Sandy Bill Delayed by Pork | POTUS Demands His Way or The "Fiscal Cliff"

Today in Washington, D.C. - Dec. 19, 2012:
Speaker Boehner and President Obama continue to struggle over a deal.  The Senate Democrats have surrendered everything to the president Obama say he won the election and Republicans should get over it and do what he wants. Hey, does a president or a dictator talk this way?

The Democrats want want more taxes and no spending cuts. The National Journal reported that some Democrat lawmakers (Sen. Dick Durbin) are literally running down the hall to avoid talking about spending cuts.  Despite widespread agreement that entitlement programs are the major drivers of our debt and deficits, liberal special interest groups have maintained a stranglehold on any efforts towards real reform.  With pressure mounting in Washington, DC to act, the question becomes whether Democrats will ultimately face reality and deal with these unsustainable programs or once again cave to the union bosses who helped get them elected.

As for Republican support for the Speaker, a large number of conservatives are clearly not happy with the Speakers leadership in these talks.  And, the  grassroots appear extremely unhappy.  However, reality is most of the grassroots members including small business owners have incomes under $1 million a year and if the "fiscal cliff" occurs everyone will be paying more taxes.

FLASHBACK: In 2009, Obama Pledged To Reform Social Security And Medicare. “President-elect Barack Obama pledged yesterday to shape a new Social Security and Medicare ‘bargain’ with the American people, saying that the nation's long-term economic recovery cannot be attained unless the government finally gets control over its most costly entitlement programs.” (Michael D. Shear, “Obama Pledges Reform Of Social Security, Medicare Programs,” The Washington Post, 1/16/09)

• Obama: “What we have done is kicked this can down the road. We are now at the end of the road and are not in a position to kick it any further … We have to signal seriousness in this by making sure some of the hard decisions are made under my watch, not someone else’s.” (Michael D. Shear, “Obama Pledges Reform Of Social Security, Medicare Programs,” The Washington Post, 1/16/09)

The Washington Post: “Since 60 percent of the federal budget goes to entitlement programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, there’s no way to achieve balance without slowing the rate of increase of those programs.” (Editorial, “Mr. Obama’s time to lead on entitlements,” The Washington Post, 11/27/12)

And to quote Former Clinton Chief Of Staff Erskine Bowles: “First of all, most important thing is if we're going to raise revenue and if we're going to raise it in any form, then we darn well better cut spending because spending is the biggest part of this problem, and the biggest part of that problem is the fact that health care is growing at a faster rate than GDP.” (Erskine Bowles, CBS's Face The Nation, 12/9/12)

Today, the Senate resumed consideration of H.R. 1, the vehicle for a supplemental appropriations bill for relief from Hurricane Sandy. Votes on amendments are possible today.  At issue is Democrats seeking "pok spending" on other issues that the recovery assistance for the North East directly hit by the Hurricane Sandy.  Even Alaska's representation has slipping pork for Alaska into the bill as detailed below.

Two New York papers today wrote about the increasing concerns over extraneous spending Democrats have inserted in the bill that’s supposed to be aimed at relief and recovery from Hurricane Sandy.

The New York Daily News writes, “New York’s senators dug in Tuesday to defend a $60.4 billion Hurricane Sandy aid package that conservatives say smells fishy. The bill includes millions for projects like support of salmon fisheries in Alaska, New England and the Gulf Coast Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) noted the Commerce Department declared disasters for the regions’ fish stocks well before Sandy made landfall. Emergency spending bills typically cover all unfunded federally declared disasters, he argued. ‘So it’s germane to the package,’ Schumer said.”

And in a story with the headline, “Don’t diss piggy! NY pols defend pork in Sandy aid,” the New York Post writes, “Gov. Cuomo and Sen. Charles Shumer yesterday scrambled to blunt criticism of the $60.4 billion federal Hurricane Sandy bill by Republicans who have blasted some of the spending as pork. Conservative groups and two prominent Republicans have criticized the inclusion of items not designated for relief to New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, such as $2 million for Smithsonian institution roofs and $15 million for NASA damage. Cuomo called the inclusion of the projects part of the legislative process. . . . Schumer also defended the spending, which includes $150 million for Alaska fisheries, as a way for the federal government to fund disaster relief. Also included in the package is $125 million designated for a watershed program to combat wildfires and droughts, $50 million for tree-planting on private properties, and $20 million for a national water study. ‘If they can find something that is not disaster related, we’ll take it out,’ Schumer said. ‘Everything in this package is disaster related.’”

With millions for Alaska fisheries, tree-planting, and water studies stuffed in the bill, it’s hard to believe claims that “[e]verything in this package is disaster related.”

As Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said on the Senate floor last night, “Let’s be clear about this. Every one of my colleagues on this side of the aisle wants to act quickly to provide much needed relief for the people who have been impacted by the horrible effects of Hurricane Sandy. But we cannot consider this legislation in a vacuum. We are looking at a $17 trillion debt--somewhere between $16 and $17 trillion.” He pointed out, “[T]here are many provisions in this bill that both have nothing to do with Hurricane Sandy and many of the programs in this bill will not even take effect before the year 2015. . . . There is no justification to include these projects in this emergency spending bill.”

The House yesterday passed the following bills:
H.R. 6014 (Voice Vote) — "To authorize the Attorney General to award grants for States to implement minimum and enhanced DNA collection processes."
H.R. 6671 (Voice Vote) — "To amend section 2710 of title 18, United States Code, to clarify that a video tape service provider may obtain a consumer's informed, written consent on an ongoing basis and that consent may be obtained through the Internet."
H.R. 6504 (Vote 359-36) — "To amend the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to provide for increased limitations on leverage for multiple licenses under common control, and for other purposes."
H.R. 3783 (Vote 386-6) — Countering Iran in the Western Hemisphere Act of 2012."
H.R. 6621 (Vote 308-89) — "To correct and improve certain provisions of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act and title 35, United States Code."
S. 3642 (Vote 388-4) — "To clarify the scope of the Economic Espionage Act of 1996."

Today, Congress, excluding the Speaker, will consider a large number of bills as the House tries to clear several bills before the end of he year. However, all bills not passed both the House and the Senate and signed by the President will dead on arrival (DOA) at the beginning of the new Congressional session in January, 2013.

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Tags: Sandy Bill, fiscal cliff, Dems, more taxes, no spending cuts, Barack Obama, John Boehner To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!