Thai gov. to tax (remitted) income from abroad for tax residents starting 2024 - Part II

[rooster59]

U.S. government shutdown looms as lawmakers seek last-minute compromise

By Ginger Gibson, Steve Holland and Susan Heavey

 

U.S. President Donald Trump listens to questions from reporters about an impending U.S. Government shutdown as he participates in a bill signing ceremony for the “First Step Act” and the “Juvenile Justice Reform Act” in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S., December 21, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Friday there was a good chance the Senate would not approve his demand for $5 billion towards funding his long-demanded border wall and that there probably would be a partial U.S. government shutdown at midnight.

 

Lawmakers scrambled to find an 11th-hour solution to avert the potential shutdown, meeting with Vice President Mike Pence and senior White House officials. Negotiators in the Senate were discussing legislation that would include $1.6 billion in border security money and retaining assistance for areas hit by natural disasters that was added by the House of Representatives, according to a Republican Senate aide.

 

Before meeting with Senate Republicans at the White House, Trump wrote on Twitter that "Democrats now own the shutdown," despite having said last week that he would be "proud" to close the federal government over the issue of border security and "I'll be the one to shut it down."

 

Congressional funding for large segments of the government expires at midnight (0500 GMT), and a shutdown would ensue if Congress, controlled by Trump's fellow Republicans, does not pass legislation to provide money to keep the agencies open.

 

"It's possible that we'll have a shutdown. I would say the chances are probably very good," Trump said at the White House.

 

"We're going to get a wall," Trump added.

 

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer put the blame for the impending shutdown squarely on Trump.

 

"President Trump has thrown a temper tantrum and now has us careening towards a 'Trump shutdown' over Christmas," Schumer said on the Senate floor.

 

"You're not getting the wall today, next week or on January 3rd, when Democrats take control of the House," Schumer added.

 

A Schumer spokesman said the senator met with Pence, Trump's new chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, and Trump son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner.

 

A senior Senate Republican aide said there was hope that Democrats and Republicans could find a "sweet spot" in a temporary spending bill that would provide more money for border security than was in the bill the Senate passed earlier this week - but not the $5 billion for a wall that the House approved.

 

A wall along the U.S.-Mexican border to combat illegal immigration and drug trafficking was a key Trump campaign promise in the 2016 election, when he said it would be paid for by Mexico, and he sees it as a winning issue for his 2020 re-election campaign. Democrats oppose the wall, calling it unnecessary and ineffective.

 

Republican Senators Lamar Alexander and Marco Rubio expressed frustration with what they said was a shifting position by the White House. Rubio said that earlier in the week the Republicans went with their funding bill, which included $1.6 billion for general border security but nothing specifically for a wall, because Pence had told them the White House was open to such a proposal.

 

"We had a reasonable path and there was every indication from the president that he would sign it," Alexander said.

 

PROCEDURAL VOTE

 

Trump had summoned Senate Republicans to the White House on Friday morning to push for his wall funding before they took up procedural votes on whether to consider a bill passed by the House granting $5 billion for the wall. But afterward he said there was a good chance the bill would not clear the Senate and that a shutdown was likely.

 

The procedural vote stretched over several hours because many senators left Washington to start their Christmas break, thinking the temporary funding issue was settled on Wednesday, and had to return to the Capitol.

 

"If the Dems vote no, there will be a shutdown that will last for a very long time," Trump wrote on Twitter.

 

Earlier in the week the Senate, where Republicans have a 51-49 majority, passed a short-term government funding bill that included no money for the wall. On Friday Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell urged his members to vote for a bill that was approved by the House on Thursday to give Trump $5 billion towards building the wall on the Mexican border.

 

In a series of early-morning tweets on Friday, Trump called on McConnell to use the "nuclear option" to force a Senate vote on legislation with a simple majority, rather than the standard "supermajority" of 60 votes. But there was not enough support among Republican senators to do so.

 

BAD DAY ON WALL STREET

 

The possibility of a government shutdown fed investor anxieties that contributed to another down day on Friday for U.S. stocks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average <.DJI> fell 1.82 percent, the S&P 500 <.SPX> lost 2.06 percent and the Nasdaq Composite <.IXIC> dropped 2.99 percent.

 

The showdown added to tensions in Washington as lawmakers also grappled with Trump's sudden move to pull troops from Syria, which prompted Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to resign and furthered concerns over the investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 election that Trump won.

 

Three-quarters of government programs are fully funded through the end of the federal fiscal year next Sept. 30, including those in the Defense Department, Labor Department and Health and Human Services.

 

But funding for other agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department and the Agriculture Department, was set to expire at midnight on Friday.

 

A partial government shutdown could begin with affected agencies limiting staff to those deemed "essential" to public safety. Such critical workers, including U.S. border agents, and nonessential employees would not get paid until the dispute ends. National parks also would close unless the government declares them essential.

 

More than half of the 1,700 people who work for the executive office of the president would be furloughed.

 

Trump had planned to leave Washington on Friday for a holiday stay at his Florida resort, but the standoff made his plans uncertain.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-12-22

[pegman]

50-50 on who caves. 

[Tug]

I have an idea let’s put Donald behind a wall preferably Leavenworth!unfourtanly he is digging in those little bone spurs so I think we have a shutdown on top of everything else tired of winning yet?

[helpisgood]

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Trump wrote on Twitter that "Democrats now own the shutdown," despite having said last week that he would be "proud" to close the federal government over the issue of border security and "I'll be the one to shut it down."

 

What!?

 

God, please do assure me that there are loyal and sensible Americans guarding those nuclear codes.

[helpisgood]

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

"If the Dems vote no, there will be a shutdown that will last for a very long time," Trump wrote on Twitter.

 

A very long time!?  The mighty USA cannot keep its own govt. open?  How would that affect other nations and not just the USA?  And, all because of a wall needed to pander to Trump's base, or at least how he maybe sees it.

 

If it is, God forbid, closed for "a very long time," I wonder if the 25th Amendment may be used as leverage.  I understand that the only specifically designated govt. officer authorized to commence the process of removing the president under the 25th is the VP.  What a political decision for Pence to make?

 

Curiouser and curiouser.

[Boon Mee]

It's only a partial shut down. Nothing to panic over. 

[LomSak27]

 

Direct from Senator Mitch "Spineless"  McConell

 

Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky

 

 “It’s essential that the United States maintain and strengthen the post-World War II alliances that have been carefully built by leaders in both parties. We must also maintain a cleareyed understanding of our friends and foes, and recognize that nations like Russia are among the latter.”

 

Wow   even the spineless one says "Donnie no bending over over for Vlad Putin!!" You got to man up Humpty. 

 

Oh, Shutting down?!  .. .you knew that was going to happen.

Edited December 22, 2018 by LomSak27

[keemapoot]

2 hours ago, pegman said:

50-50 on who caves. 

Be interesting to see if and when Trump goes traipsing off to his compound to play golf in Florida while 400,000 federal employees don't get paid for Christmas. So far, the White house announced he's delayed that by one day. Trump is nothing if not politically astute to the optics. He probably won't go, but instead will be sitting in his closet rampaging on twitter the whole time probably.

[alanrchase]

Sanders previously said they had sourced the 5 billion from elsewhere so why does Trump need a second 5 billion?

[bristolboy]

1 hour ago, keemapoot said:

Be interesting to see if and when Trump goes traipsing off to his compound to play golf in Florida while 400,000 federal employees don't get paid for Christmas. So far, the White house announced he's delayed that by one day. Trump is nothing if not politically astute to the optics. He probably won't go, but instead will be sitting in his closet rampaging on twitter the whole time probably.

I don't think Trump is so politically astute about the optics or optics in general. Remember that he failed to go to Arlington cemetery because he was still in a snit about the elections? 

[Kieran00001]

1 hour ago, Boon Mee said:

It's only a partial shut down. Nothing to panic over. 

 

Its only a man child throwing his toys out the pram, nothing to panic over.

[Kieran00001]

28 minutes ago, alanrchase said:

Sanders previously said they had sourced the 5 billion from elsewhere so why does Trump need a second 5 billion?

 

She said there are other ways to secure it, she didn't say she had secured another way, they mean such different things to Trumps team who principally act on their imaginations.

[neeray]

13 minutes ago, Kieran00001 said:

 

Its only a man child throwing his toys out the pram, nothing to panic over.

Or, says baby Donny.

"Give me my toys, I'm going home".

[Roadman]

Jeez the Trump White House show is better TV entertainment than the Trump Apprentice TV show. His wall kicked to the kerb by his own Republican controlled Senate. 

[Srikcir]

2 hours ago, helpisgood said:

God, please do assure me that there are loyal and sensible Americans guarding those nuclear codes.

Would you be comforted by the fact that it is the Secretary of Energy Rick Perry currently leads the agency tasked with maintaining a safe, secure and effective nuclear deterrent?

Perry when he was running for Republican candidate POTUS named the DOE as one of the agencies he would eliminate without really understanding what its mission was. https://theslot.jezebel.com/rick-perry-jokes-about-his-incompetence-when-asked-abou-1791380134

[Srikcir]

US government shutdown 'all but certain' as Congress adjourns – as it happened

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2018/dec/21/trump-government-shutdown-border-wall-latest-live

In 20 minutes as of my post.

The Senate might next week to further negotiations.

 

[dunroaming]

9 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

It's only a partial shut down. Nothing to panic over. 

Having a moron as President is something to panic over, I would have thought!

[bristolboy]

9 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

It's only a partial shut down. Nothing to panic over. 

Well if it doesn't amount to much, then it doesn't give Trump much leverage either, does it?

[Ulic]

We live in interesting times and I do like a good bun fight. Reality TV at its best. Entertaining as hell. 

[Jingthing]

Well if it doesn't amount to much, then it doesn't give Trump much leverage either, does it?

Gives him no leverage. It's on him and the democratic house shortly awaits. It's pure idiocy like most of his illegitimate presidency.

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Jingthing]

We live in interesting times and I do like a good bun fight. Reality TV at its best. Entertaining as hell. [emoji106]

If you want reality TV maybe watch reality TV?

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[spidermike007]

Donald Trump is not getting a wall. 3 shutdowns in a year? Get a life. You are delusional, incompetent, arrogant, hateful, brain dead, a coward, an idiot, unable to run the country or do your job. Please resign. This stuff is way over your head. Donald Trump is not a patriot! Making America less safe and less relevant by the day. Lock him up!

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, dunroaming said:

Having a moron as President is something to panic over, I would have thought!

It is. Trump is perhaps the most dangerous man in the world, at this moment in time. He must he stopped. Lock him up!

[Opl]

12 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

It's only a partial shut down. Nothing to panic over. 

Make Christmas Great Again

 

Edited December 22, 2018 by Opl

[direction BANGKOK]

What happened to his brilliant idea for the high tech see through wall? I guess he scuttled that plan. Poor guy. I hope he gets his see through wall. I know it will make him feel much better. 

 

In all seriousness, what if we spent 10 billion on a see through wall. Wouldn't that money be about 100 times more effectively spent by actually employing more agents, tools and training? 

 

The wall is analogous to bombing in wars to me. It sounds great in theory but you have to put troops on the geound to actually get anything done. 

 

I would seriously like an answer to that question about paying for more border agents instead though. That seems like a no brainer. Even a six year old knows a wall out in the middle of nowhere that will not be able to be maintained or guarded through its length will be ineffective. 

Edited December 22, 2018 by direction BANGKOK

[Opl]

Trump knows more about border walls and tech than anyone else… K.I.S 

Edited December 22, 2018 by Opl

[bristolboy]

33 minutes ago, direction BANGKOK said:

What happened to his brilliant idea for the high tech see through wall? I guess he scuttled that plan. Poor guy. I hope he gets his see through wall. I know it will make him feel much better. 

 

In all seriousness, what if we spent 10 billion on a see through wall. Wouldn't that money be about 100 times more effectively spent by actually employing more agents, tools and training? 

 

The wall is analogous to bombing in wars to me. It sounds great in theory but you have to put troops on the geound to actually get anything done. 

 

I would seriously like an answer to that question about paying for more border agents instead though. That seems like a no brainer. Even a six year old knows a wall out in the middle of nowhere that will not be able to be maintained or guarded through its length will be ineffective. 

Actually, there's a huge problem with recruing border agents: corruption. The opportunity to make a lot of money by just looking the other way means that vetting these agents is an arduous process.

[lannarebirth]

8 hours ago, bristolboy said:

Actually, there's a huge problem with recruing border agents: corruption. The opportunity to make a lot of money by just looking the other way means that vetting these agents is an arduous process.

 

You ever see the average US Border Patrol Agent? Most look like graduates from East LA street gangs, complete with neck and knuckle tattoos. Damn good salary too. About twice what a teacher makes.

[Tippaporn]

 

22 hours ago, helpisgood said:

Trump wrote on Twitter that "Democrats now own the shutdown," despite having said last week that he would be "proud" to close the federal government over the issue of border security and "I'll be the one to shut it down."

 

What!?

 

God, please do assure me that there are loyal and sensible Americans guarding those nuclear codes.

Trump demands border wall funding or he will not sign the bill.  He states he'd be proud to shut the government down over the issue.  Dems refuse to provide funding knowing that if they don't Trump won't sign the bill.  So Trump rightly lays the blame for a government shut down at their feet.

 

Is it that difficult to follow the logic?  The guy who wrote the news article obviously couldn't figure it out and sees it as Trump making a contradiction . . . hence the "despite."  There's no contradiction.

 

Trump is delivering one of his campaign promises.  Good on any politician who actually delivers on promises made before becoming elected.

[stevenl]

17 minutes ago, Tippaporn said:

 

Trump demands border wall funding or he will not sign the bill.  He states he'd be proud to shut the government down over the issue.  Dems refuse to provide funding knowing that if they don't Trump won't sign the bill.  So Trump rightly lays the blame for a government shut down at their feet.

 

Is it that difficult to follow the logic?  The guy who wrote the news article obviously couldn't figure it out and sees it as Trump making a contradiction . . . hence the "despite."  There's no contradiction.

 

Trump is delivering one of his campaign promises.  Good on any politician who actually delivers on promises made before becoming elected.

Trump could not get the funding for the wall through the normal budget process, so he tries to squeeze it into this.

Democrats don't refuse funding 'knowing that if they don't Trump won't sign the bill', Democrats refuse funding because it should not be in this bill and because their electorate doesn't want it.

 

So as Trump said a few days ago 'I'll be proud to shut down government over the wall', he owns the shutdown, no matter your and his spin.