Senate WatchIs “13” our lucky number? OR does it now turn every day into “Friday?”By Carolyn CormeyS.Con.Res.13, also known as the Congressional Budget for fiscal year 2010, has now been passed. We are all now sitting on the sidelines trying to decide if “13” will be our lucky number or the harbinger of the days ahead, all becoming “Friday the 13th.” At this point, it is impossible to locate even an agreed upon estimate of the total number of dollars that will be spent by our Congress in the 2010 Budget . . . . let alone the costs of continuing the spending programs that this Budget begins (plus other spending programs that began in the recently passed Stimulus Bill, HR-1). These new spending programs will have to be funded by increased federal budgets in the years to come. How much money are our Legislators obligating us to pay? - Nobody seems to know but there is one fact that is agreed on . . . . . the dollars we are spending . . . are huge, staggering! We can get a little indication of what we are looking at by reading the CRS Summary of S.Con.Res.13 on the www.thomas.gov website; Section 316, under Subtitle B: Other Provisions: “Declares that the levels assumed in this budget resolution: (1) allow the gross federal debt of the nation to rise by $4.960 trillion from FY2009 to FY2014; (2) allow such debt to rise by $16,200 on every U.S. citizen from FY2009 to FY2014; and (3) project $700 billion of the Social Security surplus that will be spent over FY2010 – FY2014.” (Hmmmm, do you think that this means that this budget will place $16,200 in ADDITIONAL, new debt on you, me, each of your children and each of your grandchildren OR do you think that this means that the $16,200 represents the total of all combined national debt, when attributed to each citizen? Well – I guess this depends on what you think the meaning of “RISE”. . . is). How Much is Too Much? - Dr. Adrian Rogers: 1931 – 2005: “You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.” Much is Just The Beginning of More - because, of course, our legislators live in another reality on Planet DC where they know best how to take care of us and spend our money. After all, they there are political agendas to drive, welfare programs to enlarge, Special Interest Groups to please - so that when our Legislators do put limitations and caps on their expenditures of our money, they always give themselves plenty of wiggle-room to get around them. With a single political party in control of the House and in control of 60 Senate votes, if more money is needed to finance huge agenda-programs, the Senate can simply spend more, increase the cap on the per-citizen debt, take more from Social Security surplus, print more money and raise the national debt to whatever level they wish . . . to whatever level the Silent Majority allows them to, by remaining silent. Are these the “Line by Line” elimination of un-necessary expenditures we were promised? - Monday, one day after North Korea launched their missile; the Obama Administration announced their plans to drastically cut the Missile Defense Budget down to about 9 Billion Dollars. Only 3 more Raptor F-22s will be built, the Airborne Laser program will be nearly eliminated and the funds for ground base interceptor missiles in Alaska will also be severely cut back. Our Florida Senators Votes: - S.Con.Res.13, the 2010 Budget Bill passed with the votes of 55 Democrat Senators, including our Florida Senator Bill Nelson. All Republican Senators, including our Florida Senator Mel Martinez, plus two Democrat Senators, (Evan Bayh and Ben Nelson), voted against the passage of “13.” While we wait to learn the details, ramifications and costs of agenda-spending included into this mammoth Budget Bill, we can learn some things about our two Florida US Senators by the way they voted on the various amendment proposals to the Budget Bill, “13.” SA-739: Senator Nelson against / Martinez for: “To prohibit the consideration of any budget resolution or amendment thereto, or conference report, thereon, that shows an increase in the public debt for the period of the current fiscal year through the next 10 years, equal to or greater than the debt accumulated from 1789 to January 20, 2009. The amendment was rejected. SA-803: Senator Nelson for / Martinez for: “To protect charitable giving by ensuring that organizations that provide important religious, educational, cultural, health care, and environmental services are not negatively impacted by changes to the Federal income tax deduction for charitable donations. YOUR CALLS AND EMAILS MATTERED! Almost every Senator in both parties voted to pass this amendment! SA-828: Senator Nelson against / Martinez for: “To protect the freedom of conscience for patients and the right of health care providers to serve patients without violating their moral and religious convictions.” The amendment was rejected. SA-934: Senator Nelson against / Martinez for: “To increase transparency by requiring five days of public review of legislation before passage by the Senate.” The amendment did not get the 60 votes necessary to pass it. SA-969: Senator Nelson against / Martinez against: “To provide for a point of order against any appropriations bill that fails to fully fund the construction of the Southwest border fence. The amendment failed to get the 60 votes necessary to amend it to the Budget Bill. (Martinez was one of only 4 Republicans who voted against it). These were just a few of the amendments that were voted on. All of them can be found by going to www.senate.gov , click on “Legislation and Records,” then click on “votes,” then scroll down and click on the word “more” . . . if you still want to read more of them! You can find a lot of current information and links on www.c-span.org . How much debt is too much debt for our Legislators to obligate us to? - Make calls, send emails and faxes to your Senators and Congressman. Our Senators were influenced (or scared) into voting against the government seizing our money to support the charities and outreaches they approve by reducing the tax deductions on the money we give to support the charities and outreach WE CHOOSE. A lot happens when the Silent Majority refuses to no longer maintain silence. Let them know your concerns www.contactingthecongress.org
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