Just out of curiosity

[Andy823]

CROmnibus bill? I have been listening to some of the senators on Cspan and they have pointed out a lot of good things that were in the bill, and have admitted there are some bad things. They also stated a fact that part of getting a bill passed is to compromise on things. Plus they have pointed out that if we don't pass the current bill we end up with an extension, and could lose all that they worked for that is good in this current bill.

So all of you who are so sure that we should "shutdown" the government instead of passing this bill actually know what is in it? Maybe you should read it and find out the good things that would never be in there if republicans write a new bill after the first of the year. Shutting down the government would not get us a better bill, just a new one full of republicans warped ideas of destroying the country piece by piece in the next two years. Would you really support cutting off checks and cutting services to those in need is the best idea, when it won't make things better, but worse?

[PAProgressive28]

1. I can't take it any more

The fact that we have this pile of crap or a government shutdown and we have to pick one is ridiculous. It's time for serious change in this country. This is beyond the lesser of two evils.

[Andy823]

6. Yes we need to fix some things

But shutting down the government isn't the way to make changes. Did you read the bill?

[Dont call me Shirley]

2. Here comes the big crash, they're setting it up to hit on Obama's watch.

Read Thom Hartmann's "The Crash Of 2016"

[Wounded Bear]

3. Much like they tried like hell to delay the 2008 crash...

until Dubya left office, they want this to happen before the 2016 election.

It really sucks. If by some miracle the recovery continues, the Repubs will claim credit because the Congress is what matters. But if the crash happens, they can still blame Pres Obama.



I think I'm gonna

[Dont call me Shirley]

4. It's all getting so old, the oligarch totalitarians and their multi-national corps, the criminal

cia and nsa, the banksters, the bloated meddling military, the prostituting politicians, so so worn out.

Their system is so falling apart that they have to hold it together with chewing gum and duct tape. The spoiled rotten rich brats are starting to stench like the decay they create. The majority of the people want a system that actually works for all of us.

[octoberlib]

5. The bill was loaded with crap . More bad than good.

But there’s so much more to the CRomnibus than just those two riders. Under the bill, trustees would be enabled to cut pension benefits to current retirees, reversing a 40-year bond with workers who earned their retirement packages. Voters in the District of Columbia who approved legalized marijuana will see their initiative vaporized, with local government prohibited from taxing or regulating the drug’s sale. Trucking companies can make roads less safe by giving their employees 82-hour work weeks without sufficient rest breaks. Pell grants for college students will be cut, with the money diverted to private student loan contractors who have actively harmed borrowers. Government financiers of overseas projects will be prevented from stopping funding for coal-fired power plants. Blue Cross and Blue Shield will be allowed to count “quality improvement” measures toward their mandatory health spending under Obamacare’s “medical loss ratio” provision, a windfall saving them millions of dollars.

I’m not done. The bill eliminates a bipartisan measure to end “backdoor” searches by the NSA of Americans’ private communications. It blocks the EPA from regulating certain water sources for farmers. It adds an exception to allow the U.S. to continue to fund Egypt’s military leadership. In a giveaway to potato growers, it reduces nutrition standards in school lunches and the Women, Infant and Children food aid program. It halts the listing of new endangered species. It stops the regulation of lead in hunting ammunition or fishing equipment. It limits contributions to the Green Climate Fund to compensate poor countries ravaged by climate change. I could go on. And even if the offending measures on derivatives and campaign finance were removed, all of that dreck would remain.

- See more at: http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Columns/2014/12/12/CRomnibus-Disaster-Signals-Sad-New-Normal-DC#sthash.sexCgK2s.dpuf

[Andy823]

7. Well

There are good things also, did you read any of them, or did you read the bill?

Yes all the bad things would still be there, but the good things would not if they wrote another bill after the first of the year. I agree this one was not that good, but it could have been a whole lot worse.

[MiniMe]

8. So what are the good things that outweigh the bad things?

They are just starting to load crap into bills. I don't want the govt to shut down, especially at xmas time. Not looking forward to the next 2 years at all

[RobertEarl]

13. Crickets?

The blame goes to Boehner, but this is the first time I've seen that name mentioned.

It must be nice to be Boehner. Even DUrs are now claiming he did something good.

[Andy823]

20. No crickets

Some of us don't live here on DU, I am one of those people who have other things that need to be done.

[Andy823]

19. I don't know all of them

I have not read the bill, have you? I heard of more money for children's programs, more money for regulating wall street, money for infrastructure programs, Obamacare will be funded with no increases, and other thing I don't remember. I don't like the parts republicans stuck in there at the last minute either, but now republicans are holding things up because Cruz, once again, wants to shut down the government in order to take money away from the immigration plan president Obama doing by executive order.

Here is a link:

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/senate-still-has-more-work-1-trillion-funding-bill-n267496

I also don't look forward to the next two years, but I do know that if we don't get this Omnibus passed, if we kick it down the road, it will be load with even more things that the left will not want to see in the new bill. This one is far from perfect, but I am positive that if we wait till republicans control both the house and the senate it will be far, far worse.

[moriah]

14. Since you obviously read the bill, given your question...

What are the good things, except for continuing to fund the ACA?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/12/09/whats-in-the-spending-bill-we-skim-it-so-you-dont-have-to/

I'm hard-pressed to find anything good in that list, so I'd appreciate you letting me know what they're not showing.

[treestar]

22. Republican Congress, so how is it logical

to expect anything good at all, or all that much?

[Andy823]

23. It is far from perfect

But there are things, on the list you linked to, that are good. Do you really think that if we wait till republicans are in charge of the House and the Senate, there will be a "BETTER" bill come out? I sure don't.

[woo me with science]

12. Outstanding post.

Thank you.

[octoberlib]

15. The whole article is worth a read. It's by David Dayen, who usually writes for Salon.

He's become one of my favorite journalists.

[silverweb]

9. Never mind.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]Found it.

[steve2470]

10. Continuing Resolution + Omnibus nt

[silverweb]

11. Thanks, Steve.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]I figured it out about 30 seconds after I hit "post."

Impatient impulsiveness gets the better of me sometimes. Sorry.

[Cha]

16. Dems didn't turn out in 2010 and 2014 after the Government was ShutDown to the tune of $24Billion in

2013.. this is the fucking hand the President has to deal with. Any of those calling for a SHUT DOWN get Social Security Checks or Work for the Gov?

Nerdy Wonka @NerdyWonka
Follow
GOP shutdown the government in 2013. Democrats still didn't turn out in 2014, yet want to blame President Obama for the hand they dealt him.
5:30 PM - 11 Dec 2014 26 Retweets 19 favorites

http://theobamadiary.com/2014/12/11/a-tweet-or-two-186/

As someone on the link says.. (paraphrasing).. truly sickening how the gops got richly rewarded for their blatant treason by the voters and the non voters.

[Andy823]

39. Yep

When only around 38% turnout to vote, and the majority of that low number vote republican, we lose big time. This current Omnibus is far from a great bill, but it would be far, far worse if republicans get to rewrite it next year. Millions will be hurt by a shutdown and the longer it lasts the more damage it will do. Some here on DU have promoted shutting it down and think the president should keep vetoing any bill that the republicans write next year till they get what they want, which is not going to happen. The bill we have not is not good, but the bill that republicans will write next year would be a nightmare.

[Cha]

41. Yes, but it's a chance for those who don't want to understand any of this to get their

hate on for this President flying off their keyboards.

It's kinda sad and hilarious at the same time.

Thank you for not being one of them, Andy.

Did cromnibus kill Wall Street reform? (updated)

snip//

Back when Congress passed Wall Street reform (the Dodd/Frank bill), many liberals dismissed it as meaningless weak tea. But then, a few of them came around and recognized that - what do you know - Wall Street reform is working!

A couple of months ago, when Paul Krugman took to Rolling Stone in defense of President Obama, he outlined the three most important components of Dodd/Frank:

First, the law gives a special council the ability to designate ''systemically important financial institutions'' (SIFIs) – that is, institutions that could create a crisis if they were to fail – and place such institutions under extra scrutiny and regulation of things like the amount of capital they are required to maintain to cover possible losses...

Another key provision in Dodd-Frank is ''orderly liquidation authority,'' which gives the government the legal right to seize complex financial institutions in a crisis...

A third piece of Dodd-Frank is the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. That's Elizabeth Warren's brainchild, an agency dedicated to protecting Americans against the predatory lending that has pushed so many into financial distress, and played an important role in the crisis.

end snip//

UPDATE: I just learned that the "push-out" rule that is eliminated in the cromnibus was the brainchild of former Senator Blanche Lincoln. So excuse me if I'm a little skeptical about how important it is. Apparently it doesn't affect all derivative swaps - not even most of them.

MOre..
http://immasmartypants.blogspot.com/2014/12/did-cromnibus-kill-wall-street-reform.html#

[Andy823]

42. I agree Cha

Some just won't see the facts no matter how much one tried to show them.

[Quantess]

17. What sort of "good things" are in the bill?

I have not read it, no. But it appears you are familiar with some of the contents of the bill. I am curious as well.

[Rex]

25. LOL!

Aw come on...good things...you know, like letting banks write policy for Congress! Like making sure the wealthy can splurge on their next selection of politician to buy! Like fucking over current and soon to be retirees. By gutting social programs for the working poor.

Some people on this site are very strange, they seem to like the exact same things as republicans.

[Andy823]

31. Yep it's so funny

If we let republicans write a new bill next year you can laugh all you want. Maybe some here WANT to kick the bill down the road and let republicans write the next one? Maybe some here will be happier when the whole damned bill is full of things republicans hate so they put them all in the next bill which will pass easily when they control both the House and the Senate.

[Andy823]

26. I haven't read it all either

Here is a link someone provided above:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/12/09/whats-in-the-spending-bill-we-skim-it-so-you-dont-have-to/

I did hear of infrastructure money in the bill, more money for some children's programs, more money to regulate Wall Street, money for some health programs, no cuts in Obamacare funding but no increase either, and others you might be able to find.

My point us the bill is far from perfect, but what do you think a new bill written by republican in the House, and the Senate, would look like after the first of the year? I know that there would be a lot less "good" things in the bill and a whole lot more of republican ideas to help the rich an the hell with the rest of the country.

If we wait for a new bill then things will be a lot worse.

[FormerOstrich]

18. Herein-lie the problems

We don't (or I don't, anyway) know what the pros/cons of the bill are because, as you say, we haven't read the bill.

Why, you might ask? Because congress members on both sides of the isle, negotiated the bill in secret. They plop out a voluminous bill with thousands of pages in the eleventh hour. Most people wouldn't have time to read it. They don't want us to have time to read and digest it. I doubt congress has had time to read it.

Democracy doesn't work this way.

I want to know what compromises occurred. There are compromises born of collaborating, meeting in the middle, and working through issues with common goals. Then, there is extortion which IS NOT compromise. The bad things are not topics of which there is even a common goal (at least not in my opinion).

[Andy823]

40. The real problem

Will be letting republicans write the next one if we have to kick this into the new year. I don't know about you, but I really think that anything they write is going to be a hundred times worse that the bill they are trying to vote on now.

[treestar]

21. Yea, I agree, and think Obama is amazing

that he managed to get this compromise since it allows the ACA and him immigration plan to go on. And that's this say no to everything Obama Congress. Get it now before the new, worse Congress.

Elections have consequences.

[Andy823]

35. Exactly.

So many here hate this bill they are willing to wait an let republicans write the next one, and that's just crazy!

I fail to understand all the people here who want to actually shutdown the government and leave it shut down till they get the bill they like, which is never going to happen, but definitely won't happen when republicans have control of both the House and the Senate.

[Rex]

24. So you are in favor of letting banks write policy for Congress?

Good luck with that. Nice try at selling bullshit like it was a rainbow.

[Andy823]

29. A question for you

Do you really think that if we kick this down the road and let republican write a new bill next year it will be better?

I am no in favor of letting banks write policy, and I am not selling you bullshit like it was a rainbow, I am telling that there is no way in hell we can get a better bill if we wait and let republicans write the next, no way at all with that happen. If you hate this one, just think of much more you are going to hate the next one.

[onecaliberal]

27. Seriously now their packaging compromise

As another giveaway to banks. They cut money to FEED CHILDREN again! How in the fuck in the richest country on the planet does anyone think it's okay to take food from the poorest children to give to big banks another opportunity to fuck the world economy?!?
This is far beyond the pale and I'm sick of people acting like it's just a compromise. It is starving children, taking homes and jobs and healthcare. Wake the hell up!

[Andy823]

30. Tell me then

Will a new bill written by republicans next year be a better bill?

I hate the bill also, but since we don't control the Senate after the end of the year, there is no way in hell we can get a better bill. I think this is one reason some republicans are trying to shut down the government, they hope an extension for a couple of months will be made and then "THEY" can write the next bill and add all the things they want done away with into that bill.

I am awake and I sure as hell know that there will be nothing good in a new bill written by republicans.

[onecaliberal]

32. Citi bank wrote this bill.

Where is the fucking opposition party. We are nothing but a bunch of republican apologist and yes men.

[Andy823]

33. Yes they did write it

At leas the part they wanted, and if we wait till next year it won't be only Citi bank that gets write parts of it, but all the others who have bought and paid for the "new" republican majority in congress. Do you think a new bill next year is going to be better?

[onecaliberal]

34. I don't think it would be worse.

I'm just not going to agree with you. Period.

[Shrike47]

28. I think it's a lousy bill in many ways, but preferable to shutting down the government.

We lost the last election. There's going to be a lot of 'compromising' in the next 2 years. In 2016, get out the vote.

[Andy823]

38. Yes it is a lousy bill

But better than a shutdown, and far better that what we will get if republicans are allowed to write a new bill after the first of the year.

I could not agree more that we need to get out the voters in 2016. When democrats get out and vote, republicans lose!

[yallerdawg]

36. This bill came from the Republican House.

This bill has been in process for almost a year. When delivered to the Senate, there were abominable Republican riders attached, and subcommittees and committees negotiated and compromised to remove a great many, which will of course come roaring back when the Republicans take over in January, if this cromnibus is not passed now.

Senator Mikulski (D) pointed out just on the derivatives issue, they removed 6 other House riders, and increased funding the agencies which have oversight regarding banking, including specific to the push out derivative regulation.

This is as good as it gets, particularly in light of the 2014 mid terms. Our only bastion against Republican insanity for the next 2 years will be the Obama veto, and crafty Democratic politicians.

Let's clear the deck on 11 out of 12 budgets, and start the fight on Department of Homeland Security next year. Let's see Republicans and Fox News explain how shutting down Homeland Security is a good idea!

[Andy823]

37. I couldn't agree more. nt