by Matthew Hay Brown
In the face of a White House veto threat, congressional Democrats have agreed to limit the 2008 federal budget to the amount President Bush demanded – but they get there by shifting money away from Bush’s requests for defense and foreign aid and toward domestic accounts for health care, state and local police and homeland security.
The $500 billion omnibus bill unveiled late Sunday by House Appropriations Committee Chairman David R. Obey combines the 11 unfinished spending bills, funding every Cabinet department except the Pentagon.
Obey described the proposal as “totally inadequate to meet the long term investment needs of the country, but it is a whole lot better than the country would have without a Democratic Congress.”
The bill, which could come to the House floor tonight, also includes $31 billion in emergency war funding for Afghanistan – and a prohibition against spending any of the money in Iraq. Senate Republicans are expected to remove the ban and add $40 billion for Iraq when the bill reaches the upper chamber.
“These funds are dangerously overdue,” Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said today. “Delaying them further could put the Pentagon in serious straits — and potentially jeopardize the universally acknowledged gains of the Petraeus Plan.”
The bill strikes at several White House priorties, slashing increases for abstinence-based sex education and cutting the U.S. contribution to the Millenium Challenge Corp. aid program for countries that show progress toward democracy and economic development.
It also cuts a requested increase for legislative operations – Bush had sought $4.4 billion for Congress in 2008; the Democrats are proposing $4 billion, $100 million more than current funding. It retains member earmarks, the funding that lawmakers secure for pet projects in their home states and districts.
Democrats would spend $1.7 billion more than Bush on Pell Grants and other student aid, $767 million more on Head Start, special education and other education programs, and $607 million more on medical research.
More details, including a department-by-department summary, are available on the House Appropriations Committee website.
Obey said Congress “begans its work having to fill some of the unacceptable holes created in the President’s budget. …
“We have arrived at this point because the White House and their allies in the Senate have refused to respond to the American people’s cry for change in the last election,” he said. “If America wants new budget priorities, we are going to need a new President who will reflect those priorities and we need more progressive voices to the Senate.”
McConnell said Republicans still are digesting the bill.
“We need to evaluate this omnibus, and make sure it’s written in a form the President will sign,” he said. “That means funding for our forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, no excess spending — and no poison pills in the form of politically-motivated policy riders.”
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Comments
Well...it looks like that Lame duck President of The United States is still in charge....while the Nancy Pelosi minions are on suicide watch.
Oh, The dems did get the minimum wage increased...Yahoo!
Paulo
Posted by: Paulo | December 17, 2007 12:20 PM
The republicans will find a way to torpedo it. I'm convinced at this point that all the republicans care about is war and making the democratic congress look bad before the next election.
Posted by: Alberto G | December 17, 2007 12:28 PM
The Bush crime family INC.
Why did George W. Bush insist--with such fanatical certainty, despite the well-established, clearly-stated doubts of his own intelligence services--that Saddam Hussein was hoarding a vast arsenal of weapons of mass destruction? Why the insistence on this pathological disassociation from reality, which led directly to the death of thousands of innocent people? Why did he tell such lies, such cynical lies, such horrible lies, lies dripping blood, lies breeding more lies like rats on a plague ship?
That's easy--because his family was making money from it.
We're not talking here of the family's well-known association with the Carlyle Group, the world-bestriding "private equity" firm whose massive war-machine holdings have been so greatly engorged by Bush's sack of Baghdad. True, Carlyle has long been a profitable Bushist perch: Papa George was an eager bagman for the firm, cruising the globe with his plutocratic partners--like the bin Ladens--for insider contracts, secret buyouts and lucrative "privatizations" of public services. Even the L'il Pretzel himself was parked on the board of one of Carlyle's companies when he was at loose ends between scamming the shareholders of Harken and bamboozling the voters of Texas.
But last year, Papa retired from the firm, heading off into the sunset to wallow in the government swag that Junior had pumped Carlyle's way--$2.1 billion in 2003 alone. While he doubtless still has "interests" in a number of Carlyle's shady deals, the old man is through with the higher hustlerdom. No, today we're dealing with Pop's brother, William, uncle of the current president.
http://www.counterpunch.org/floyd03052004.html
Bush Family Value$
http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/1992/09/bushboys.html
Posted by: Bush Family Value$ | December 17, 2007 10:53 AM
Posted by: Bush Family Value$ | December 17, 2007 12:59 PM
Mr Values, er Demented and Deranged Johnny E., nice history revisionism and distortion going on there. Did you cut and paste that from the DailyKook?
And Alberto, the Demoncratic Congress needs no help in looking bad and foolish, they are doing that all on their own. Anyway, you Loser Loons keep saying how dumb Bush is, yet this "dumbest man alive" can make the Dems look bad? He keep defeating them? He keeps denying them? Hmmmm, for a "dumb" man, he sure does seem smarter than the Demoncrats! But then the sane and those with a clue knew that anyway.
Posted by: John D | December 17, 2007 2:21 PM
The Democrats look more like cave men than those dopey guys on the TV commercial, always caving in to Bush. The Demo leaders in Congress have the spine of a jelly fish. They know full well that if they don't back the troops in Iraq, the American public will have them for lunch. In fact, it's probably already too late; the Demos have their image and it's not a pretty one.
Posted by: Harland | December 17, 2007 3:53 PM
This dumbest man alive is soo smart that he has to keep making himself look awful in order to keep Congress looking awful. It would too easy to have Presidential approval ratings through the roof, and at the same time have Congress ratings below the floor.
Posted by: Sitting Bull | December 17, 2007 3:55 PM
"He keep defeating them? He keeps denying them? Hmmmm, for a "dumb" man, he sure does seem smarter than the Demoncrats!"
Posted by: John D | December 17, 2007 2:21 PM
He keeps denying every American citizen as well as the troops.
Why do you and George Bush hate America John D? Why do you hate the troops?
Posted by: Bush/Cheney/Impeach/Imprison | December 17, 2007 4:51 PM
McConnell said Republicans still are digesting the bill.
“We need to evaluate this omnibus, and make sure it’s written in a form the President will sign,” he said. “That means funding for our forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, no excess spending — and no poison pills in the form of politically-motivated policy riders.”
Another Bush shell game and thus...
"The individual perceives in others the motive he denies having himself. Thus the cheat is sure that everyone else is dishonest."
Posted by: Bush/Cheney/Impeach/Imprison | December 17, 2007 5:22 PM
"ARCHIVES DON'T LIE"
SAME TIME, SAME WHITEHOUSE CHANNEL, MO MONEY, MO MONEY MO MONEY.
DECEMBER 06 3,000 DEAD, NOW 1,000 MORE DIE IN THE QUEST FOR OIL RECONCILIATION. 160,000 TROOPS ON THE GROUND, 2.0 TRILLION DOLLARS SPENT FOR ZERO "success" A COUNTRY THAT IS SO AUGMENTATED THEY WISH CONDI RICE COULD REMOVE AND EXTEND SOMETHING FAKE THAT LOOKS REAL AND BOUNCES.
BUT WE ARE FREE PEOPLE, HOMELAND SECURITIES FINAL HABEAUS WRIT TOWARDS THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES DIDN'T PASS, AND JOE LIEBERMAN IS JUST ON A PANEL INSTEAD OF DICTATING WHO IS JEWISH AND CAN STAY AND WHO ISN'T.
"further sacrafices ahead"
MAYBE EVEN THE CONSTITUTION OF THESE UNITED STATES.
AND THE TROOPS ARE STILL SAYING "SECRETARY SOMEBODY PLEASE SEND HELP"
meanwhile blackwater employees have been reunited with their families and their CHRISTMASS BONUS PACKAGES amounting to more than the average TWO STAR GENERAL MAKES IN A YEAR.
TROOPS ON THE GROUND WE WILL NOT FAIL YOU.
HE ALREADY DID CAN'T YOU SEE THAT. 160,000 TROOPS AND 150,000 CONTRACTORS AND NO CHRISTMAS FOR THE SOLDIERS OF US AMERICANS. JUST CONTRACTORS AND REPUBLICANS EITHER IN THE PARKS SOLICITING MEN FOR SEX OR IN THE BATHROOM OF MINNESOTA SOLICITING ANOTHER MAN FOR SEX, WE GOT SCREWED AGAIN ANOTHER YEAR. 01-02-03-NIE REPORT-04-CAGING OF THE PROSECUTORS-05-VALERIE PLAME BLAME GAME, 06, LIES, ON TOP OF LIES, ON TOP OF NEW LIES, 07 1,000 MORE MEN,WOMEN, CHILDREN, MOMS, DADS, AND NEIGHBORS DIE ANSWERING THE CALL FOR OIL RECONCILIATION IN THE NAME OF GEORGE BUSH AND DICK CHENEYS WAR MONGERING AUGEMENTATION QUAGMIRE LEGACY OF AMERICAN HISTORY AND THE PRESIDENCY AND VICE PRESIDENCY OF THESE UNITED STATES.
Posted by: Roger Morris | December 17, 2007 5:52 PM
"THIS IS WHY THEY CALL HIM BIG POPPY, SO THROW YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR BECAUSE YOU KNOW HE JUST DOESN'T CARE"
POPPY IS UP! MO MONEY, MO MONEY, MO MONEY.
AMERICAN SOLDIERS DEATHS ARE UP, 1000 THIS YEAR. BUT HEY, WE HAVE 160,000 SOLDIERS AWAITING THE PENTAGONS NEXT FLIGHT ORDERS OVER THE KURDS, YOU KNOW THE PEOPLE WE ARE SUPPOSE TO BE PROTECTING.
SIGN MY OIL RECONCILIATION OR BE BOMBED BACK INTO THE STONE AGES.
JUST DON'T BOMB THE PIPELINE THAT RUNS FROM TURKEY TO IRAQ, WE NEED THAT AFTER BOMB YOU BACK TO THE FIRST GULF WAR.
THE KURDS ARE THE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION IN IRAQ.
THE PROOF IS NOW ON THE TABLE. IT WASN'T ABOUT SADAAM, IT WAS ABOUT THE KURDS. AGAIN IT'S ABOUT THE KURDS.
TURKEY IS A NATO COUNTRY, TURKEY COULD NOT BOMB ANYTHING IN A NO-FLY ZONE IN IRAQ WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT. SO MALIKI DOESN'T CARE IF TURKEY BOMBS THE KURDS, BECAUSE HE WANTS THEM TO TAKE THAT 12% OIL RECONCILIATION DEAL OR BE BOMBED BY THE PENTAGON.
FREE ELECTIONS, FREE ELECTIONS, UNLESS YOU ARE KURDISH AND ACT LIKE YOU LIVE IN A DEMOCRATIC REGION OF IRAQ.
2.6 TRILLION DOLLARS BLOWN IN IRAQ. 9 BILLION STILL LOST ON SOME AMERICAN SEMI TRUCK IN THE SAND!
2.6 TRILLION DOLLARS AND NOTHING TO SHOW FOR IT, EXCEPT MORE RHETORIC FROM THE GREAT KING GEORGE, WHO SAID IT WOULD BE A LOT BETTER IF HE WAS A DICTATOR!
WELL HE HAS ATTEMPTED TO PURCHASE AND SALE TO CHINA THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES FOR 1.6 TRILLION DOLLARS AND THEY WON'T EVEN BUY IT. BUT THEY WILL LET HIM CHARGE IT! MADE IN HECHO, NO MADE IN CHINA.
Posted by: Roger Morris | December 17, 2007 7:15 PM
Alberto,
I think Nancy and Harry are doing fine on their own.
Harry and Nancy could just quote Animal House "I think that this situation calls for a stupid and futile gesture to be done on someone's behalf - and were just the guys to do it - so let's do it"
Posted by: Terry | December 17, 2007 7:53 PM