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US Treasury raises Fed funding By Francesco Guerrera in London, Aline van Duyn in New York and Krishna Guha in Washington Published: September 16 2008 14:47 | Last updated: September 17 2008 16:09 The US Treasury on Wednesday announced it was creating a supplemental funding programme to ensure that the Federal Reserve has the cash it needs and its ability to provide emergency liquidity support for the markets is not constrained by the size of its own balance sheet. The move was intended to deal with fears that the US central bank’s balance sheet was overstretched following the AIG loan...

House subcommittee says funding will keep command at current levelJust weeks away from standing up as the Defense Department’s newest combatant command, Africa Command is facing a serious budget shortfall. For fiscal 2009, President Bush had requested $389 million for AFRICOM, which is expected to become fully operational on Oct. 1 at its Stuttgart, Germany, headquarters. But last week, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on defense recommended providing only $80.6 million in funding — 80 percent less than was requested, according to Matthew Mazonkey, communications director for Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., the subcommittee chairman. "The subcommittee has provided $80.6 million to...

Russia’s Army may soon have more money at its disposal, after an analysis of the military campaign in South Ossetia and Georgia. As the Vedomosti newspaper reports (Rus), Russia’s Ministry of Finance has delayed presenting the country’s financial plan through 2023, in connection with new requests from the security agencies for additional allocations. In the words of a Defense Ministry employee, the current budget requests were prepared before the war in South Ossetia, and now need to be amended. Combat has apparently shown some deficiencies in the Russian armed forces, with military officials saying their forces had inferior equipment to...

The House and Senate reached agreement on a policy framework for legislation that would require employers and health insurers to put mental-health coverage on par with that for physical maladies. Details of the agreement are expected to be set this week, and a bipartisan group of lawmakers is seeking funding for the measure, which would cost the government an estimated $1.3 billion over five years and $3.4 billion over 10 years, mainly because of lost tax revenue. Leading lawmakers such as Sen. Edward Kennedy (D., Mass.) hope to push the bill through Congress and send it to the White House...

Dow Jones, Wall Street Journal, and Islamist Financing By Jeffrey Imm On November 18, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), published by Dow Jones, is sponsoring a conference in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on "Islamic and Ethical Finance" to "examine the huge opportunities presented by this high-growth sector".  The Wall Street Journal's "Chief Shariah Officer" for this November 18 conference is Shaykh Yusuf Talal DeLorenzo, who has worked for the pro-Wahhabist International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) organization and who was secretary of the Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA) beginning in 1989.  IIIT was named in a May 1991...

The Quorum Report July 2, 2008 4:52 PM Copyright July 2, 2008 by Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved SCHLOMACH: HOW ABOUT A MULLIGAN? -- WILL TEXANS SEE THE MARGINS TAX, PART DEAUX Economist Byron Schlomach may have moved on, but even from afar he has some thought about Texas tax contortions I don’t know how seriously to take Lt. Governor Dewhurst’s threat to revisit the margins tax. When I read about his suggestion though, it brought back a flood of memories - memories of lost opportunities and unheeded warnings. There are two reasons the margins tax is likely...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE ISKAN — Coalition forces continue to help communities in Iraq shape the environment through project revitalization, grants, disarmament, demobilization and reintegration. Currently, 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment's area of operation has 25 ongoing projects aimed at improving local economies and creating employment opportunities. Of those, 23 are enduring infrastructure projects totaling more than $2.5 million. The majority of the funding is through the government of Iraq Commanders Emergency Response Program. "(Iraqi citizens) consistently come up to us, thanking us for the new buildings and school renovations that we've been working on," said Staff Sgt. Michael Combs, 3-7th...

Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama are heading for a meeting of the money. As the ex-foes are scheduled to sit down face to face this week and talk fund-raising, each needs to leave the table with the promise of riches. New campaign-finance filings reveal Clinton has even more debt than previously reported, while Obama's fund-raising has stalled. He pulled in $22 million in May - a sharp drop from the $30 million to $55 million he got in each of the prior three months. And presumptive Republican nominee John McCain came up almost even with his Democratic rival, taking...

So much moral good was expected from "campaign-finance reform" that Barack Obama's announcement yesterday that he will opt out of public financing for his Presidential run is an historic moment. Senator Obama is the first candidate since the law was passed in the 1970s not to take matching funds for the general election. Even candidate George W. Bush, flush with cash in 2000 and 2004, didn't do that. The campaign-finance law may have been on life support, but being the one who finally pulled the plug seems to have put the Illinois freshman in a churlish mood. "John McCain's campaign...

12, 2008 EXCLUSIVE: Who is Mohammed Al-Churbaji?:; Islamic Terrorist "Mr. Mom" Mohammed Al-Churbaji, Dad of Obama Fundraiser Worked for Azzam, Bin Laden * How hard it is to get rid of known terrorists in our midst and how easy it is for a deported Al-Qaeda terrorist to return to America; * How corrupt U.S. embassy officials get away with re-admitting terrorists into the U.S.; * How easily terrorists and their families gain acceptance by our society, including the Barack Obama Presidential campaign; * How America's universities are not tools of moderation for Muslim foreigners, but breeding grounds for terrorist fraternization...

WASHINGTON, June 11, 2008 – The Defense Department will now be able to pay its troops and civilians through the end of next month, thanks to budgetary-related actions approved by Congress, a senior Pentagon spokesman told reporters here today. “We will now be able to pay our troops until the end of July,” Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters. In addition, operations-and-maintenance accounts will now remain solvent until mid-July, he said. The Pentagon received permission from Congress to move money from Air Force and Navy personnel accounts to Army personnel accounts “so that we would be able to pay...

The Senate has passed $165 billion to fund the war in Iraq until President Bush's successor takes over. The 70-26 vote came just minutes after a majority of Republicans voted to add tens of billions of dollars for veterans college aid and extending unemployment benefits to the war funding bill. But Bush has promised to veto the bill if it contains the domestic measures, and the president still has enough GOP support to sustain a veto. The Senate also voted 63-34 to block a Democratic plan to urge Bush to begin redeployment of combat troops and place other strings on...

The Navy’s next-generation destroyer is caught in a tug of war between House members who want to scuttle the newest version of the ship in favor of the old and senators who want full funding for the new one. Rep. Gene Taylor, a Blue Dog Democrat from Mississippi, and Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, a Republican from Maryland, led the effort in the House Armed Services Committee to cut more than $2 billion from the appropriation request for the new DDG-1000. That’s a clear challenge to the Republican senators from Maine, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.)...

Republicans had lined up in the past to hold a vote open in protest, and Hoyer did not want to keep members on the floor any later than necessary, because most were rushing to the airport for flights home. Blunt told his counterpart that most Republicans wouldn’t be changing their votes at all. The final result: The amendment authorizing money to fund both wars died on the House floor. The vote was 141-149, with 132 Republicans voting present and most Democrats voting against it. The Senate is expected to add the money back to the package this week, but the...

Letter from Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England to Congress May 15, 2008 I am writing you to follow up on the Secretary’s letter of May 5 regarding the Department’s financial posture and the urgent need for Congress to pass supplemental funding legislation for the Global War on Terror (GWOT). As briefed to senior Congressional staff last week, absent additional Congressional action, the Army will run out of Military Personnel funds by mid-June and Operation and Maintenance (O&M) funds by early July. Funding for civilian personnel is included in the O&M account. Also included within the O&M account is the...

There is an unwritten rule in Congress that the appropriations process should not be used to pass major legislation. So when the Senate Appropriations Committee makes an exception to this rule, you can bet that they are doing so only to deal with some burning crisis. For the Senate Appropriations Committee to break with tradition, the interests at stake must be so compelling that circumstances demand that the cumbersome legislative process be bypassed and that the issue be dealt with immediately. And when the legislation gets tacked on to not just any old appropriations bill, but an emergency supplemental appropriations...

WASHINGTON, May 16, 2008 – The deputy secretary of defense called on Congress to act quickly to pass the fiscal 2008 supplemental legislation for the war on terror. In a May 15 letter, Gordon England told Congress the legislation is urgent and needed before the House and Senate recess for Memorial Day. “Absent additional Congressional action, the Army will run out of military personnel funds by mid-June and operation and maintenance funds by early July,” England said in the letter. Civilian personnel funding and money for the Commander’s Emergency Response Program also is included in the operations-and-maintenance accounts. “CERP funding...

WASHINGTON - The Democratic-led House on Thursday rejected more funds to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as many Republicans angry over the majority party's tactics sat out the vote. It did approve more money for the jobless and an expansion of GI education benefits. In a rapid series of votes on the war funding bill and accompanying components, Republicans withheld their votes in protest, leading to the defeat of the Iraq funding legislation by a 149-141 tally. Nearly two-thirds of the House's Democrats voted against continuing to fund the war. Democrats then forced through a nonbinding plan...

The U.S. Army said Friday it will immediately repair barracks at eight facilities in the wake of inspection at bases worldwide. The inspections were done the last week of April and covered nearly 150,000 barracks rooms. They found that 45 repairs needed priority attention, including new heating and cooling equipment, repainting, mold removal and other work. Army Secretary Pete Geren has said that $248 million in emergency funds has been appropriated to fix problems found during the inspections. The Army on Friday identified eight installations that will get priority attention: Fort Polk, La.; Fort Gordon, Ga.; Fort Bragg, N.C.; Fort...

Online vote (non scientific) of whether public tax funding of PBS should be continued. http://www.parade.com/articles/editions/2008/edition_05-04-2008/Intelligence_Report

Knollenberg Introduces Legislation to Prohibit Federal Funding of the Carter CenterBill in response President Carter’s meetings with terrorist leaders Washington, Apr 16 - Congressman Joe Knollenberg (MI-09) today introduced legislation that would prevent the federal government from giving taxpayer money to the Carter Center, headed by former President Jimmy Carter. “America must speak with one voice against our terrorist enemies,” Knollenberg said. “It sends a fundamentally troubling message when an American dignitary is engaged in dialogue with terrorists. My legislation will make sure that taxpayer dollars are not being used to support discussions or negotiations with terrorist groups.” Former President...

Posted: 04/15/08 04:31 PM [ET] All eyes will be on Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) Wednesday. The 90-year-old senator is expected to chair a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on an Iraq war spending bill and his appearance should send “an important signal” as to whether he can continue as chairman. But that’s if the hearing happens at all. At least two Democratic sources said Tuesday that Byrd’s health remained a question and that staffers have taken the extremely rare step of not officially scheduling a time for the hearing. Byrd’s spokesman, Jesse Jacobs, confirmed Tuesday that an official meeting time had...

English Language Learning It's time to end judicial mandates in education By Tom Patterson The Flores lawsuit to compel the state to spend more money on English language learners is lumbering, in its 16th year, toward its next manufactured crisis. The plaintiffs' attorney insists that the key to English language learning is massive funding. U.S. District Court Judge Raner Collins has vowed that if lawmakers won't provide funding that he, Collins, deems sufficient by Tuesday, he will begin imposing daily fines of $2 million on the state. The Legislature and the Department of Education have made good-faith efforts to comply...

The RNC is not the GOP. It’s only a collective national action committee for the state Republican parties, a fund raising and steering committee. Yet for far too long, the RNC has assumed increasing power over the political process to the detriment of the party. Voter complacency and apathy towards the political process has left control of the party in the hands of a few centrist party elites and conservative voters have lost faith in their own party as a result. (snip) The Message in the Money? Is McCain Listening? Is the RNC Listening? So Who has Whom in Check...

A few things came to mind about the new Al Gore ad campaign, and his appearance with wife Tipper on CBS’s 60 Minutes last night. The first was the confused nature of the claimed target of this largest ad campaign ever, at least according to the Washington Post. Gore has repeatedly insisted (and 60 Minutes reiterated the claim) that the public are overwhelmingly with him, and that it is therefore the too-timid lawmakers who must be influenced; but the ad spokesman says it is aimed at influencing the public.  They are indeed walking a fine line here, because for their...

The U.S. Senate has shot down an amendment by a South Carolina senator to pull more than $2 million earmarked for Berkeley school lunches, ferry service and police communication equipment and transfer it to the Marine Corps. After the Berkeley City Council called the U.S. Marines "uninvited and unwelcome intruders," Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., introduced the Semper Fi Act on Feb. 6 to rescind the funds earmarked for Berkeley in the 2008 fiscal year Omnibus Appropriations bill. Last Thursday, the Senate voted 41-57 to defeat DeMint's amendment, prompting DeMint to say that he is "extremely disappointed that the U.S. Senate...

All right, let’s talk about the money. After I asked readers to focus on the substance of the skeptics’ arguments at this week’s conference on global warming, readers insisted that I should have focused on the financing of the sponsor, the Heartland Institute. Others objected to my (and my colleague Andy Revkin) even writing about a conference sponsored by this group. I’m used to this sort of criticism, but I still find it baffling. Do the critics really think there’s more money and glory to be won by doubting global warming than by going along with the majority? I ask...

Policing for Profit and Political Gain: RICO laws shouldn’t provide incentive to plunder Timothy Keller, Goldwater Institute, March 05, 2008 Arizona’s racketeering or “RICO” laws generate millions of dollars each year for local police and prosecutors by allowing their offices to seize and keep money and property allegedly used in or generated by criminal activity. The RICO laws require prosecutors to meet only the most minuscule of legal burdens in court before being allowed to pocket the proceeds. Impartiality is central to the constitutional guarantee of due process. Giving law enforcement agencies a direct financial stake in the outcome of...

WASHINGTON, March 3, 2008 – War-funding delays will become harmful within months if continued, the Pentagon’s second-ranking official said here today. Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England said lawmakers have approved less than half the fiscal 2008 request of $189 billion to support operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. “At some point, that delayed appropriation will be harmful,” England told members at a Veterans of Foreign Wars convention here. “We do manage to keep stretching (the appropriated $86.8 billion), but at some point here in a matter of months, we will start to run out of money again.” The $189.3 billion...

RICHMOND, Feb. 27 -- The Virginia Senate voted Wednesday to cut off state funding to Planned Parenthood of Virginia because it offers abortions, an action that could endanger hundreds of thousands of dollars in state aid for women's health-care programs. The decision, a major setback for the Senate's new Democratic majority, marks the first time in more than a decade that the Senate has decided against giving state aid to the organization because of its abortion-related activities.... Sen. Janet D. Howell (D-Fairfax) said that Planned Parenthood provides "contraceptive planning which prevents abortions." "The irony is, Planned Parenthood probably prevents more...

The proposed Trans Texas Corridor did not find any fans, or any support, in Fort Bend County this week. At public meetings hosted by the Texas Department of Transportation in both Katy and Rosenberg, speaker after speaker, many in emotional tones, voiced their opposition to the proposed transportation corridor. No one spoke up in support of the proposal at either meeting. The Tuesday night session took place at Katy High School’s Performing Arts Center with over 200 residents in attendance. The evening before at the Rosenberg Civic and Convention Center, a similar crowd showed up to voice their opinions. In...

Bingeing and Borrowing: Borrowing for budget shortfall would exceed constitutional debt limit Clint Bolick, Goldwater Institute, February 28, 2008, Having spent like a drunken sailor in years of plentiful revenues, the state of Arizona now finds itself with a large and growing budget deficit. Like the mythical siren beckoning sailors to wreck their ships on dangerous shoals, Governor Janet Napolitano soothingly implores the legislature to bridge the fiscal gap by borrowing. Whatever the fiscal implications of mortgaging Arizona’s future, our state constitution is clear. The framers were intent on fiscal responsibility, and crafted two provisions—one aimed at the state, the...

Hi. I am not sure where this post might belong, but I want to ask everyone and anyone who can for some help if they can give any within this thread. I just started a prolife website and was wondering if anyone can just pour all you can into this thread in regards to the prolife movement. It can be anything prolife - but specifically, if possible, links to stories, columns, websites, etc, that have to do with opposing Planned Parenthood in particular. The site's name is (and I so surprised this was still available): AbortPlannedParenthood.com Always an avid prolifer,...

WASHINGTON - Sen. John McCain, a passionate advocate of limits on campaign finances, is turning down government matching funds for the primary to free him to spend more money as he prepares for a general election contest. McCain, who appears headed to win the Republican presidential nomination, sent letters to the Federal Election Commission and the Treasury Department notifying them of his decision to withdraw from the presidential election financing system. McCain, who appears headed to win the Republican presidential nomination, sent letters to the Federal Election Commission and the Treasury Department notifying them of his decision to withdraw from...

WASHINGTON — The 2008 presidential race long ago shattered all fund-raising records. But lately even the best-financed campaigns are feeling short on cash. The leading presidential candidates raised and spent tens of millions of dollars on the same ultimately unsuccessful goal: to knock out their opponents with decisive victories in the early nominating contests of Iowa, New Hampshire and, for the Republicans, Michigan. Together, the top six candidates across both parties are projected to have brought in a total of more than $400 million and burned through at least 80 percent of it.

Article Subtitle: HRC win sets up four-week battle with no clear front-runner; but Obama's money may make the difference."Watch for movement among Democratic establishment types and big-money folks in California and New York. There was a lot of talk going into the vote that Hollywood money would start to dry up for Clinton and that cash would flow to the surging Obama from new sources."

How Congress And The President Are Working Behind-The-Scenes To Un-Do The Secure Fence Act UPDATE 12/20--Last night Congress passed the omnibus Consolidated Appropriations bill -- which includes the Hutchison Amendment that guts the Secure Fence Act. Last month, Grassfire.org's research staff broke this story. Thanks to the continued efforts of our team members who made tens of thousands of phone calls and sent thousands of faxes, the story finally broke through in the national media. World Net Daily's Jerome Corsi was the first in the media to tackle the issue. In the days leading up to the final vote, members...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20, 2007 – President Bush and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today thanked Congress for approving emergency defense spending yesterday, but both men said more money is needed to prosecute the war on terror and other defense operations. The $70 billion in funds for the war on terror Congress approved yesterday will forestall Army and Marine Corps civilian furloughs, but still falls short of fully funding defense operations, officials said. Congress yesterday approved a $555 billion omnibus spending bill with $70 billion in emergency funds earmarked for the war on terror. The funds were approved without any...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19, 2007 – It’s too soon to start celebrating the Senate’s action yesterday to add $70 billion for Iraq war funding to the omnibus spending bill, the Pentagon press secretary told reporters today. The action, which needs approval by the House and President Bush, could delay the need for the Defense Department to furlough civilian employees, but still won’t provide full war funding, Geoff Morrell said. “Clearly, we are encouraged by some of the signs we have seeing on the Hill, a recognition that our needs are serious, are great, and our troops need to be funded as...

By Richard Cowan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate on Tuesday moved toward approving more than $500 billion to keep the government operating through September 2008 and meeting President George W. Bush's demand for new Iraq war funds. By a vote of 70-25, the Senate attached a Republican amendment adding $40 billion for the war in Iraq to the fiscal 2008 spending bill. The money would not be saddled with any of the conditions Democrats have sought for ending combat, now nearing five years. "We need to pass this spending bill, with troop funds, without any strings and without any further...

Senate OKs $70B for Iraq, Afghanistan By ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press Writer 1 minute ago The Senate voted Tuesday to provide $70 billion for U.S. military efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, handing a victory to President Bush and his GOP allies on Capitol Hill. The 70-25 roll call paved the way for the Senate to pass a $555 billion omnibus appropriations bill combining the war funding with the budgets for 14 Cabinet agencies. Bush was ready to sign the bill, assuming the war funding clears the House on Wednesday. Democrats again failed to win votes to force removal of U.S....

Lavishing funds on Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority to achieve peace has been a mainstay of Western, including Israeli, policy since Hamas seized Gaza in June. But this open spigot has counterproductive results and urgently must be stopped. Some background: Paul Morro of the Congressional Research Service reports that, in 2006, the European Union and its member states gave US$815 million to the Palestinian Authority, while the United States sent it $468 million. When other donors are included, the total receipts come to about $1.5 billion. The windfall keeps growing. President George W. Bush requested a $410 million supplement...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16, 2007 – President Bush used his weekly radio address yesterday to call on Congress to pass critical funding for the war on terror before the Defense Department is forced to begin furloughing civilian employees. “They must deliver vital funds for our troops, and they must do it before they leave for Christmas. Our men and women on the front lines will be spending this holiday season far from their families and loved ones. And this Christmas, they deserve more than words from Congress. They deserve action,” Bush said. The Defense Department notified Congress last week that...

For Immediate ReleaseOffice of the Press SecretaryDecember 15, 2007 President's Radio Address   President's Radio Address  Audio  En Español       In Focus: Defense THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. In a time of war, America's top priority should be to ensure that our troops on the front lines get the funding they need. So beginning in February, I submitted detailed funding requests to Congress to fund operations in the war on terror. Congress has had months to pass this funding. Unfortunately, with just days to go before members leave for their Christmas vacation, they still have not come through with these funds. This week...

His games with supporting our troops are exposed on the Internet. A year ago, almost to the date, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said, “We’re going to do everything we can to make sure that our troops get everything they need, everything, without any exception. But what we’re not going to do is continually fund all these contractors over there… “ Today, Reid continues to block votes on funding the war. Asked by Republican John Cornyn of Texas to yield on a bill that would fund research for ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) to finally 3 months after the...

"We're going to continue to try to see if we can't get in place a timetable for the removal of most of the troops that we have there," Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., said on CNN's "Late Edition." "Congress should be able to state a goal for the removal of most of the American troops without a veto threat."

AUSTIN -- House Speaker Tom Craddick has asked lawmakers to review the Texas Department of Transportation's multimillion-dollar ad campaign promoting toll roads and the Trans-Texas Corridor. Craddick, R-Midland, included a review of the Keep Texas Moving campaign on a list of topics that the House State Affairs Committee will study leading up to the 2009 legislative session. Craddick also asked the Appropriations Committee to review transportation spending over the past five years and study alternatives for funding future transportation needs. The transportation matters were among the "interim charges" that Craddick assigned last week. Other matters to be reviewed in advance...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 29, 2007 – Installation operations and quality of life programs for soldiers and their families would be affected worldwide if the Army doesn’t receive additional funding from Congress soon, a senior officer said here today. “Absolutely, it’s an urgent need,” Maj. Gen. Edgar E. Stanton III, director of the Army’s budget office, said of the necessity for the Army to obtain nearly $55 billion from Congress to fund operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. The active Army is now using $26 billion in appropriations that were earmarked for base-support operations to fund its overseas global war on terrorism operations,...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 20, 2007 – The Defense Department is developing plans to send furlough notices to some civilian workers as early as mid-December if Congress doesn’t pass the $178 billion emergency supplemental funding bill quickly, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters today. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates notified Congress today that the Defense Department will need to borrow – or “reprogram” – funds from the Navy and Air Force and the working capital fund to cover ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, Morrell said. “Without dedicated funding for the global war on terror, we have been forced to...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15, 2007 – There is no “wiggle room” in the Defense Department budget, and Congress must pass the emergency supplemental spending bill as soon as possible to avoid halting operations and furloughing civilian employees, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today. (Video) During a Pentagon news conference, Gates reinforced the message he delivered to Congress yesterday, when he and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Capitol Hill and briefed members of both houses. Gates strongly urged Congress to pass a global war on terror funding bill that the president would sign, he said. The secretary said the...