Governent Shutdown. Who’s Serious Now? Federal Budget Ax Hits Homeless Veterans, Spares NASCAR? My eyes always cringe at the sight of a homeless veteran.
As I know the pains of war firsthand, it breaks my heart to see that people who have sacrificed so much for my freedom are suffering to such a degree. But it's comforting to know that groups like the American Legion Homeless Veterans Housing Project in Jewett City, Conn., have been renovating old buildings and turning them into shelters for veterans for quite some time. They've raised millions of dollars from private businesses and caring citizens. The federal government has even said it would chip in the monthly rent of $875 for 15 veterans each year and provide additional funds for construction. Unfortunately, in the recent round of intense budget cuts in Congress, this small funding for the homeless-shelter project was slashed, along with a total of $75 million in homeless-veteran benefits.
Michael's dad was once in the Special Forces in Vietnam, and there was a distance between them for some time. Broken Promises: The House GOP Breaks Several Of Its Own Pledges On First Day In Power. Two House Republicans Missed Swearing In While At A Fundraiser In The Capitol, Violating Constitution On Day It Was Read. WASHINGTON -- Two House Republicans have cast votes as members of the 112th Congress, but were not sworn in on Wednesday, a violation of the Constitution on the same day that the GOP had the document read from the podium.
The Republicans, incumbent Pete Sessions of Texas and freshman Mike Fitzpatrick, missed the swearing in because they were at a fundraiser in the Capitol Visitors Center. The pair watched the swearing-in on television from the Capitol Visitors Center with their hands raised. "That wasn't planned. It just worked out that way," said Fitzpatrick at the time, according to local press on hand, which noted that he "happened to be introducing Texas Congressman Pete Sessions while glad-handing his supporters in the Capitol Visitor Center that he secured for them when the House swearing in began.
" Obama admin. plans defense cuts that nearly top GOP’s entire first-year austerity pledge. By David EdwardsThursday, January 6, 2011 15:55 EDT Defense Secretary Robert Gates surprised lawmakers Thursday by announcing that the Pentagon would cut spending by $78 billion over the next five years.
The cuts will force the Army and Marine Corps to reduce the number of troops on active duty and eventually freeze military spending for the first time since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Boehner: Transparency In House Subject To My Discretion. How "open" will House Speaker John Boehner's (R-OH) more-open House of Representatives be?
That's up to John Boehner. At his first press conference as House Speaker Thursday morning, Boehner cautioned that the implementation of the GOP's transparency promise will be left to his discretion. That includes the Repeal of the Job Killing Health Care Law Act -- which will be expedited to the floor without amendment, and will ignore CBO's warning that it will significantly increase the deficit. "I do not believe that repealing the job-killing health care law will increase the deficit," Boehner said. "CBO's entitled to their opinion, but they're locked within constraints of the 1974 Budget Act.
" "CBO can only provide a score based on the assumptions that were given to them," Boehner said. How The New Republican Majority Plans To Govern As If With A Mandate. In an ornate meeting room, tucked away one floor above what used to be Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office, incoming House Majority Leader Eric Cantor Tuesday faced a skeptical pack of reporters, all of whom wanted to know exactly how the GOP plans to run the House.
The questions were largely specific: Will they adhere to their pledge to run the House more transparently? Will they follow their own deficit reduction rules? If Republicans want to cut spending, what spending do they have in mind? But underlying all of these queries was a broader question: Will Republicans govern as if they have a broad mandate? G.O.P. Aims Smaller For Cuts To Budget.