GOP Senators Block $40B Add To Stimulus Bill

[spotbird]

Source: kdka

WASHINGTON (AP) ― Senate Republicans blocked a move by Democrats on Wednesday to add more than $40 billion in checks for the elderly, disabled veterans and the unemployed to a bill to stimulate the economy.

The 48-41 (sic, the vote was 58-41) vote fell just short of the 60 required to break a GOP filibuster and bring the Senate version of the stimulus bill closer to a final vote. The Senate measure was backed by Democrats and a handful of Republicans but was strongly opposed by GOP leaders and President Bush, who objected to the costly add-ons.

Democrats were struggling to find enough GOP support to advance the package over the objections of Republican leaders, who have called for a much narrower package. The White House urged the Senate this week to approve a more limited, $161 billion House-passed measure "without delay."

Read more: http://kdka.com/national/senate.economy.stimulus.2.647429.html

[gateley]

1. They sicken me. I want to make them pay. nt

[rmgarrette64]

16. Not so here

I think this whole idea of sending checks out to people, when those checks are just part of the taxes we pay to begin with, is flat out dumb. So not expanding it is fine with me.

Current U.S. Population: ~300 Million. About 50% of the country doesn't pay taxes. So by my back-of-the-envelope calculations, blocking this bill saves me ~$250. Add in my husband, it's over $500. Suits me fine. Block some more, please.

R. Garrett

[aggiesal]

29. What's wrong with you? Conservative thinkers only think of themselves ...

End this damn war, and pay for this stimulus package.
You're going to say that retired and disabled veterans
don't deserve this?

I don't care that my taxes are going to people who don't
pay taxes to begin with. I know people how have been laid off
and their unemployment benefits have been exhausted. They need
help now.

It has been proven that the economy never improves when the money
is issued at the top of the money ladder (i.e. tax cuts for the
rich) because they tend to invest the money they receive for
themselves.

Meanwhile when the money is distributed at the lower end of the
money ladder (i.e. the poor), the spend it, because they have
to, just to survive. The money then moves it's way up the ladder
and everyone benefits.

You're worried about $500? You'll get them back easy with the
tax rebate that is planned, and the money that will move it's way up.

[Veilex]

34. hmmm

As a retired and disabled Vet, I'd like to point out that the tax rebates didn't work the first time and as history has already shown us, they wont this time either.
This economic issue wont be resolved by what is effectively a bandaid. What it will do is lull us into complacency long enough for Bush to get out of office without being impeached.

If we want economic recovery, we as a country need to switch from being the worlds largest consumer of various goods to being a producer and exporter of goods.
If you want to support disabled Veterans, support U.S. companies that hire them. Support the Unions that ensure job benefits are half decent.

Just my opinion.

[merwin]

41. Just to note, the first time wasn't a tax rebate... it was a loan.

We had to pay it back come tax time.

[Tight_rope]

56. I totally agree with you.

Most American's are selfish individuals who only care about what they have and want they want. That's why we are in this mess as it is. In order to recover, I believe we need to start thinking as a whole (fat chance of that with Republicans). As I have many, the US economy will never be restored to the once so great "Clinton Days" without the help of the world.

[Patchuli]

35. We owe disabled vets.

There is NO excuse not to give back to them!

[gateley]

36. I would gladly pay $500 (and I'm POOR)

to help the elderly, disabled veterans, the unemployed.

Am I misunderstanding you?

[happyslug]

38. 50% of the population don't pay taxes????

Everyone who buys gasoline pays the FEDERAL TAX ON GASOLINE. Everyone who works PAYS THE SOCIAL SECURITY TAX. Everyone who buys anything from a corporation is helping that Corporation pay taxes (i.e. indirectly payment of taxes). Now the IRA has for decades, wanted to reduce the number of people who pays taxes to less than 40%, on the ground it is NOT worth collecting the taxes on people making less than Median income, but Congress has NEVER accepted that position so taxes starts while blow median income (i.e that point where half the people make more and half less, which is around $42,000 a year).

As to Income taxes, the rates are as follows:
Rate Single Couple
10% $0 – $7,825 $0 – $15,650 $0 – $7,825 $0 – $11,200
15% $7,826 – $31,850 $15,651 – $63,700 $7,826 – $31,850 $11,201 – $42,650
25% $31,851 – $77,100 $63,701 – $128,500 $31,851 – $64,250 $42,651 – $110,100
28% $77,101 – $160,850 $128,501 – $195,850 $64,251 – $97,925 $110,101 – $178,350
33% $160,851 – $349,700 $195,851 – $349,700 $97,926 – $174,850 $178,351 – $349,700
35% $349,701+ $349,701+ $174,851+ $349,701+

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_tax_in_the_United_States#Year_2007_income_brackets_and_tax_rates

The standard Deduction is $5350 for one, Married $10,700, head of household $7,850. thus if you earn less then these amount you pay no income taxes, but if you earn more you do (With the only big reduction is the earned Income Credit which does NOT exclude that many people from paying Income taxes). Given Median Income is $42,000 and most people earn with 20,000 of that number, they is no way someone making at least #20,000 is NOT paying at least some Income taxes. Thus MOST PEOPLE are paying Income taxes NOT just 50% of the population.

Now I am one of those people who believe no one under Median Income should pay Income taxes. You eliminate 1/2 the population and leave 1/2 who may have money to pay taxes on (i.e. it worth while for the IRS to look at those people on the grounds what the IRS spent to catch such tax cheaters will be less then what the IRS spend to catch such cheaters). Thus I wish your statement was wrong, but the GOP has had one rule since WWII, to make sure EVERYONE pays income taxes so that it is universally hated not just a tax on the rich (Which it should be, for the rich have the money).

[merwin]

42. The IRA wants to reduce the number of people who pay taxes to less than 40%?

I didn't know the Irish Republican Army took a position on our taxes :)

[happyslug]

58. Mistype, i meant the IRS, and then only th professional staff

The political leadership "fully supports" the present system. The professionals want to go after people where the audit more than pays for itself. That can only occur if you reduce who pays Income taxes, and the best way is to increase the amount NOT taxed (To eliminate low income people).

[merwin]

40. Republicans hate retired people and veterans.

They always have. To them, they've outlived their usefulness.

Edit: Forgot to mention how much they despise the unemployed.

[Bumblebee]

2. It was 59 but then Reid changed his vote for procedural reasons.

So it was just one vote short. Are both Clinton and Obama there?

[gateley]

4. Obama yes, Clinton no. nt

[Bumblebee]

6. So had she been there it would have passed -- there are two questions: why

isn't she there and why didn't Reid postpone the vote to make sure she gets there?!!

[Bumblebee]

9. According to AP, Clinton DID vote

The vote left the $205 billion Senate stimulus bill in limbo and capped days of partisan infighting and procedural jockeying over the measure. Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois flew to Washington for the vote. GOP front-runner John McCain of Arizona did not vote.

[DainBramaged]

10. She flew back to vote, stop

McCaindroid skipped the vote.

[gateley]

37. The Senate Record shows her as Not Voting. (I hope it's wrong) Here's the link:

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=2&vote=00007

[mojowork_n]

39. You got the links mixed up. That one was for FISA.

Here's the right link:

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=2&vote=00008

No Democrat voted against it, except Harry Reid, for procedural reasons. 8 Republicans were for it. (Snowe, Grassley, Domenici, Collins, Dole, Spector, Coleman, Smith.)

The funny thing is that an earlier vote, on Monday, was 80 to 4, in favor. Only a few hard-liners voting against. Between then and now, what may have affected that vote was the inability to agree on FISA, which the Other Side really wanted, in the worst way. (Probably, for the worst reasons, too.)

I wouldn't be surprised to see some sort of give-and-take on the two issues. If we give them FISA, there were more than enough votes Monday to get the stimulus done, the right way. (Which is really pretty obvious, if they're serious about goosing the economy, as quickly as possible.)

[ElsewheresDaughter]

54. why the f#ck did Ried vote against it? what "procedural reason" would prevent him from voting aye?

somebody smarter than I please help me out of my ignorance

[sattahipdeep]

55. CIA 'Original' Nazi Sin

With a mandate to continue gathering information in the East just as he had
been doing for Hitler, Gehlen re-established his spy organization,initially
under U.S. Army supervision. The Gehlen "Org," as it was called, enlisted
thousands of Gestapo, Wehrmacht and SS veterans despite Gehlen's promise to
U.S. officials that he would not employ hard-core Nazis.

"The Agency loved Gehlen because he fed us what we wanted to hear," an
ex-CIA officer told writer Christopher Simpson. "We used his stuff constantly, and we fed it to everybody else -- the Pentagon, the White House, the newspapers. They loved it, too. But it was hyped up Russian bogeyman junk, and it did a lot of damage to this country."


http://www.consortiumnews.com/archive/story41.html

Injecting 'Terror' into Campaign 2008

By Robert Parry
February 6, 2008

As Campaign 2008 reaches a critical point, George W. Bush’s top intelligence officials are raising new alarms about a revitalized al-Qaeda recruiting Westerners, possibly including Americans, to carry out terror attacks inside the United States.


http://www.consortiumnews.com/2008/020608.html

http://intelligence.senate.gov/hearingsByDay.cfm?changedate=2/5/2008

[gateley]

57. Thank you! - I DID think it was odd she didn't show.

:hi:

[gateley]

3. I just checked the vote. Obama was there for it, and he's to be commended. nt

[Bigmack]

5. $40 billion = less than 4 months of Iraq spending. nt

[Greyskye]

7. And the sad thing is...

...that the people who do get this pittance of a bribe are less likely to actually spend this money - which is the whole point of this "economic stimulus package". The elderly, disabled vets, and unemployed would more than likely be pumping this back into the economy - not that I think that this will work in any case.

:puke:

Removal of my comment castigating Hillary for not voting, based on what people had said upthread. She did vote, and I apologize for my comment.

[DainBramaged]

11. SHE WAS THERE READ THE MSNBC FRONT PAGE

People just suck, jumping to conclusions. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23027685/

Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois flew to Washington for the vote. GOP front-runner John McCain of Arizona did not vote.

[Greyskye]

13. I apologize.

You are correct. I took other posters words for it instead of doing my own research.

Mea culpa.

[DainBramaged]

12. THANKS!!!!!!

[Greyskye]

14. Excuse me?

I corrected my mistake in the manner that I feel is most appropriate.

If you don't like how I deal with my mistakes, you can stick it where the sun doesn't shine. :hi:

[DainBramaged]

17. I stick my ass out the window every morning for a tan

:evilgrin: :hi:

[Greyskye]

18. Collecting icicles?

Isn't it a little cold for that in Joisey? :evilgrin:

[DainBramaged]

19. It hasn't been below 15 all winter, it was 62 today

Normally, we get a week around zero every year. Not this year. Or last year. In fact the lake I live on hasn't even frozen this winter.

A very bad sign.:scared:

[Greyskye]

27. Yikes!

No kidding! I guess that ass-tan is doing pretty well then.

Thanks for correcting the disinformation, BTW.

[allisonthegreat]

30. mercuryis still in retrograde n/t

[Divine Discontent]

8. will some in the know DUer with knowledge explain

if Hillary Clinton really would have made the difference on this? If so, and she didn't fly in for it, then I will reject supporting her, and also, will probably not vote in Nov.

They appear like Repuglican-Lite to me as a whole.

[spotbird]

15. She was there, and voted for it.

It looks like the only member of the senate who missed it was McCain.

[Divine Discontent]

28. thank you... :)

and on top of that, McCain can be thoroughly blamed in a campaign spot for this...

[Joanne98]

20. Republicans block Senate plan to boost economy

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked a Democratic-backed $157 billion economic stimulus plan that would have provided benefits for the long-term unemployed and expanded proposed tax rebates to include retirees and disabled veterans.

The legislation, aimed at averting a U.S. recession and offered as an alternative to a bill backed by President George W. Bush that passed the House of Representatives last week, fell short of the 60 votes needed to advance in the 100-member Senate.

It was not immediately clear when the Senate would vote on the House-passed bill or other amendments that could expand the economic stimulus legislation.



Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN0631744820080206

[DainBramaged]

21. Did anyone expect them not too? Our Veterans and Seniors were included

Why should they take care of the elderly and disabled vets?:sarcasm:

[HowHasItComeToThis]

22. REPUBLICANS ARE SLIMEY

[Joanne98]

23. kick

[aggiesal]

24. Republicans care about companies/corporations, ...

Democrats care about people.

That's just the way it is.

This bill has nothing in it for companies/corporations to make money.
It only has money it to help people out of their hardship.
Republicans thought process is: Hardship? The government shouldn't
care about the citizens hardship. Too bad, fend for yourselves.

Slimey is complimenting slime.

[Historic NY]

25. Road block Republicans ---- still think they are bi-partisan

[ladywnch]

26. and EVERY dem candidate should put this into a campaign ad! n/t

[rucognizant]

31. Stupid Bas_____!

This Senior citizen would have spent it on software! Oh well there's one big business that's NOT getting trickle up!

[Heywood J]

32. There is a silver lining to this, sad to say.

At least the writers and editors of these articles got the headlines right. Instead of something stupid like "Democrats fail to pass..." or "Senate blocks...", they fingered the right culprits: the Republicans.

I think that's noteworthy in and of itself these days.

[liberal N proud]

33. We wouldn't want to help those who need it most

The elderly, disabled veterans, the unemployed and businesses.

That would be so un-American


:sarcasm:

[DeSwiss]

43. Republicans Join To Block Stimulus Bill

Source: Associated Press

By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS and ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press Writers
1 hour, 24 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - The fate of $600-$1,200 rebate checks for more than 100 million Americans is in limbo after Senate Republicans blocked a bid by Democrats to add $44 billion in help for the elderly, disabled veterans, the unemployed and businesses to the House-passed economic aid package.

GOP senators banded together Wednesday to thwart the $205 billion plan, leaving Democrats with a difficult choice either to quickly accept a House bill they have said is inadequate or risk being blamed for delaying a measure designed as a swift shot in the arm for the lagging economy.

The tally was 58-41 to end debate on the Senate measure, just short of the 60 votes Democrats would have needed to scale procedural hurdles and move the bill to a final vote. In a suspenseful showdown vote that capped days of partisan infighting and procedural jockeying, eight Republicans — four of them up for re-election this year — joined Democrats to back the plan, bucking GOP leaders and President Bush, who objected to the costly add-ons.

Democrats choreographed the vote for maximum political advantage, presenting their aid proposal as a take-it-or-leave-it proposition for Republicans and calling back their presidential candidates to make a show of party unity behind their stimulus plan. They calculated that Republicans would pay a steep price for opposing rebates for older Americans and disabled veterans, as well as heating aid for the poor, unemployment benefits and a much larger collection of business tax breaks than the House approved.


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080207/ap_on_re_us/economy_stimulus

[aquart]

44. The Non-Virgin Suicides?

[Dr.Phool]

45. Keep the fucking debate open!

Make sure that they go on record....And stay on record that they are the ones who blocked the program.

Make them publicly filibuster. They hate the elderly and veterans.

[DeSwiss]

48. Precisely....

...and the Repukes would also be helping Democratic candidates with material for their November election campaign ads. Just expose them with their own words and acts....

[DCKit]

46. Why are the Dems even falling for it?

Same old BS, years later. Have they learned nothing from the reign of Mad King/Incurious Georgie?

[sutz12]

47. At least (and at last) we're getting honest headlines....

It could have read "Democrats fail to pass stimulus"


blah, blah, blah, "Republicans threaten to filibuster" blah, blah, blah.

blah, blah, blah, "unable to achieve a veto-proof majority" blah, blah, blah.

blah, blah, blah, "cave to Republican demands" blah, blah, blah.

blah, blah, blah, "another Bush victory" blah, blah, blah.

Make them vote against it, and then run for re-election.

[Jack_DeLeon]

49. I think we just need to go with the house proposal...

The house agreed to it I think its good enough.

The house more accurately reflects the opinions of the people I think they have the right idea.

This isnt perfect but it needs to get done so we can put this money to use instead of the government just sitting on for another couple of months, or maybe never even get anything passed.

[xxqqqzme]

50. Oh, yea BIG stimulus plan

Gonna spend that $600 for new glasses you need or maybe that tooth that painfully reminds you, you need to see a dentist? Or maybe there is an almost empty oil tank on the side yard. Or maybe it will be spent on more 'Made in China' plastic crap that will end up in the our landfills.

Bullshit! Repeal the tax breaks to the 1% & the bankruptcy bill; raise the cap on Social Security; stop funding the Iraq occupation profiteering CEO's; invest in alternative energy manufacturing (if it isn't too late) and rail before we are really in dire energy straits; get rid of the tax breaks for agribusiness...There is plenty of bold moves that can really stimulate the economy. Giving families $600 is a not leadership!

[jonnyra]

51. Exactly

If the dems had half a fucking brain they would be chiding the republicans for such a lame response to our collapsing economy. They should be ridiculing these morons for thinking like 4th graders and instead are actually going along with idea while trying to throw a few bones to some that do need help.

Folks if the response to this problem tells us anything, it is that we have the stupidest bunch of lame brained dumb asses running this nation than we ever could have imagined. We are so screwed.

[Jack_DeLeon]

52. No I wont be wasting my money on...

junk that quickly depreciates and loses value.

Myself I was planning on using it to along with some funds I already have to buy an M1 Garand and some ammo from the CMP.

And yes all those other things you say are nice, but that isnt going to happen in this bill and its stupid to argue that all of that should. Its because of stuff like that things go nowhere, and none of us will see any of "our" money back.

If that happens I can definately see that biting us in the ass come november when the Republicans will say we already had a bill that was agreed to in the House, but Democrats in the Senate wanted to keep adding stuff so it went nowhere. We have two Democrat senators running for President right now, lots of people will be pissed if they have been told they are going to get $600 and they end up not.

[boilinmad]

53. Those damn...

.....elderly, disabled vets, and unemployed people are too expensive. And, Halliburton doesnt make any profit from it like they do when you throw 40 Billion to the war. Simple as that!!! What a bunch of assholes.