White House Threatens Veto Of Second Stimulus Over Food Stamps And Unemployment Benefits»

[babylonsister]

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/09/26/perino-second-stimulus/

White House Threatens Veto Of Second Stimulus Over Food Stamps And Unemployment Benefits»


Today, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a statement of administrative policy today recommending Bush veto a proposed second stimulus package. The $56.2 billion package, announced yesterday, would extend unemployment benefits for seven weeks, increase food stamp benefits by 10 percent, and provide $50 million for food banks, among other proposals. This afternoon, Senate conservatives successfully blocked the bill, as the motion to proceed won 52 votes, eight shy of the necessary 60.

In the press briefing today, just an hour before the Senate vote, Dana Perino said the White House opposed the measure, specifically citing its extension of unemployment and food stamp benefits as explanation:

PERINO: There’s some elements of the package that have been put forward by Democrats that we do not think would be stimulative to the economy, such as unemployment insurance. The food stamps, we believe we have met the need.

Watch it at link~

In fact, the tanking economy has left more Americans in need of food assistance than ever, with 28 million Americans expected to receive food stamps this year, “the highest level since the aid program began in the 1960s.” At the same time, the purchasing power of food stamps has declined dramatically.

Alongside unemployment benefits and food stamps, the OMB also objected to a provision increasing infrastructure spending, arguing, “Infrastructure spending is never an effective means to create rapid stimulus.” However, a Center for American Progress study found that two million jobs could be created within two years through robust investment in green energy and infrastructure.

[EFerrari]

1. How can we make this go viral? n/t

[babylonsister]

3. I wish I knew, because it's just sick. I know, I should be used to it,

and my outrage has been truly exercised these past 7 years, but they still never cease to amaze.

[FlyingSquirrel]

11. It's almost like opposing healthcare for children. n/t

[NNN0LHI]

12. This will go viral

Even the media won't be able to put lipstick on this pig. (Sorry Sarah)

Ya think Obama will bring this up tonight?

Don

[EFerrari]

21. I don't know if his people will allow him to say "food stamps".

Maybe "unemployment", yes. They've been really smart about avoiding right wing traps for him.

We could get this posted to somewhere like OpEdNews where it can be dugg.

I hope it goes everywhere.

[K Gardner]

2. In my neck of the woods, TVA has announced a rate hike of 25% in Oct. So not only will people be

starving, they'll be freezing.

Heartless bastards don't have much longer to rape and pillage in THIS country. Maybe they can all go elsewhere, or simply to hell.

[TornadoTN]

7. Yes indeed - 25%+ actually. Some people are going to get squeezed

Squeezed to death by the economy, fuel costs, and jobs that are evaporating as quickly as fog on a windshield. The South is going to get devastated by this when this thing comes completely crashing down and I keep waiting for people to wake the fuck up. It's happening here but not as strongly as we would want.

TVA's rate hike isn't about making up the cost of fuel, etc. - it's about maintaining the standard of living that the top of their organization enjoys.

[elocs]

4. But they want us to bail out Wall Street to the tune of $700 billion +?

What a pathetic lot they are. Unless there is something for the people and Main Street, Democrats should not go along with bailing out Wall Street with its greedy, gambling whores (which is probably an insult to the greedy, gambling whore community).

[Warren Stupidity]

5. 700 Billion for Wall Street Nothing for Main Street. nt.

[Greyhound]

6. Any chance we'll actually call his pathetic bluff this time? K&R n/t

:kick: & R

[eShirl]

8. Let them eat bad debt?

[elocs]

9. It's sad that so many Republicans still choose to march in lockstep with this lame duck idiot.

Exactly why does anybody vote for such sad and pathetic excuses of humanity?

[nebenaube]

20. that's easy...

warrantless wiretapping...

[clear eye]

10. I'm going to look for liberal Christian websites

on which to post this. Right now.

[lib2DaBone]

13. Come on DEMS.. load that Puppy up with Pork....

as long as you are going to roll over.. how about extending unemployment for another 52 weeks? Also, I'd like a heating subsidy and a tax deduction for the price of gas.... and oh ya.... a pony for my little sister... and a fire truck for my brother.

[NNN0LHI]

17. Comparing heating subsidies to a pony and a firetruck is a little sick wouldn't you say?

Unless you have plenty that is?

Don

[The Magistrate]

14. Opposition To This, Ma'am, Is Simply Ridiculous In Light Of the Recent Treasury Proposal

[LaurenG]

18. That was (almost) exactly what I was going to say

I probably wouldn't have said ma'm. ;)

[Canuckistanian]

15. What do they think poor people are going to do with the money?

Invest in offshore money market funds or stash it in a Swiss bank?

Of course not. They're going to be buying goods and services. And guess what? They're going to put it into the economy right away.

You want to stimulate the economy? Give money to the poor. They can't afford to hoard it.

Idiots, all of them.

[mtnester]

16. My sister, who has seen her food costs inflate by more than 30%

would love to have a 10% increase for her food stamps..she could buy more food for her and her son


Republicans are a mean bunch

[ceile]

19. That's just sick.

:cry:

[bushmeister0]

22. Ever try to get food stamps?

It's almost impossible. They pull out every excuse in the book to keep you from getting any assistance. And if you do get them, it's like $40 a month. The last time I went to the supermarket I spent $70 and bascially got nothing.

In NC, we were told since we didn't have jobs we couldn't get food stamps. We said, well if we had jobs we wouldn't need food stamps. They told us there was nothing they could do. Go to a local Church food bank, they told us.

[conflictgirl]

26. No kidding!

We tried to get them recently and on the initial application (which was ridiculously long and asked a lot of invasive questions) it asked for the amount we had to pay in child support every month. Neither of us owes any child support because neither of us has ever had children in other relationships, hence no one to pay child support for or to.

They sent us a second application with more questions and asked for, among other things, PROOF that we don't have child support expenses. How in the world do you get proof that you don't owe child support, when you don't have any previous marriages or children created in other relationships? Who would give you such documentation?

[crickets]

23. This shows the $700 billion bailout for the obscenity that it is.

Screw those poor people, we've gotta save Wall Street!

I know, it's more complicated than that. Still, the contrast and the excuses for blocking it are sickening.

[Supersedeas]

24. plenty of money for Wall Street, nothing nada for less priviledge

[bluesmail]

25. Here's news: WH Tells OMB To Say WH Will Veto The Democratic

Stimulus Package. Nothing like responsibility, boys.

[dkofos]

27. If the people will benefit he vetoes. But he is willing to manufacture a crisis

to give his filthy rich buddies trillions.

O__ with his head!!

[Shallah Kali]

28. Don't worry! I am SURE the Pro-Lifers in Congress won't let poor people go hungry

Any second now they will leap forward and take action!


{{{cue sound of crickets}}}