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Surprises tucked in Senate debt bill (Lautenberg's widow scores $174K & the 'Kentucky Kickback')
The Hill ^ | 10/16/13 | Pete Kasperowicz

Posted on 10/16/2013 4:36:19 PM PDT by Libloather

The legislation released by the Senate late Wednesday to reopen the government contains several surprises.

The bill includes extra funds to fix flooded roads in Colorado, a $3 million appropriation for a civil liberties oversight board and a one-time payment to the widow of Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), who died over the summer.

It also includes a more than $2 billion increase in funding for construction on the lower Ohio River in Illinois and Kentucky. Current law authorizes $775 million in spending for related projects, and the bill increases it to $2.918 billion.

The Senate Conservatives Fund quickly called that language the "Kentucky Kickback," and said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) secured that as the price of his support for the bill.

Senate staffers were still scrambling to piece the bill together for votes in the House and Senate Wednesday night. Lawmakers hope to get it to President Obama’s desk before Thursday’s deadline for raising the debt ceiling.

A draft of the bill began circulating in the early evening, and a final version was released by Senate Democratic staff just before 6 p.m.

The legislation also includes specific language that aims to pay back furloughed federal government workers as soon as is practicable.

Section 115 of the text says government workers who are furloughed because of the shutdown "shall be compensated at their standard rate of compensation, for the period of such lapse in appropriations, as soon as practicable after such lapse in appropriations."

Section 116 says states that funded a federal program will be compensated as well, and that the government will pay back states for these costs.

The legislation broadly re-opens the government through Jan. 15, and extends the ability of the government to borrow money through Feb. 7. It does so by allowing President Obama to waive the debt ceiling, a move that can be overridden by a resolution of disapproval by Congress that Obama could still veto.

The Senate bill uses H.R. 2775 as a vehicle for all of these changes. That bill was originally a House GOP bill that would have delayed all health insurance subsidies until a system is put in place to verify incomes for eligibility purposes.

The Senate language does give that issue a nod, by including new rules for verifying household income to determine eligibility for subsidies to buy health insurance under ObamaCare. It specifically requires the government to "certify to the Congress that the Exchanges verify such eligibility."

The secretary of Health and Human Services would have to submit a report to Congress detailing procedures used by the exchanges, and an inspector general report would be required by July 1.

Elsewhere, the bill allows the Department of Transportation to spend up to $450 million to fund the repair of Colorado roads that were damaged by floods. In September, the House passed a bill allowing the department to spend more than the $100 million cap on Colorado roads.

The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board would get $3.1 million under the bill. The board was set up in 2004 to ensure privacy concerns are addressed as laws and regulations are issued related to fighting terrorist threats against the country.

Lawmakers and President Obama have sought to jumpstart the board in the wake of the revelations about National Security Agency surveillance.

Another part of the bill, Section 148, holds that no adjustment shall be made related to a cost of living adjustment for members of Congress in fiscal 2014.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 2billionsilverpieces; bill; debt; debtceiling; fraud; gopcaved; kentuckykickback; logrolling; mcconnell; senate
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Finally, and as expected, it contains language requiring a payment of $174,000 to the widow of Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), who died in June at age 89.

And how much was he worth when he assumed room temperature?

1 posted on 10/16/2013 4:36:19 PM PDT by Libloather
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To: Libloather
Something like $56 million.

What Mike lee is saying on twitter.

It appears that this fight will end the same way #Obamacare began: in a last-minute back-room deal forced on Congress & the American people.

sounds like there are lots of surprises for tomorrow.
2 posted on 10/16/2013 4:38:45 PM PDT by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
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To: Libloather

Another surprise:

http://www.breitbart.com/InstaBlog/2013/10/16/Senate-Debt-Deal-Includes-Provision-Taking-Away-Congress-Power-To-Increase-Debt-Ceiling


3 posted on 10/16/2013 4:40:47 PM PDT by Road Warrior ‘04 (Molon Labe! (Oathkeeper))
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To: Libloather

Politico/Levin claims that Debt Ceiling increases will be automatic unless Congress can override obama’s veto of the Congress’ lack of approval.


4 posted on 10/16/2013 4:41:38 PM PDT by Paladin2
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To: Libloather

I....SAID....THIS....WAS....GOING....TO....HAPPEN.


5 posted on 10/16/2013 4:41:41 PM PDT by ChildOfThe60s ((If you can remember the 60s.....you weren't really there)
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To: Libloather

http://www.lrl.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/Navigation/LocksandDams/OlmstedLocksandDam.aspx


6 posted on 10/16/2013 4:42:33 PM PDT by nascarnation (Frequently wrong but rarely in doubt....)
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To: Libloather

535 people need to be impeached!!!!!!!!!!!


7 posted on 10/16/2013 4:43:02 PM PDT by taillightchaser (I'm going to become a criminal so I can keep my guns.)
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To: Libloather
The Senate Conservatives Fund quickly called that language the "Kentucky Kickback," and said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) secured that as the price of his support for the bill.

And how much of the Kentucky Kickback will flow directly and indirectly into old McConnell's coffers???

8 posted on 10/16/2013 4:43:19 PM PDT by Uncle Chip
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To: Libloather

57 mil (minimum estimate)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/2012/1025/Who-are-the-10-richest-members-of-Congress/Sen.-Frank-Lautenberg-D-N.J


9 posted on 10/16/2013 4:43:47 PM PDT by nascarnation (Frequently wrong but rarely in doubt....)
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To: Libloather
it's more than that close to $1 trillion dollars in this stupid deal

you hold the line , never surrender you fight to the last man.

but boner and the rest surrender when the media creates a fake crisis “default” . there was never any chance of default.
bohner is a craven coward so is anyone that could have stopped this but didn't

10 posted on 10/16/2013 4:43:51 PM PDT by Democrat_media (IRS rigged election for Obama and democrats by shutting down tea party)
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To: Bushbacker1

If it’s in the senate deal, wouldn’t the house have to approve it too? Not that I think Bohner wouldn’t agree!


11 posted on 10/16/2013 4:46:48 PM PDT by Menehune56 ("Let them hate so long as they fear" (Oderint Dum Metuant), Lucius Accius (170 BC - 86 BC))
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To: Bushbacker1

That needs its own thread


12 posted on 10/16/2013 4:48:31 PM PDT by barmag25
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To: Paladin2

So Congress is voting to give away its power.

They will be voting themselves out of a job — who needs them anymore — there is the Senate and the President. They will now be irrelevant.


13 posted on 10/16/2013 4:48:39 PM PDT by Uncle Chip
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To: Libloather

The only solution left is Mark Levin’s solution. Maybe not the only solution but it is the only solution left that will not lead to WAR!


14 posted on 10/16/2013 4:49:22 PM PDT by LibLieSlayer (FROM MY COLD, DEAD HANDS!)
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To: Menehune56

Yes the house still has to vote.


15 posted on 10/16/2013 4:49:33 PM PDT by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
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To: Uncle Chip

Mark Levin is talking about this right now.


16 posted on 10/16/2013 4:49:38 PM PDT by sheikdetailfeather (Yuri Bezmenov (KGB Defector) - "Kick The Communists Out of Your Govt. & Don't Accept Their Goodies.")
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To: Libloather

I thought Obama wanted a clear bill. What a joke.


17 posted on 10/16/2013 4:50:05 PM PDT by USNA74
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To: Uncle Chip
"They will be voting themselves out of a job"

They generally do when they pass 2000 pages of "As the Administrator shall determine" in their Bills. It's the New Skool way of legislation.

18 posted on 10/16/2013 4:54:46 PM PDT by Paladin2
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To: Libloather

Never look to the obvious with these people. The sellout happened after the EBT craziness on Saturday. Obama called them to the WH on Friday and told them that they will do as he says. All at once, any House bill vanished and no vote was taken after Friday.

Saturday happened, an EBT taste of what Obama will do. The GOP was probably told that the next time they, and the Tea Party would be blamed for no EBT.

Come Monday morning, GOP meets, deal done to okay Senate sell out. And don’t forget those EBT letters sent to states talking about another EBT threat, that was the clincher. Proof that Obama would actually do it.


19 posted on 10/16/2013 4:55:54 PM PDT by dforest
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...

Thanks Libloather.
The legislation broadly re-opens the government through Jan. 15, and extends the ability of the government to borrow money through Feb. 7. It does so by allowing President Obama to waive the debt ceiling, a move that can be overridden by a resolution of disapproval by Congress that Obama could still veto.
IOW, this all starts again in January or February.


20 posted on 10/16/2013 4:56:38 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (It's no coincidence that some "conservatives" echo the hard left.)
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