Brandon

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Washington in CHRISTmas Rush: Presents for Everyone!

The Senate is in session today with a wave of legislation up for final votes before they adjourn for CHRISTmas. A few highlights:

  • Vice President Cheney cut short a trip to Iraq and Pakistan to cast the tie breaking vote on a domestic spending bill that would reduce the growth in costs of those programs by less than $40 Billion, out of projected budgets of $TEN TRILLION$$$$$$ during the same period. $$$TEN TRILLION$$$ in projected spending and Congress can only slow the growth by $40 Billion? Merry Christmas to all the big government socialists (who would probably prefer the secular: Happy Winter Solstice)
  • A vote on the Defense Authorization bill is being held up by a filibuster of Senators opposed to drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Two Republicans, Michael Dewine of Ohio and Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island joined the Democrats to block this plan that is widely supported by Alaskans. Money for Katrina reconstruction, also part of this bill is being held up as well.
  • Democrats who complained that the current Patriot Act imposed too much on civil liberties are now demanding it be extended for a three months. That would bring it into the heart of the 2006 elections where the issue would be even more politicized. I would urge the GOP Senators to agree to an extension, but extend the act a year or more. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff had a press conference today where he asked why Congress would approve roving wiretaps on drug dealers but not on suspected terrorists? Interesting question considering that drug dealers have been part of the Democrat fund raising machine.

The House of Representatives is standing by to vote on final approval of anything sensible to emerge from the Senate. The clock is running and you know that these elected officials would rather be home with their families and constituents. The House has been quietly doing their work, and seem to show a more professional attitude than their Senate colleagues.

House Passes Resolution for VICTORY in Iraq: Who Knew?

If I had not read this tidbit at Crush Liberalism I would never have known:

The day after the historic election of the first freely elected government in the Middle East, the House of Representatives passed House Resolution 612 which states in part:

Whereas the Iraqi election of December 15, 2005, the first to take place under the newly ratified Iraqi Constitution, represented a crucial success in the establishment of a democratic, constitutional order in Iraq; and Whereas Iraqis, who by the millions defied terrorist threats to vote, were protected by Iraqi security forces with the help of United States and Coalition forces: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That--
(1) the House of Representatives is committed to achieving victory in Iraq;

...4) the successful Iraqi election of December 15, 2005, required the presence of United States Armed Forces, United States-trained Iraqi forces, and Coalition forces;
(5) the continued presence of United States Armed Forces in Iraq will be required only until Iraqi forces can stand up so our forces can stand down, and no longer than is required for that purpose;
(6) setting an artificial timetable for the withdrawal of United States Armed Forces from Iraq, or immediately terminating their deployment in Iraq and redeploying them elsewhere in the region, is fundamentally inconsistent with achieving victory in Iraq;

...(8) the House of Representatives has unshakable confidence that, with the support of the American people and the Congress, United States Armed Forces, along with Iraqi and Coalition forces, shall achieve victory in Iraq.

59 Democrats joined all 220 Republicans voting YES for VICTORY!108 Defeaticrats could not even bring themselves to vote for VICTORY! Mark their names down.

Did any of my readers other than Jonathon at Crush Liberalism see this vote reported in the lamestream media? On the day the vote took place, it was total hysteria about how rotten it is that President Bush is using the very same authority that Presidents Carter, Reagan, Bush "41," and Clinton used to protect national security in times of relative peace.

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