By Susan Cornwell
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A senior U.S. lawmaker said on Friday that he would hold a hearing on whether President George W. Bush had undermined a new law designed to promote divestment from Sudan by expressing reservations about it as he signed it.
Rep. Barney Frank said the February 8 hearing will focus on the "negative implications" of the statement Bush issued late last year, as he signed the new law allowing state and local governments to divest from companies doing business with Sudan.
In a document called a "signing statement," Bush expressed concerns that the law could interfere with his right to direct foreign policy, and said he would not allow it to do so.
"As the Constitution vests the exclusive authority to conduct foreign relations with the federal government, the executive branch shall construe and enforce this legislation in a manner that does not conflict with that authority," Bush said in the statement.
The February 8 hearing will be held by the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee, which Frank chairs. Frank plans to call witnesses from the grass-roots organizations that had sought the legislation.
"We will have people from the (Save) Darfur movement, who will say, he's undercutting the very reason we wanted the bill," Frank, a Massachusetts Democrat, told Reuters.
The legislation was aimed at pressuring Sudan to end the violence in the Darfur region, where 200,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million displaced in a four-year conflict that Bush calls a genocide.
Some 20 U.S. states have initiated divestment efforts because of the conflict. But the effort in Illinois was challenged in court, so the new law seeks to provide a legal framework for state and local governments, mutual funds and pension funds to divest from companies involved in Sudan's oil, mining, power and arms industries.
"The purpose (of the law) is to tell people they can go ahead and divest, without fear of being sued," Frank said.
But, he said, if Bush reserves the right to overrule the law, people will still be afraid to divest in companies that do business with Sudan.
Bush has frequently used signing statements to express reservations about laws. Some of his critics have argued that he has used them to expand presidential powers.
U.S. companies are generally barred from investing in Sudan already, so the divestment mostly affects foreign companies.
The Save Darfur Coalition, an alliance of more than 180 faith-based, advocacy and human rights organizations, has asked investors to divest their holdings in companies such as Malaysia's state-owned Petronas, India's Oil and Natural Gas Corp Ltd, and PetroChina Co Ltd, whose parent company, China National Petroleum Corp, is helping Sudan drill for oil.
© Reuters 2008. All Rights Reserved. | Learn more about Reuters
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Friday, February 1, 2008
Bush Signals Troop Level May Stay Stable
By Michael Abramowitz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, February 1, 2008; Page A05
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 31 -- President Bush asserted Thursday that he would not be pressured into making further troop cuts in Iraq beyond the five combat brigades already scheduled to come home by the middle of the summer.
"We have come too far in this important theater, in this war on terror, not to make sure that we succeed," Bush told a friendly audience at an event sponsored by a conservative think tank. "I will be making decisions based upon success in Iraq. The temptation, of course, is for people to, you know, say, 'Well, make sure you do the politically right thing.' That's not my nature. That's not exactly what we're going to do."
The comments were the latest indication from the administration that it may keep the number of troops in Iraq at roughly the same level they were before last year's buildup of U.S. forces, possibly through the end of Bush's presidency. Under existing plans, the levels are gradually falling about 5,000 troops a month, from roughly 160,000 to 130,000 by July -- or approximately where they stood before Bush sent reinforcements to Iraq seeking to curtail spiraling sectarian violence.
Last fall, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates suggested that troop levels could continue falling, reaching 100,000 by 2009. But U.S. commanders in Iraq have suggested they would like to see a pause to determine whether recent security gains have taken root, and in recent statements -- such as his comments here -- Bush has indicated that he looks favorably upon such an approach.
The continuing signs that there will be a sizable U.S. troop presence in Iraq beyond the Bush presidency is becoming an increasing source of consternation for Capitol Hill Democrats, who have complained of recent steps from the White House to forge a long-term U.S. plan for Iraq.
"Presidents in the past such as Dwight Eisenhower knew that success meant creating a proper diplomatic environment in order to end a nation's military involvement," Sen. James Webb (D-Va.) said Thursday in response to the president's comments. "We are emphatically not seeing that kind of leadership from George W. Bush."
Democrats have criticized White House plans to forge a long-term security accord with the Iraq government, saying Bush wants to tie the hands of the next president -- a characterization the White House sharply disputes.
Democratic lawmakers have also complained about the "signing statement" Bush issued Monday in signing the defense authorization bill, in which the president suggested he might ignore language that bars funding for permanent U.S. bases in Iraq as well as U.S. control over Iraqi oil resources.
White House officials said their primary concern was that the bill's language regarding oil revenue could theoretically inhibit them from protecting Iraqi oil fields should that become necessary. "The bottom line is this: We do not need and we will not seek permanent bases in Iraq," said White House spokeswoman Dana Perino. "This is our policy and has always been our policy."
In statements this week, lawmakers castigated Bush for his latest signing statement. "The suggestion that he may disregard a law overwhelmingly approved by Congress, coupled with the president's intent to sign a long-term agreement obligating the United States to defend the Iraqi government from internal and external threats, only reaffirms to Americans that there is no end in sight to the war in Iraq," said Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Bush was in Las Vegas to continue three days of fundraising for the Republican Party and to highlight his recent State of the Union message. He also addressed the criticism that improvements in Iraqi security over the past year have not produced a corresponding political reconciliation, noting the recent passage of a law allowing former Baathists to return to government service, Iraqi work on developing a budget and the sharing of oil revenue throughout the country.
"You're watching a democracy evolve," Bush said.
"And it's important that we help them."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/31/AR2008013102420.html
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, February 1, 2008; Page A05
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 31 -- President Bush asserted Thursday that he would not be pressured into making further troop cuts in Iraq beyond the five combat brigades already scheduled to come home by the middle of the summer.
"We have come too far in this important theater, in this war on terror, not to make sure that we succeed," Bush told a friendly audience at an event sponsored by a conservative think tank. "I will be making decisions based upon success in Iraq. The temptation, of course, is for people to, you know, say, 'Well, make sure you do the politically right thing.' That's not my nature. That's not exactly what we're going to do."
The comments were the latest indication from the administration that it may keep the number of troops in Iraq at roughly the same level they were before last year's buildup of U.S. forces, possibly through the end of Bush's presidency. Under existing plans, the levels are gradually falling about 5,000 troops a month, from roughly 160,000 to 130,000 by July -- or approximately where they stood before Bush sent reinforcements to Iraq seeking to curtail spiraling sectarian violence.
Last fall, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates suggested that troop levels could continue falling, reaching 100,000 by 2009. But U.S. commanders in Iraq have suggested they would like to see a pause to determine whether recent security gains have taken root, and in recent statements -- such as his comments here -- Bush has indicated that he looks favorably upon such an approach.
The continuing signs that there will be a sizable U.S. troop presence in Iraq beyond the Bush presidency is becoming an increasing source of consternation for Capitol Hill Democrats, who have complained of recent steps from the White House to forge a long-term U.S. plan for Iraq.
"Presidents in the past such as Dwight Eisenhower knew that success meant creating a proper diplomatic environment in order to end a nation's military involvement," Sen. James Webb (D-Va.) said Thursday in response to the president's comments. "We are emphatically not seeing that kind of leadership from George W. Bush."
Democrats have criticized White House plans to forge a long-term security accord with the Iraq government, saying Bush wants to tie the hands of the next president -- a characterization the White House sharply disputes.
Democratic lawmakers have also complained about the "signing statement" Bush issued Monday in signing the defense authorization bill, in which the president suggested he might ignore language that bars funding for permanent U.S. bases in Iraq as well as U.S. control over Iraqi oil resources.
White House officials said their primary concern was that the bill's language regarding oil revenue could theoretically inhibit them from protecting Iraqi oil fields should that become necessary. "The bottom line is this: We do not need and we will not seek permanent bases in Iraq," said White House spokeswoman Dana Perino. "This is our policy and has always been our policy."
In statements this week, lawmakers castigated Bush for his latest signing statement. "The suggestion that he may disregard a law overwhelmingly approved by Congress, coupled with the president's intent to sign a long-term agreement obligating the United States to defend the Iraqi government from internal and external threats, only reaffirms to Americans that there is no end in sight to the war in Iraq," said Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Bush was in Las Vegas to continue three days of fundraising for the Republican Party and to highlight his recent State of the Union message. He also addressed the criticism that improvements in Iraqi security over the past year have not produced a corresponding political reconciliation, noting the recent passage of a law allowing former Baathists to return to government service, Iraqi work on developing a budget and the sharing of oil revenue throughout the country.
"You're watching a democracy evolve," Bush said.
"And it's important that we help them."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/31/AR2008013102420.html
Thursday, January 31, 2008
'Confident' Bush pushes economic stimulus, free trade
TORRANCE, California (AFP) — President George W. Bush pointed Wednesday to a startling slowdown in US growth as he urged passage of a stimulus package and free trade pacts with Colombia, Panama and South Korea.
Backed by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bush preached confidence in the face of downbeat new data showing that US Gross Domestic Product grew at an 0.6 percent annual crawl in the fourth quarter of 2007.
"I hope you're confident about our economy. I am. We've got some short-term issues to deal with. Fourth-quarter growth slowed to 0.6 percent. In other words, there's signs that our economy is slowing," he said.
"But in the long-run, you've got to be confident about your economy," Bush said as he toured the Robinson Helicopter Company, which boasts of being the world's top producer of civilian helicopters.
The stimulus package, agreed to by the House of Representatives and the White House, has stalled as the US Senate mulls expanding it. And the free trade pacts face opposition from Bush's Democratic foes, who run the Congress.
"If you're truly interested in dealing with the slowdown of the economy, the Senate ought to accept the House package, pass it, and get it to my desk as soon as possible," said the president.
On trade, the unpopular president faced an uphill battle: Democrats have expressed a wide range of objections to the trade deals on human rights, labor rights, and environmental grounds.
They have resisted the treaty with Colombia amid charges that Colombian President Alvaro Uribe's government tolerates crimes and human rights abuses by right-wing paramilitary groups.
On South Korea, leading Democrats have complained that the US ally still blocks US beef imports -- which, while not technically part of the agreement, are a major irritant.
"Free trade means good-paying jobs for Americans, and so Congress needs to pass these agreements, for the sake of economic vitality," said Bush, who acknowledged "a tough vote" ahead but mounted a defense of Uribe.
"He inherited a tough deal, a tough situation, where he's fighting off drug lords, drug traffickers, people who are manufacturing drugs that come and pollute our kids, and he's taking the fight to this enemy, and he's an ally, and he wants this free trade agreement passed," said Bush.
"If we turn down this free trade agreement, it'll hurt our relations in South America," he added, warning that rejection would embolden messengers of "false populism" -- a reference to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
"We need more trade," agreed Schwarzenegger, who declared that the three accords "will strengthen our economy, and create jobs and help the workers."
Ports in California, which has been hard-hit by the housing slump, handle roughly 43 percent of total US container activity, and there are more than two million trade-related jobs in the state, according to the governor's office.
With nine months before the November US elections, the president also used the first day of a four-state swing to raise millions of dollars for Republican candidates, hoping to help his party hold the White House and retake Congress.
Bush, vastly unpopular with the US public, nonetheless expected to scoop up roughly five million dollars through California, Nevada, Colorado and Missouri, before returning to Washington on Friday.
The trip included the president's first overnight stay in the glittering gambling paradise of Las Vegas since he took office in January 2001 -- he has raised money there before, but never bunked down in "Sin City."
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Backed by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bush preached confidence in the face of downbeat new data showing that US Gross Domestic Product grew at an 0.6 percent annual crawl in the fourth quarter of 2007.
"I hope you're confident about our economy. I am. We've got some short-term issues to deal with. Fourth-quarter growth slowed to 0.6 percent. In other words, there's signs that our economy is slowing," he said.
"But in the long-run, you've got to be confident about your economy," Bush said as he toured the Robinson Helicopter Company, which boasts of being the world's top producer of civilian helicopters.
The stimulus package, agreed to by the House of Representatives and the White House, has stalled as the US Senate mulls expanding it. And the free trade pacts face opposition from Bush's Democratic foes, who run the Congress.
"If you're truly interested in dealing with the slowdown of the economy, the Senate ought to accept the House package, pass it, and get it to my desk as soon as possible," said the president.
On trade, the unpopular president faced an uphill battle: Democrats have expressed a wide range of objections to the trade deals on human rights, labor rights, and environmental grounds.
They have resisted the treaty with Colombia amid charges that Colombian President Alvaro Uribe's government tolerates crimes and human rights abuses by right-wing paramilitary groups.
On South Korea, leading Democrats have complained that the US ally still blocks US beef imports -- which, while not technically part of the agreement, are a major irritant.
"Free trade means good-paying jobs for Americans, and so Congress needs to pass these agreements, for the sake of economic vitality," said Bush, who acknowledged "a tough vote" ahead but mounted a defense of Uribe.
"He inherited a tough deal, a tough situation, where he's fighting off drug lords, drug traffickers, people who are manufacturing drugs that come and pollute our kids, and he's taking the fight to this enemy, and he's an ally, and he wants this free trade agreement passed," said Bush.
"If we turn down this free trade agreement, it'll hurt our relations in South America," he added, warning that rejection would embolden messengers of "false populism" -- a reference to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
"We need more trade," agreed Schwarzenegger, who declared that the three accords "will strengthen our economy, and create jobs and help the workers."
Ports in California, which has been hard-hit by the housing slump, handle roughly 43 percent of total US container activity, and there are more than two million trade-related jobs in the state, according to the governor's office.
With nine months before the November US elections, the president also used the first day of a four-state swing to raise millions of dollars for Republican candidates, hoping to help his party hold the White House and retake Congress.
Bush, vastly unpopular with the US public, nonetheless expected to scoop up roughly five million dollars through California, Nevada, Colorado and Missouri, before returning to Washington on Friday.
The trip included the president's first overnight stay in the glittering gambling paradise of Las Vegas since he took office in January 2001 -- he has raised money there before, but never bunked down in "Sin City."
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Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Bush comes to the 'hood
www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/politics/bal-md.kane30jan30,0,6250322.column
baltimoresun.com
Bush comes to the 'hood
Gregory Kane
January 30, 2008
Jason Hines had his question all ready yesterday for President Bush, who came a-callin' to Baltimore and talked to nine members of Jericho, a re-entry program for nonviolent, adult male ex-offenders.
Hines said he had served a year and a half for a theft conviction. His parole and probation officer recommended Jericho, which helps ex-offenders find jobs and housing once they get out of prison. Since the Episcopal Community Services of Maryland runs Jericho, it comes under the category of what's called a "faith-based initiative."
That's what brought Dubya to town; that's why he wanted to talk to Jericho. But there was something else on Hines' mind besides a job, or housing, or faith-based initiatives.
"I asked him about voting rights for felons," Hines, 32, said. "He informed me that that was something that was not going to be done across a broad level. He told us that anyone who's really passionate about their voting rights should write their senator or congressman, explain the circumstances about why they committed the crime and express remorse."
This is the second year for the Jericho program. It was funded from a three-year grant from the U.S. Department of Labor's Prison Reentry Initiative. The second year will be officially completed at the end of February; the third will run from March of this year through February of 2009. Jean Cushman, the executive director of ECSM, said there is money to fund a fourth year.
So perhaps Hines' question should have been: "Mr. President, wouldn't programs like this be easier to fund if the federal government weren't spending billions on the war in Iraq?"
But this was not a day to embarrass Dubya. Hines and other enrollees in the Jericho program said they were impressed with the president. He spoke to them about his own addiction to alcohol. He told them that his favorite food was enchiladas and that he hadn't given much thought to his post-presidential plans.
Then Bush autographed their GED certificates, address books or anything else they had handy. He gave them all official presidential pins, which they sported proudly on their shirt pockets. At the end, according to Jericho staffers who witnessed the scene, the guys in the program wrapped their arms around Bush as if he'd been one of their buddies from around the way and posed with him for snapshots.
You read that right: George W. Bush became a "Homey for a Day."
"I had mixed views about him," Hines said of his feelings for Bush before his visit. "But now I see him as a man just trying to do a job. Heavy lies the head that wears the crown. I was also impressed by his faith."
Pierre Leftfel just did a six-month stretch in Baltimore's city jail for a drug conviction. Leftfel said the president's message about personal uplift struck him the most.
"He said 'Give yourself a chance. Things will work out. When things look like they're bad for you, never give up. They'll get better at the end. Always look to your higher power.'"
Bush's talk about his alcohol addiction hit home for Leftfel, who has been a drug addict for half of his life. Leftfel said he's also sold drugs. There's a theory that says addicts have to hit bottom before they find the fortitude to kick their habits. Leftfel's bottom was when he found himself, at the age of 43, doing yet another stint in jail.
He wanted "to stop coming back to prison, going in and out," Leftfel said. "I'm too old for this right now."
Whether they felt they were too old or just plain tired of making Maryland's jails or prisons a second home, some 365 people have enrolled in the Jericho program, according to ECSM. Of that number, 237 have been placed in jobs.
The recidivism rate for Jericho participants, according to ECSM, is 22 percent, compared with the Baltimore rate of 52 percent. Some 67 employers in the Baltimore area have hired program participants in fields as varied as installing cables, warehouse work, steel manufacturing, construction, trucking, maintenance and hotel and restaurant work.
Jericho's numbers are a drop in the bucket of ex-offenders who need help returning home from prison, if the data provided by ECSM are correct. About 9,000 people are released from Maryland prisons every year. There should be more programs like Jericho, not fewer. There should be much more money allotted to them, not less.
None of the participants in the Jericho program asked Bush how much more money could have been diverted into re-entry programs if we weren't spending money for a war in Iraq, but the president can be certain of one thing:
Someone, somewhere will very soon ask him precisely that question.
greg.kane@baltsun.com
Copyright © 2008, The Baltimore Sun
baltimoresun.com
Bush comes to the 'hood
Gregory Kane
January 30, 2008
Jason Hines had his question all ready yesterday for President Bush, who came a-callin' to Baltimore and talked to nine members of Jericho, a re-entry program for nonviolent, adult male ex-offenders.
Hines said he had served a year and a half for a theft conviction. His parole and probation officer recommended Jericho, which helps ex-offenders find jobs and housing once they get out of prison. Since the Episcopal Community Services of Maryland runs Jericho, it comes under the category of what's called a "faith-based initiative."
That's what brought Dubya to town; that's why he wanted to talk to Jericho. But there was something else on Hines' mind besides a job, or housing, or faith-based initiatives.
"I asked him about voting rights for felons," Hines, 32, said. "He informed me that that was something that was not going to be done across a broad level. He told us that anyone who's really passionate about their voting rights should write their senator or congressman, explain the circumstances about why they committed the crime and express remorse."
This is the second year for the Jericho program. It was funded from a three-year grant from the U.S. Department of Labor's Prison Reentry Initiative. The second year will be officially completed at the end of February; the third will run from March of this year through February of 2009. Jean Cushman, the executive director of ECSM, said there is money to fund a fourth year.
So perhaps Hines' question should have been: "Mr. President, wouldn't programs like this be easier to fund if the federal government weren't spending billions on the war in Iraq?"
But this was not a day to embarrass Dubya. Hines and other enrollees in the Jericho program said they were impressed with the president. He spoke to them about his own addiction to alcohol. He told them that his favorite food was enchiladas and that he hadn't given much thought to his post-presidential plans.
Then Bush autographed their GED certificates, address books or anything else they had handy. He gave them all official presidential pins, which they sported proudly on their shirt pockets. At the end, according to Jericho staffers who witnessed the scene, the guys in the program wrapped their arms around Bush as if he'd been one of their buddies from around the way and posed with him for snapshots.
You read that right: George W. Bush became a "Homey for a Day."
"I had mixed views about him," Hines said of his feelings for Bush before his visit. "But now I see him as a man just trying to do a job. Heavy lies the head that wears the crown. I was also impressed by his faith."
Pierre Leftfel just did a six-month stretch in Baltimore's city jail for a drug conviction. Leftfel said the president's message about personal uplift struck him the most.
"He said 'Give yourself a chance. Things will work out. When things look like they're bad for you, never give up. They'll get better at the end. Always look to your higher power.'"
Bush's talk about his alcohol addiction hit home for Leftfel, who has been a drug addict for half of his life. Leftfel said he's also sold drugs. There's a theory that says addicts have to hit bottom before they find the fortitude to kick their habits. Leftfel's bottom was when he found himself, at the age of 43, doing yet another stint in jail.
He wanted "to stop coming back to prison, going in and out," Leftfel said. "I'm too old for this right now."
Whether they felt they were too old or just plain tired of making Maryland's jails or prisons a second home, some 365 people have enrolled in the Jericho program, according to ECSM. Of that number, 237 have been placed in jobs.
The recidivism rate for Jericho participants, according to ECSM, is 22 percent, compared with the Baltimore rate of 52 percent. Some 67 employers in the Baltimore area have hired program participants in fields as varied as installing cables, warehouse work, steel manufacturing, construction, trucking, maintenance and hotel and restaurant work.
Jericho's numbers are a drop in the bucket of ex-offenders who need help returning home from prison, if the data provided by ECSM are correct. About 9,000 people are released from Maryland prisons every year. There should be more programs like Jericho, not fewer. There should be much more money allotted to them, not less.
None of the participants in the Jericho program asked Bush how much more money could have been diverted into re-entry programs if we weren't spending money for a war in Iraq, but the president can be certain of one thing:
Someone, somewhere will very soon ask him precisely that question.
greg.kane@baltsun.com
Copyright © 2008, The Baltimore Sun
Bush Tells Congress to Put Economy Ahead of Politics (Update1)
By Catherine Dodge and Holly Rosenkrantz
More Photos/Details
Jan. 28 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush, delivering his final State of the Union address, urged Congress to set aside election-year politics and act quickly on an economic stimulus plan and other measures he said the country needs.
The president said he recognized the anxiety many Americans feel because of the slump in housing, higher unemployment and rising prices for food and gasoline.
``At kitchen tables across our country, there is concern about our economic future,'' Bush said in a nationally televised address from the House chamber of the Capitol. ``In the long run, Americans can be confident about our economic growth.''
He called for passage of the $150 billion package of rebates for individuals and tax breaks for businesses and warned lawmakers against altering the compromise reached after extensive bipartisan negotiations. ``That would delay it or derail it, and neither option is acceptable,'' Bush said.
``In this election year, let us show our fellow Americans that we recognize our responsibilities and are determined to meet them,'' he said.
Entering his final year in office facing a slumping economy, still dealing with an unpopular war in Iraq and public approval ratings in the low 30s, Bush, 61, offered few new initiatives in a speech that was about equally divided between domestic and foreign policy.
`First Step'
In the Democratic response to the address, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, called the stimulus proposal a good ``first step'' toward meeting the countries economic challenges. The nation isn't as divided as the political debate in Washington suggests, she said.
Bush made another appeal to lawmakers to make permanent his 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, which he said would bolster the economy, and he vowed to veto any tax increases.
Bush said the federal budget he will submit to Congress next week will keep his administration on target for a surplus in 2012. It will terminate or reduce 151 ``wasteful or bloated programs,'' saving $18 billion, Bush said.
Extending the tax cuts -- and their impact on the budget -- likely will be a matter left to Bush's successor. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said last week that extending the cuts beyond their Dec. 31, 2010 expiration date would cost more than $150 billion in 2011 alone. Costs would quickly grow in subsequent years, the agency said. By 2013, annual costs would reach $300 billion; by 2016, they would grow to $400 billion, CBO said.
Veto Threat
Bush also vowed to veto any legislation for fiscal 2009 that doesn't reduce special spending programs, known as earmarks, by half.
``The people's trust in their government is undermined by congressional earmarks -- special interest projects that are often snuck in at the last minute, without discussion or debate,'' Bush said.
Among Bush's new proposals is a $300 million program to help children in poor neighborhoods get access to private schools. He also wants to create a $2 billion international fund to speed development of more efficient energy technology in rapidly developing nations, including China and India, to combat climate change. He said his administration is committed to forging an international agreement to limit greenhouse gasses.
He also prodded lawmakers to finish work on pending legislation, such as a renewal of an electronic surveillance law to fight terrorism, legislation to extend his signature education law, the No Child Left Behind Act, and approval of trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea.
`Unfinished Business'
``We have unfinished business before us, and the American people expect us to get it done,'' Bush said.
Among the items still awaiting final action is legislation to update the Federal Housing Administration and creation of a tougher regulator for government-chartered mortgage-finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Bush said those measures will help the country ``weather turbulent times in the housing market.''
He also reminded lawmakers that they have ``two other pressing challenges'' that have not been dealt with: revamping the entitlement programs of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and resolving the impasse over illegal immigration. Neither is likely to be finished before his term ends.
On foreign policy, Bush made no mention of the National Intelligence Estimate last month that concluded that Iran suspended its nuclear weapons program in 2003.
Instead, he said Tehran is developing ballistic missiles of increasing range and continues to develop its capability to enrich uranium, which could be used to create a nuclear weapon. He also said Iran is funding and training militia groups in Iraq, supporting Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon and backing Hamas's efforts to undermine Israeli-Palestinian peace.
Confronting Iran
``America will confront those who threaten our troops, we will stand by our allies, and we will defend our vital interests in the Persian Gulf,'' he said.
On Iraq, Bush said his goal for the final year of his presidency is to shift American troops away from leading operations in the country, and toward partnering with Iraqi forces. At the same time, he said he was reluctant to push fast to bring more troops home. ``We must do the difficult work today, so that years from now people will look back and say that this generation rose to the moment,'' he said.
Beyond stabilizing Iraq and containing Iran, Bush said he will work to help Israelis and Palestinians reach a peace agreement before the end of the year.
To contact the reporter on this story: Catherine Dodge in Washington, at cdodge1@bloomberg.net ; Holly Rosenkrantz in Washington, at hrosenkrantz@bloomberg.net
More Photos/Details
Jan. 28 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush, delivering his final State of the Union address, urged Congress to set aside election-year politics and act quickly on an economic stimulus plan and other measures he said the country needs.
The president said he recognized the anxiety many Americans feel because of the slump in housing, higher unemployment and rising prices for food and gasoline.
``At kitchen tables across our country, there is concern about our economic future,'' Bush said in a nationally televised address from the House chamber of the Capitol. ``In the long run, Americans can be confident about our economic growth.''
He called for passage of the $150 billion package of rebates for individuals and tax breaks for businesses and warned lawmakers against altering the compromise reached after extensive bipartisan negotiations. ``That would delay it or derail it, and neither option is acceptable,'' Bush said.
``In this election year, let us show our fellow Americans that we recognize our responsibilities and are determined to meet them,'' he said.
Entering his final year in office facing a slumping economy, still dealing with an unpopular war in Iraq and public approval ratings in the low 30s, Bush, 61, offered few new initiatives in a speech that was about equally divided between domestic and foreign policy.
`First Step'
In the Democratic response to the address, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, called the stimulus proposal a good ``first step'' toward meeting the countries economic challenges. The nation isn't as divided as the political debate in Washington suggests, she said.
Bush made another appeal to lawmakers to make permanent his 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, which he said would bolster the economy, and he vowed to veto any tax increases.
Bush said the federal budget he will submit to Congress next week will keep his administration on target for a surplus in 2012. It will terminate or reduce 151 ``wasteful or bloated programs,'' saving $18 billion, Bush said.
Extending the tax cuts -- and their impact on the budget -- likely will be a matter left to Bush's successor. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said last week that extending the cuts beyond their Dec. 31, 2010 expiration date would cost more than $150 billion in 2011 alone. Costs would quickly grow in subsequent years, the agency said. By 2013, annual costs would reach $300 billion; by 2016, they would grow to $400 billion, CBO said.
Veto Threat
Bush also vowed to veto any legislation for fiscal 2009 that doesn't reduce special spending programs, known as earmarks, by half.
``The people's trust in their government is undermined by congressional earmarks -- special interest projects that are often snuck in at the last minute, without discussion or debate,'' Bush said.
Among Bush's new proposals is a $300 million program to help children in poor neighborhoods get access to private schools. He also wants to create a $2 billion international fund to speed development of more efficient energy technology in rapidly developing nations, including China and India, to combat climate change. He said his administration is committed to forging an international agreement to limit greenhouse gasses.
He also prodded lawmakers to finish work on pending legislation, such as a renewal of an electronic surveillance law to fight terrorism, legislation to extend his signature education law, the No Child Left Behind Act, and approval of trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea.
`Unfinished Business'
``We have unfinished business before us, and the American people expect us to get it done,'' Bush said.
Among the items still awaiting final action is legislation to update the Federal Housing Administration and creation of a tougher regulator for government-chartered mortgage-finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Bush said those measures will help the country ``weather turbulent times in the housing market.''
He also reminded lawmakers that they have ``two other pressing challenges'' that have not been dealt with: revamping the entitlement programs of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and resolving the impasse over illegal immigration. Neither is likely to be finished before his term ends.
On foreign policy, Bush made no mention of the National Intelligence Estimate last month that concluded that Iran suspended its nuclear weapons program in 2003.
Instead, he said Tehran is developing ballistic missiles of increasing range and continues to develop its capability to enrich uranium, which could be used to create a nuclear weapon. He also said Iran is funding and training militia groups in Iraq, supporting Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon and backing Hamas's efforts to undermine Israeli-Palestinian peace.
Confronting Iran
``America will confront those who threaten our troops, we will stand by our allies, and we will defend our vital interests in the Persian Gulf,'' he said.
On Iraq, Bush said his goal for the final year of his presidency is to shift American troops away from leading operations in the country, and toward partnering with Iraqi forces. At the same time, he said he was reluctant to push fast to bring more troops home. ``We must do the difficult work today, so that years from now people will look back and say that this generation rose to the moment,'' he said.
Beyond stabilizing Iraq and containing Iran, Bush said he will work to help Israelis and Palestinians reach a peace agreement before the end of the year.
To contact the reporter on this story: Catherine Dodge in Washington, at cdodge1@bloomberg.net ; Holly Rosenkrantz in Washington, at hrosenkrantz@bloomberg.net
Monday, January 28, 2008
FOCUS Economic legacy claim problem for Bush State of the Union speech
WASHINGTON, Jan. 28, 2008 (Thomson Financial delivered by Newstex) -- A US president's last State of the Union speech is traditionally where he lays out what he hopes history will see as his legacy. There is little doubt George W Bush would like to claim tonight that the economy is stronger and more prosperous because of his policies, but that would be a tough sell.
Such a claim would simply lack credibility when the country is on the verge of a recession or--according to some economists and most of the public--already in one. But Bush can hardly ignore the economy either.
'He will confidently boast that he will sign into law a bipartisan agreement to legislate an economic stimulus package to counteract the effects from an economy rapidly headed downhill. The fiscal package will be the highlight of his message since it is the most prominent piece of legislation that (can be) enacted quickly and without partisan bickering,' said Brian Fabbri of BNP Paribas. (OOTC:BPRBF)
The stimulus package has to be Bush's focus because the economy has risen to the top of the pubic's worry list and because he's got to promote it heavily if it's to have any prospect of getting through Congress quickly. That's what makes his position so paradoxical.
'He's likely to focus a lot on the near-term challenges and not much on his legacy. He'll be saying his economic legacy is a strong one but on the other hand the economy is so weak we need to adopt a stimulus package,' said Kevin Hassett of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI)(and an economic adviser to Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain of Arizona).
White House Press Secretary Dana Perino got a direct question on the Bush economic legacy this morning: 'Is the country better off now than it was seven years ago?'
She claimed that Bush wasn't even thinking about his legacy tonight. 'The president doesn't spend a lot of time thinking about that,' she said. 'Look, the president thinks his legacy will shake itself out when people look at the record and history will tell.'
At around 150 bln usd, the stimulus package is big, just over 1 pct of GDP. The intention is for it to be implemented quickly with the first checks going out to taxpayers by May.
'The personal tax rebates alone will be worth almost 100 bln usd, and it is hard to imagine throwing that kind of money at the economy and seeing no result,' according to Ian Shepherdson of High Frequency Economics.
The academic research on tax rebates in 2001 and 2003 showed that between one third and two thirds of the rebates were spent quickly. Now, 'the increased financial pressures on households mean that a greater proportion of the rebates this year will be saved or used to pay down debt,' said Shepherdson.
Mr. Bush has always portrayed himself as anti-deficit and there are some anti-spending initiatives to be included in the State of the Union speech. The cost of the stimulus package is likely to be left out. The Congressional Budget Office has said it's likely to add 75 bln usd to the Fiscal Year 2008 deficit and the same amount in FY 2009.
Merrill Lynch's (NYSE:MER) (OOTC:MERIZ) David Rosenberg, who believes the US is already in recession doesn't see much impact from the stimulus, even combined with Fed rate cuts. 'At the margin, the fact that we are seeing a more aggressive policy response is a positive, but in the overall scheme of things, it doesn't change the recession outlook, though it all may serve to dull the pain,' he said.
Leaving the impression that at least he's trying to dull economic the pain may be the best President Bush can hope for tonight.
wash/ajb
Copyright Thomson Financial News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.
The copying, republication or redistribution of Thomson Financial News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Financial News.
Newstex ID: AFX-0013-22580856
from
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/newstex/AFX-0013-22580856.htm
Such a claim would simply lack credibility when the country is on the verge of a recession or--according to some economists and most of the public--already in one. But Bush can hardly ignore the economy either.
'He will confidently boast that he will sign into law a bipartisan agreement to legislate an economic stimulus package to counteract the effects from an economy rapidly headed downhill. The fiscal package will be the highlight of his message since it is the most prominent piece of legislation that (can be) enacted quickly and without partisan bickering,' said Brian Fabbri of BNP Paribas. (OOTC:BPRBF)
The stimulus package has to be Bush's focus because the economy has risen to the top of the pubic's worry list and because he's got to promote it heavily if it's to have any prospect of getting through Congress quickly. That's what makes his position so paradoxical.
'He's likely to focus a lot on the near-term challenges and not much on his legacy. He'll be saying his economic legacy is a strong one but on the other hand the economy is so weak we need to adopt a stimulus package,' said Kevin Hassett of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI)(and an economic adviser to Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain of Arizona).
White House Press Secretary Dana Perino got a direct question on the Bush economic legacy this morning: 'Is the country better off now than it was seven years ago?'
She claimed that Bush wasn't even thinking about his legacy tonight. 'The president doesn't spend a lot of time thinking about that,' she said. 'Look, the president thinks his legacy will shake itself out when people look at the record and history will tell.'
At around 150 bln usd, the stimulus package is big, just over 1 pct of GDP. The intention is for it to be implemented quickly with the first checks going out to taxpayers by May.
'The personal tax rebates alone will be worth almost 100 bln usd, and it is hard to imagine throwing that kind of money at the economy and seeing no result,' according to Ian Shepherdson of High Frequency Economics.
The academic research on tax rebates in 2001 and 2003 showed that between one third and two thirds of the rebates were spent quickly. Now, 'the increased financial pressures on households mean that a greater proportion of the rebates this year will be saved or used to pay down debt,' said Shepherdson.
Mr. Bush has always portrayed himself as anti-deficit and there are some anti-spending initiatives to be included in the State of the Union speech. The cost of the stimulus package is likely to be left out. The Congressional Budget Office has said it's likely to add 75 bln usd to the Fiscal Year 2008 deficit and the same amount in FY 2009.
Merrill Lynch's (NYSE:MER) (OOTC:MERIZ) David Rosenberg, who believes the US is already in recession doesn't see much impact from the stimulus, even combined with Fed rate cuts. 'At the margin, the fact that we are seeing a more aggressive policy response is a positive, but in the overall scheme of things, it doesn't change the recession outlook, though it all may serve to dull the pain,' he said.
Leaving the impression that at least he's trying to dull economic the pain may be the best President Bush can hope for tonight.
wash/ajb
Copyright Thomson Financial News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.
The copying, republication or redistribution of Thomson Financial News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Financial News.
Newstex ID: AFX-0013-22580856
from
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/newstex/AFX-0013-22580856.htm
Democrats standing up to Bush on warrantless wiretap bill
Filed by Nick Juliano
In the shadow of the president's final State of the Union address, Senate Democrats are preparing for an 11th-hour showdown with George W. Bush and his Republican allies in Congress over controversial surveillance legislation.
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The Senate will vote Monday at 4:30 p.m. on a GOP proposal that would cement an expansion of the president's authority to spy on Americans and free from legal jeopardy any telephone or Internet service provider who helped the country's intelligence agencies to collect vast amount of data on US citizens without a warrant. Anti-immunity activists say they expect the GOP gambit to fail.
Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) successfully led an effort to block immunity in December, just before Congress' holiday recess, and the Senate returned to the issue last week, considering dual proposals from the Intelligence and Judiciary committees. Last Thursday, Republicans and a dozen Democrats blocked Judiciary's proposal to update FISA without immunity, but the GOP then refused an agreement that would have required a mere 51-vote majority to pass further amendments.
Republicans filed for an immediate cloture vote on the Intelligence bill, which would preclude any amendments from being made. This angered Democrats, and Reid, who encouraged his caucus to support a filibuster of the bill. Reid also filed a 30-day extension of the Protect America Act, which expires Feb. 1.
Although the Judiciary proposal failed on a 60-34 vote, the Republicans' attempt to preclude any further amendments is expected to cost them support from some of the Democrats who joined them in that effort. Democratic presidential candidates Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Barack Obama (D-IL) also have said they will vote against cloture.
Assuming cloture fails, Reid is expected to move forward with a vote on a one-month extension to give the Senate more time to work out its differences. President Bush has promised to veto such a bill.
After they were cowed last August into passing a temporary expansion of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that critics said did too much to concentrate power in the hands of the executive, Congressional Democrats have decided to hit back against the president. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) turned the tables on Bush over the weekend, saying that blame for any gaps in the ability to collect intelligence resides at the White House.
The Senate's debate over a long-term FISA expansion has come in fits and starts over the last few months, since passage of the Protect America Act. Several times the issue was scuttled after left-leaning Senators moved to block a proposal that would grant legal immunity to telecommunications companies that facilitated Bush's warrantless wiretapping program. Those companies, such as AT&T and Verizon, are plaintiffs in 40 or so lawsuits nationwide alleging they violated customers' privacy; administration critics say the lawsuits are the only means for oversight of the wiretapping scheme in the face of an ultra-secretive administration.
Bush has promised to veto any temporary expansion of the PAA, and the administration hopes to use the pending deadline to force Congress into giving into telecom immunity. The House passed an immunity-free update months ago, and Reid has indicated he also will not budge, accusing Bush of "simply posturing" before his final State of the Union, according to the Politico.
"There will be no terrorism intelligence collection gap," Reid said. "But if there is any problem, the blame will clearly and unequivocally fall where it belongs: on President Bush and his allies in Congress."
DEVELOPING...
from
http://rawstory.com//printstory.php?story=9031
In the shadow of the president's final State of the Union address, Senate Democrats are preparing for an 11th-hour showdown with George W. Bush and his Republican allies in Congress over controversial surveillance legislation.
Advertisement
The Senate will vote Monday at 4:30 p.m. on a GOP proposal that would cement an expansion of the president's authority to spy on Americans and free from legal jeopardy any telephone or Internet service provider who helped the country's intelligence agencies to collect vast amount of data on US citizens without a warrant. Anti-immunity activists say they expect the GOP gambit to fail.
Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) successfully led an effort to block immunity in December, just before Congress' holiday recess, and the Senate returned to the issue last week, considering dual proposals from the Intelligence and Judiciary committees. Last Thursday, Republicans and a dozen Democrats blocked Judiciary's proposal to update FISA without immunity, but the GOP then refused an agreement that would have required a mere 51-vote majority to pass further amendments.
Republicans filed for an immediate cloture vote on the Intelligence bill, which would preclude any amendments from being made. This angered Democrats, and Reid, who encouraged his caucus to support a filibuster of the bill. Reid also filed a 30-day extension of the Protect America Act, which expires Feb. 1.
Although the Judiciary proposal failed on a 60-34 vote, the Republicans' attempt to preclude any further amendments is expected to cost them support from some of the Democrats who joined them in that effort. Democratic presidential candidates Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Barack Obama (D-IL) also have said they will vote against cloture.
Assuming cloture fails, Reid is expected to move forward with a vote on a one-month extension to give the Senate more time to work out its differences. President Bush has promised to veto such a bill.
After they were cowed last August into passing a temporary expansion of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that critics said did too much to concentrate power in the hands of the executive, Congressional Democrats have decided to hit back against the president. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) turned the tables on Bush over the weekend, saying that blame for any gaps in the ability to collect intelligence resides at the White House.
The Senate's debate over a long-term FISA expansion has come in fits and starts over the last few months, since passage of the Protect America Act. Several times the issue was scuttled after left-leaning Senators moved to block a proposal that would grant legal immunity to telecommunications companies that facilitated Bush's warrantless wiretapping program. Those companies, such as AT&T and Verizon, are plaintiffs in 40 or so lawsuits nationwide alleging they violated customers' privacy; administration critics say the lawsuits are the only means for oversight of the wiretapping scheme in the face of an ultra-secretive administration.
Bush has promised to veto any temporary expansion of the PAA, and the administration hopes to use the pending deadline to force Congress into giving into telecom immunity. The House passed an immunity-free update months ago, and Reid has indicated he also will not budge, accusing Bush of "simply posturing" before his final State of the Union, according to the Politico.
"There will be no terrorism intelligence collection gap," Reid said. "But if there is any problem, the blame will clearly and unequivocally fall where it belongs: on President Bush and his allies in Congress."
DEVELOPING...
from
http://rawstory.com//printstory.php?story=9031
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