hello america! CHINA---i'm sure you've heard of that little country with a population of maybe 25 people, havn't you? well, if you havn't, i'm sure you will in the very near future.
i said all that to say this...what happens to the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA when CHINA decides it's time to collect what we owe them? &, just how much do we owe them---none of our elected officials want to answer that question. AMAZING! but i will continue to email everyone of those officials until i do get an answer.
since our sec of state, hilary clinton, was just over there recently asking them to continue to "buy" america, i will send the question to her.
as an american veteran, the only country I fear is CHINA. they have everything we have five-fold. they could send an army of a million soldiers into battle, lose everyone of them &, never even miss them. that's scary.
i cannot, in keeping it real, blame obama for our debt to CHINA. i can & do blame obama for any debt increase to CHINA since 2006---him & EVERY other elected official.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
hello america! the following is in response to an e-mail i recieved in reference to my post tittled "SMALL BUSINESSES, IS THIS ABOUT RIGHT?" please visit it.
dear anonymous:
thank you for taking the time to reply. that being said, yes, it is all interconnected &, i'm not blaming obama for the problem---although he had a direct hand in allowing it to florish---i'm blaming him for what he's not doing to curb the problem. those jobs you speak of will of will be federally funded: meaning that unionized labor has first dibs on them---not the average joe that lost his job---per obamas executive order. next in line for those jobs will be the governors/mayors & our elected officials favorite companies. you know, those same companies you see yearly. the average joe will be last in line for those jobs &, you can't just hire anybody to do infrastructure work.
if the figures are right, the extra $12-$13 bucks a week for the single person will only buy 1 large pizza &, it is not enough to stimulate anything. yes, for some it will make a difference but, don't expect your malls to experience a sudden rush of consumers.
for many, the unemployment extensions will mean they will have longer to wait this mess out before they have to go out there & get a job with the hope that the job market has picked up. i am glad this was in the bill---so no arguement there.
teachers, firemen & police are all at the state level. every year they have this "our budget's too big & we have to down-size". &, every year they figure out a way to retain those workers without the assistance of the federal government. some states are getting money they didn't even ask for or want---case in point: my state, pennslyvania with governor ed rendell who said (prior to hosting the governors convention in philly with obama) we didn't need it. now we're stuck with it. i know there are some states that are really hurting but, the money was doled out in a very unclear way-some got more/others got less-based on unemployment.
i am all in favor of doing anything that can be done to keep us a great nation &, i don't care who does the doing. my concerns begin when i see the doing being done wrong & in a way that is not productive for the times. yes, i admit there are some good/great things in the stimulus bill but, there are even more things in it that should not be there. I DEFY YOU & ANYBODY ELSE TO MAKE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN OUR PRESENT ECONOMIC PROBLEMS & OUR FEDERAL TAX DOLLARS FUNDING OVERSEAS ABORTIONS & ABORTION CLASSES---. &, WHY PICK THIS PARTICULAR TIME TO SEND OUR FEDERAL TAX DOLLARS TO PHILIPINO VETERANS FROM WW11? & there is more crap in that bill, which is now law, that has nothing to do with 'stimulus'. besides all that, don't get your hopes up---the bulk of the money will be doled out in 2012---that's the truth.
no, the problem isn't going away overnight & there is no silver bullet but, throwing more bad money after bad money is not the answer. how many more times will you allow aig to get billions of our money? we now own 80% of aig-let's go for the full 100%. &, don't forget citybank/group.
a great indicator of the times is the dow. look at where it was when obama was sworn in & look at it now. i am not the only one that sees the problems his bill presents &, his budget will only cause more. plus, he has said he needs to spend about 2 trillion dollars more.
obama, as a washington senator didn't really do anything for this country. he was there to vote with & for his party. nothing has changed with him becoming the president. whatever pelosi, reid &, dodd give him to sign, he will sign.
the federal government could have do more for its people by sending them a $50. check every week in lieu of some of the ways they are about to spend our money.
again, thank you.
dear anonymous:
thank you for taking the time to reply. that being said, yes, it is all interconnected &, i'm not blaming obama for the problem---although he had a direct hand in allowing it to florish---i'm blaming him for what he's not doing to curb the problem. those jobs you speak of will of will be federally funded: meaning that unionized labor has first dibs on them---not the average joe that lost his job---per obamas executive order. next in line for those jobs will be the governors/mayors & our elected officials favorite companies. you know, those same companies you see yearly. the average joe will be last in line for those jobs &, you can't just hire anybody to do infrastructure work.
if the figures are right, the extra $12-$13 bucks a week for the single person will only buy 1 large pizza &, it is not enough to stimulate anything. yes, for some it will make a difference but, don't expect your malls to experience a sudden rush of consumers.
for many, the unemployment extensions will mean they will have longer to wait this mess out before they have to go out there & get a job with the hope that the job market has picked up. i am glad this was in the bill---so no arguement there.
teachers, firemen & police are all at the state level. every year they have this "our budget's too big & we have to down-size". &, every year they figure out a way to retain those workers without the assistance of the federal government. some states are getting money they didn't even ask for or want---case in point: my state, pennslyvania with governor ed rendell who said (prior to hosting the governors convention in philly with obama) we didn't need it. now we're stuck with it. i know there are some states that are really hurting but, the money was doled out in a very unclear way-some got more/others got less-based on unemployment.
i am all in favor of doing anything that can be done to keep us a great nation &, i don't care who does the doing. my concerns begin when i see the doing being done wrong & in a way that is not productive for the times. yes, i admit there are some good/great things in the stimulus bill but, there are even more things in it that should not be there. I DEFY YOU & ANYBODY ELSE TO MAKE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN OUR PRESENT ECONOMIC PROBLEMS & OUR FEDERAL TAX DOLLARS FUNDING OVERSEAS ABORTIONS & ABORTION CLASSES---. &, WHY PICK THIS PARTICULAR TIME TO SEND OUR FEDERAL TAX DOLLARS TO PHILIPINO VETERANS FROM WW11? & there is more crap in that bill, which is now law, that has nothing to do with 'stimulus'. besides all that, don't get your hopes up---the bulk of the money will be doled out in 2012---that's the truth.
no, the problem isn't going away overnight & there is no silver bullet but, throwing more bad money after bad money is not the answer. how many more times will you allow aig to get billions of our money? we now own 80% of aig-let's go for the full 100%. &, don't forget citybank/group.
a great indicator of the times is the dow. look at where it was when obama was sworn in & look at it now. i am not the only one that sees the problems his bill presents &, his budget will only cause more. plus, he has said he needs to spend about 2 trillion dollars more.
obama, as a washington senator didn't really do anything for this country. he was there to vote with & for his party. nothing has changed with him becoming the president. whatever pelosi, reid &, dodd give him to sign, he will sign.
the federal government could have do more for its people by sending them a $50. check every week in lieu of some of the ways they are about to spend our money.
again, thank you.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
WHERE I STAND WITH OBAMA
hello america! let me make my position on obama very clear. i like him; i respect him as a person; i think he's articulate & very charming; i know he is a fighter:::::my problem with him is trust. i didn't trust him when he was campaigning & since becoming president, he has enforced that feeling. i blogged about this before &, will probably have to do so again.
i would like nothing better then to jump on the obama bandwagon & support him as my president but, i can't because i do my homework & i do it very diligently. i research the research before i type one letter.
now, for you obamaholics that feel obama can do no wrong, stop here...this is for the rest of america.
obama lied to us about transparency. he lied to us about his administration being held to high standards & ethics. he lied to us about reaching across the isle & working with the republicans. he lied to us about why the 787 billion dollar bill had to be passed by mid- february. he lied to us about his bill not having any 'earmarks' in it. he lied to us about how we got into this economic mess. he lied to us about the federal government not going to own any banks. he lied to us about changing 'business-as-usual' in washington. he lied to us about helping small businesses.
now you can be petty & tell me that other presidents have lied & i'd be forced to agree with you. however, no other president set the bar so high for himself & then went right out there & broke it. &, because he broke it, i question his judgement---he himself has said on several different occasions "i used bad judgement".
yes, all these lies in his first thirty days. so, yes, i have a problem with the president of my country & i will use these platform to delve into those & any other lies.
what's so sad about this is-i'm not telling you any lies about the man.
i would like nothing better then to jump on the obama bandwagon & support him as my president but, i can't because i do my homework & i do it very diligently. i research the research before i type one letter.
now, for you obamaholics that feel obama can do no wrong, stop here...this is for the rest of america.
obama lied to us about transparency. he lied to us about his administration being held to high standards & ethics. he lied to us about reaching across the isle & working with the republicans. he lied to us about why the 787 billion dollar bill had to be passed by mid- february. he lied to us about his bill not having any 'earmarks' in it. he lied to us about how we got into this economic mess. he lied to us about the federal government not going to own any banks. he lied to us about changing 'business-as-usual' in washington. he lied to us about helping small businesses.
now you can be petty & tell me that other presidents have lied & i'd be forced to agree with you. however, no other president set the bar so high for himself & then went right out there & broke it. &, because he broke it, i question his judgement---he himself has said on several different occasions "i used bad judgement".
yes, all these lies in his first thirty days. so, yes, i have a problem with the president of my country & i will use these platform to delve into those & any other lies.
what's so sad about this is-i'm not telling you any lies about the man.
BLACK AMERICA & OBAMA-AN OXYMORAN
hello america! just finished a telephone conversation with a dear black female friend of mine who was a staunch supporter of obama during his campaigning. it was more of a debate then a regular conversation. she had all these high hopes that obama would be the one to help black america rise up out of the 'hood'. i told her back then the same that i just told her---obama never mentioned the plight of black americans living in the 'hood'. NOT THEN & NOT NOW...
obama won't help his 1/2 brother living in kenya &, he won't help his aunt living in boston. i wonder if she's been deported yet-i'll follow up on that. he didn't help the people of chi-town or illinios. how can blacks in america expect him to do something for them now?
let's be real...obama became president because of the people behind him & his wife is not in this group. the credit for his success goes to those that opened the door for him to attend harvard; sent him to chi-town to get involved in acorn; the woods foundation; the college foundation; & then, politics. &, no where along the line did he man-up for the plight of black america.
obama is a puppet & his job is to keep you where you are. between the bills & executive orders he's signed there's nothing in it for black america---NOTHING---
prove me wrong america-please prove me wrong. & don't get it twisted---i am extremely proud that america has opened her arms & elected a person of color but, it should have been anyone but obama.
obama won't help his 1/2 brother living in kenya &, he won't help his aunt living in boston. i wonder if she's been deported yet-i'll follow up on that. he didn't help the people of chi-town or illinios. how can blacks in america expect him to do something for them now?
let's be real...obama became president because of the people behind him & his wife is not in this group. the credit for his success goes to those that opened the door for him to attend harvard; sent him to chi-town to get involved in acorn; the woods foundation; the college foundation; & then, politics. &, no where along the line did he man-up for the plight of black america.
obama is a puppet & his job is to keep you where you are. between the bills & executive orders he's signed there's nothing in it for black america---NOTHING---
prove me wrong america-please prove me wrong. & don't get it twisted---i am extremely proud that america has opened her arms & elected a person of color but, it should have been anyone but obama.
Monday, March 2, 2009
AMERICA, LET'S WIPE OUT HOMELESSNESS
hello america! our country has always been divided by three: those at the top that don't want you catching up to them; those in the middle aspiring to reach the top; &, those at the bottom just happy to make ends meet. it's always been that way &, will always be that way. obama & 50 more like him can't & won't change it. in fact, obama campaigned on a promise to help the "middle class" & tax the wealthy-"the high class"-he has yet to say anything about those living below the national poverty level "the low class". & THEN, WE HAVE A CLASS OF HOMELESS PEOPLE WE LIKE NOT TO TALK ABOUT AS IF THEY ARE NOT THERE.
every city in america has them &, we either shun them or, begrudgingly help them with donations of clothing, food &/or money to the agencies that help them. regardless of what we do or don't do for them, they are not the subjects at dinner tables---no, we talk sports, or movies, or what wall street did, or what the big boys are doing. when we're warm & eating well, the conversation about the homeless is forbidden at the dinner table. we'd rather talk about that ding-bat actress-ashley judd-& her bashing sarah palin about the wolf killings & yet, this ding-bat supports partial birth abortions. (JUST GOES TO SHOW YOU HOW STUPID SOME OF US HAVE BECOME THAT WE CAN CARE MORE ABOUT THE WOLF POPULATION THEN HUMAN LIFE)
i said all that to say this:::in the greatest nation on earth (until obama gets through) we should not have a homeless problem. regardless of the economy, we should strive to wipe homelessness out. yes, there are those that are homeless because they refuse to conform but, the majority of them are homeless because they fell through the cracks.
let's keep it real:::the only time most of us hear or see them is thanksgiving & christmas & that's only because the politicans take that time to do photo-ops with them at the feederies &, then tell us of their feeble efforts to stop homelessness.
homelessness is a national problem & obama never addresses it. our elected officials never address it outright. yes, they do provide some funding to some of the agencies that help these people but, that's about it.
america, please answer me this...would you rather have your tax dollars going overseas to fund abortions or would you rather have them here helping the homeless?
every city in america has them &, we either shun them or, begrudgingly help them with donations of clothing, food &/or money to the agencies that help them. regardless of what we do or don't do for them, they are not the subjects at dinner tables---no, we talk sports, or movies, or what wall street did, or what the big boys are doing. when we're warm & eating well, the conversation about the homeless is forbidden at the dinner table. we'd rather talk about that ding-bat actress-ashley judd-& her bashing sarah palin about the wolf killings & yet, this ding-bat supports partial birth abortions. (JUST GOES TO SHOW YOU HOW STUPID SOME OF US HAVE BECOME THAT WE CAN CARE MORE ABOUT THE WOLF POPULATION THEN HUMAN LIFE)
i said all that to say this:::in the greatest nation on earth (until obama gets through) we should not have a homeless problem. regardless of the economy, we should strive to wipe homelessness out. yes, there are those that are homeless because they refuse to conform but, the majority of them are homeless because they fell through the cracks.
let's keep it real:::the only time most of us hear or see them is thanksgiving & christmas & that's only because the politicans take that time to do photo-ops with them at the feederies &, then tell us of their feeble efforts to stop homelessness.
homelessness is a national problem & obama never addresses it. our elected officials never address it outright. yes, they do provide some funding to some of the agencies that help these people but, that's about it.
america, please answer me this...would you rather have your tax dollars going overseas to fund abortions or would you rather have them here helping the homeless?
SMALL BUSINESSES, IS THIS ABOUT RIGHT?
hello america! please (&, i don't say that often) allow me to take you on a journey based on common sense............................ prior to writing this, i posted the bill that recently passed the house (from gop.gov) & noticed nothing in it to help small business---this is the second bill that excludes federal dollars to help them---
let's say i own a pizza business---pizza by knowitall
let's say i pay rent/lease but, do not own the property
let's say i have 8 employees plus 2 deliverypersons---yes, that's 10
let's say i make payments on a loan for all of my major equipment ie: ovens, fryers, freezers,
coolers, a big hobart mixer, sandwich-making station, soda refridgerators, tables,
chairs, a pizza-making station, 2 52" flatscreen tvs &, a fire retardant system
let's say i have to pay utility bills monthly ie: gas, electric, water & sewage, phone, cable &/or
satelite & garbage disposal
let's say i have to pay monthly for employee health care, employee liability insurance, workmans compensation insurance, employees unemployment insurance &, insurance on my
equipment & services plus an issurance maintenance fee
let's say i have to pay for advertising
let's say i have to pay daily for my produce, bread, soda, etc
let's say i have to pay weekly for my dry goods
let's say my business is set up in an industrial area (24/7) with very high visability
let's say my menu consists of pizza, hoagies, dinners, salads, appetizers, breakfast & beverages
let's say that because of the downturn with the economy, my business has slowly been doing less & less business every day. i've lessoned some my employees hours & find myself
putting in 14-20 per week to compensate &, this is causing a strain on the home-front. i
can't change my hours because of my contract with the industrial developement office
&, i can't afford to raise my prices & maintain the current list of repeat customers. I am
trying not to lay anyone off. i've cut everywhere to save a penny but, it's not helping.
i've gone to the same bank i've been dealing with for the last 10 years & can't get a loan,
&, i'm slightly behind on my payments to them. in fact, they sent me a letter to repo
some of my equipment. WHAT DO I DO?
i depended on obama (NOT ME) to help me out of this mess but, he's doing nothing for
me. it's as if he forgot all about us small business owners. & yet, he talked so much about
helping us when he was campaigning. i am at my wits end. obama seems more
interested in spending taxpayers money on foreign abortions then helping me. was i
wrong in trusting him with my vote? (NOT ME)
at the rate things are going, i will lose my business, which will cause me to lose my home
& probably lead to me losing my family.
america, i feel for you because many small businesses are facing this very problem & obama has no plans to help or save you. besides, in reality, he doesn't need you now & won't, until 2012.
let's say i own a pizza business---pizza by knowitall
let's say i pay rent/lease but, do not own the property
let's say i have 8 employees plus 2 deliverypersons---yes, that's 10
let's say i make payments on a loan for all of my major equipment ie: ovens, fryers, freezers,
coolers, a big hobart mixer, sandwich-making station, soda refridgerators, tables,
chairs, a pizza-making station, 2 52" flatscreen tvs &, a fire retardant system
let's say i have to pay utility bills monthly ie: gas, electric, water & sewage, phone, cable &/or
satelite & garbage disposal
let's say i have to pay monthly for employee health care, employee liability insurance, workmans compensation insurance, employees unemployment insurance &, insurance on my
equipment & services plus an issurance maintenance fee
let's say i have to pay for advertising
let's say i have to pay daily for my produce, bread, soda, etc
let's say i have to pay weekly for my dry goods
let's say my business is set up in an industrial area (24/7) with very high visability
let's say my menu consists of pizza, hoagies, dinners, salads, appetizers, breakfast & beverages
let's say that because of the downturn with the economy, my business has slowly been doing less & less business every day. i've lessoned some my employees hours & find myself
putting in 14-20 per week to compensate &, this is causing a strain on the home-front. i
can't change my hours because of my contract with the industrial developement office
&, i can't afford to raise my prices & maintain the current list of repeat customers. I am
trying not to lay anyone off. i've cut everywhere to save a penny but, it's not helping.
i've gone to the same bank i've been dealing with for the last 10 years & can't get a loan,
&, i'm slightly behind on my payments to them. in fact, they sent me a letter to repo
some of my equipment. WHAT DO I DO?
i depended on obama (NOT ME) to help me out of this mess but, he's doing nothing for
me. it's as if he forgot all about us small business owners. & yet, he talked so much about
helping us when he was campaigning. i am at my wits end. obama seems more
interested in spending taxpayers money on foreign abortions then helping me. was i
wrong in trusting him with my vote? (NOT ME)
at the rate things are going, i will lose my business, which will cause me to lose my home
& probably lead to me losing my family.
america, i feel for you because many small businesses are facing this very problem & obama has no plans to help or save you. besides, in reality, he doesn't need you now & won't, until 2012.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
H.R. 1105 FROM GOP.GOV
hello america! this comes from gop.gov & it breaks the bill down to where it is easier to read & understand. if you are happy with this bill & the last one, then, you deserve obama & his crew. obama has the chance to do some good for this country by rejecting this bill but, it ain't gonna happen. in fact, he wants to spend more. according to some sources, 40% of this bill, which passed the house, is for republicans, &, they should be shot as well as the dems.
H.R. 1105
Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009
Sponsor
Rep. Obey, David R. (Appropriations Committee)
Date
February 25, 2009111th Congress, 1st Session
FLOOR SITUATION
On February 25, 2009, H.R. 1105, the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009, will be considered on the floor, likely under a closed rule. This legislation was introduced by Rep. Obey (D-WI) on February 23, 2009.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Fiscal Year 2009 omnibus totals $410 billion spending bill and includes nine appropriation bills that were not passed by Congress last year (Agriculture, Commerce/State/Justice, Energy and Water, Financial Services, Department of Interior, Labor/HHS, Legislative Branch, Department of State/Foreign Ops, Transportation/HUD). Funding for these government agencies and programs would increase by $32 billion, or 8.3%, over Fiscal Year 2008 (not including the funds appropriated by the recent "stimulus"). These agencies are currently funded at Fiscal Year 2008 levels through March 6, 2009, by a continuing resolution. In addition to funding for these nine remaining appropriations bills, the bill also includes $100 million for salaries and expenses at the Department of Homeland Security, designated as an "emergency" to avoid budget restraints. Three appropriations bills-Defense, Homeland Security, and Military Construction-VA-were passed and signed into law last year.
Division FY 2008 H.R. 1105 $ Increase % Increase
Agriculture $18.093 $20.456 $2.363 13%
Commerce/State/
Justice $51.803 $57.652 $5.849 11%
Energy and Water $30.888 $33.261 $2.373 8%
Financial Services $20.599 $22.697 $2.098 10%
Interior $26.555 $27.579 $1.024 4%
Labor/HHS $144.841 $152.255 $7.414 5%
Legislative Branch $3.970 $4.402 $0.432 11%
Department of State
/ Foreign Ops $32.800 $36.620 $3.820 12%
Transportation
/HUD $48.821 $55.000 $6.179 13%
Total $378.370 $409.922 $31.552 8.3%
Note: 1) Dollars are in billions. 2) The table's dollar and percent increases do not account for the billions in funding provided by the recent "stimulus" (see below), thus the real increases over Fiscal Year 2008 are many times greater when that legislation is considered.
The $32 billion increase represents the largest one-year hike in annual appropriated spending percentage since the Carter administration, with the exception of funding immediately after September 11th. And since many of these programs and agencies received funding in the recent "stimulus," the combined increase is $301 billion or 80% over Fiscal Year 2008. The highlights of the legislation are as follows:
SELECTION OF POSSIBLE MEMBER CONCERNS
DC School Vouchers: Eliminates the District of Columbia (D.C.) school voucher program. H.R. 1105 prohibits any new students from receiving vouchers and sunsets the program after the 2009-2010 school year. While the bill eliminates $18 million for the successful school voucher program, it contains funding for countless other "priorities."
International Family Planning: Provides $545 million for State Department to fund foreign family planning programs, funds that will flow to abortion providers now that the Mexico City Policy has been repealed by the Obama Administration.
UNFPA: Contains language exempting federal funding for the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA) from the Kemp-Kasten provision, which denies federal funding to organizations or programs that support coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization.
Healthcare Rationing: Provides an additional $50 million-on top of the $1.1 billion included in the "stimulus"-to conduct "comparative effectiveness research" to evaluate the effectiveness of different preventative healthcare interventions. Some Members may be concerned that the money for comparative effectiveness research could eventually be used for government rationing of health care goods and services, consistent with draft House Appropriations
Committee report on the "stimulus" noting that "more expensive [treatments] will no longer be prescribed" as a result of such research.
Fairness Doctrine: Removes a provision that prohibits funds from being used to implement the so-called "fairness doctrine," which requires the federal government to regulate and censor media content.
Nominal Drug Pricing: Allows already funded family planning clinics (such as Planned
Parenthood and university health clinics) to purchase drugs-including contraceptives-at a "nominal" price. In effect, this provision allows Planned Parenthood to make considerable profits from selling birth control (including Plan B, i.e. the "morning-after pill") they receive at a significantly discounted rate and undersell private pharmacies.
Abstinence Education: Reduces funding for the Community Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) program to $95 million, a decrease of $13 million. Conversely, the bill increases funding for Title X family planning programs by $7 million.
Benefits to Domestic Partnerships: Although the bill maintains a ban on federal domestic partnership benefits, report language urges Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to "consider" federal health benefits for same-sex domestic partners of federal employees.
Census: Provides $3.13 billion for the 2010 Census, which recently received $1 billion in additional "stimulus" money.
Cuba Travel Restrictions: Narrows existing travel restrictions to Cuba, including lifting the "family travel" limitation to immediate family members and the "once every three years" travel limit. In addition, the bill eliminates the "cash-in-advance" requirement for deliveries for agriculture or medical supplies.
Amtrak: Includes $1.45 billion for Amtrak, a program that fails to be competitive and continues to need federal subsidies to cover operating losses and capital costs.
ACORN: Provides $181 million for the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation for housing counseling. ACORN has been a past recipient of such funding.
NEA: Provides $155 million for the National Endowment for the Arts, in addition to the $50 million for the NEA provided in the "stimulus" bill.
Deficit Impact: With the passage of the $1 trillion Democrat "stimulus" bill, the federal deficit will rise well above the record $1.2 trillion (or 8.3% of GDP) that CBO predicted at the beginning of 2009. H.R. 1105 would unnecessarily add billions in deficit spending to the national debt.
SPENDING PROVISIONS
Agriculture, Rural Development, and FDA
Agriculture Department Buildings: Provides $244 million for USDA building repairs, an increase of $49 million. The "stimulus" also included $176 million for USDA building repairs.
Agriculture Research Service Buildings: Includes $47 million for ARS buildings and facilities. An additional $24 million was provided for this purpose in the recent "stimulus" bill.
Broadband Grants/Loan Subsidy: Provides $35 million for rural broadband grants/loan subsidies.
China Poultry: Prohibits USDA from moving forward with a rule to allow the import of poultry products from China.
Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC): Provides $146 million, $34.7 million above 2008 level, for the CFTC to increase staff to regulate the commodity futures market.
Country of Origin Labeling: Implements a program requiring country of origin labeling for fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, and other products. $9.6 million is provided for the Agricultural
Marketing Service to administer these requirements.
Food and Drug Administration: Provides $2 billion for the FDA-an increase of $335 million.
Nutrition for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): Provides $6.9 billion, an increase of $1.2
billion, for WIC.
Watershed Rehabilitation: Includes $40 million for watershed rehabilitation. The "stimulus" package provided $50 million for this purpose.
Commerce, Justice, and Science
Salmon Recovery: Provides $80 million for Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery.
JAG Grants: Provides $546 million for Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants. This spending comes after receiving $373.9 million in FY2008, and an additional $2 billion in the stimulus.
Byrne Grants: Contains $30 million for Byrne Competitive Grants.
Inauguration: Provides $20 million to reimburse State and local governments for costs associated with the 2009 Presidential inauguration.
Federal Grant Assistance: Provides $75 million for a program that assists organizations who want to apply for federal grants and receive more federal grant money.
Criminal Re-entry: Provides $25 million for offender re-entry programs authorized under the
Second Chance Act.
Icebreakers: Provides $54 million for polar icebreaking services.
COPS: Provides $550.5 million for Community Oriented Policing Services. This spending comes after COPS received $1 billion in the "stimulus."
Energy and Water Development
Energy Efficiency: Provides $1.9 billion for Department of Energy (DOE) for energy efficiency initiatives, including the purchase of one or two passenger vehicles.
Technology Loans: Contains $19.8 billion in Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Program, which is increased from $5.4 billion in Fiscal Year 2008.
Reliable Replacement Warhead: Prohibits funds from being used for the Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW).
Regional Authorities: Includes $100 million for the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Delta Regional Authority, and Denali Commission, which receive federal funding for regional programs.
Loon Research: Provides $300,000 for Fish and Wildlife Service to monitor the ability of lakes in west central Nevada lakes to support migratory loons.
Financial Services
Inauguration: Provides $39 million to the District of Columbia to pay for the increased security for President Obama's Inauguration.
West Wing Computers: Includes $76 million for the White House West Wing Infrastructure Systems Replacement.
Department of Interior
Cattle Studies: Provides $1.1 billion for "necessary expenses of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service", including scientific and economic studies, maintenance of the herd of long-horned cattle on the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, general administration, etc.
Salmon River Habitat: Provides $5.1 million for the Idaho Salmon and Clearwater River Basins Habitat Account.
Migratory Bird Conservation: Provides $4.8 million to carry out the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act.
Species Conservation: Includes $10 million for the Multinational Species Conservative Fund.
Foot Bridge: Provides $3 million in funding to the St. Lois Metropolitan Park and Recreation Dept. for planning and constructing a foot bridge.
Greenhouse Gas Grants: Contains $10 million for grants to communities to develop plans and demonstrate and implement projects which reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Council on Environmental Quality: Contains $2.7 million for the Council on Environmental Quality.
Environmental Justice: Provides $7 million for "Environmental Justice" programs.
Labor and Health and Human Services
Workforce Spending: Provides $11.5 billion for workforce investment programs, including Employment Grants, spending from the Unemployment Trust Fund, and Job Corps.
Health Resources: Provides $7.24 billion for the Health Resources and Services Administration, including $1.89 billion under the Ryan White Act for AIDS treatment, and $815 million for state AIDS drug assistance programs;
CDC AIDS Prevention: Provides $6.28 billion for the Centers for Disease Control, for AIDS prevention and research.
NIH: Provides a total of $30.3 billion for the National Institutes of Health.
AmeriCorps: Contains $680 million for the Corporation for National and Community Service, including AmeriCorps.
Substance Abuse: Provides $3.33 billion for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA);
AHRQ: Provides $372 million for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), including $50 million for comparative effectiveness research.
Child Care Block Grants: Provides $2.76 billion for the Administration for Children and Families, as well as $2.13 billion for the Child Care Block Grant.
Head Start: Provides $7.11 billion for Head Start.
Administration on Aging: Provides $1.49 billion for the Administration on Aging.
Title I: Provides $15.76 billion for Title I elementary and secondary education funding.
School Improvement: Provides $5.36 billion for school improvement programs.
IDEA: Provides $12.58 billion for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
Rehabilitation Research: Provides $3.39 billion for rehabilitation services and disability research.
Pell Grants: Includes $19.16 billion for higher education programs, including $17.29 billion for Pell Grants-on top of the $15.6 billion in "stimulus" funding for 2009 and 2010-creating a maximum Pell Grant of $5,350.
Corporation for Public Broadcasting: Provides $430 million in a Fiscal Year 2011 advance appropriation for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Migrant Housing: Includes $5.4 million for migrant and seasonal housing (of which not less than 70% shall be for permanent housing).
Mine Safety Trophies: Authorizes Mine Safety and Health Administration to use some of its $347 million allocation for "purchase and bestowal of certificates and trophies in connection with mine rescue and first-aid work."
National History Day Contest: Provides $500,000 for the National History Day contest.
Reading Rockets: Includes $737,000 for the "Reading Rockets" program produced by WETA television.
Erma Byrd Scholarship: Includes $1 million for the "Erma Byrd Scholarship" program for "increasing the skilled workforce for industrial health and safety occupations, including mine safety."
Legislative Branch
Capitol Visitor Center: Contains an additional $31 million for CVC construction.
Government Accountability Office: Provides $531 million for GAO to hire additional personnel. $25 million was also included in the recent "stimulus" bill for the GAO.
Greening the Capitol: Provides $1 million for making the Capitol more energy efficient.
Library of Congress: Contains $607 in funding for Library of Congress operations.
Tunnels: Provides $56 million to address "life safety hazards" in the Capitol complex tunnels.
State/Foreign Operations
Afghanistan: Provides a total of $1 billion for assistance to Afghanistan.
Ireland Fund: Provides $15 million for the International Fund for Ireland.
Andean Counterdrug Program: Contains $315 million for the Andean Counterdrug Program.
Educational and Cultural Exchange: Provides $538 million for educational and cultural exchange expenses.
Energy and Environment: Contains $424 million for international "clean energy" and biodiversity programs which seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as deal with park preservation and wildlife protection. Also, the International Panel on Climate Change/UN Framework on Climate Change is funded at $8 million, 46.7% above FY 2008 enacted level.
International Organizations: Provides $1.5 billion for membership fees for international organizations, including the United Nations.
Foreign Military Financing Program: Includes $2.38 billion in funding for Israel and $1.3 billion in for Egypt.
Millennium Challenge Corporation: Contains $875 million for the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)-$1.35 billion below the President's request and $669 million below Fiscal Year 2008.
Peacekeeping: Provides $1.5 billion in contributions for international peacekeeping activities. The bill also raises the cap on contributions to UN peacekeeping from 25% to 27.1% for calendar years 2005 through 2009.
USAID: Provides $808.5 million, $178 million more than last year, for the U.S. Agency for International Development to hire 300 additional Foreign Service officers.
Transportation/HUD
Amtrak: Includes $1.45 billion for Amtrak, a program that fails to be competitive and continues to need federal subsidies to cover operating losses and capital costs.
Highways: Includes $40.7 billion for the federal-aid highways program, $483.9 million over Fiscal Year 2008.
Community Development: Provides $3.9 billion for the Community Development Fund, including $3.6 billion for Community Development Block Grants and $19.5 million for Neighborhood Initiatives Programs.
Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation: Provides $181 million for the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation for housing counseling. ACORN has been a past recipient of such funding.
HUD: Provides $41.5 billion for the Department of Housing and Urban Affairs, an increase of $3.9 billon or 10.4% over Fiscal Year 2008.
EARMARKS
The Joint Explanatory Statements accompanying the bill contains thousands of earmarks, including:
Commerce, Justice, and Science
$1 million to research red snapper in Florida.
$100,000 for the Seals as Sentinels program in Maine.
$7.1 million for the recovery of Hawaiian sea turtle populations.
$445,000 to map the Hudson River to "build resiliency to climate change."
$900,000 for planetarium equipment in Chicago.
$2 million for the promotion of astronomy in Hawaii.
Energy and Water
$951,500 for an anti-idling lithium ion battery program in California.
$4.8 million for a Center of Nanoscale Energy in North Dakota.
$142,000 for a Las Vegas plug-in hybrid vehicle program.
$1.4 million for energy efficient street lighting in Detroit.
$475,750 for energy production through anaerobic digestion in New Jersey.
$713,000 for "intelligent facades for high performance green buildings" in New York.
$2.4 million for a National Wind Energy Center in Texas.
$951,000 for a sapphire algae to fuel demonstration project in New Mexico.
Financial Services
$122,000 for the Greater Toledo Arts Commission Creative Industry Development.
$285,000 for Native Hawaiians Organizations Association entrepreneurial development.
Interior/Environment:
$250,000 for Lahontan Cutthroat Trout management in Nevada.
$800,000 for a fish passage in Washington.
$500,000 for a Native Hawaiian Culture & Arts program.
$5 million for San Francisco Bay restoration grants.
$15 million for California emission reduction grants.
$300,000 for "Greenstreets" in Chicago.
$2.7 million for the Wood Education and Resource Center in West Virginia.
Transportation/HUD:
$332,500 for Bronx Zoo Intermodal Transportation Facility (Bronx, NY).
$475,000 for hybrid buses in Guam.
$190,000 for trolley purchase in Puerto Rico.
$45 million for Streetcar Loop grants in Portland, Oregon.
$760,000 for a "noise wall" along I-520 in Augusta, Georgia.
$712,500 for a "Package Delivery Demonstration Project" in NY.
$950,000 for a bike path in Wisconsin.
$950,000 for ballast water research in Wisconsin.
$1.9 million for the Pleasure Beach Water Taxi Service Project in Connecticut.
$380,000 for restoration and renovation of Maine lighthouse.
$475,000 for the "elimination of blight" in Highland Park, Michigan.
$142,500 for the purchase of foreclosed properties in Cleveland, Ohio.
$950,000 for a National Council of La Raza loan fund for "community development activities."
Labor/HHS
$143,000 for Nevada Humanities "to develop and expand a comprehensive online encyclopedia."
$381,000 to Utah Department of Health for "health education and screening for citizens exposed to uranium mill tailings.
$167,000 to the (Gene) Autry National Center for the American West.
$8.7 million to the Exchanges with Historic Whaling and Trading Partners program.
$5.8 million for a Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the Senate at the University of Massachusetts.
COST
A CBO cost estimate is not yet available, however, the legislation would appropriate $410 billion to fund nine appropriations bills from March 6, 2009, through September 30, 2009.
H.R. 1105
Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009
Sponsor
Rep. Obey, David R. (Appropriations Committee)
Date
February 25, 2009111th Congress, 1st Session
FLOOR SITUATION
On February 25, 2009, H.R. 1105, the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009, will be considered on the floor, likely under a closed rule. This legislation was introduced by Rep. Obey (D-WI) on February 23, 2009.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Fiscal Year 2009 omnibus totals $410 billion spending bill and includes nine appropriation bills that were not passed by Congress last year (Agriculture, Commerce/State/Justice, Energy and Water, Financial Services, Department of Interior, Labor/HHS, Legislative Branch, Department of State/Foreign Ops, Transportation/HUD). Funding for these government agencies and programs would increase by $32 billion, or 8.3%, over Fiscal Year 2008 (not including the funds appropriated by the recent "stimulus"). These agencies are currently funded at Fiscal Year 2008 levels through March 6, 2009, by a continuing resolution. In addition to funding for these nine remaining appropriations bills, the bill also includes $100 million for salaries and expenses at the Department of Homeland Security, designated as an "emergency" to avoid budget restraints. Three appropriations bills-Defense, Homeland Security, and Military Construction-VA-were passed and signed into law last year.
Division FY 2008 H.R. 1105 $ Increase % Increase
Agriculture $18.093 $20.456 $2.363 13%
Commerce/State/
Justice $51.803 $57.652 $5.849 11%
Energy and Water $30.888 $33.261 $2.373 8%
Financial Services $20.599 $22.697 $2.098 10%
Interior $26.555 $27.579 $1.024 4%
Labor/HHS $144.841 $152.255 $7.414 5%
Legislative Branch $3.970 $4.402 $0.432 11%
Department of State
/ Foreign Ops $32.800 $36.620 $3.820 12%
Transportation
/HUD $48.821 $55.000 $6.179 13%
Total $378.370 $409.922 $31.552 8.3%
Note: 1) Dollars are in billions. 2) The table's dollar and percent increases do not account for the billions in funding provided by the recent "stimulus" (see below), thus the real increases over Fiscal Year 2008 are many times greater when that legislation is considered.
The $32 billion increase represents the largest one-year hike in annual appropriated spending percentage since the Carter administration, with the exception of funding immediately after September 11th. And since many of these programs and agencies received funding in the recent "stimulus," the combined increase is $301 billion or 80% over Fiscal Year 2008. The highlights of the legislation are as follows:
SELECTION OF POSSIBLE MEMBER CONCERNS
DC School Vouchers: Eliminates the District of Columbia (D.C.) school voucher program. H.R. 1105 prohibits any new students from receiving vouchers and sunsets the program after the 2009-2010 school year. While the bill eliminates $18 million for the successful school voucher program, it contains funding for countless other "priorities."
International Family Planning: Provides $545 million for State Department to fund foreign family planning programs, funds that will flow to abortion providers now that the Mexico City Policy has been repealed by the Obama Administration.
UNFPA: Contains language exempting federal funding for the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA) from the Kemp-Kasten provision, which denies federal funding to organizations or programs that support coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization.
Healthcare Rationing: Provides an additional $50 million-on top of the $1.1 billion included in the "stimulus"-to conduct "comparative effectiveness research" to evaluate the effectiveness of different preventative healthcare interventions. Some Members may be concerned that the money for comparative effectiveness research could eventually be used for government rationing of health care goods and services, consistent with draft House Appropriations
Committee report on the "stimulus" noting that "more expensive [treatments] will no longer be prescribed" as a result of such research.
Fairness Doctrine: Removes a provision that prohibits funds from being used to implement the so-called "fairness doctrine," which requires the federal government to regulate and censor media content.
Nominal Drug Pricing: Allows already funded family planning clinics (such as Planned
Parenthood and university health clinics) to purchase drugs-including contraceptives-at a "nominal" price. In effect, this provision allows Planned Parenthood to make considerable profits from selling birth control (including Plan B, i.e. the "morning-after pill") they receive at a significantly discounted rate and undersell private pharmacies.
Abstinence Education: Reduces funding for the Community Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) program to $95 million, a decrease of $13 million. Conversely, the bill increases funding for Title X family planning programs by $7 million.
Benefits to Domestic Partnerships: Although the bill maintains a ban on federal domestic partnership benefits, report language urges Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to "consider" federal health benefits for same-sex domestic partners of federal employees.
Census: Provides $3.13 billion for the 2010 Census, which recently received $1 billion in additional "stimulus" money.
Cuba Travel Restrictions: Narrows existing travel restrictions to Cuba, including lifting the "family travel" limitation to immediate family members and the "once every three years" travel limit. In addition, the bill eliminates the "cash-in-advance" requirement for deliveries for agriculture or medical supplies.
Amtrak: Includes $1.45 billion for Amtrak, a program that fails to be competitive and continues to need federal subsidies to cover operating losses and capital costs.
ACORN: Provides $181 million for the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation for housing counseling. ACORN has been a past recipient of such funding.
NEA: Provides $155 million for the National Endowment for the Arts, in addition to the $50 million for the NEA provided in the "stimulus" bill.
Deficit Impact: With the passage of the $1 trillion Democrat "stimulus" bill, the federal deficit will rise well above the record $1.2 trillion (or 8.3% of GDP) that CBO predicted at the beginning of 2009. H.R. 1105 would unnecessarily add billions in deficit spending to the national debt.
SPENDING PROVISIONS
Agriculture, Rural Development, and FDA
Agriculture Department Buildings: Provides $244 million for USDA building repairs, an increase of $49 million. The "stimulus" also included $176 million for USDA building repairs.
Agriculture Research Service Buildings: Includes $47 million for ARS buildings and facilities. An additional $24 million was provided for this purpose in the recent "stimulus" bill.
Broadband Grants/Loan Subsidy: Provides $35 million for rural broadband grants/loan subsidies.
China Poultry: Prohibits USDA from moving forward with a rule to allow the import of poultry products from China.
Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC): Provides $146 million, $34.7 million above 2008 level, for the CFTC to increase staff to regulate the commodity futures market.
Country of Origin Labeling: Implements a program requiring country of origin labeling for fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, and other products. $9.6 million is provided for the Agricultural
Marketing Service to administer these requirements.
Food and Drug Administration: Provides $2 billion for the FDA-an increase of $335 million.
Nutrition for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): Provides $6.9 billion, an increase of $1.2
billion, for WIC.
Watershed Rehabilitation: Includes $40 million for watershed rehabilitation. The "stimulus" package provided $50 million for this purpose.
Commerce, Justice, and Science
Salmon Recovery: Provides $80 million for Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery.
JAG Grants: Provides $546 million for Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants. This spending comes after receiving $373.9 million in FY2008, and an additional $2 billion in the stimulus.
Byrne Grants: Contains $30 million for Byrne Competitive Grants.
Inauguration: Provides $20 million to reimburse State and local governments for costs associated with the 2009 Presidential inauguration.
Federal Grant Assistance: Provides $75 million for a program that assists organizations who want to apply for federal grants and receive more federal grant money.
Criminal Re-entry: Provides $25 million for offender re-entry programs authorized under the
Second Chance Act.
Icebreakers: Provides $54 million for polar icebreaking services.
COPS: Provides $550.5 million for Community Oriented Policing Services. This spending comes after COPS received $1 billion in the "stimulus."
Energy and Water Development
Energy Efficiency: Provides $1.9 billion for Department of Energy (DOE) for energy efficiency initiatives, including the purchase of one or two passenger vehicles.
Technology Loans: Contains $19.8 billion in Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Program, which is increased from $5.4 billion in Fiscal Year 2008.
Reliable Replacement Warhead: Prohibits funds from being used for the Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW).
Regional Authorities: Includes $100 million for the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Delta Regional Authority, and Denali Commission, which receive federal funding for regional programs.
Loon Research: Provides $300,000 for Fish and Wildlife Service to monitor the ability of lakes in west central Nevada lakes to support migratory loons.
Financial Services
Inauguration: Provides $39 million to the District of Columbia to pay for the increased security for President Obama's Inauguration.
West Wing Computers: Includes $76 million for the White House West Wing Infrastructure Systems Replacement.
Department of Interior
Cattle Studies: Provides $1.1 billion for "necessary expenses of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service", including scientific and economic studies, maintenance of the herd of long-horned cattle on the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, general administration, etc.
Salmon River Habitat: Provides $5.1 million for the Idaho Salmon and Clearwater River Basins Habitat Account.
Migratory Bird Conservation: Provides $4.8 million to carry out the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act.
Species Conservation: Includes $10 million for the Multinational Species Conservative Fund.
Foot Bridge: Provides $3 million in funding to the St. Lois Metropolitan Park and Recreation Dept. for planning and constructing a foot bridge.
Greenhouse Gas Grants: Contains $10 million for grants to communities to develop plans and demonstrate and implement projects which reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Council on Environmental Quality: Contains $2.7 million for the Council on Environmental Quality.
Environmental Justice: Provides $7 million for "Environmental Justice" programs.
Labor and Health and Human Services
Workforce Spending: Provides $11.5 billion for workforce investment programs, including Employment Grants, spending from the Unemployment Trust Fund, and Job Corps.
Health Resources: Provides $7.24 billion for the Health Resources and Services Administration, including $1.89 billion under the Ryan White Act for AIDS treatment, and $815 million for state AIDS drug assistance programs;
CDC AIDS Prevention: Provides $6.28 billion for the Centers for Disease Control, for AIDS prevention and research.
NIH: Provides a total of $30.3 billion for the National Institutes of Health.
AmeriCorps: Contains $680 million for the Corporation for National and Community Service, including AmeriCorps.
Substance Abuse: Provides $3.33 billion for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA);
AHRQ: Provides $372 million for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), including $50 million for comparative effectiveness research.
Child Care Block Grants: Provides $2.76 billion for the Administration for Children and Families, as well as $2.13 billion for the Child Care Block Grant.
Head Start: Provides $7.11 billion for Head Start.
Administration on Aging: Provides $1.49 billion for the Administration on Aging.
Title I: Provides $15.76 billion for Title I elementary and secondary education funding.
School Improvement: Provides $5.36 billion for school improvement programs.
IDEA: Provides $12.58 billion for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
Rehabilitation Research: Provides $3.39 billion for rehabilitation services and disability research.
Pell Grants: Includes $19.16 billion for higher education programs, including $17.29 billion for Pell Grants-on top of the $15.6 billion in "stimulus" funding for 2009 and 2010-creating a maximum Pell Grant of $5,350.
Corporation for Public Broadcasting: Provides $430 million in a Fiscal Year 2011 advance appropriation for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Migrant Housing: Includes $5.4 million for migrant and seasonal housing (of which not less than 70% shall be for permanent housing).
Mine Safety Trophies: Authorizes Mine Safety and Health Administration to use some of its $347 million allocation for "purchase and bestowal of certificates and trophies in connection with mine rescue and first-aid work."
National History Day Contest: Provides $500,000 for the National History Day contest.
Reading Rockets: Includes $737,000 for the "Reading Rockets" program produced by WETA television.
Erma Byrd Scholarship: Includes $1 million for the "Erma Byrd Scholarship" program for "increasing the skilled workforce for industrial health and safety occupations, including mine safety."
Legislative Branch
Capitol Visitor Center: Contains an additional $31 million for CVC construction.
Government Accountability Office: Provides $531 million for GAO to hire additional personnel. $25 million was also included in the recent "stimulus" bill for the GAO.
Greening the Capitol: Provides $1 million for making the Capitol more energy efficient.
Library of Congress: Contains $607 in funding for Library of Congress operations.
Tunnels: Provides $56 million to address "life safety hazards" in the Capitol complex tunnels.
State/Foreign Operations
Afghanistan: Provides a total of $1 billion for assistance to Afghanistan.
Ireland Fund: Provides $15 million for the International Fund for Ireland.
Andean Counterdrug Program: Contains $315 million for the Andean Counterdrug Program.
Educational and Cultural Exchange: Provides $538 million for educational and cultural exchange expenses.
Energy and Environment: Contains $424 million for international "clean energy" and biodiversity programs which seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as deal with park preservation and wildlife protection. Also, the International Panel on Climate Change/UN Framework on Climate Change is funded at $8 million, 46.7% above FY 2008 enacted level.
International Organizations: Provides $1.5 billion for membership fees for international organizations, including the United Nations.
Foreign Military Financing Program: Includes $2.38 billion in funding for Israel and $1.3 billion in for Egypt.
Millennium Challenge Corporation: Contains $875 million for the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)-$1.35 billion below the President's request and $669 million below Fiscal Year 2008.
Peacekeeping: Provides $1.5 billion in contributions for international peacekeeping activities. The bill also raises the cap on contributions to UN peacekeeping from 25% to 27.1% for calendar years 2005 through 2009.
USAID: Provides $808.5 million, $178 million more than last year, for the U.S. Agency for International Development to hire 300 additional Foreign Service officers.
Transportation/HUD
Amtrak: Includes $1.45 billion for Amtrak, a program that fails to be competitive and continues to need federal subsidies to cover operating losses and capital costs.
Highways: Includes $40.7 billion for the federal-aid highways program, $483.9 million over Fiscal Year 2008.
Community Development: Provides $3.9 billion for the Community Development Fund, including $3.6 billion for Community Development Block Grants and $19.5 million for Neighborhood Initiatives Programs.
Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation: Provides $181 million for the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation for housing counseling. ACORN has been a past recipient of such funding.
HUD: Provides $41.5 billion for the Department of Housing and Urban Affairs, an increase of $3.9 billon or 10.4% over Fiscal Year 2008.
EARMARKS
The Joint Explanatory Statements accompanying the bill contains thousands of earmarks, including:
Commerce, Justice, and Science
$1 million to research red snapper in Florida.
$100,000 for the Seals as Sentinels program in Maine.
$7.1 million for the recovery of Hawaiian sea turtle populations.
$445,000 to map the Hudson River to "build resiliency to climate change."
$900,000 for planetarium equipment in Chicago.
$2 million for the promotion of astronomy in Hawaii.
Energy and Water
$951,500 for an anti-idling lithium ion battery program in California.
$4.8 million for a Center of Nanoscale Energy in North Dakota.
$142,000 for a Las Vegas plug-in hybrid vehicle program.
$1.4 million for energy efficient street lighting in Detroit.
$475,750 for energy production through anaerobic digestion in New Jersey.
$713,000 for "intelligent facades for high performance green buildings" in New York.
$2.4 million for a National Wind Energy Center in Texas.
$951,000 for a sapphire algae to fuel demonstration project in New Mexico.
Financial Services
$122,000 for the Greater Toledo Arts Commission Creative Industry Development.
$285,000 for Native Hawaiians Organizations Association entrepreneurial development.
Interior/Environment:
$250,000 for Lahontan Cutthroat Trout management in Nevada.
$800,000 for a fish passage in Washington.
$500,000 for a Native Hawaiian Culture & Arts program.
$5 million for San Francisco Bay restoration grants.
$15 million for California emission reduction grants.
$300,000 for "Greenstreets" in Chicago.
$2.7 million for the Wood Education and Resource Center in West Virginia.
Transportation/HUD:
$332,500 for Bronx Zoo Intermodal Transportation Facility (Bronx, NY).
$475,000 for hybrid buses in Guam.
$190,000 for trolley purchase in Puerto Rico.
$45 million for Streetcar Loop grants in Portland, Oregon.
$760,000 for a "noise wall" along I-520 in Augusta, Georgia.
$712,500 for a "Package Delivery Demonstration Project" in NY.
$950,000 for a bike path in Wisconsin.
$950,000 for ballast water research in Wisconsin.
$1.9 million for the Pleasure Beach Water Taxi Service Project in Connecticut.
$380,000 for restoration and renovation of Maine lighthouse.
$475,000 for the "elimination of blight" in Highland Park, Michigan.
$142,500 for the purchase of foreclosed properties in Cleveland, Ohio.
$950,000 for a National Council of La Raza loan fund for "community development activities."
Labor/HHS
$143,000 for Nevada Humanities "to develop and expand a comprehensive online encyclopedia."
$381,000 to Utah Department of Health for "health education and screening for citizens exposed to uranium mill tailings.
$167,000 to the (Gene) Autry National Center for the American West.
$8.7 million to the Exchanges with Historic Whaling and Trading Partners program.
$5.8 million for a Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the Senate at the University of Massachusetts.
COST
A CBO cost estimate is not yet available, however, the legislation would appropriate $410 billion to fund nine appropriations bills from March 6, 2009, through September 30, 2009.
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