… Top 100 Trip Takers John Breaux – Democratic Party – $158,311.92 Robert … Read entire article »
Filed under: News Items
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