Foreign Appropriations Subcommittee

I have to say that I like the direction this is headed in. Granted, it is still listed as being in draft format, and needs support. Contact Representative Kay Granger at (202) 225-2041 and offer your support in the cuts to UN funding that also was funding terrorist states. Tell her that you also support the tighter restrictions and oversight of how other countries use our Federal Tax Dollars.

In July of this year the House Appropriations Committee released the fiscal year 2012 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill. The bill included a total of $39.6 billion in regular discretionary funding, which is $8.6 billion or 18% below last year’s level. Included in these reductions are cuts back to the fiscal year 2008 levels or below for certain operations and assistance accounts. The bill also includes $7.6 billion designated as Global War on Terror funding, which is $1.1 billion below the President’s request.

The bill includes several provisions to increase oversight of taxpayer dollars and tighten the reins on the Administration’s management of programs, including:

Direct Government Assistance – The bill includes layers of conditions on government-to-government assistance, including assessments, certifications, and annual reporting requirements.

United Nations Reform – The bill provides no funding for the Human Rights Council, prohibits funds for UN organizations headed by terrorist countries, and withholds a portion of funds for the UN and international organizations until audits are made fully available to the United States Government and being published on a website.

Multi-Year Funding Commitments – The legislation requires that the Administration justify in its budget request or notify the Congress before making public announcements of multi-year funding pledges.

Inspectors General – The bill fully funds the requests for agency Inspector Generals who provide program and funding oversight.

Funding Availability – The legislation reduces the period of availability of funds and requires more accurate reporting of how and when funds are spent.

Reinstates Mexico City Policy, a policy prohibiting U.S. assistance to foreign nongovernmental organizations that promote or perform abortion.

Prohibits funding for the UN Population Fund, and caps population/reproductive health activities at the 2008 level.

Maintains long-standing pro-life riders, including the “Tiahrt Amendment,” which ensures family planning programs are voluntary; the “Helms Amendment,” which bans foreign aid from being spent on abortions; and the “Kemp-Kasten Amendment,” which prohibits funds to organizations the President determines to support coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization.

Prohibits funding for needle exchange programs.

Chairman Rogers Opening Statement on FY 2012 State and Foreign Operation Appropriations Bill for Subcommittee Markup

Washington, Jul 27 - "I thank the Chairwoman for yielding, and I congratulate her and Ranking Member Lowey on producing a fiscal year 2012 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations bill. I am pleased that the committee has returned to regular order and that this is the 10th subcommittee markup of the fiscal year 2012 appropriations cycle.

"The fiscal situation confronting our nation is of immediate importance, and hard choices simply can no longer be put off onto our children in the name of political expediency. This bill reflects your commitment, Madam Chairwoman, and that of the whole Committee, to scour each line of the President’s budget in search of responsible savings.

"The bill before us works to put the agencies funded by this bill on a sustainable budget path, while continuing to fund important programs associated with national security. Fully funding the Iraq request will help ensure the hard-fought gains are not lost. The bill fully funds the US-Israel Memorandum of Understanding at over $3 billion. This bill supports our important neighbors in this hemisphere – Colombia, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean – to help fight drug trafficking and violent crime. With respect to countries that have provided challenges to U.S. diplomacy and foreign policy, funds are only made available after these governments have met tough conditions.

"Where necessary, we have cut funding for ineffective and unproven programs. At this time of monumental deficits and skyrocketing debt, we cannot afford to let taxpayer dollars slip through the cracks. Full funding for the Inspectors General is one of the important steps this bill takes to ensure accountability and oversight. In addition, important provisions are included to restrict funds that go directly to foreign governments, and to address financial management concerns.

"The Chairwoman’s emphasis on supporting national security, reducing spending, and implementing reform is the right approach for addressing our international interests.

"I urge that the subcommittee promptly report this bill to the full Committee."

Foreign Aid Bill

I have posted quite a bit, and will continue to post, about the national budget. Of particular interest to us is where in the world our tax dollars go and how do the recipient countries treat America on the global and personal levels.

It would be in all of our interests to let these members know that we are watching closely how they intend to spend our money. The 2012 bill has less funds going to foreign interests than Obama wanted, but it amy be more than We, The People, should like.

Middle East: Rep. Kay Granger Steps Up

From the JPost:

Washington’s $2 billion in annual aid to Egypt will be cut off if Cairo backs out of the peace treaty with Israel, Congresswoman Kay Granger – whose job as chairwoman of the US House appropriations foreign operations subcommittee means she literally writes America’s annual foreign aid bill – told The Jerusalem Post on Monday.

“The United States aid to Egypt is predicated on the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, and so the relationship between Egypt and Israel is extremely important,” the eight-term Republican from Texas said in an interview.

“As an appropriator I have two concerns: One thing is the continuing relationship between Egypt and Israel, and the other thing of course is what government we will be dealing with in Egypt, and what position the Muslim Brotherhood will play in this government.”

Granger, who is visiting Israel with a group of House Republicans, will also inform Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas that if the PA goes through with their unilateral statehood plans at the UN, $500M in US aid will be cut, including aid to the Palestinian security forces.

(Dare we say, “You go, girl!”?)

According to the information found at the link below, the members of the US House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations are

Republicans

Harold Rogers, Kentucky, Chairman

C.W. Bill Young, Florida

Jerry Lewis, California

Frank R. Wolf, Virginia

Jack Kingston, Georgia

Rodney P. Frelinghuysen, New Jersey

Tom Latham, Iowa

Robert B. Aderholt, Alabama

Jo Ann Emerson, Missouri

Kay Granger, Texas

Michael K. Simpson, Idaho

John Abney Culberson, Texas

Ander Crenshaw, Florida

Denny Rehberg, Montana

John R. Carter, Texas

Rodney Alexander, Louisiana

Ken Calvert, California

Jo Bonner, Alabama

Steven C. LaTourette, Ohio

Tom Cole, Oklahoma

Jeff Flake, Arizona

Mario Diaz-Balart, Florida

Charles W. Dent, Pennsylvania

Steve Austria, Ohio

Cynthia M. Lummis, Wyoming

Tom Graves, Georgia

Kevin Yoder, Kansas

Steve Womack, Arkansas

Alan Nunnelee, Mississippi

Democrats

Norman D. Dicks, Washington

Marcy Kaptur, Ohio

Peter J. Visclosky, Indiana

Nita M. Lowey, New York

José E. Serrano, New York

Rosa L. DeLauro, Connecticut

James P. Moran, Virginia

John W. Olver, Massachusetts

Ed Pastor, Arizona

David E. Price, North Carolina

Maurice D. Hinchey, New York

Lucille Roybal-Allard, California

Sam Farr, California

Jesse L. Jackson, Jr., Illinois

Chaka Fattah, Pennsylvania

Steven R. Rothman, New Jersey

Sanford D. Bishop, Jr., Georgia

Barbara Lee, California

Adam B. Schiff, California

Michael M. Honda, California

            Betty McCollum, Minnesota

http://pajamasmedia.com/tatler/2011/08/22/middle-east-rep-kay-granger-steps-up/#comment-92984

http://appropriations.house.gov/

US Tax Dollars For Mosques

Could the mosques being rebuilt with your tax dollars be proven to have been used as weapons storage, training centers, and/or points from which to stage violent attacks from be proven? Using any religious building in such a manner is illegal under international and religous law. If we are rebuilding mosques that had been destroyed because they were used in such a manner, is this giving aid to the enemy?
On August 4th I posted a summary of the US giving $33.486 BILLION dollars to the Middle East. Paying for mosques and NOT paying for rebuilding of churches is, to many (including me), a blatant discrimonatory act. Our First Amendment says that Congress shall make no law in the repsect of establishing one religion over another. What about this? Can the president say build that mosque and have Congress pay for it while ignoring the slaughter of Christians in Niger and Nigeria? Is this administration going to reimburse for the reconstruction of churches throughout the Balkans? Absolutely not.

The other issue with paying for mosques to be built is how many of the mosques destroyed had been selected as targets because of ongoing activities that were deadly to US Forces. This would include housing and training insurgents and weapons/munitions storage.

Recently, Libyan snpiers were firing from mosques roof tops. NATO operations chief denounced Qaddafi for his use of mosques as firing positions. When the US went in to take down Hussein, there were weapons and gunmen on and around mosques. When we went into Kuwait, in the first Gulf War, there were gunmen and weaponssystems on mosques. In Israel (a country where Arabs have more rights and freedoms than in Arab countries) Hamas uses mosques for everything that can be tied to attacking Israel. In January a mosques that had been used as a rocket storage facility to attack Israel was struck. This resulted in "a lengthy series of secondary explosions and a large fire caused by the ammunitions stockpiled in the mosque."

Written on August 8, 2011 by Giacomo

US Tax Dollars Building Mosques Overseas

A debt plan passed that doesn’t cut debt or spending and now the Standard and Poors has lowered the US credit rating because they believe the plan failed to accomplish what was needed. The President continues to talk about increasing taxes on the wealthy and other politicians are looking at cutting Social Security and Medicare benefits.

All the while, the US State Department, headed by Secretary of State Hillary ‘Spendem’ Clinton is spending hundreds of millions of  US taxpayer dollars to repair and rebuild mosques in the Middle East. They are also providing internet service to Islamic Imans as seen in the following news report:

The same State Department would not dare spend a penny on Christian churches or internet service for Christian pastors here in the US as it would be a violation of the supposed separation of church and state. Why are we spending our money on a religion that has vowed to destroy us when we have people in our own country that are losing their jobs and homes?

This is an outrage to the American people and we need to make our outrage known to our political leaders and tell them to take Clinton’s government checkbook away from her and her colleagues.


http://www.usf-iraq.com/?option=com_content&task=view&id=9614&Itemid=21


Read more: US Tax Dollars Building Mosques Overseas | Godfather Politics http://godfatherpolitics.com/412/us-tax-dollars-building-mosques-overseas/#ixzz1UWrL8E1M

http://idfspokesperson.com/2009/01/02/iaf-strike-on-mosque-used-as-weapon-storage-site-2-jan-2009/

House of Representatives Passes Petrol Bill

For two years now, the Keystone XL Pipeline has been waiting for a decision from the White House. Obama is now poised to give a decision on this oil pipeline project. If approved this project could result in an estimated 138,000 jobs. That's right138,000 J-O-B-S, Mr. Biden. How much money would be saved by not paying those unemployment benefits? What's more, how much more could be paid back into the treasury by reasonably taxing those workers? Here is a shovel ready job, Mr. President.

The Canadians had decided that oil was oil, whether it is from the ground or sandy soil. I would imagine that, since the US is not exploiting its shale that Canada may have a rather good idea of what it is doing with it. It might behoove us, other than to have the thousands of jobs and more than $60 million dollars in oil the first year. Also recall one of the earlier posts on this site which talks about how the US and Canada are going to likely be the site of more than 90% of the world’s oil by 2030. This is not an insignificant number.

The Keystone Pipeline project is enjoying the support of the Chamber of Commerce, the State Department, representatives from more than 18 states in the House, and, quite easily, thousands of unemployed Americans who want to work. Just the construction of which is estimated to create 138,000. Job creation directly on the pipeline is just the beginning. There will be the need to maintain and repair it, to man and run the refineries. This pipeline would also buy time for the opponents of petroleum. Right now the evidence does not exist to support our nation going completely green.

The passage of this bill was passed was born out of, and reflects, the depth of trust that our lawmakers have in Obama. This bill enforces the North American Energy Security Act which requires a final decision from Obama this year.    

Even though the State Department has to approve for this to go forward the EPA has the veto power AND is calling for another delay in the project. The EPA and its supporters seem to have looked at the last few years’ domestic use of petroleum, down from years prior, and at the price gouging, ostensibly lead by OPEC to offset profit loss, and seems to feel that we can wait longer.

Certainly, the EPA has also looked at the dwindling reserves in Syria and the discord there and still feels safe in the rising costs of oil here. I am quite certain that all parties, including the Sierra club, appreciate the courtesies being shown to those hikers right now.  I am certain that the kindness shown to the people protesting in Tehran in 2009 and 2010 will be shown to the people of the US with future petroleum sales. History has shown the utter contempt and hate shown by leading OPEC states. In no way should we be in a position which can be exploited.

Week In Review 29 July 2011

This week I took a quick look at the UN Security Council. Being the principal apparatus of the UN for writing, declaring, and instituting security policy I thought it important to know who they are. At first glance it looked not so bad; however, it seems that the foxes, chicken hawks wolves, and bears are watching the hen house.

The structure of the UNSC is that there are five permanent members and 10 temporary members who are selected and voted in by a two-thirds majority. The temporary post is held for two years. The five permanent seats are held by the US, UK, China, Russia, and France. The current temporary seats are held by Colombia, Germany, India, Portugal, South Africa, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Gabon, Lebanon, and Nigeria.

Membership in the UN comes with a regularly assessed fee, or membership dues. There is a long standing issue with the member states not paying their dues in full, if at all. The US has been in arrears with this, particularly in the ramp up and early years of Operation Iraqi Freedom. It is my belief that agreeing to pay the dues was a means of bringing “partner” nations to the table. In 2010 the US paid $7.7 billion dollars to be a member. That was 22% of the overall UN Budget. That needs to be repeated, 22% of the overall budget of the UN. Those dues cover 27% of the Peace Keeping budget. What did this get us? You pay some money and you expect to get something of value in return. This is what we got

·         Failure in Sudan

·         Failure along the Ethiopian/Eritrean border

·         Failure in Angola

·         Failure in Bosnia

·         Failure in Colombia

·         Failure in Israel

·         Failure in Iraq (recall, if you will, the corruption and abuse of the UN Oil For Food Program?)

·         Failure in Somalia

·         Failure to prevent Mugabe, the President of Zimbabwe, from expunging all white farmers

·         Failure to condemn, fine, or even mention the levels of corruption and abuses which are currently being practiced by its own members

I think that Obi Wan Kenobi had the most apt description as you will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. Practices such as institutionalized pedophilia, slavery, rape, enforced disappearance, and torture are practiced with impunity and are, in fact, “public secrets”. The United States and United Kingdom have come under fire from these other UNSC states for torture and enforced disappearances in the war against terror; however, to date, very little outcry has been heard about these same abuses that are currently conducted daily within the borders and with the knowledge of these other UN states.

We are paying for these nations to vote against the US in Assembly. We are paying for these nations to have a venue in which to act against our interests. Our TAX dollars, from the budgets past to the budget currently being debated, pay for these other nations to commit crimes against their own people. Crimes which they have openly claimed to take a stand against.