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-snip- “As we’ve said for weeks, legislation that doesn’t include policy changes to secure our borders will not pass the Senate,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.), who has been one of the most ardent supporters of Ukraine. Republicans and Democrats have been discussing a change to tighten the initial asylum screening standard, but GOP lawmakers have said that change alone isn’t enough. They have broadened their demands to include a massive expansion of immigration detention for asylum seekers, the ability to send asylum seekers to other countries the U.S. deems are safe and limits on an immigration...

-snip- “If Senator Schumer as the Majority Leader puts a bill on the floor that fails to address the crisis at the border with real, substantive policy reforms, we will not proceed to that bill.” “Our security cannot come second to that of other countries around the world, our allies, even those like Ukraine and Israel.”

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, says Republicans want the border "closed" as part of a potential congressional agreement for additional emergency spending requested by the White House and criticized "clueless" Democrats who want to negotiate border provisions. "Dems want $106B—GOP wants a closed border. That’s the trade. But clueless Dems want to negotiate the border bill. Not going to happen," Romney said on X, formerly Twitter. "Is an open border more important to Dems than Ukraine and Israel?"

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell says he is urging his colleagues to vote "no" on the motion to proceed to a shell bill for the Ukraine supplemental aid request until there are "meaningful" changes to the legislation to address the crisis on the border.

Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said on Monday a Senate Republican package to provide additional Ukraine aid in supplemental spending is not “going anywhere” in the House. McCarthy signaled to Punchbowl News that any additional aid for Ukraine’s protracted conflict with Russia would have to come from the annual appropriations process as part of the Pentagon’s $866 billion in discretionary spending, which was agreed to in the debt ceiling deal, otherwise known as the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

(WJW) — Some Social Security recipients can expect a second payment before the end of the week. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients have received two benefit disbursements so far this month: the first SSI disbursement on March 1 and the regular Social Security payment on the second, third or fourth Wednesday, depending on their birth date. There’s typically only one SSI payment each month, paid out on the first of the month. But if that day falls on a weekend or holiday, it arrives on the last business day before the end of the month. This year, April 1 is...

All the calls trying to get me to use a particular service have stopped.

WASHINGTON – The Pentagon on Friday sent two budget items to Congress – one to provide funding for combat operations next year, and another to limit the sting of sequestration this year. The Defense Department is asking for $79.4 billion for its overseas contingency operations, or OCO, budget in 2014. The department did not include the OCO request with the $526.6 billion Pentagon base budget request submitted in April, saying that continuing deliberations over troop levels in Afghanistan made the spending picture unclear. Troop numbers in Afghanistan will decline markedly during fiscal 2014, which starts Oct. 1. The Obama administration...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 2008 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today urged Congress to provide the remaining balance of President Bush’s fiscal 2008 supplemental funding request for the global war on terror, saying the delay in funding is damaging the Defense Department’s operations at home and abroad. “Delay is degrading our ability to operate and sustain the force at home and in theater and is making it difficult to manage this department in a way that is fiscally sound,” Gates said at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “The Department of Defense is like the world’s biggest supertanker....

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...

President Bush this week asked Congress to approve a supplemental spending bill for $42.3 billion. The bill is intended to fund U.S. military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. However, in a remarkable expansion of the meaning of the words “U.S. military”, “Afghanistan” and “Iraq” the bill also includes $724 million to fund U.N. Peacekeeping operations in Darfur and $500 million for Mexican police to fight Mexican drug dealers.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22, 2007 – President Bush has submitted to Congress a request for $42.3 billion in supplemental war funding. The amendment places the total funding for the global war on terrorism at $189.3 billion for fiscal 2008. “Parts of this war are complicated, but one part is not, and that is, America should do what it takes to support our troops and protect our people,” Bush said from the Roosevelt Room at the White House today. “And today I sent Congress an updated supplemental war funding request that will do just that.” Most of the supplemental funding supports...

I emailed Pelosi and my Congress Critter - Steny Hoyer - today. I also called their offices and voiced my objection to the two month supplemental bill. I provided their phone numbers and email addresses below, if anyone wants to do the same. Also, is the text of my email.

You have some great pictures there, Cara. I'm a landscape person mainly, so it looks like I really need to get up to Death Valley. Nicely done. I saw the picture of the bird taking flight from off of the cactus. Great shot! Macro lenses are real fun. I have the Nikon 105mm f/2.8 Micro, and it will allow me to get within a couple inches of some subjects. The thing that you need to remember with macro, though, is your depth of view is REALLY small, even with wide apertures. Thus, shooting in aperture-priority mode with the camera is...

WASHINGTON, April 9, 2007 – In a “16-star letter” to Congress, the services’ uniformed leaders are urging a quick passage of the fiscal 2007 emergency supplemental request. The four service chiefs, all four-star generals, signed the letter. The request will fund operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa through the end of the fiscal year. The letter, signed by Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael G. Mullen, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley and Marine Commandant Gen. James T. Conway, asks Congress to “expeditiously complete its...

The Congress recently passed an Iraq supplemental spending bill that included billions upon billions of unrelated spending in areas like peanut storage, renovations to government buildings in Washington D.C. and funding to improve a visitor's experience when touring the Capital building. Surely these politicians know this bill has no chance at passing, right? Along with the unrelated spending, the bill sets a time line for troop withdrawal from Iraq, clearly an idea opposed in the strongest terms by the White House. Any politician who honestly thinks the president would consider signing a bill like that may be using the wrong...

Melancon Votes for Massive Hurricane Disaster Assistance Bill Contact: Robin Winchell (202) 225-4031 March 23, 2007 WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon voted today for the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill, which would provide $6.4 billion in disaster relief for hurricane recovery along the Gulf Coast. The bill passed the House by only one vote. Rep. Melancon had worked with House leadership to include specific funding and waiver language in the supplemental to help expedite the recovery from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in south Louisiana. "People in south Louisiana are tired of waiting for help from their government," Rep. Melancon...

Appropriations Policy Brief H.R. XX — Making Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for FY 2007 Global War on Terror Funding (Title I): In millions Department of Defense Request House Military Personnel 12,145 13,566 Operations & Maintenance 50,316 52,499 Afghanistan Security Fund 5,906 5,906 Iraq Security Fund 3,842 3,842 Iraq Freedom Fund 206 156 Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Fund 2,433 2,433 Strategic Reserve Readiness Fund 0 2,500 Procurement 24,900 24,814 R&D, Test & Evaluation 1,448 1,035 Defense Working Capital Fund 1,316 1,316 Drug Interdiction & Counter Drug Activities 259 259 Intelligence Community Management Account 67 57 Defense Health Program 1,073 2,790 National...

WASHINGTON, May 9, 2006 – Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld urged Congress today to quickly approve President Bush's 2006 supplemental budget request, telling Pentagon reporters delays will hamper military operations and slow down progress in Iraq. The $72.4 billion supplemental request contains funds for the ongoing military, diplomatic and intelligence operations in the global war on terrorism. It designates $3.7 billion for the Iraqi Security Forces Fund and $2.2 billion for the Afghan Security Forces Fund. Cuts in the request and delays in approving it will hamper what Rumsfeld called "truly significant process in turning over greater responsibility and territory...

WASHINGTON, April 7, 2006 – The U.S. military's fiscal 2006 budget supplemental request contains funds that are important for the continued training and development of Iraqi and Afghan security forces, a senior DoD official said here today. Training and equipping more Iraqi and Afghan soldiers and police "is vital to being able to hand over greater responsibilities" to those countries' security forces, DoD spokesman Bryan Whitman told Pentagon reporters. The supplemental totals $72.4 billion for ongoing military, diplomatic and intelligence operations in the global war on terrorism, according to Office of Management and Budget documents. It designates $3.7 billion for...