FEDERAL WATCHDOG REPORT—February 15, 2011

OBAMA AND STATE DEPARTMENT—MISHANDLED CRISIS IN EGYPT?

Obama should not have “emasculated Mubark” in front of the world. Pressure should have been applied in private call. To make matters worse, various members of the administration gave out conflicting public comments. Our allies think we can not be trusted. Our enemies think we are a joke.

OBAMA RELEASED BUDGET ON MONDAY  (Includes 15 Tax Hikes)
President Barack Obama sent Congress a $3.73 trillion spending blueprint that pledges $1.1 trillion in deficit savings over the next decade through spending cuts and tax increases. The projected savings would be dwarfed by the $7.21 trillion in cumulative deficits over that 10-year period.

Obama’s new budget projects that the deficit for the current year will surge to an all-time high of $1.65 trillion. For 2012, the administration sees the imbalance declining to $1.1 trillion, giving the country a record four straight years of $1 trillion-plus deficits.

Obama would achieve two-thirds of his projected $1.1 trillion in deficit savings through spending cuts including a five-year freeze on many domestic programs. The other one-third of the savings would come from tax increases, including limiting tax deductions for high income taxpayers, a proposal Obama put forward last year only to have it rejected in Congress.

The Obama budget recommendation, which is certain to be changed by Congress, would spend $3.73 trillion in the 2012 budget year, which begins Oct. 1, a reduction of 2.4 percent from what Obama projects will be spent in the current budget year. The Obama plan would fall far short of the $4 trillion in deficit cuts recommended in a December report by his blue-ribbon deficit commission. Obama’s efforts are timid at best and include new increased spending in several areas including selected areas of education, biomedical research, energy efficiency, high-speed rail and other areas Obama judged to be important to the country’s future competitiveness in a global economy.

THE SPENDING DEBATE BEGINS IN CONGRESS THIS WEEK
This past week the Senate continued debating the Federal Aviation Admin. bill but mostly was in recess while Senate Democrats conducted their legislative agenda retreat in Charlottesville, VA. What emerged from their multiple-day retreat was a clear message that they intend to attack the GOP as they construct their budget cutting Omnibus appropriations bill which will continue the funding of our Federal Government through the end of this fiscal year. (Sept.30, 2011). This Continuing resolution or CR as it is commonly called will be the subject of debate on the House side and some talk on the Senate side this coming week. The Senate Majority Leader said on the Senate floor last week that the Congress needs to concentrate on the “quality of the cuts not the quantity.” He went on to say that the cuts should not “take teachers out of the classroom or police officers off the streets.” This theme will be echoed throughout the halls of Congress beginning this week as the Senate resumes the Federal Aviation administration bill, the House begins action on the Omnibus spending bill and the President submits his annual budget to Congress Monday, Feb. 14.

The House side will begin their debate on the spending bill as early as Tuesday. The Chairman of the Appropriations comm. Cong. Rogers (R-KY) posted the $100B in cuts late last week. You can view them here: http://appropriations.house.gov/_files/ProgramCutsFY2011ContinuingResolution.pdf

The House of Representatives will vote this week on a measure that will begin defunding ObamaCare! That initiative coupled with two proposed pro-life bills make this session of Congress one of the most promising pro-life sessions in many, many years.

PASSING THE HOUSE

February 11, 2011: H.R. 73 passed the House, providing for consideration of the resolution (H.Res. 72) directing certain standing committees to inventory and review existing, pending, and proposed regulations and orders from agencies of the Federal Government, particularly with respect to their effect on jobs and economic growth. Passed 255-169, 9 not voting. 100% of Republicans supporting, 91% of Democrats opposing. (Jones voting Yea).

February 10, 2011: H. Res. 79: Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 514) to extend expiring provisions of the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 and Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 relating to access to business records, individual terrorists as agents of foreign powers, and roving wiretaps until December 8, 2011. Passed 248-176, 9 not voting. 98% of Republicans supporting, 92% of Democrats opposing. (Jones voting Yea).

PENDING BILLS TO WATCH

H.R. 3: The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act: Sponsored by: Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) This bill would take away tax benefits for employers who provide health care if the plans offer abortion coverage. STATUS: House Judiciary: Committee Hearings Held on February 8, 2011.

H.R. 10: “The Executive in Need of Scrutiny”: To amend chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, to provide that major rules of the executive branch shall have no force or effect unless a joint resolution of approval is enacted into law….” http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h112-10

H.R. 140: Birthright Citizenship Act of 2011--To amend section 301 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to clarify those classes of individuals born in the United States who are nationals and citizens of the United States at birth. Sponsored by: Rep. Steve King [R-IA5] with 61 co-sponsors. This bill would end giving U.S. citizenship to the births of illegal aliens, temporary foreign workers and foreign tourists. STATUS: On Jan 24, 2011 the House Committee on the Judiciary: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement.

H. R. 308: Large Capacity Feeding Device Act, “To prohibit the transfer or possession of large capacity ammunition feeding devices, and for other purposes introduced by Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D.-N.Y.) and 57 Democrat cosponsors, H.R. 308 would restrict -- criminalize, actually -- the transfer and possession by law-abiding citizens of large capacity feeding devices, more commonly known as magazines, that accept more than 10 rounds of ammunition

H.R. 358: The Protect Life Act-- To amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to modify special rules relating to coverage of abortion services under such Act. Sponsored by: Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.), now has 121 co-sponsors. This bill is aimed at those who would get insurance through state exchanges. It would block those consumers from purchasing abortion coverage. STATUS: Feb 1, 2011: House Committee on Energy and Commerce: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

H.R. 374: Life at Conception Act--To implement equal protection under the 14th article of amendment to the Constitution for the right to life of each born and preborn human person. Sponsored by: Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) and currently has 61 co-sponsors. STATUS: Jan 20, 2011: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

H.R. 421: Full Faith and Credit Act-- To require that the Government prioritize all obligations on the debt held by the public in the event that the debt limit is reached. Sponsored by: Rep. Tom McClintock [R-CA4] and 60 co-sponsors. STATUS: Jan 25, 2011: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

H.R. 483: To create an electronic employment eligibility verification system to ensure that all workers in the United States are legally able to work, and for other purposes. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) has introduced a new House bill that would require the mandatory use of E-Verify for all businesses in the United States. The Triple E-VICT Act would help the 22 million Americans who can't find full-time work by ensuring jobs don't go to illegal aliens. STATUS: Referred to House Education and the Workforce Committee on 1/26/11.

H.R. 605: To amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to repeal certain limitations on health care benefits. Introduced February 10, 2011 Rep. Erik Paulsen [R-MN3]

S. 91: Life at Conception Act—Introduced by: Sen. Roger Wicker [R-MS] on January 25, 2011; read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. The bill will define personhood from the moment of conception. Sen. Wicker has 13 co-sponsors thus far.

S. 149: A bill to extend the expiring provisions of the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005, the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, and the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 until December 31, 2013, and for other purposes. STATUS: Jan 25, 2011: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. Senate Democrats are set to fast track the companion legislation (S. 149) to the House bill, as they seek to bypass the committee process and push the bill straight to the floor.

For constant updates check our website: http://www.cctaxpayers.com and our blog at http://cctaxpayers.blogspot.com/.

Respectfully submitted,
Lynn Childs, Federal Watchdog