posted 12-20-2020 02:39 PM                    

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Originally posted by MountainMafia:
When are we going to hold Russia accountable?

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posted 12-20-2020 03:19 PM                    

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So, will the new president hold China accountable? They are far and away more dangerous than Russia.

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posted 12-20-2020 03:23 PM                   

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So, will the new president hold China accountable?

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posted 12-20-2020 04:12 PM                    

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Well, no matter what you think of Trump, he has access to far more information than we do.

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posted 12-21-2020 09:26 AM                   

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did nothing for the people of this country, padded their bank accounts and passed bills like the Sunscreen bill

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posted 12-21-2020 03:54 PM                    

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Our auditors dug deeply into McConnell’s Senate bill and compared it to Pelosi’s House bill. While half the nation was “sheltered in place,” here’s what lawmakers — in both parties — considered “essential spending” for coronavirus recovery:

$75 million in the Senate bill funded the Corporation For Public Broadcasting. Why do National Public Radio and Big Bird get a coronavirus subsidy? The Pelosi bill allocated $300 million. Clearly a compromise, as with other items down the list. Only on two items did the senate bill increase the amount that Nancy's bill asked for. Politics is all about compromise, but the democrats sure love to put the screws to the American people. "Never let a crisis go to waste"

$25 million in the Senate bill went to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. During the past ten years, the center received $68.3 million in federal grants (2010-2019). The Kennedy Center has total assets of $557 million. The Pelosi bill earmarked $35 million. While reduced, this one should have been eliminated IMO

$1.2 billion in the Pelosi bill to require airlines to purchase expensive “renewable” jet fuel. It was $200 million per year in grants (2021-2026) to “develop, transport, and store sustainable aviation fuels that would reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.” The Senate bill eliminated this provision. Thank God. What a bunch of BS!

People of goodwill can debate each of these goals, but is it truly emergency spending? For example, what is the public purpose for the Smithsonian Institution receiving an additional $7.5 million in this time of crisis? Both bills provided these funds.

While governors begged for vital medical supplies, the spending packages each contained massive increases even in obscure, small agencies.

$1.1 billion in the Pelosi bill would have more than doubled the budgets of The Institute of Museum and Library Services and the National Endowment of the Arts and the Humanities. The Senate bill provided funding of $200 million. Reduced this ridiculous rancid pork by over 80%

$500 million in the Pelosi bill to The Institute of Museum and Library Services (FY2019 budget: $230 million). This agency is so small that it doesn’t even employ an inspector general. The Senate bill provided $50 million. Another totally unrelated attempt to squeeze taxpayers for a favorite democrat cause, slashed 90%

$600 million in the Pelosi bill to National Endowment of the Arts and the Humanities (FY2019 budget: $253 million) – In 2017, our study showed eighty-percent of all non-profit grant-making flowed to well-heeled organizations with over $1 million in assets. The Senate bill provided $150 million. Wish this one could be totally eliminated; a 75% cut isn't enough. Just to remind everyone, this is the organization that sponsored and displayed "Christ in Piss"

The Senate stripped many projects from Pelosi’s bill: a $25 billion bailout of the Post Office; requiring federal agencies to use minority banks; and expanded collective bargaining rights for federal employees.Whew! Way to go McConnel!

However, even the Senate bill significantly strengthened private-sector unionizing. If a business takes a coronavirus stabilization loan, then it must “remain neutral in any union organizing effort for the term of the loan.”

A quick spotlight on agencies receiving coronavirus recovery in the Senate bill includes:

$88 million to the Peace Corps for “evacuating volunteers and U.S. direct hires from overseas.” The agency just fired all of their 7,300 volunteers working in 61 countries on March 15. The Pelosi bill allocated $90 million. This is the one of two requests that emerged with a slight increase in funding over what Pelosi requested. And it is the only one that makes sense. The Peace Corps is shut down because of the Corona Virus, and it is incumbent upon us to get those volunteers home

$250 million to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The subsidy would cover “taxpayer services,” “enforcement,” and “operations support.” The Pelosi bill provided $602 million. Another big haircut, but what on earth does the IRS need money for????

$350 million to the State Department for “migration and Refugee Assistance.” This funding would help minimize the virus spread among vulnerable populations. The Pelosi bill earmarked $300 million. Another one with a Republican boost, and again, one with a genuine COVID-related humanitarian aim.

$400 million to the federal Election Assistance Commission to assist the states with “election security grants.” The Pelosi bill provided $4 billion.I'll bet Trump wished this one had been fully funded.

$30.8 billion to the Department of Education for “state Fiscal Stabilization Fund” that provides grants to support elementary and secondary education ($13.5 billion), Higher Ed ($14.25 billion), and State flexibility grants ($3 billion). The Pelosi bill asked for $50 billion.

We reached out to Leader McConnell and Speaker Pelosi for comment.

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posted 12-21-2020 04:33 PM                   

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Funny how you spotlighted what looks to be a miniscule slice o' pork.

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posted 12-21-2020 05:01 PM                    

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Earlier this year, Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe said that the biggest threat to election security in the United States is the CCP.

“China poses a greater national security threat to the U.S. than any other nation—economically, militarily, and technologically. That includes threats of election influence and interference,” Ratcliffe said.

He said Beijing was concerned that Trump would win reelection, adding that the intelligence community has briefed “hundreds of members of Congress” to raise their concerns about China “and its increased efforts to impact the U.S. policy climate in its favor.”

Ratcliffe told CBS earlier this month that there was foreign election interference by China, Iran, and Russia in the 2020 election.

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