Posted on 02/14/2005 10:16:27 AM PST by CitizenHelper
WASHINGTON - President Bush was poised to officially ask Congress Monday for an estimated $82 billion to cover the costs of continuing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and a myriad of other internationally related expenses, including training Iraqi security forces and aiding victims of the tsunami.
The White House was to send the supplemental budget request to Capitol Hill late Monday, White House press secretary Scott McClellan told reporters.
Included in the request is $74.9 billion for the Defense Department, including $5 billion for transforming Army divisions and brigades and $5.7 billion for training and equipping Iraqi military and police, according to a federal official familiar with the supplemental.
The remaining money in the supplemental request includes $950 million to help areas affected by the recent tsunami in the Indian Ocean; $350 million to aid the Palestinians; $400 million to reward nations that have taken political and economic risks to join U.S.-led coalitions in Iraq and Afghanistan; money to help build a U.S. embassy in Baghdad; reconstruction funds for Afghanistan; and money for the Darfur region of western Sudan where a 2-year-old civil conflict has left tens of thousands off people killed and more than 2 million displaced.
In a written statement on this issue earlier, President Bush had said the special appropriation would support U.S. troops and help the United States "stand with the Iraqi people and against the terrorists trying desperately to block democracy and the advance of human rights."
The Army wants to use the $5 billion to convert 33 brigades and regiments — about 30 of which are organized into 10 divisions — into a force of 43 to 48 brigades that would operate more independently.
(Excerpt) Read more at story.news.yahoo.com ...
The average annuity for retired Members, as of 1998, was either $50,616 [for those that retired under CSRS] or $46,908 [for Members that retired under FERS]. However, these averages don't take into account any additional funds these Members may have also accrued through investments in the Thrift Savings Plan described above.
http://www.c-span.org/questions/weekly68.htm
Damn skippy. Put them up in Detroit, they'd have an improvement and they can enjoy just as much violence as they are used to. Or maybe into South Central, show the Mexican gangbangers a thing or two.
Don't forget sky rocketing interest rates as Greenspan raises them to keep the foreigners financing our spending.
Thank you for your well thought-out replies. Both ideas make sense. Both can work together. Thanks for teaching me.....
What we need to be spending on is fielding two more divisions and taking care of the over taxed Guard and Reserves.
Get the interest rates up and Americans buy less while going bankrupt faster. Lower wages (by whose authority?) and you cut into your tax base, while crippling the economy since inflation is continueing to raise the cost of living while you drive more people to welfare. Or are you advocating deflation?
Deficit spending this year will be near $400 billion, 80% financed by foreigners who require higher and higher interest rates..
I was watching Fox last week when they said the new figures for the Medicare increase are now over 700 billion over 10 years. My God, almost twice the original "estimate".
What really gets my goat is that immigrants who come here ready for retirement get all the benefits without putting a penny into the system.
No problem, just borrow the money.
so how high do you think Greenspan will rise the interest rates?
This year? I think we'll see at least a 3% increase if not 4%. That's what's keeping the dollar from further collapse, promise of higher interest rates after our recent raise.
I don't think that statement is accurate.
I've known plenty of working immigrants that brought their parents over and have put them straight on medicare.
I thought you were referring to SS.
Yeah, well, I got a feeling that discount would never get passed on to us consumers.
What we need is something like...iraq gives free oil to the US military. That way our military costs could stay down a bit.
i'm not proud i'm being ripped off while hundreds of billions have gone missing....and can't be accounted for. if it's for our troops that's fine, but i have a feeling lots of graft and blackmail money are being thrown around.
does that make you feel good? i'm disgusted. the oil was supposed to pay for this adventure.
Hold on, let me get my checkbook.
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