Stimulus Stuff

Stimulus Law Does Not Require All Americans to Enter Their Medical Records Into National System, Dems Say
(CNSNews.com) – Two top House Democrats told CNSNews.com on Friday that a section in the $787-billion economic stimulus bill that requires the creation of “electronic health records for each person in the United States by 2014” does not mean that the medical records of every American must be included in the system. “You mean that everyone has to be in the database?” House Health Subcommittee Chairman Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) said when CNSNews.com asked him if the provision was mandatory. “I don’t think so.”

‘Exceptions’ in Stimulus Bill Allow Sale of Health Records
(CNSNews.com) – It could become easier to sell and exchange the health information of Americans under the economic stimulus package that awaits President Barack Obama’s signature on Tuesday. Although the legislation says there is a “prohibition on sale of electronic health records or protected health information,” there are five pages of exceptions to the prohibition, including research, treatment of an individual, or a decision by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to wave the prohibition.

Final Stimulus Bill Totals 1,071 Pages: Includes Money for Lunch, Preschool, and ‘Summer Jobs for Youth’
(CNSNews.com) – The stimulus spending bill passed by Congress Friday contains massive new spending for free school lunches, the Head Start program, and the postponed digital television transition. The 1,071-page bill was published late Thursday evening. Some of the bill’s other provisions include: $140 million for volcano monitoring systems; $1.6 billion to the Department of Energy for undefined “Science”; and $2.5 billion to provide high-speed Internet to rural Americans.

From Congressman Tom Price, GA: Spending Bill Passes, Fight for Serious Long-Term Solutions Continues

Last week, Congress passed a massive $800 billion borrow-and-spend package, fittingly, on Friday the 13th. It was truly a sad day for those who care about fiscal responsibility. Instead of making the American people a priority, partisans in Washington made their agenda a top priority. While the country is looking for a real solution, all Congress could deliver was the largest spending bill in American history.

One of the most startling provisions of the package is one that has not received nearly enough attention – the groundwork for government-run health care. The Majority chose to use an economic crisis to advance a political agenda. Now that this legislation is in place, it is more important than ever to make sure that the patient-physician relationship is not destroyed in the name of more government intervention.

Of course, it might have been easy for some members of Congress to miss these health care provisions. After all, the bill is over 1,000 pages long, and Congress had less than 15 hours to review it. Without even a chance for any Member to read the bill, Congress passed it and handed off another trillion dollars worth of debt to our children and grandchildren. Without question, the so-called “stimulus” was poorly handled in every way – from overt partisanship to shoddy procedure to irresponsible policy.

While this mega-spending bill seriously hinders our ability to restore America’s prosperity, it is important to keep working toward serious long-term solutions. Though I know the bill is wrong, I will fight to make sure that Congress fulfills its obligation to oversee how these funds are used. Moving forward, both sides must come together to produce solutions that foster real economic growth and limit government spending, so that America may once again thrive.

From Americans for Prosperity

By the way, today when the President says this is a carefully drawn, fiscally responsible bill consider what is in the final legislation:

- Billions in outright pork and wasteful spending:
$300 million for buying cars for federal bureaucrats;
$3.7 billion for something called “green research” on military bases;
$50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts;
$2 billion for “neighborhood stabilization” to radical groups like ACORN;
$1.3 billion for Amtrak;
$10 million for"urban canals"(I'm not making this up); etc.

- The Road to Government Run Health Care
$1.1 billion for “comparative effectiveness research” that will establish a federal government board to begin rationing health care by having bureaucrats deciding which medical treatments will be appropriate for which Americans. (Page 52 of final conference report)

- Overturning the Historic Welfare Reform of 1996
$264 billion for direct welfare payments while overturning the historic welfare reform of 1996.The Pelos\Reid\Obama bill will reward states with federal welfare funds based on the number of people they put on their welfare rolls – a perverse incentive that will in effect give states “bonuses” for adding more people to welfare rolls AND work requirements are ignored in this legislation.

- $53.6 billion for a "state stabilization fund" otherwise known as a slush fund
This massive infusion of our tax dollars is designed to alleviate the need for genuine budget reform and cutting at the state level.

So, when you hear folks saying this Pelosi\Reid\Obama "stimulus" bill was a "compromise" that cut waste to the bone while focusing only on "shovel ready" priorities, call them on it!

Stimulus Stories

Democrats Have Mixed Opinions on Borrowing Money From China to Pay for Stimulus(CNSNews.com) – House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said he is concerned about the fact that much of the money for the $800-billion-plus stimulus bill must be borrowed from foreign sources, including China. But another top Democrat, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.), told CNSNews.com that he doesn’t see “a problem” in the U.S. borrowing money from China for the stimulus.

-

Obama woos GOP sens. one at a time
By Alexander Bolton
President Obama is lobbying Republican senators personally on his economic stimulus package, which failed to attract a single GOP vote in the House. READ MORE

-

Senate Lacks Votes to Pass Stimulus: Democrats Trying to Trim$900 Billion Plan to Gain GOP Support (By Shailagh Murray and Paul Kane)

-

White House Cheat Sheet: Polling the Stimulus

-

NYT: Both Parties Move to Aid Homeowners

-

AP: Obama economic recovery plan tops $900B, could go higher if homebuyer tax break sweetened

-

Obama Pushes Recovery Package to Some Skeptical Senate Democrats
White House (CNSNews.com) – President Barack Obama met with Senate Democrats at the White House Monday, as the near $900-billion economic stimulus package appeared to be less of a sure thing than it was one week ago. Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) has expressed reservations about spending in the bill as too much pork, and he may not be the only member of his party with those concerns, said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

-

Some relief ahead for troubled US mortgagesAs more than 5 million Americans fall behind, banks signal new willingness to reduce principal.
http://www.elabs5.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=o1l,47vl,er,ddx2,ipox,mbr4,k497

-

Which stimulus is better: tax cuts or spending?Some analysts say government spending is more reliable because consumers often pocket tax breaks.
http://www.elabs5.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=o1l,47vl,er,ea2c,gapd,mbr4,k497

-

McCain Circulates Stimulus Petition to Supporters By Tracey Todd
For the first time since November, former Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) sent an e-mail to his list campaign's list of supporters. His message: oppose the stimulus. VIEW NOW

-

Congress to Find Out Where $350 Billion in Bailout Money Went, Say Democrats(CNSNews.com) - Since Congress passed the Troubled Asset Relief Program last year, many banks that received cash infusions from the Treasury Department’s first $350 billion installment have declined to tell Congress or the American people exactly how they spent the funds. Democratic leaders in the House now say they are pressing for greater accountability.

-

The cheap stimulus option: Stop hyping bad economic newsIs the media reporting the recession - or worsening it?
http://www.elabs5.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=o1l,47vl,er,aviz,3acz,mbr4,k497

More reasons NOT to like the "stimulus" package from FRC

#TCOT - A Day Late and a Trillion Dollars Short

According to Gallup, the only thing growing faster than America's debt is popular displeasure with Obama's stimulus plan. Although a slim majority of voters approved of the idea last week (52%), confidence in the package is plunging--and fast. Today, according to the Gallup poll, only 38 percent of respondents said they support the pork and payoff bill, and most are doubtful that creating 32 new government programs will help the economy this year--if ever.

Perhaps they, like us, are concerned by President Obama's statement yesterday. "Once it's passed, you will be able to see how every penny in this plan is being spent."

By then, Mr. President, it will be too late!

For an idea of just how much this boondoggle basket will cost compared to past government expenses, Bianco Research did some number crunching. Not one of the following projects came remotely close to topping Obama's $1.1 trillion stimulus plan.

Marshall Plan: Cost: $12.7 billion (adjustment for inflation $115.3 billion)
Louisiana Purchase: Cost: $15 million (adjustment for inflation $217 billion)
Race to the Moon: Cost: $36.4 billion (adjustment for inflation $237 billion)
Korean War: Cost: $54 billion (adjustment for inflation $454 billion)
The New Deal: Cost: $32 billion (estimated), (adjustment for inflation $500 billion, approximately)
Invasion of Iraq: Cost: $551 billion (adjustment for inflation $597 billion)
Vietnam War: Cost: $111 billion (adjustment for inflation $698 billion)

A new post on the FRC Blog itemizes what a trillion dollars could buy, with help from the book What We Could Have Done with the Money.

Instead of giving tax breaks to Hollywood or sponsoring transgender beauty pageants, Congress could give every man, woman, and child in the U.S. a check for $3,400. Now that's real economic stimulus!

Additional Resources FRC Blog: What Would You Buy with a Trillion Dollars?

www.frc.org

Our Military is the ONE thing that IS working in this country...

We have a fantastic military. We're at war. We have terrorists breathing down our necks (or actually, they're fitting the nooses around our necks). It is absolutely crazy for Mr. Obama to ask the military to cut spending right now.

Here's more from the P.U.M.A. article I just posted:

Incidentally, as senseless as it is to cut defense spending by $55 billion while we are at war, what is more senseless is to push for passage of a “stimulus bill” which includes $314 billion in NEW spending that has squat to do with defense or security… (Director Blue)

• $83 billion in welfare payments (the earned income credit for people who don’t pay income tax)
• $81 billion for Medicaid
• $66 billion on “education”, more than the entire Department of Education required just ten years ago
• $36 billion for expanded unemployment benefits
• $20 billion for food stamps
• $8 billion on “renewable energy” projects, which have a low or negative return
• $7 billion for “modernizing federal buildings and facilities”
• $6 billion on urban transit systems, dominated by unions and which, almost universally, lose money
• $2.4 billion for “carbon-capture demonstration projects”
• $2 billion for child-care subsidies
• $1 billion for Amtrak, the federal railroad that’s run in the red for 40 years
• $650 million for “digital TV conversion coupons” (on top of billions already spent)
• $600 million on new cars for government (added to the $3 billion already spent each year)
• $400 million for “global-warming research”
• $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts
http://www.puma08.com/2009/01/31/as-promised-obama-intends-to-disarm-america-orders-10-cut-in-defense-budget/