We could say a lot of things... but we'll leave it at:
Our tax dollars at work....
Your thoughts?
----------------
Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act (Introduced in House)
HR 40 IH
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 40
To
acknowledge the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality, and
inhumanity of slavery in the United States and the 13 American colonies
between 1619 and 1865 and to establish a commission to examine the
institution of slavery, subsequently de jure and de facto racial and
economic
discrimination against African-Americans, and the impact of these
forces on living African-Americans, to make recommendations to the
Congress on appropriate remedies, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 6, 2009
Mr.
CONYERS (for himself and Mr. SCOTT of Virginia ) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
________________________________
A BILL
To
acknowledge the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality, and
inhumanity of slavery in the United States and the 13 American colonies
between 1619 and 1865 and to establish a commission to examine the
institution of slavery, subsequently de jure and de facto racial and
economic
discrimination against African-Americans, and the impact of these
forces on living African-Americans, to make recommendations to the
Congress on appropriate remedies, and for other purposes. Be it enacted
by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of
America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ..Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act'.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
(a) Findings- The Congress finds that--
(1)
approximately 4,000,000 Africans and their descendants were enslaved in
the United States and colonies that became the United States from 1619
to 1865;
(2) the institution of slavery was constitutionally and
statutorily sanctioned by the Government of the United States from 1789
through 1865;
(3) the slavery that flourished in the United States
constituted an immoral and inhumane deprivation of Africans' life,
liberty, African citizenship rights, and cultural heritage, and denied
them the fruits of their own labor; and
(4) sufficient inquiry has
not been made into the effects of the institution of slavery on living
African-Americans and society in the United States .
(b) Purpose- The purpose of this Act is to establish a commission to--
(1)
examine the institution of slavery which existed from 1619 through 1865
within the United States and the colonies that became the United
States, including the extent to which the Federal and State Governments
constitutionally and statutorily supported the institution of slavery;
(2)
examine de jure and de facto discrimination against freed slaves and
their descendants from the end of the Civil War to the present,
including economic, political, and social discrimination;
(3)
examine the lingering negative effects of the institution of slavery
and the discrimination described in paragraph (2) on living
African-Americans and on society in the United States;
(4) recommend appropriate ways to educate the American public of the Commission's findings;
(5)
recommend appropriate remedies in consideration of the Commission's
findings on the matters described in paragraphs (1) and (2); and (6)
submit to the Congress the results of such examination, together with
such recommendations.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT AND DUTIES.
(a)
Establishment- There is established the Commission to Study Reparation
Proposals for African-Americans (hereinafter in this Act referred to as
the ..Commission').
(b) Duties- The Commission shall perform the following duties:
(1)
Examine the institution of slavery which existed within the United
States and the colonies that became the United States from 1619 through
1865. The Commission's examination shall include an examination of--
(A) the capture and procurement of Africans;
(B)
the transport of Africans to the United States and the colonies that
became the United States for the purpose of enslavement, including
their treatment during transport;
(C) the sale and acquisition of Africans as chattel property in interstate and intrastate commerce; and
(D)
the treatment of African slaves in the colonies and the United States,
including the deprivation of their freedom, exploitation of their
labor, and destruction of their culture, language, religion, and
families.
(2) Examine the extent to which the Federal and State
governments of the United States supported the institution of slavery
in constitutional and statutory provisions, including the extent to
which such governments prevented, opposed, or restricted efforts of
freed African slaves to
repatriate to their homeland.
(3) Examine
Federal and State laws that discriminated against freed African slaves
and their descendants during the period between the end of the Civil
War and the present.
(4) Examine other forms of discrimination in
the public and private sectors against freed African slaves and their
descendants during the period between the end of the Civil War and the
present.
(5) Examine the lingering negative effects of the
institution of slavery and the matters described in paragraphs (1),
(2), (3), and (4) on living
African-Americans and on society in the United States.
(6) Recommend appropriate ways to educate the American public of the Commission's findings.
(7)
Recommend appropriate remedies in consideration of the Commission's
findings on the matters described in paragraphs (1), (2), (3), and (4).
In making such recommendations, the Commission shall address among other issues, the following questions:
(A)
Whether the Government of the United States should offer a formal
apology on behalf of the people of the United States for the
perpetration of gross human rights violations on African slaves and
their descendants.
(B) Whether African-Americans still suffer from
the lingering effects of the matters described in paragraphs (1), (2),
(3), and (4).
(C) Whether, in consideration of the Commission's
findings, any form of compensation to the descendants of African slaves
is warranted.
(D) If the Commission finds that such compensation is
warranted, what should be the amount of compensation, what form of
compensation should be awarded, and who should be eligible for such
compensation.
(c) Report to Congress- The Commission shall submit a
written report of its findings and recommendations to the Congress not
later than the date which is one year after the date of the first
meeting of the Commission held pursuant to section 4(c).
SEC. 4. MEMBERSHIP.
(a)
Number and Appointment- (1) The Commission shall be composed of 7
members, who shall be appointed, within 90 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, as follows:
(A) Three members shall be appointed by the President.
(B) Three members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
(C) One member shall be appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate.
(2)
All members of the Commission shall be persons who are especially
qualified to serve on the Commission by virtue of their education,
training, or experience, particularly in the field of African-American
studies.
(b) Terms- The term of office for members shall be for the
life of the Commission. A vacancy in the Commission shall not affect
the powers of the Commission, and shall be filled in the same manner in
which the original appointment was made.
(c) First Meeting- The
President shall call the first meeting of the Commission within 120
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, or within 30 days
after the date on which legislation is enacted making appropriations to
carry out this Act, whichever date is later.
(d) Quorum- Four members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number may hold hearings.
(e)
Chair and Vice Chair- The Commission shall elect a Chair and Vice Chair
from among its members. The term of office of each shall be for the
life of the Commission.
(f) Compensation- (1) Except as provided in
paragraph (2), each member of the Commission shall receive compensation
at the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay payable for
GS-18 of the General Schedule under section 5332 of title 5, United
States Code, for each day, including travel time, during which he or
she is engaged in the actual
performance of duties vested in the Commission.
(2)
A member of the Commission who is a full-time officer or employee of
the United States or a Member of Congressshall receive no additional
pay, allowances, or benefits by reason of his or her service to the
Commission.
(3) All members of the Commission shall be reimbursed
for travel, subsistence, and other necessary expenses incurred by them
in the performance of their duties to the extent authorized by chapter
57 of title 5, United States Code.
SEC. 5. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.
(a)
Hearings and Sessions- The Commission may, for the purpose of carrying
out the provisions of this Act, hold such hearings and sit and act at
such times and at such places in the United States, and request the
attendance and testimony of such witnesses and the production of such
books, records, correspondence, memoranda, papers, and documents, as
the Commission considers appropriate. The Commission may request the
Attorney General to invoke the aid of an appropriate United States
district court to require, by subpoena or otherwise, such attendance,
testimony, or production.
(b)
Powers of Subcommittees and Members- Any subcommittee or member of the
Commission may, if authorized by the Commission, take any action which
the Commission is authorized to take by this section.
(c) Obtaining
Official Data- The Commission may acquire directly from the head of any
department, agency, or instrumentality of the executive branch of the
Government, available information which the Commission considers useful
in the discharge of its duties. All departments, agencies, and
instrumentalities of the executive branch of the
Government shall
cooperate with the Commission with respect to such information and
shall furnish all information requested by the Commission to the extent
permitted by law.
SEC. 6. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.
(a)
Staff- The Commission may, without regard to section 5311(b) of title
5, United States Code, appoint and fix the compensation of such
personnel as the Commission considers appropriate.
(b) Applicability
of Certain Civil Service Laws- The staff of the Commission may be
appointed without regard to the provisions of title 5, United States
Code, governing appointments in the competitive service, and without
regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and sub-chapter III of
chapter
53 of such title relating to classification and General Schedule pay
rates, except that the compensation of any employee of the Commission
may not exceed a rate equal to the annual rate of basic pay payable for
GS-18 of the General Schedule under section 5332 of title 5, United
States Code.
(c) Experts and Consultants- The Commission may procure
the services of experts and consultants in accordance with the
provisions of section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, but at
rates for individuals not to exceed the daily equivalent of the highest
rate payable under section 5332 of such title.
(d) Administrative
Support Services- The Commission may enter into agreements with the
Administrator of General Services for procurement of financial and
administrative services necessary for the discharge of the duties of
the Commission. Payment for such services shall be made by
reimbursement
from funds of the Commission in such amounts as may be agreed upon by
the Chairman of the Commission and the Administrator.
(e) Contracts- The Commission may--
(1)
procure supplies, services, and property by contract in accordance with
applicable laws and regulations and to the extent or in such amounts as
are provided in appropriations Acts; and (2) enter into contracts with
departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the Federal Government,
State agencies, and private firms, institutions, and agencies, for the
conduct of research or surveys, the preparation of reports, and other
activities necessary for
the discharge of the duties of the Commission, to the extent or in such amounts as are provided in appropriations Acts.
SEC. 7. TERMINATION.
The
Commission shall terminate 90 days after the date on which the
Commission submits its report to the Congress under section 3(c).
SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
To carry out the provisions of this Act, there are authorized to be appropriated $8,000,000.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Obama says stimulus vital to avoid 'catastrophe'
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama
pressed Congress Monday night to urgently approve a massive economic
recovery bill, using the first prime-time news conference of his
presidency to warn that a failure to act "could turn a crisis into a
catastrophe."
With the nation falling
deeper into a long and painful recession, Obama defended his program
against Republican criticism that it is loaded with pork-barrel
spending and will not create jobs.
"The
plan is not perfect," the president said, addressing the nation from
the East Room of the White House. "No plan is. I can't tell you for
sure that everything in this plan will work exactly as we hope, but I
can tell you with complete confidence that a failure to act will only
deepen this crisis as well as the pain felt by millions of Americans."
When
the stimulus bill passed the House, not a single Republican voted for
it. On Monday an $838 billion version of the legislation cleared a
crucial test vote in the Senate by a 61-36 margin, with all but three
Republican senators opposing it.
Obama said the federal government was the only power that could save the nation at a time of crisis, with huge spending outlays and tax cuts that he contended could save or create up to 4 million jobs.
"At this particular moment, with the private sector
so weakened by this recession, the federal government is the only
entity left with the resources to jolt our economy back to life," Obama
said.
Rejecting criticism, he said that
90 percent of the jobs created by the plan would be in the private
sector, rebuilding crumbling roads, bridges and other aging
infrastructure.
"The plan that
ultimately emerges from Congress must be big enough and bold enough to
meet the size of the economic challenge we face right now," Obama said.
Again and again, he stressed that the economy is in dire straits.
"This
is not your ordinary, run of the mill recession," he said. Obama said
the United States aims to avoid the kind of economic pain that Japan endured in the 1990s — the "lost decade" when that nation showed no economic growth.
"My
bottom line is to make sure that we are saving or creating 4 million
jobs," he said, and that homeowners facing foreclosure receive some
relief.
While Obama stressed the economy in the opening minutes of the news conference, he also faced questions on foreign policy, and was asked how his administration would deal with Iran, a nation accused by the United States of supporting terrorism and pursuing nuclear weapons.
The
president said his administration was reviewing its policy toward Iran
"looking at places where we can have constructive dialogue." He also
said it was time for Iran to change its behavior.
"My
expectation is in the coming months we will be looking for openings
that can be created where we can be sitting across the table face to
face," Obama said.
He said that Iran must understand that funding terrorist organizations and pursuing nuclear weapons are unacceptable.
pressed Congress Monday night to urgently approve a massive economic
recovery bill, using the first prime-time news conference of his
presidency to warn that a failure to act "could turn a crisis into a
catastrophe."
With the nation falling
deeper into a long and painful recession, Obama defended his program
against Republican criticism that it is loaded with pork-barrel
spending and will not create jobs.
"The
plan is not perfect," the president said, addressing the nation from
the East Room of the White House. "No plan is. I can't tell you for
sure that everything in this plan will work exactly as we hope, but I
can tell you with complete confidence that a failure to act will only
deepen this crisis as well as the pain felt by millions of Americans."
When
the stimulus bill passed the House, not a single Republican voted for
it. On Monday an $838 billion version of the legislation cleared a
crucial test vote in the Senate by a 61-36 margin, with all but three
Republican senators opposing it.
Obama said the federal government was the only power that could save the nation at a time of crisis, with huge spending outlays and tax cuts that he contended could save or create up to 4 million jobs.
"At this particular moment, with the private sector
so weakened by this recession, the federal government is the only
entity left with the resources to jolt our economy back to life," Obama
said.
Rejecting criticism, he said that
90 percent of the jobs created by the plan would be in the private
sector, rebuilding crumbling roads, bridges and other aging
infrastructure.
"The plan that
ultimately emerges from Congress must be big enough and bold enough to
meet the size of the economic challenge we face right now," Obama said.
Again and again, he stressed that the economy is in dire straits.
"This
is not your ordinary, run of the mill recession," he said. Obama said
the United States aims to avoid the kind of economic pain that Japan endured in the 1990s — the "lost decade" when that nation showed no economic growth.
"My
bottom line is to make sure that we are saving or creating 4 million
jobs," he said, and that homeowners facing foreclosure receive some
relief.
While Obama stressed the economy in the opening minutes of the news conference, he also faced questions on foreign policy, and was asked how his administration would deal with Iran, a nation accused by the United States of supporting terrorism and pursuing nuclear weapons.
The
president said his administration was reviewing its policy toward Iran
"looking at places where we can have constructive dialogue." He also
said it was time for Iran to change its behavior.
"My
expectation is in the coming months we will be looking for openings
that can be created where we can be sitting across the table face to
face," Obama said.
He said that Iran must understand that funding terrorist organizations and pursuing nuclear weapons are unacceptable.
Stimulus to ban religious worship
By Bob Unruh
© 2009 WorldNetDaily
President Obama's proposed economic stimulus plan makes a deliberate
– and unconstitutional – attempt to censor religious speech and worship
on school campuses across the nation, according to a lawyer who argued related
cases before the U.S. Supreme Court 20 years ago and won them all.
"This isn't like a convenient oversight. This is intentional.
This legislation pokes its finger in the eyes of people who hold
religious beliefs," Jay Sekulow, chief of the American Center for Law and Justice, told WND today.
His was the organization that decades ago argued on behalf of
speech freedom on school campuses, winning repeatedly at the U.S.
Supreme Court. Since then, the 2001 Good News Club v. Milford Central School District decision was added, clarifying that restricting religious speech within the context of public shared-use facilities is unconstitutional.
The problem in the proposed stimulus bill comes from a provision that states: "PROHIBITED USES OF FUNDS. - No funds awarded under this section may be used for - (C) modernization, renovation,
or repair of facilities - (i) used for sectarian instruction, religious
worship, or a school or department of divinity; or (ii) in which a
substantial portion of the functions of the facilities are subsumed in
a religious mission."
The wording that specifically targets religious speech already
has been approved by the majority Democrats in the U.S. House – all GOP
members opposed it. In the Senate, Jim DeMint, R-S.C., proposed an
amendment to eliminate it, but again majority Democrats decided to keep
the provision targeting religious instruction and activities.
Critics argued schools would accept any money offered, then impose a ban on religious events.
DeMint warned organizations such as the Fellowship of Christian
Athletes, Campus Crusade for Christ, Catholic Student Ministries,
Hillel and other religious groups would face new bans on access to
public facilities that would not apply to other organizations.
"This is a direct attack on students of faith, and I'm outraged
Democrats are using an economic stimulus bill to promote
discrimination," DeMint said. "Democrats should be ashamed of
themselves for siding with the ACLU over millions of students of
faith."
DeMint's comments have been posted online and also are embedded here:
"These students simply want equal access to public facilities,
which is their constitutional right. This hostility toward religion
must end. Those who voted to for this discrimination are standing in
the schoolhouse door to deny people of faith from entering any campus
building renovated by this bill," said DeMint.
The senator said the stimulus bill now becomes an "ACLU
stimulus" that has the goal of triggering lawsuits "designed to
intimidate religious organizations across the nation."
"This language is so vague, it's not clear if students can even
pray in a dorm room renovated with this funding since that is a form of
'religious worship.' If this provision remains in the bill, it will
have a chilling effect on students of faith in America," he said.
DeMint cited Obama's statement at the National Prayer Breakfast this week that faith "can promote a greater good for all of us."
"This provision is an assault against both. It's un-American and
it's unconstitutional. Intolerant and it's intolerable," DeMint said.
The ban on religious organizations is linked to the $3.5 billion intended for "renovation of public or private college and university facilities."
The ACLJ, which focuses on constitutional law, said the
provision "has nothing to do with economic stimulus and everything to
do with religious discrimination."
"The thing is I litigated these cases on these exact issues 20
years ago," Sekulow told WND. "Not only did we win, two of the
decisions were unanimous and the other was 8-1.
"We're seeing a rollback to the 1970s regarding church-state
relations," he said. "That's what is troubling. It is a complete
rollback that now institutionalizes discrimination through targeting
religion."
Sekulow said he already is drafting a complaint that will
challenge the constitutionality of the provision, to be used if it
isn't removed.
He said under current court precedents, it will be a open-and-shut victory.
However, he also warned that the problem is the damage that can
be done within the probable four years it would take to get the issue
to the U.S. Supreme Court and what that court would look like at that
point.
Under Obama, he said, "there will be an ideology shift." New
appointments to the bench by Obama, he said, would be "much more left
of where Justices (Ruth Bader) Ginsburg and (Stephen) Breyer are."
On an online forums page, readers were incensed.
© 2009 WorldNetDaily
President Obama's proposed economic stimulus plan makes a deliberate
– and unconstitutional – attempt to censor religious speech and worship
on school campuses across the nation, according to a lawyer who argued related
cases before the U.S. Supreme Court 20 years ago and won them all.
"This isn't like a convenient oversight. This is intentional.
This legislation pokes its finger in the eyes of people who hold
religious beliefs," Jay Sekulow, chief of the American Center for Law and Justice, told WND today.
His was the organization that decades ago argued on behalf of
speech freedom on school campuses, winning repeatedly at the U.S.
Supreme Court. Since then, the 2001 Good News Club v. Milford Central School District decision was added, clarifying that restricting religious speech within the context of public shared-use facilities is unconstitutional.
The problem in the proposed stimulus bill comes from a provision that states: "PROHIBITED USES OF FUNDS. - No funds awarded under this section may be used for - (C) modernization, renovation,
or repair of facilities - (i) used for sectarian instruction, religious
worship, or a school or department of divinity; or (ii) in which a
substantial portion of the functions of the facilities are subsumed in
a religious mission."
The wording that specifically targets religious speech already
has been approved by the majority Democrats in the U.S. House – all GOP
members opposed it. In the Senate, Jim DeMint, R-S.C., proposed an
amendment to eliminate it, but again majority Democrats decided to keep
the provision targeting religious instruction and activities.
Critics argued schools would accept any money offered, then impose a ban on religious events.
DeMint warned organizations such as the Fellowship of Christian
Athletes, Campus Crusade for Christ, Catholic Student Ministries,
Hillel and other religious groups would face new bans on access to
public facilities that would not apply to other organizations.
"This is a direct attack on students of faith, and I'm outraged
Democrats are using an economic stimulus bill to promote
discrimination," DeMint said. "Democrats should be ashamed of
themselves for siding with the ACLU over millions of students of
faith."
DeMint's comments have been posted online and also are embedded here:
"These students simply want equal access to public facilities,
which is their constitutional right. This hostility toward religion
must end. Those who voted to for this discrimination are standing in
the schoolhouse door to deny people of faith from entering any campus
building renovated by this bill," said DeMint.
The senator said the stimulus bill now becomes an "ACLU
stimulus" that has the goal of triggering lawsuits "designed to
intimidate religious organizations across the nation."
"This language is so vague, it's not clear if students can even
pray in a dorm room renovated with this funding since that is a form of
'religious worship.' If this provision remains in the bill, it will
have a chilling effect on students of faith in America," he said.
DeMint cited Obama's statement at the National Prayer Breakfast this week that faith "can promote a greater good for all of us."
"This provision is an assault against both. It's un-American and
it's unconstitutional. Intolerant and it's intolerable," DeMint said.
The ban on religious organizations is linked to the $3.5 billion intended for "renovation of public or private college and university facilities."
The ACLJ, which focuses on constitutional law, said the
provision "has nothing to do with economic stimulus and everything to
do with religious discrimination."
"The thing is I litigated these cases on these exact issues 20
years ago," Sekulow told WND. "Not only did we win, two of the
decisions were unanimous and the other was 8-1.
"We're seeing a rollback to the 1970s regarding church-state
relations," he said. "That's what is troubling. It is a complete
rollback that now institutionalizes discrimination through targeting
religion."
Sekulow said he already is drafting a complaint that will
challenge the constitutionality of the provision, to be used if it
isn't removed.
He said under current court precedents, it will be a open-and-shut victory.
However, he also warned that the problem is the damage that can
be done within the probable four years it would take to get the issue
to the U.S. Supreme Court and what that court would look like at that
point.
Under Obama, he said, "there will be an ideology shift." New
appointments to the bench by Obama, he said, would be "much more left
of where Justices (Ruth Bader) Ginsburg and (Stephen) Breyer are."
On an online forums page, readers were incensed.
- "Here comes the assault against Christian churches … Looks
like he's trying to see how much damage he can do in the briefest
period of time." - "Obama is the most dangerous man of our
times, period. He will seek to overturn everything our nation was built
upon, personal freedom, capitalism, even the rock of faith. And he will
seek to do it from within, openly, overtly and boldly. Will Christians
now respond to this dangerous man in a strong, unified way? Or will
Obama succeed in destroying the fabric of the greatest nation in human history?". - "He's just following the Saul Alinsky rule (in his book,
Rules for Radicals) to 'clothe everything you do in morality' because
this is what most effectively fools the 'middle class' into agreeing
with what you want to do."
At retreat, Obama goes on the offensive
..WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — A fired-up Barack Obama
ditched his TelePrompter to rally House Democrats and rip Republican
opponents of his recovery package Thursday night – at one point openly
mocking the GOP for failing to follow through on promises of bipartisanship. ..
In what was the most pointedly partisan speech of his young presidency,
Obama rejected Republican arguments that massive spending in the $819
billion stimulus bill that passed the House should be replaced by a new
round of massive tax cuts.
“I welcome this debate, but we are not going to get relief by turning
back to the same policies that for the last eight years doubled the
national debt and threw our economy into a tailspin,” said President
Obama – sounding more like Candidate Obama than at any time since he
took the oath of office less than a month ago.
Obama, speaking to about 200 House Democrats at their annual retreat at the Kingsmill Resort and Spa, dismissed Republican attacks against the massive spending in the stimulus.
"What do you think a stimulus is?" Obama asked incredulously. "It’s spending — that's the whole point! Seriously.”
Stabbing hard at Republicans who once aligned themselves with his
predecessor, Obama made it clear that the problems he seeks to address
with his recovery plan weren’t ones of his making.
“When you start hearing arguments, on the cable chatter, just
understand a couple of things,” he said. “No. 1, when they say, ‘Well,
why are we spending $800 billion [when] we’ve got this huge deficit?’ –
first of all, I found this deficit when I showed up, No. 1.
“I found this national debt, doubled, wrapped in a big bow waiting for me as I stepped into the Oval Office.”
After his remarks, Obama, clearly caught up in the moment, made the
party get-together feel even more like a campaign rally with his
signature call-and-response chant.
“Fired up?” he asked the Democratic lawmakers. “Ready to go!” a group of them shouted back.
In his speech, Obama went on to contrast the kind words of House and
Senate Republican leaders with their increasingly strident opposition
to the stimulus package.
“We were complimented by Republicans saying, ‘This is a balanced
package . . . we’re pleasantly surprised,’” he said. “Suddenly, what
was a ‘balanced package’ is suddenly out of balance.”
As the Senate deliberated in Washington – and packed it in for the
night without finalizing a deal — Obama brushed pressed House Democrats
to finalize the bill "without delay" when it emerged from the upper
chamber.
"Let's think big right now," the president urged House Democrats. "Let's not think small."
Obama’s words bore only a vague resemblance to the prepared remarks the White House distributed to reporters as he began to speak. House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) said Obama appeared to ditch his TelePrompter about a third of the way through the speech.
“He went to his heart, I think he spoke from his heart,” Clyburn said. “He went back to being the Barack Obama that Americans fell in love with when they went to the polls.”
Despite the hero's welcome Obama got in Williamsburg, there remain some
skeptics of the plan within his own party. But if there was any tension
between Obama and the House Democrats, it was hard to see it in the
room. Before Obama spoke, House Democrats and their spouses posed for
cell phone photos with the president – and even with White House spokesman Robert Gibbs.
His chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel,
gobbling berries and cream in white shirtsleeves, rushed out of the
hall at one point, barking into his cell phone along the way as he wove
between tables packed with his former House colleagues.
When Obama finally spoke, he called Pelosi “a rock” and “the great speaker of the House.” And he said that House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey and other House chairmen had acted with “discipline” in passing their version of the stimulus bill.
And while Obama said Americans are looking for the parties to
work together on the stimulus, he said that it’s time to move past “the
false theories of the past,” including the notion that tax cuts could
cure all ills. In the process, he reminded the Democrats in the room –
and the Republicans back in Washington – that he won the election in
November.
“If you’re headed for a cliff, you’ve got to change direction,” Obama
said. “That’s what the American people called for in November, and
that’s what we intend to deliver.”
But Democrats have their work cut out for them if they are going to
approve the package without any GOP votes. As Obama circled the room
and posed for photos before he spoke, a person in the room spotted Phil
Schiliro, the president’s top legislative liaison, huddled in a tense
conversation with Obey, the principal author of the House — a reminder
that the bill still has a ways to go.
After the speech, Obama fielded a range of questions from Democrats in the room.
Hoping to keep jobs in his district, Georgia Rep. David Scott appealed to Obama to continue production of the F-22 fighter plane.
Responding to a question from Iowa Rep. Dave Loebsack, Obama said that Gen. David Petraeus and other Pentagon officials are reviewing the military situation in Afghanistan – and that he would emphasize diplomacy with Pakistan and articulate a clear strategy for the U.S. military there.
Among the many hurdles he faces, Obama must referee an emerging divide between the fiscal conservatives
in his party and those Democrats who want him to increase federal
funding for key domestic priorities like education and health care.
Responding to a question from Pennsylvania Rep. Chaka Fattah about that balance, Obama said, "We've inherited a mess. It's our job to clean it up."
But the president promised to begin with homeowners facing foreclosure,
telling the assembled Democrats that he would include money for
distressed households in the next installment of federal funding to
purchase distressed mortgage-related debt.
In his bid to overcome partisan gridlock, Obama promised the assembled Democrats that he and Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, the new chairman of the Democratic National Committee, would work together to mobilize voters on big issues, like energy and health care reform, utilizing the party's campaign committees in the process.
Rhode Island Rep. Jim Langevin, who hasn't been able to walk since he was 16, asked Obama if he would remove the executive ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. Yes, Obama replied, but only after he and congressional leaders figure out a way to prevent opponents from overturning it.
The president closed his remarks by telling lawmakers and their
families that he is "grateful and humbled" to be the leader of their
party – and he said his “greatest partner,” Pelosi, “delivers on
everything she promises.”
ditched his TelePrompter to rally House Democrats and rip Republican
opponents of his recovery package Thursday night – at one point openly
mocking the GOP for failing to follow through on promises of bipartisanship. ..
In what was the most pointedly partisan speech of his young presidency,
Obama rejected Republican arguments that massive spending in the $819
billion stimulus bill that passed the House should be replaced by a new
round of massive tax cuts.
“I welcome this debate, but we are not going to get relief by turning
back to the same policies that for the last eight years doubled the
national debt and threw our economy into a tailspin,” said President
Obama – sounding more like Candidate Obama than at any time since he
took the oath of office less than a month ago.
Obama, speaking to about 200 House Democrats at their annual retreat at the Kingsmill Resort and Spa, dismissed Republican attacks against the massive spending in the stimulus.
"What do you think a stimulus is?" Obama asked incredulously. "It’s spending — that's the whole point! Seriously.”
Stabbing hard at Republicans who once aligned themselves with his
predecessor, Obama made it clear that the problems he seeks to address
with his recovery plan weren’t ones of his making.
“When you start hearing arguments, on the cable chatter, just
understand a couple of things,” he said. “No. 1, when they say, ‘Well,
why are we spending $800 billion [when] we’ve got this huge deficit?’ –
first of all, I found this deficit when I showed up, No. 1.
“I found this national debt, doubled, wrapped in a big bow waiting for me as I stepped into the Oval Office.”
After his remarks, Obama, clearly caught up in the moment, made the
party get-together feel even more like a campaign rally with his
signature call-and-response chant.
“Fired up?” he asked the Democratic lawmakers. “Ready to go!” a group of them shouted back.
In his speech, Obama went on to contrast the kind words of House and
Senate Republican leaders with their increasingly strident opposition
to the stimulus package.
“We were complimented by Republicans saying, ‘This is a balanced
package . . . we’re pleasantly surprised,’” he said. “Suddenly, what
was a ‘balanced package’ is suddenly out of balance.”
As the Senate deliberated in Washington – and packed it in for the
night without finalizing a deal — Obama brushed pressed House Democrats
to finalize the bill "without delay" when it emerged from the upper
chamber.
"Let's think big right now," the president urged House Democrats. "Let's not think small."
Obama’s words bore only a vague resemblance to the prepared remarks the White House distributed to reporters as he began to speak. House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) said Obama appeared to ditch his TelePrompter about a third of the way through the speech.
“He went to his heart, I think he spoke from his heart,” Clyburn said. “He went back to being the Barack Obama that Americans fell in love with when they went to the polls.”
Despite the hero's welcome Obama got in Williamsburg, there remain some
skeptics of the plan within his own party. But if there was any tension
between Obama and the House Democrats, it was hard to see it in the
room. Before Obama spoke, House Democrats and their spouses posed for
cell phone photos with the president – and even with White House spokesman Robert Gibbs.
His chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel,
gobbling berries and cream in white shirtsleeves, rushed out of the
hall at one point, barking into his cell phone along the way as he wove
between tables packed with his former House colleagues.
When Obama finally spoke, he called Pelosi “a rock” and “the great speaker of the House.” And he said that House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey and other House chairmen had acted with “discipline” in passing their version of the stimulus bill.
And while Obama said Americans are looking for the parties to
work together on the stimulus, he said that it’s time to move past “the
false theories of the past,” including the notion that tax cuts could
cure all ills. In the process, he reminded the Democrats in the room –
and the Republicans back in Washington – that he won the election in
November.
“If you’re headed for a cliff, you’ve got to change direction,” Obama
said. “That’s what the American people called for in November, and
that’s what we intend to deliver.”
But Democrats have their work cut out for them if they are going to
approve the package without any GOP votes. As Obama circled the room
and posed for photos before he spoke, a person in the room spotted Phil
Schiliro, the president’s top legislative liaison, huddled in a tense
conversation with Obey, the principal author of the House — a reminder
that the bill still has a ways to go.
After the speech, Obama fielded a range of questions from Democrats in the room.
Hoping to keep jobs in his district, Georgia Rep. David Scott appealed to Obama to continue production of the F-22 fighter plane.
Responding to a question from Iowa Rep. Dave Loebsack, Obama said that Gen. David Petraeus and other Pentagon officials are reviewing the military situation in Afghanistan – and that he would emphasize diplomacy with Pakistan and articulate a clear strategy for the U.S. military there.
Among the many hurdles he faces, Obama must referee an emerging divide between the fiscal conservatives
in his party and those Democrats who want him to increase federal
funding for key domestic priorities like education and health care.
Responding to a question from Pennsylvania Rep. Chaka Fattah about that balance, Obama said, "We've inherited a mess. It's our job to clean it up."
But the president promised to begin with homeowners facing foreclosure,
telling the assembled Democrats that he would include money for
distressed households in the next installment of federal funding to
purchase distressed mortgage-related debt.
In his bid to overcome partisan gridlock, Obama promised the assembled Democrats that he and Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, the new chairman of the Democratic National Committee, would work together to mobilize voters on big issues, like energy and health care reform, utilizing the party's campaign committees in the process.
Rhode Island Rep. Jim Langevin, who hasn't been able to walk since he was 16, asked Obama if he would remove the executive ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. Yes, Obama replied, but only after he and congressional leaders figure out a way to prevent opponents from overturning it.
The president closed his remarks by telling lawmakers and their
families that he is "grateful and humbled" to be the leader of their
party – and he said his “greatest partner,” Pelosi, “delivers on
everything she promises.”
House hurries to pass economic stimulus bill
By LIZ SIDOTI
WASHINGTON (AP) - Moving with remarkable speed, the Democratic-controlled House lined up eagerly Wednesday to approve $819 billion in spending increases and tax cuts at the heart of President Barack Obama's economic recovery program. Republicans fought the bill as wasteful. "We don't have a moment to spare," Obama declared at the White House as Democrats hastened to do his bidding.
A mere eight days after Inauguration Day, Speaker Nancy Pelosi heralded a new era. "The ship of state is difficult to turn," said the California Democrat. "But that is what we must do. That is what President Obama called us to do in his inaugural address."
With unemployment at its highest level in a quarter-century, the banking industry wobbling despite the infusion of staggering sums of bailout money and states struggling with budget crises, Democrats said the legislation was desperately needed.
"Another week that we delay is another 100,000 or more people unemployed. I don't think we want that on our consciences," said Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and one of the leading architects of the legislation.
Republicans said the bill was short on tax cuts and contained too much spending, much of it wasteful and unlikely to help laid-off Americans.
The party's leader, Rep. John Boehner of Ohio, said the measure "won't create many jobs, but it will create plenty of programs and projects through slow-moving government spending."
The legislation includes an estimated $544 in federal spending and $275 billion in tax cuts for individuals and businesses.
Included is money for traditional job-creating programs such as highway construction and mass transit projects. But the measure tickets far more for unemployment benefits, health care and food stamp increases designed to aid victims of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s.
Tens of billions of additional dollars would go to the states, which confront the prospect of deep budget cuts of their own. That money marks an attempt to ease the recession's impact on schools and law enforcement. With funding for housing weatherization and other provisions, the bill also makes a down payment on Obama's campaign promise of creating jobs that can reduce the nation's dependence on foreign oil.
The centerpiece tax cut calls for a $500 break for single workers and $1,000 for couples, including those who don't earn enough to owe federal income taxes.
The House vote marked merely the first of several major milestones a for the legislation, which Democratic leaders have pledged to deliver to the White House for Obama's signature by mid-February.
Already a more bipartisan - and costlier - measure is taking shape in the Senate, and Obama personally pledged to House and Senate Republicans in closed-door meetings on Tuesday that he is ready to accept modifications as the legislation advances.
Rahm Emanuel, a former Illinois congressman who is Obama's chief of staff, invited nearly a dozen House Republicans to the White House late Tuesday for what one participant said was a soft sales job.
This lawmaker quoted Emanuel as telling the group that polling shows roughly 80 percent support for the legislation, and that Republicans oppose it at their political peril. The lawmaker spoke on condition of anonymity, saying there was no agreement to speak publicly about the session.
In fact, though, many Republicans in the House are virtually immune from Democratic challenges because of the makeup of their districts, and have more to fear from GOP primary challenges in 2010. As a result, they have relatively little political incentive to break with conservative orthodoxy and support hundreds of billions in new federal spending.
Also, some Republican lawmakers have said in recent days they know they will have a second chance to support a bill when the final House-Senate compromise emerges in a few weeks.
That gave an air of predictability to the proceedings in the House, as Democrats defended the legislation as an appropriate response to the specter of double-digit unemployment in the near future.
Rep. Randy Neugebauer, R-Texas, sought to strip out all the spending from the legislation before final passage, arguing that the entire cost of the bill would merely add to soaring federal deficits. "Where are we going to get the money," he asked.
Obey had a ready retort. "They don't look like Herbert Hoover, I guess, but there are an awful lot of people in this chamber who think like Herbert Hoover," he said, referring to the president whose term is forever linked in history with the Great Depression.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Moving with remarkable speed, the Democratic-controlled House lined up eagerly Wednesday to approve $819 billion in spending increases and tax cuts at the heart of President Barack Obama's economic recovery program. Republicans fought the bill as wasteful. "We don't have a moment to spare," Obama declared at the White House as Democrats hastened to do his bidding.
A mere eight days after Inauguration Day, Speaker Nancy Pelosi heralded a new era. "The ship of state is difficult to turn," said the California Democrat. "But that is what we must do. That is what President Obama called us to do in his inaugural address."
With unemployment at its highest level in a quarter-century, the banking industry wobbling despite the infusion of staggering sums of bailout money and states struggling with budget crises, Democrats said the legislation was desperately needed.
"Another week that we delay is another 100,000 or more people unemployed. I don't think we want that on our consciences," said Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and one of the leading architects of the legislation.
Republicans said the bill was short on tax cuts and contained too much spending, much of it wasteful and unlikely to help laid-off Americans.
The party's leader, Rep. John Boehner of Ohio, said the measure "won't create many jobs, but it will create plenty of programs and projects through slow-moving government spending."
The legislation includes an estimated $544 in federal spending and $275 billion in tax cuts for individuals and businesses.
Included is money for traditional job-creating programs such as highway construction and mass transit projects. But the measure tickets far more for unemployment benefits, health care and food stamp increases designed to aid victims of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s.
Tens of billions of additional dollars would go to the states, which confront the prospect of deep budget cuts of their own. That money marks an attempt to ease the recession's impact on schools and law enforcement. With funding for housing weatherization and other provisions, the bill also makes a down payment on Obama's campaign promise of creating jobs that can reduce the nation's dependence on foreign oil.
The centerpiece tax cut calls for a $500 break for single workers and $1,000 for couples, including those who don't earn enough to owe federal income taxes.
The House vote marked merely the first of several major milestones a for the legislation, which Democratic leaders have pledged to deliver to the White House for Obama's signature by mid-February.
Already a more bipartisan - and costlier - measure is taking shape in the Senate, and Obama personally pledged to House and Senate Republicans in closed-door meetings on Tuesday that he is ready to accept modifications as the legislation advances.
Rahm Emanuel, a former Illinois congressman who is Obama's chief of staff, invited nearly a dozen House Republicans to the White House late Tuesday for what one participant said was a soft sales job.
This lawmaker quoted Emanuel as telling the group that polling shows roughly 80 percent support for the legislation, and that Republicans oppose it at their political peril. The lawmaker spoke on condition of anonymity, saying there was no agreement to speak publicly about the session.
In fact, though, many Republicans in the House are virtually immune from Democratic challenges because of the makeup of their districts, and have more to fear from GOP primary challenges in 2010. As a result, they have relatively little political incentive to break with conservative orthodoxy and support hundreds of billions in new federal spending.
Also, some Republican lawmakers have said in recent days they know they will have a second chance to support a bill when the final House-Senate compromise emerges in a few weeks.
That gave an air of predictability to the proceedings in the House, as Democrats defended the legislation as an appropriate response to the specter of double-digit unemployment in the near future.
Rep. Randy Neugebauer, R-Texas, sought to strip out all the spending from the legislation before final passage, arguing that the entire cost of the bill would merely add to soaring federal deficits. "Where are we going to get the money," he asked.
Obey had a ready retort. "They don't look like Herbert Hoover, I guess, but there are an awful lot of people in this chamber who think like Herbert Hoover," he said, referring to the president whose term is forever linked in history with the Great Depression.
Obama: U.S. not your enemy
..
President Barack Obama
presented a humble and conciliatory face of America to the Islamic
world Monday in the first formal interview since he assumed office,
stressing his own Muslim ties and hopes for a Palestinian state, and
avoiding a belligerent tone — even when asked if America could "live
with" an Iranian nuclear weapon.
The interview with the Dubai-based Al-Arabiya Network was a dramatic piece of public diplomacy aimed at capitalizing on the new American president's international popularity, though it balanced America's traditional commitment to Israel, whose security Obama called "paramount.'
"I have Muslim members of my family. I have lived in Muslim countries,"
Obama said, according to a White House transcript. "My job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemy."
The Al Arabiya interview,
directed squarely at Muslims around the world, revived a vision of
personal, symbolic international change that was in the air when Obama
- with his far-flung family members, and complicated story - launched
his campaign. It was a vision, and an aspect of his story, that the
candidate buried when, in 2007, was forced to combat whispering campaigns about his own faith.
But by giving his first interview to the Arabic network, Obama signaled
his continuing belief in his personal power as a symbol of America
against the temptations of Islamic militancy. He even dismissed
"bankrupt" ideas and policies that don't improve children's health
care, jabbing at "nervous" Al Qaeda leaders in language that echoed his
campaign against George W. Bush.
The occasion for this interview was the departure of Obama's special envoy, George Mitchell, to the Middle East,
and a more aggressive and optimistic approach to that conflict than
some argued that the circumstances dictated. The president offered no
timeline for peace, but a firm view that a Palestinian state remains
within reach.
"What I told him is start by listening, because all too often the
United States starts by dictating — in the past on some of these issues
— and we don't always know all the factors that are involved," Obama
said. "What we want to do is to listen, set aside some of the
preconceptions that have existed and have built up over the last
several years. And I think if we do that, then there's a possibility at
least of achieving some breakthroughs."
Obama's interview was marked by attempts to sympathize with the
concerns of ordinary Muslims, particularly on the question of living
conditions in the West Bank. But he sought a conciliatory tone
throughout the interview, at one point avoiding even restating American
policy, and his own platform, than an Iranian nuclear weapon is plainly unacceptable.
"Will the United States ever live with a nuclear Iran? And if not, how far are you going in the direction of preventing it?" asked the interviewer, Al Arabiya Washington Bureau Chief Hisham Melhem.
Obama responded only generally, expressing disapproval of an Iranian
bomb but not the flat condemnation that is standard from American
officials.
"You know, I said during the campaign that it is very important for us
to make sure that we are using all the tools of U.S. power, including
diplomacy, in our relationship with Iran," he said. "Now, the Iranian
people are a great people, and Persian civilization
is a great civilization. Iran has acted in ways that's not conducive to
peace and prosperity in the region: their threats against Israel;
their pursuit of a nuclear weapon which could potentially set off an
arms race in the region that would make everybody less safe; their
support of terrorist organizations in the past -- none of these things
have been helpful."
During the campaign and transition periods, Obama's condemnations of an
Iranian nuclear weapon were more direct: "[T]heir development of nuclear weapons would be unacceptable," Obama said on Meet the Press on December 7.
A senior Obama aide said Monday night that Obama had not changed his views on Iran.
Obama also signaled a move away from President Bush's confrontational, generalizing language. Melhem noted to Obama that "President Bush framed the war on terror conceptually in a way that was very broad, 'war on terror,' and used sometimes certain terminology that the many people -- Islamic fascism. You've always framed it in a different way, specifically against one group called al Qaeda and their collaborators."
"I think that you're making a very important point. And that is that
the language we use matters," Obama replied. "[W]hat we need to
understand is, is that there are extremist organizations -- whether
Muslim or any other faith in the past -- that will use faith as a
justification for violence. We cannot paint with a broad brush a faith
as a consequence of the violence that is done in that faith's name.
"And so you will I think see our administration be very clear in
distinguishing between organizations like al Qaeda -- that espouse
violence, espouse terror and act on it -- and people who may disagree
with my administration and certain actions, or may have a particular
viewpoint in terms of how their countries should develop," he said. "We
can have legitimate disagreements but still be respectful. I cannot
respect terrorist organizations that would kill innocent civilians and
we will hunt them down."
Obama's shift Monday was one of tone, not of policy, and he also affirmed America's support for Israel.
"Israel is a strong ally of the United States. They will not stop being
a strong ally of the United States. And I will continue to believe that
Israel's security is paramount," he said. "But I also believe that
there are Israelis who recognize that it is important to achieve peace.
They will be willing to make sacrifices if the time is appropriate and
if there is serious partnership on the other side."
Obama's interview plan was made public only Monday afternoon, and the
interview, which concluded just after 6:00 p.m., was distributed to
reporters in the evening and embargoed for release at 11:00 p.m.
Asked why Al Arabiya
had been granted the president's first interview, and aide said: "We
want to communicate directly to the entire world America's new foreign
policy."
President Barack Obama
presented a humble and conciliatory face of America to the Islamic
world Monday in the first formal interview since he assumed office,
stressing his own Muslim ties and hopes for a Palestinian state, and
avoiding a belligerent tone — even when asked if America could "live
with" an Iranian nuclear weapon.
The interview with the Dubai-based Al-Arabiya Network was a dramatic piece of public diplomacy aimed at capitalizing on the new American president's international popularity, though it balanced America's traditional commitment to Israel, whose security Obama called "paramount.'
"I have Muslim members of my family. I have lived in Muslim countries,"
Obama said, according to a White House transcript. "My job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemy."
The Al Arabiya interview,
directed squarely at Muslims around the world, revived a vision of
personal, symbolic international change that was in the air when Obama
- with his far-flung family members, and complicated story - launched
his campaign. It was a vision, and an aspect of his story, that the
candidate buried when, in 2007, was forced to combat whispering campaigns about his own faith.
But by giving his first interview to the Arabic network, Obama signaled
his continuing belief in his personal power as a symbol of America
against the temptations of Islamic militancy. He even dismissed
"bankrupt" ideas and policies that don't improve children's health
care, jabbing at "nervous" Al Qaeda leaders in language that echoed his
campaign against George W. Bush.
The occasion for this interview was the departure of Obama's special envoy, George Mitchell, to the Middle East,
and a more aggressive and optimistic approach to that conflict than
some argued that the circumstances dictated. The president offered no
timeline for peace, but a firm view that a Palestinian state remains
within reach.
"What I told him is start by listening, because all too often the
United States starts by dictating — in the past on some of these issues
— and we don't always know all the factors that are involved," Obama
said. "What we want to do is to listen, set aside some of the
preconceptions that have existed and have built up over the last
several years. And I think if we do that, then there's a possibility at
least of achieving some breakthroughs."
Obama's interview was marked by attempts to sympathize with the
concerns of ordinary Muslims, particularly on the question of living
conditions in the West Bank. But he sought a conciliatory tone
throughout the interview, at one point avoiding even restating American
policy, and his own platform, than an Iranian nuclear weapon is plainly unacceptable.
"Will the United States ever live with a nuclear Iran? And if not, how far are you going in the direction of preventing it?" asked the interviewer, Al Arabiya Washington Bureau Chief Hisham Melhem.
Obama responded only generally, expressing disapproval of an Iranian
bomb but not the flat condemnation that is standard from American
officials.
"You know, I said during the campaign that it is very important for us
to make sure that we are using all the tools of U.S. power, including
diplomacy, in our relationship with Iran," he said. "Now, the Iranian
people are a great people, and Persian civilization
is a great civilization. Iran has acted in ways that's not conducive to
peace and prosperity in the region: their threats against Israel;
their pursuit of a nuclear weapon which could potentially set off an
arms race in the region that would make everybody less safe; their
support of terrorist organizations in the past -- none of these things
have been helpful."
During the campaign and transition periods, Obama's condemnations of an
Iranian nuclear weapon were more direct: "[T]heir development of nuclear weapons would be unacceptable," Obama said on Meet the Press on December 7.
A senior Obama aide said Monday night that Obama had not changed his views on Iran.
Obama also signaled a move away from President Bush's confrontational, generalizing language. Melhem noted to Obama that "President Bush framed the war on terror conceptually in a way that was very broad, 'war on terror,' and used sometimes certain terminology that the many people -- Islamic fascism. You've always framed it in a different way, specifically against one group called al Qaeda and their collaborators."
"I think that you're making a very important point. And that is that
the language we use matters," Obama replied. "[W]hat we need to
understand is, is that there are extremist organizations -- whether
Muslim or any other faith in the past -- that will use faith as a
justification for violence. We cannot paint with a broad brush a faith
as a consequence of the violence that is done in that faith's name.
"And so you will I think see our administration be very clear in
distinguishing between organizations like al Qaeda -- that espouse
violence, espouse terror and act on it -- and people who may disagree
with my administration and certain actions, or may have a particular
viewpoint in terms of how their countries should develop," he said. "We
can have legitimate disagreements but still be respectful. I cannot
respect terrorist organizations that would kill innocent civilians and
we will hunt them down."
Obama's shift Monday was one of tone, not of policy, and he also affirmed America's support for Israel.
"Israel is a strong ally of the United States. They will not stop being
a strong ally of the United States. And I will continue to believe that
Israel's security is paramount," he said. "But I also believe that
there are Israelis who recognize that it is important to achieve peace.
They will be willing to make sacrifices if the time is appropriate and
if there is serious partnership on the other side."
Obama's interview plan was made public only Monday afternoon, and the
interview, which concluded just after 6:00 p.m., was distributed to
reporters in the evening and embargoed for release at 11:00 p.m.
Asked why Al Arabiya
had been granted the president's first interview, and aide said: "We
want to communicate directly to the entire world America's new foreign
policy."
Senate panel approves Geithner for treasury post
..
WASHINGTON – The Senate Finance Committee on Thursday cleared the nomination of Timothy Geithner as treasury secretary despite unhappiness over his mistakes in paying his taxes.
The
committee approved the nomination on an 18-5 vote, sending it to the
full Senate for a vote which was expected to take place on Monday. President Barack Obama is hoping for quick approval so that the point man for the administration's economic rescue effort can begin work.
The
committee vote came a day after Geithner appeared before the panel to
apologize for what he called "careless mistakes" in failing to pay
$34,000 in taxes earlier in the decade, when he worked at the
International Monetary Fund.
Geithner paid the back taxes plus interest for the years 2003 and 2004 after being audited by the Internal Revenue Service.
But he did not pay taxes he owed for 2001 and 2002, even though he had
made the same mistakes for those years, until shortly before he was
nominated by Obama last November to be treasury secretary.
The nomination was expected to win approval by the full Senate, with many lawmakers saying that given the serious economic crisis facing the country, the new president deserved to have the services of a man of Geithner's abilities and experience.
Presidential press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters at the White House
that Obama was very pleased with the committee vote in support of
Geithner. He said Obama "will make decisions shortly" on the overhaul
of the financial rescue program to meet widespread objections.
Gibbs said the administration's changes would include restrictions to limit executive compensation
at banks receiving support from the government and stronger
requirements that banks use the government support to boost their
lending to households and businesses.
"The
president will do everything possible to prevent a financial
catastrophe, to ensure the working of the financial system, to get
credit and lending moving again," Gibbs said.
Geithner has been the head of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York for the past six years and was a key participant in decisions made by the Bush administration to deal with the worst financial crisis to hit the country since the Great Depression.
All five of the "no" votes on the committee came from Republicans, including the top GOP member of the panel, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa. Those voting no said that they did not believe Geithner had been candid in his answers on why he failed to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes. They said they viewed this as a serious error for an official who would head the agency that oversees the IRS.
"I am disappointed that we are even voting on this," said Sen. Michael Enzi,
R-Wyo. "In previous years, nominees who made less serious errors in
their taxes than this nominee have been forced to withdraw."
Even Democrats who voted for the nomination said they were disappointed in Geithner's actions.
Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., said that in normal times he would oppose Geithner but "these are not normal times."
The
committee acted on an expedited basis, voting shortly after Geithner
submitted to the panel 102 pages of answers to written questions
committee members had posed after Wednesday's hearing.
In
response to one of those questions, Geithner pledged that the Obama
administration would carry out reforms in the $700 billion financial
rescue program. The Bush administration was widely criticized for
distributing the first $350 billion from the fund with not enough
attention paid to ensuring that banks receiving the money would use it
to increase lending. Former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson
had earmarked $250 billion of the first $350 billion to go to
purchasing stock in banks as a way of bolstering their balance sheets.
In
answer to one of the committee's questions, Geithner said the new
administration planned to require that banks receiving government
support "provide detailed and timely information on their lending
patterns, broken down by category." Geithner said that public companies
will be required to report this information on a quarterly basis.
Last week, the Senate rejected an effort to block release of the second $350 billion from the rescue fund.
During
his testimony on Wednesday, Geithner said the new administration would
release a comprehensive plan within a few weeks providing details on
how it planned to combat the financial crisis and current recession, which is already the longest in a quarter century.
Geithner did not go into detail on what might be in that program but he
acknowledged that the administration is considering buying toxic assets
now weighing on the balance sheets of many banks.
In addition to deploying the second half of the $700 billion
bailout fund, the administration is pushing Congress to quickly pass an
$825 billion-plus economic stimulus program of tax cuts and increased government spending to jump-start the economy.
WASHINGTON – The Senate Finance Committee on Thursday cleared the nomination of Timothy Geithner as treasury secretary despite unhappiness over his mistakes in paying his taxes.
The
committee approved the nomination on an 18-5 vote, sending it to the
full Senate for a vote which was expected to take place on Monday. President Barack Obama is hoping for quick approval so that the point man for the administration's economic rescue effort can begin work.
The
committee vote came a day after Geithner appeared before the panel to
apologize for what he called "careless mistakes" in failing to pay
$34,000 in taxes earlier in the decade, when he worked at the
International Monetary Fund.
Geithner paid the back taxes plus interest for the years 2003 and 2004 after being audited by the Internal Revenue Service.
But he did not pay taxes he owed for 2001 and 2002, even though he had
made the same mistakes for those years, until shortly before he was
nominated by Obama last November to be treasury secretary.
The nomination was expected to win approval by the full Senate, with many lawmakers saying that given the serious economic crisis facing the country, the new president deserved to have the services of a man of Geithner's abilities and experience.
Presidential press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters at the White House
that Obama was very pleased with the committee vote in support of
Geithner. He said Obama "will make decisions shortly" on the overhaul
of the financial rescue program to meet widespread objections.
Gibbs said the administration's changes would include restrictions to limit executive compensation
at banks receiving support from the government and stronger
requirements that banks use the government support to boost their
lending to households and businesses.
"The
president will do everything possible to prevent a financial
catastrophe, to ensure the working of the financial system, to get
credit and lending moving again," Gibbs said.
Geithner has been the head of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York for the past six years and was a key participant in decisions made by the Bush administration to deal with the worst financial crisis to hit the country since the Great Depression.
All five of the "no" votes on the committee came from Republicans, including the top GOP member of the panel, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa. Those voting no said that they did not believe Geithner had been candid in his answers on why he failed to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes. They said they viewed this as a serious error for an official who would head the agency that oversees the IRS.
"I am disappointed that we are even voting on this," said Sen. Michael Enzi,
R-Wyo. "In previous years, nominees who made less serious errors in
their taxes than this nominee have been forced to withdraw."
Even Democrats who voted for the nomination said they were disappointed in Geithner's actions.
Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., said that in normal times he would oppose Geithner but "these are not normal times."
The
committee acted on an expedited basis, voting shortly after Geithner
submitted to the panel 102 pages of answers to written questions
committee members had posed after Wednesday's hearing.
In
response to one of those questions, Geithner pledged that the Obama
administration would carry out reforms in the $700 billion financial
rescue program. The Bush administration was widely criticized for
distributing the first $350 billion from the fund with not enough
attention paid to ensuring that banks receiving the money would use it
to increase lending. Former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson
had earmarked $250 billion of the first $350 billion to go to
purchasing stock in banks as a way of bolstering their balance sheets.
In
answer to one of the committee's questions, Geithner said the new
administration planned to require that banks receiving government
support "provide detailed and timely information on their lending
patterns, broken down by category." Geithner said that public companies
will be required to report this information on a quarterly basis.
Last week, the Senate rejected an effort to block release of the second $350 billion from the rescue fund.
During
his testimony on Wednesday, Geithner said the new administration would
release a comprehensive plan within a few weeks providing details on
how it planned to combat the financial crisis and current recession, which is already the longest in a quarter century.
Geithner did not go into detail on what might be in that program but he
acknowledged that the administration is considering buying toxic assets
now weighing on the balance sheets of many banks.
In addition to deploying the second half of the $700 billion
bailout fund, the administration is pushing Congress to quickly pass an
$825 billion-plus economic stimulus program of tax cuts and increased government spending to jump-start the economy.
PREZ ZINGS GOP FOE IN A $TIMULATING TALK
By CHARLES HURT, BUREAU CHIEF
countered: "There was a lot of agreement in that room about the notion
that we're facing an economic crisis unlike we've seen in quite some
time ... that we must act quickly to stimulate the economy, create
jobs, put money back in people's pockets."
Gibbs disagreed with those who called the meeting window dressing.
"The president is certainly going to listen to any ideas," he said.
"He will also go to Capitol Hill the beginning of next week to talk
to Republican caucuses and solicit their input and their ideas."
WASHINGTON -- President Obama warned Republicans on Capitol Hill today that they need to quit listening to radio king Rush Limbaugh if they want to get along with Democrats and the new administration.
"You can't just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done," he
told top GOP leaders, whom he had invited to the White House to discuss
his nearly $1 trillion stimulus package.
One White House official confirmed the comment but said he was simply trying to make a larger point about bipartisan efforts.
"There are big things that unify Republicans and Democrats," the
official said. "We shouldn't let partisan politics derail what are very
important things that need to get done."
That wasn't Obama's only jab at Republicans today.
In an exchange with Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) about the proposal,
the president shot back: "I won," according to aides briefed on the
meeting.
"I will trump you on that."
Not that Obama was gloating. He was just explaining that he aims to
get his way on stimulus package and all other legislation, sources
said, noting his unrivaled one-party control of both congressional
chambers.
"We are experiencing an unprecedented economic crisis that has to
be dealt with and dealt with rapidly," Obama said during the meeting.
Republicans say the $825 billion price tag is too big a burden for
a nation crippled by debt and that it doesn't do enough to stimulate
the economy by cutting taxes.
"You know, I'm concerned about the size of the
package. And I'm concerned about some of the spending that's in there,
[about] ... how you can spend hundreds of millions on contraceptives,"
House GOP Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) later said.
"How does that stimulate the economy?"
countered: "There was a lot of agreement in that room about the notion
that we're facing an economic crisis unlike we've seen in quite some
time ... that we must act quickly to stimulate the economy, create
jobs, put money back in people's pockets."
Gibbs disagreed with those who called the meeting window dressing.
"The president is certainly going to listen to any ideas," he said.
"He will also go to Capitol Hill the beginning of next week to talk
to Republican caucuses and solicit their input and their ideas."
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