Senate Coverage -- (February '05)

Senate & House ^ | 2-01-05 | US CONGRESS

[OXENinFLA]

C-span1 NOON (est)

News Conference Fiscal Year 2006 Budget Office of Management and Budget White House, Eisenhower Executive Office Building

Bolten, Joshua B., Director, Office of Management and Budget

Mr. Bolten will present the president's budget request for fiscal year 2006.

---

Next Senate meeting: Monday, Feb 7, 2005

2:00 p.m.: Convene and begin a period of morning business.

Thereafter, proceed to consideration of S. 5, the Class Action Bill.

[Bahbah]

I would love to get a list of the programs that the budget proposes to end. The Prez is having a press conference right now.

[OXENinFLA]

I heard they're going to release a list.



Press Conf.

What channel?

[Bahbah]

Sorry, O. It turned out it was a tape of a presser a bit earlier. The Prez was with his cabinet and the press was allowed a few questions. The Prez patiently explained, when asked about cutting programs for the poor and disadvantaged, that they had targeted programs that are not getting results and that the poor and disadvantaged ought to be asking why the programs weren't working. Heheheh

[Mo1]

Here's this

Bush sends Congress $2.57 trillion budget

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1337785/posts

[OXENinFLA]

Budget of the United States Government Fiscal Year 2006

[Bahbah]

Could you read through that and get back to me with the highlights?

[OXENinFLA]

Sure, I'll get bavck to ya sometime next month....................

};o)

[OXENinFLA]

HIGHLIGHTS OF PROGRAM INCREASES AND NEW INITIATIVES

                                    (All figures depicting increases are above the 2005 enacted levels.)

Defense, Foreign Assistance, and Homeland Security

• Raises overall Defense spending by 4.8 percent, or 41 percent since 2001.
• $35 billion more between now and 2011 to reorganize the total Army forces and increase the number of active Army combat brigades by 30 percent.
• $3.5 billion more between 2006 and 2011 to implement the Global Posture Initiative, which will increase U.S. responsiveness and allow for the return of 70,000 U.S. troops from Cold War bases.
• $1.7 billion for unmanned vehicles, which perform hazardous tasks without risking the lives of soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines.
• $3 billion, an increase of $1.5 billion, to expand the Millennium Challenge Account for foreign assistance, to encourage sound economic and governance policies in the developing world.
• $4.2 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), a $154 million increase, to address the threat of bioterrorism.
• $600 million for a Targeted Infrastructure Protection Program in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to assist State and local governments in reducing the vulnerability of critical infrastructure, such as chemical facilities, ports, and transit systems.
• $581 million, a 45-percent increase, for research and development of radiological and nuclear detection systems and countermeasures at DHS, the Department of Energy, and HHS.
• An increase of $555 million for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, an 11-percent increase over 2005 levels, and a 76-percent increase since 2001.

Economic Opportunity and Education

• $10 billion over 10 years in tax incentives to create economic Opportunity Zones in areas transitioning to new and emerging industries.
• $3.7 billion for a new economic and community development program that consolidates 18 ineffective or duplicative programs into a flexible and targeted program.
• $200 million to provide home purchase downpayment assistance to 40,000 low-income families.
• $28 billion increase for student aid programs through 2015, including the retirement of the Pell Grant shortfall, an increase in the maximum Pell award by $500 over five years, and additional benefits to student borrowers, helping more than 10 million needy students cover the costs of college.
• $1.5 billion for the President’s High School Initiative to extend No Child Left Behind (NCLB) reforms into high schools through improved testing and programs for at-risk youth.
• $11.1 billion for IDEA special education grants to States, an increase of $508 million, taking the total increase in Federal funding for IDEA grants to $4.8 billion, or 75 percent, since 2001.
• $603 million more for Title I to provide grants to improve education in low-income communities and support NCLB reforms, a total increase of $4.6 billion, or 52 percent, for Title I since 2001.
• $500 million for schools and teachers to close the achievement gap and attract high-quality teachers to high-need schools.

Health and Compassion

• $74 billion over 10 years for health-insurance tax credits for low-income individuals and families that will ultimately help 15 million families purchase affordable health insurance.
• $4 billion in grants to States to establish health insurance purchasing pools, through which people who qualify for the tax credit and others can obtain coverage.
• $28.5 billion over 10 years for tax deductions for premiums for high deductible insurance, which will ultimately help six million Americans save for their health care costs in tax-free accounts.
• $19.2 billion over 10 years for tax rebates for small businesses that contribute to their employees’ health savings accounts, encouraging more small employers to offer health benefits.
• $2.0 billion for Health Centers in medically underserved areas, a $304 million increase, fulfilling the President’s commitment to create or expand 1,200 center sites by 2006 and begin the commitment to establish a health center in every high-poverty county that can support one.
• $1 billion in grants over two years for Cover the Kids, a new campaign to enroll millions more low-income children in Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.
• $125 million for Health Information Technology to help achieve the President’s goal that most Americans have electronic health records by 2014.
• $3.2 billion, an increase of $382 million, to continue to expand the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.
• $1.2 billion for international food aid, including a new initiative to provide $300 million as cash assistance, allowing emergency food aid to be provided more quickly to address the most urgent needs.
• $4 billion, an increase of 8.5 percent, for Federal housing and social programs for the homeless, including $1.4 billion for Homeless Assistance Grants.
• $100 million to fund competitive grants for States to develop innovative approaches to promote healthy marriages.
• $3.1 billion over 10 years in tax incentives to promote donations to charitable organizations from individual retirement accounts.

Science and Environment

• $27 billion through 2010, to make permanent the Research and Experimentation tax credit, a critical element in our innovation economy.
• $5.6 billion for the National Science Foundation’s vital science, education, and basic research programs, an increase of $132 million.
• $511 million to advance new and cutting-edge nuclear energy technology to provide reliable, affordable, and emissions-free sources of energy.
• $260 million for the President’s Hydrogen Fuel Initiative, to help reduce our dependence on foreign sources of oil and create a new generation of hydrogen-powered vehicles.
• $286 million for the President’s Clean Coal Research Initiative to research, develop, and demonstrate clean coal technologies, including the FutureGen Initiative to create the world’s first zero-emissions coal-based power plant.
• $485 million, an added $34 million, or 7.5-percent increase, for the core fundamental research and facilities of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
• $210 million, an increase of $46 million, for assessment and clean-up of about 600 brownfields sites, spurring development in former manufacturing areas in our inner cities.
• $144 million increase to continue upgrading National Park Service facilities to an acceptable condition.

[OXENinFLA]

Reid is suuuuuuuuuuuuuch a whiner........

[Bahbah]

Reid is a perfect face for the dem party. I'm listening to Rummy smack around some reporters who accuse him of hiding the costs of the Iraq war.

[OXENinFLA]

Oh Yeah?

Awwwwwwwwwwww

I missed Rummy...

[OXENinFLA]

The cost the Afghanistan/Iraq is NOT in the FY06 budget. Those will be funding by a supplemental.

[Bahbah]

I missed Rummy...

He's still handsome. BTW, I heard David Asman earlier with a congresscritter (Frost?) and someone else. The critter said revenues were down because of the irresponsible tax cuts for the rich. Asman stopped him (he had the figures in his hands) and said that, no, revenues were up. Critter said no, they were down. Asman said I just showed you the figures. They are up. Critter changed the subject, but Asman really nailed him to the wall. I like that guy.

[Mo1]

I ordered a better set of wireless headphones

These babies ROCK !!

I can go upstairs .. out front .. out back .. down the street and still hear clearly

Just one problem

Bag Lady Boxers is on and choking on her words

[OXENinFLA]

She has quite alot of people that come up to her while shopping..........

[Mo1]

She has quite alot of people that come up to her while shopping..........

How much you wanna betch she pays someone to do her shopping?

[Mo1]

She's talking about the Iraq Oil and the money to pay for their reconstruction

Hey Babs ... The UN has lifted the sanctions off of Iraq yet you bleeping moron

[Mo1]

Babs is saying the President is cutting medical benefits of the vets coming home from the war in this new budget

She is a Damn Liar!

[Mo1]

Now she is saying that the police and fire departments don't have the equipment to communicate with each other and the President wants to cut it from his budget

Another dang lie .. Many have the new equipment .. but the new stuff doesn't work