Since this information last came out, there have been a whole bunch of people backing away from the reconciliation bill that Republicans are trying to push through, since we outwaited them on funding ICE/CBP, and therefore part of DHS. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to have any restraints included in it, so nothing will change even though we did wait them out. ICE/CBP are out of control, and apparently will stay that way. My regards to Raw Story:
Critics immediately condemned the $1 billion request related to the White House ballroom project included in Senate Republicans’ $72 billion spending package unveiled earlier this week and, as of Friday, a growing number of Republican lawmakers have joined in damning the proposal as being “too politically toxic,” Punchbowl News reported.
“A first-year poli sci major would know not to ask members to take this vote and we hope the speaker does too,” said one House Republican, speaking with Punchbowl News on the condition of anonymity.
Late Monday night, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) unveiled the $72 billion spending package designed to fund two federal immigration enforcement agencies – $38.2 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and $26 billion for Customs and Border Protection – which have been largely unfunded since mid-February.
They may have been unfunded, but the paychecks got paid because they had the money from the BUB to do it, BUB being the Big Ugly Bill. This spending package will almost certainly add to the deficit. What the heck do they need more money for? Sheesh, the BUB has a gazillion dollars poured into it for them.
Included in that spending package was a $1 billion ask for “security adjustments and upgrades” related to President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom project, which the president has long claimed would not be funded using taxpayer dollars.
Critics immediately pounced on the proposal, and as of Friday, both Republican representatives and senators joined their ranks in scrutinizing the request – albeit, “privately” behind closed doors, Punchbowl News reported.
Have we not known from the get-go that we would be paying for that monstrosity? Getting private donations when the price tag keeps increasing? Yea no. He was going to figure out a way to have taxpayers foot the bill. This was not a surprise except for how long the news took to come out. There are going to be about a ton of angry Americans if this goes through. 1 billion for the damn ballroom.
“There is no way in hell that this will get 218 votes on the floor,” another House Republican told Punchbowl News, also under the condition of anonymity.
The inclusion of the $1 billion request, Punchbowl News reported, places the entire $72 billion spending package at risk given House Republicans’ thin majority in Congress’ lower chamber. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) demanded that those supporting the $1 billion request make “the case for why the proposed funding is necessary,” and Rep. Kevin Kiley (I-CA), who switched his party affiliation from Republican to independent earlier this year, called the request “problematic.”
“The idea of just having this funded all at once with very little process, very little scrutiny, very little explanation as to what the funds are going to be going toward, how this benefits our country or national security or taxpayers — I think that’s problematic,” he told Punchbowl News.
Darn right it is! There has been no information except what we have here in the piece right now. There are no other details. It’s a trainwreck. Right off the top, our people should have been screaming to high heaven about this ask. We can hope they did. Boosting the deficit. As if it needs to be boosted. Money for the most out-of-control people in this country without any breakdown. And I seem to recall that they’re adding even *more* people to ICE/CBP. This is ridiculous, Trump’s own Gestapo. That won’t end well.
[Apologies for the graininess of the title picture, but it was too perfect.]
See you soon!
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It’s like when Mexico was going to pay for the wall. The same BS all over again.