Posted on 12/05/2023 5:16:03 PM PST by SeekAndFind
House Speaker Mike Johnson issued an ultimatum to Joe Biden on Tuesday, saying there will be no more funding for Ukraine before the administration works with Congress first to make extensive reforms to the U.S. immigration system, creating an immediate dilemma for Biden.
Now we're talking. The question is, will Johnson stick to his guns?
Johnson's ultimatum was in response to Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young sending a letter to House and Senate leaders on Monday warning that funding for Ukraine would likely run out by the end of the year. Young wrote, in part:
There is no magical pot of funding available to meet this moment. We are out of money—and nearly out of time. Cutting off the flow of U.S. weapons and equipment will kneecap Ukraine on the battlefield, not only putting at risk the gains Ukraine has made, but increasing the likelihood of Russian military victories.
Already, our packages of security assistance have become smaller and the deliveries of aid have become more limited. If our assistance stops, it will cause significant issues for Ukraine.
This appears to put Biden between a rock and a hard place, which should be interesting.
Moreover, given the depth of the bitter chasm over border security and immigration reform in Congress, Johnson's ultimatum has teeth. That is, as I suggested, if he stands firm (yours truly said, with images of John Boehner, Paul Ryan, and Mitch McConnell dancing menacingly in his head).
Johnson put it this way:
[Ukraine aid is] dependent upon enactment of transformative change to our nation's border security laws.
The Speaker first floated the idea of linking Ukraine aid and Biden's border disaster in November.
The American people feel very strongly about this, and I do as well. We have things that we can and should do around the world, but we have to take care of our own house first.
As long as the border is wide open, we're opening ourselves up for great threats. And again, it's just a matter of principle that if we're going to take care of a border in Ukraine, we need to take care of America's as well. And I think there's bipartisan support for that idea.
Bingo: "If we're going to take care of a border in Ukraine, we need to take care of America's as well." Name one country on the planet whose leaders — other than the Biden administration, that is —disagree with that statement.
Not to belabor the point, but based on the weak-kneed pattern of the previously-named former Speakers — and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell — I'd venture a bet that a majority of Republican voters (including this one) familiar with Johnson's ultimatum are skeptical as hell.
In other words, Mr. Speaker, words — particularly ultimatums — without actions to back up those words are cheap.
Make that worse than cheap. Why? Because Democrats are like spoiled children. Threaten to punish a spoiled child without following through, and what message does that send to the kid? Exactly.
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Would it be unfair, though, to ax? "Please define 'Transformative Change', and explain how it would differ from just plain ol' 'Enforcing the immigration laws that are already on the books.'"
Maybe the Speaker would have a straight answer for it. We'll see.
Would it be unfair, though, to ax? "Please define 'Transformative Change', and explain how it would differ from just plain ol' 'Enforcing the immigration laws that are already on the books. Also whatcha gonna do about all the illegals that are already in the country?'"
Maybe the Speaker would have a straight answer for it. We'll see.
The “Great Compromise” was all about representation in Congress, and it was the only way the Constitution would have been ratified, unless there was to be two nations (one North, one South) instead of a united one.
The 17th Amendment was a major error.
Indeed, the irony of it all is the not north and south anymore but rather red and blue these days. None of it matters anyway as the uniparty exists in both houses bringing this country to the verge of collapse in the form of debt in only a few years from now. When I signed up here two decades ago all the variants of “17th Amendment” were already taken LOL.
You mean like he “played hardball” with the Rats before caving to their demands to avoid a shutdown? I sincerely hope he has located his spine, but I’ve gotten burned by optimism before.
IMHO the democrats will not hesitate to sacrifice Ukraine to keep our border invasion going. They will just blame Ukraine on the Republicans. Democrats don’t care about anything except their own power.
He will fold, guaranteed. He is on the Deep State/Pentagon payroll.
I paid for Vietnam war through my federal income tax.
I paid for Iraq war through my federal income tax.
I paid for Afghan war through my federal income tax.
I am now paying for Ukraine war through my federal income tax.
No wonder my TAX IS SO HIGH. I am sick and tired of funding foreign wars which have ballooned national debt, and absolutely nothing to show for the investment in blood & treasure.
Ukraine is always running out of money and ammo but what about actual Ukrainian Men/soldiers?
When will they run out of that commodity?
Is there a projection?
When they do eventually run out of soldiers what then will they be asking?
“Johnson put it this way:
[Ukraine aid is] dependent upon enactment of transformative change to our nation’s border security laws.”
We already have serous laws that are being totally ignored. More laws are not going to help.
Harboring Aliens
https://www.thefederalcriminalattorneys.com/harboring-aliens
Democrats got so desperate, they were even pitching Ukraine war as a real American jobs
maker; “we’re not really wasting that money. They buy American weapons with it,” they said.
Washington Post: Killing Foreigners Via Aid to Ukraine Is Good For American Business
The Federalist ^ | DEC 04, 2023 | Tristan Justice / FR Posted on 12/4/2023 by Kazan
“The war in Ukraine might be deadly but at least it’s good for Boeing!”
That’s the latest message from advocates for unending foreign aid to Ukraine as the Russian war drags on into its third year.
The horrifying conflict could have ended more than a year and a half ago. Instead, Western leaders hung on to stubborn demands to keep Ukrainian membership in NATO on the bargaining table, and, apparently, to justify spending billions in tax dollars to enrich the US military-industrial complex.
Richard Stern, federal budget analyst at the Heritage Foundation, told The Federalist: “Of the military spending we give to Ukraine, none of it is money. All of it is equipment......equipment that has already been produced, so that’s not supporting US defense industries.”
So, who, exactly, is feeling the economic impact? It’s certainly not the average taxpayer. A Heritage Foundation analysis in August found the total aid to Ukraine cost taxpayers $900 per household.
Too, Ukraine isn’t winning........the war-torn nation is now digging in for a turbulent winter and a long, drawn-out conflict.
“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ordered the construction of an extensive network of fortifications aimed at holding back Russian forces, signaling a switch to the defensive posture after a months-long Ukrainian counter-offensive yielded only small gains,” the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
More will die, but at least the military-industrial complex is making some money.
Points To Ponder
Ukraine’s top ally in the US govt, GOP Senate Leader Mitch McConnell told CBS two months ago:
<><> “a significant portion of US billions in US foreign aid to Ukraine is US spent
<><>tax dollars are being spent in the United States and 38 different states,
<><>b/c we are replacing weapons we send to Ukraine with more modern weapons,
<><>ergo, we’re rebuilding our industrial base.”
REALITY CHECK-—A closer look at the numbers reveals
<><> an overwhelming majority of Ukraine foreign aid is going overseas
<><> and that US aid remains overseas.
<><>of the $113 billion US tax dollars already spent
<><>only a fraction has gone to “rebuilding our industrial base.”
According to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget:
<><>of the $113 billion tax dollars sent, $67 billion went to “military defense”
<><>Of that $67 billion, about $27 billion went to “drawdown replenishment,”
<><>still another $18 billion tax dollars went to the “Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative,”
<><>nearly $5 billion more tax dollars went to other foreign military financing programs,
<><>plus another $2 billion tax dollars went to “other defense.”
Richard Stern budget analyst at the Heritage Foundation, broke down the numbers for The Federalist:
<><>the tax dollar billions we send Ukraine are not labeled “military support,”
<><>the billions are simply foreign aid money,
<><>this is cash US aid that Ukraine can do whatever it wants with
<><>none of that aid or cash has ever come back to the US in any way.”
The democrats will say sure thing then after the money goes to ukraine the wall will not be built.
See Lucy and Charlie Brown.
We DO NOT need “REFORMS.”
All we need is for those bastards to ENFORCE the existing law. Get rid of that enemy Mayorkas. Arrest invaders wherever they are. Deport them.
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^^^^^THIS^^^^^
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