Flag in distress photo (owner unknown), Cartoon by Tom Nast, 1931.
Congress is Finally United – Against the People
original article written by Net Advisor™
Synopsis: The Republican-controlled House and Senate got together with the Democrats and passed a $1.8 Trillion spending bill that fully funds everything Obama had asked for. Are the People of the United States being heard by Congress anymore? Read More in this report.
WASHINGTON, DC. After increasing their majority in U.S. House, and taking back a majority control of the U.S. Senate during the 2014 Mid-Term Elections, Democrats and the establishment Republicans are finally united – against the People of the United States. The majority of the Republican Congress is voting EXACTLY like Spend-Thrift Democrats, and putting the People of the United States in greater debt.
[1] Debt-R-US
Apparently the U.S. credit rating being downgraded for the first time in U.S. history and under Obama’s watch in 2011 and 2012 didn’t give anyone the message to control debt spending.
- 2011: S&P Downgrades U.S. Debt Rating
- 2012: Egan-Jones Downgrades U.S. Credit Rating After FED Stimulus
- 2012: Moody’s Warns of U.S. Debt Downgrade – For the 5th Time
Congress passed what is called the Omnibus Bill (Latin: For All) with – $1.8 Trillion spending [up $700 Billion from the original bill – Source 1 (PDF), Source 2 (PDF)].
The bill seems to be called “For All” because Democrats and the establishment Republicans all get something. U.S. citizens concerned about paying for it, their safety, sanctuary cities, border security, illegal immigration, welfare reform, entitlement reform, bringing unvetted foreigners (at $64,000 per person) from countries involved in a religious war where known terrorism exists – that was not Congress’ concern in the Omnibus bill.
- Egypt, Iraq, Syria, It’s All a Religious War [Report, Point 12]
Establishment Republicans conceded to Democrats in last year’s (Omnibus Bill) too, where according to Roll Call, many in Congress didn’t bother reading the bill, and voted for it anyway.
“Many of these members acknowledged earlier in the day and week that they weren’t excited about the 1,582-page bill (which many had not read), but said would vote for it anyway.”
Democrat Congressman Earl Blumenauer (Oregon) said nobody ready the 2014 bill either.
“When asked whether he read the 1,528-page, $1.1 trillion government spending bill before he voted for it yesterday, Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) said, “Nobody did!””
— Source: CNS News
This year is no different. GOP 2016 Presidential Candidate, Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) said on Dec. 20, 2015, “Nobody read it (the Omnibus Bill), so, frankly, my biggest complaint is that I have no idea what kind of things they stuck in the bill…”
This new 2,000+ page bill which Obama signed with House/ Senate passage will create $780 Billion in new debt (with interest) over ten years or $2 Trillion in new debt over 20 years.
“Over two decades, (this Omnibus) deal would add more than $2 trillion to the debt.”
— Source: (The Bipartisan), Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (PDF)
GOP 2016 Presidential Candidate, Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said:
“This is what’s wrong with the Washington Cartel,” Ted Cruz said of a budget deal that “betrays the promises we made to the men and women who elected us.”
— Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas). Source: Investors.com
It’s amazing that Congress can pass massive spending bills (including at 3:00AM EST (HTML)(PDF) and no one is bothering to read what’s in them? Don’t be surprised if some politician sneaks language in future bills that strips away personal liberty.
Billionaire real estate mogul and current leading GOP 2016 Presidential Candidate, Donald Trump said Congress “threw in the towel” on the Omnibus spending bill and:
“The only special interest not being served by our government is the American people…”
“If anyone needed more evidence of why the American people are suffering at the hands of their own government, look no further than the budget deal announced by Speaker [Paul] Ryan…”
— Donald J. Trump. Source: Breitbart
The difference from establishment Republicans and Democrats seem to be more purple than red and blue now. As long as Democrats get massive welfare and Republicans get defense spending, everyone is happy – except the taxpayer paying the near $2 Trillion bill on top of the (current) $19 Trillion of existing debt.
[2] More Taxes Equals More Spending
Last year, the U.S. government ran a $589 Billion deficit despite receiving an all-time record $2.66 Trillion in tax revenues. Thus it seems the more government taxes, the more it spends.
In May 2015, it was reported that President Obama is spending up to $17 Billion for a fleet of 23 new helicopters for his office and his ‘entourage.’ Former House Speaker Boehner (R-Ohio) said that Obama was ‘not serious’ about controlling deficits. That is true, but neither was Speaker Boehner.
Just in the month of November 2015, and before the new Omnibus bill, the U.S. deficit soared by $578 Billion.
The U.S. national debt is expected to hit a record $20 Trillion under the Obama presidency. This does not include the $75 Trillion+ [See current debt live] off-balance sheet transactions, and other unfunded liabilities (mostly entitlements) that Congress pretends that isn’t there until they have to pay (or borrow more) it in a given year.
[3] Fund Everything – Tax Me More Later?
The new Omnibus bill for 2016 (27-page summary, PDF) fully funds all of President Obama’s de facto amnesty programs, bringing Syrian refugees in to the U.S. despite admissions and warnings by FBI Assistant Director Michael Steinbach, Director of National Intelligence, Homeland Security Committee Chairman, Michael McCaul, The National Counter Terrorism Center, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Matthew Emrich.
In November 26 State governors sought to block Syrian refugees over the inability to properly vet (screen backgrounds) for terror risks. It appears that the majority of the current Congress, not President Obama is really interested in domestic security.
26 State Governors Now Refusing #SyrianRefugees Over Lack of Proper Vetting & National Security Concerns. pic.twitter.com/4dybEqKz5j
— NetAdvisor.org® (@NetAdvisor) November 17, 2015
The above tweet has since climbed to 31 states balking at accepting Syrian refugees over security concerns. Texas filed a lawsuit, and Judicial Watch filed a lawsuit seeking information on the refugee program. The 2016 Omnibus bill also funds ObamaCare, does not slow or stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, given more money to train and arm Iraq.
On the social side, the Omnibus bill fully funds Planned Parenthood – a privately-ran (non-government) “healthcare” organization that has been under high controversy for allegedly selling aborted body parts for money (External Reports by CBS, CNN, Daily Mail.UK, NPR).
The Omnibus deal also includes tax breaks for business and some for consumers. This night sound good idea until we discovered that Congress is borrowing the money in order to get these deals in the budget. Congress at the very least, should be cutting back spending in other areas to offset its borrowing, but that would require fiscal responsibility.
[4] Government Shutdown Fear
The purpose of the 2014, 2015 Omnibus bills are all about averting the false and misleading narrative of “government shutdowns.”
Government shutdowns don’t mean the entire government ceases functioning. It means non-essential parts such as National Parks temporarily close, some government websites are off-line (which makes no sense if the government is the web host). Tax refunds MIGHT be delayed, but Social Security checks continue to be issued on time, “national defense, emergency medical care and air traffic control” all continue to run uninterrupted.
In 2013, most of the media incorrectly blamed Republicans for a brief government shutdown. The facts are President Obama threatened a shut down by way of veto threat and, then Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) threatened the shutdown the government if Obamacare was not fully funded.
“Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid reiterated on Saturday that the House bill would be dead on arrival in the Democratic-controlled Senate…”
“Obama also threatened to veto any bill that delays his healthcare restructuring.”
— Sources: The Chicago Tribune (PDF) and West Central Tribune, MN (PDF) highlight added
Harry Reid (D), NOT Republicans continued to block progress when the shutdown occurred blocking even government employees from being paid retroactively.
This whole thing about Government shutdowns is a political and media-ran fear story on the American public. The fear is to persuade the People of the United States to allow the government to spend, spend, spend as they see fit, as recklessly as they wish, regardless of costs or consequences to current or future generations. That is not ‘Government by the People,’ that is Government Ignoring the People.
[5] Remember, It’s…We, The People
The Preamble of the U.S. Constitution begins with, “We, the People.”
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
— Preamble of the United States Constitution (1787), Source: U.S. Constitution.net
We’re not exactly sure how Congress is following the We, the People part, when creating massive deficits year after year, after year, by allowing the U.S. to risk default.
Technically, the U.S. doesn’t have to default because the Constitution also authorizes Congress (NOT the President) under Article I, Section 8 to borrow money. Would our Forefathers have intended for Congress to print and waste unlimited amounts of money such as $486 million for foreign air fleet then selling it for scrap metal, or insuring that Viagra is covered in the Defense budget? This unlimited and uncontrolled deficit spending puts the U.S. at economic risk and would seem to go beyond the framework of our Forefather’s Constitutional intent.
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See our other articles and reports on issues relating to the U.S. Deficit.
Political Commentary:
02/27/2015: Dems Block DHS Funding Bill, Republicans Cry ‘Uncle’
09/27/2015: How Speaker Boehner and the Establishment Elite Are Failing America
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