House GOP unveils $14.3 billion Israel aid package

[Social Media]

 

House Republicans unveiled a $14.3 billion aid package for Israel on Monday, a show of support for the embattled U.S. ally amid its war against Hamas.

To pay for the foreign aid, however, the legislation includes $14.3 billion in cuts to funding for the Internal Revenue Service, a key detail that will likely be a non-starter for Democrats.

 

The cuts would affect funds included in the Democrats’ sweeping tax, health and climate bill — dubbed the Inflation Reduction Act — signed into law last year.

The package also deviates from the White House’s strategy of linking aid for Ukraine and Israel in the same piece of legislation, a fact that could make it even more difficult to get the bill over the finish line.

The legislation includes $4 billion for Israel’s Iron Dome and David’s Sling defense systems and another $1.2 billion for development of the Iron Beam defense system. 

The package is one of the first pieces of legislation introduced under Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who assumed the top job last week after a brutal battle over who should succeed former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) following his ouster.

The House Rules Committee will take up the legislation Wednesday.

Members of both parties and chambers have emphasized the importance of supporting Israel as it battles Hamas. Last week, the House overwhelmingly approved a resolution backing Israel and condemning Hamas, which was the first piece of legislation that passed during Johnson’s Speakership.

 

FULL STORY

 

[Tug]

Most likely doa stiffing Ukraine de funding the irs so their wealthy donors isent going to help the deficit but helps their campaign donations that bill needs some work imo

[JonnyF]

1 hour ago, Social Media said:

To pay for the foreign aid, however, the legislation includes $14.3 billion in cuts to funding for the Internal Revenue Service, a key detail that will likely be a non-starter for Democrats.

 

No surprise that The Democrats object to this. Balancing the books has never been their forte. In their mind they can just spend, spend and spend some more. Just pluck more money from the magic money tree. 

 

Thank goodness the Republicans won back control of the house in 2022.

[Berkshire]

18 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

 

No surprise that The Democrats object to this. Balancing the books has never been their forte. In their mind they can just spend, spend and spend some more. Just pluck more money from the magic money tree. 

 

Thank goodness the Republicans won back control of the house in 2022.

Another way to look at this is that defunding the IRS is foolish.  More agents allow the IRS to go after tax cheats which would increase revenue substantially.  Much more than the defunding itself.  Not sure if you understand what it is the IRS does.

[thaibeachlovers]

No funding at all for Ukraine then? Oh dear, oh dear oh dear.

 

Is Zelenski feeling a cold breeze down his back?

 

So much for saving the world from the evil orcs.

[Chomper Higgot]

3 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

No funding at all for Ukraine then? Oh dear, oh dear oh dear.

 

Is Zelenski feeling a cold breeze down his back?

 

So much for saving the world from the evil orcs.

You are mistaking the GOP trying to offer Putin the hope of US withdrawing funding for Ukraine with what Congress will actually do.

 

 

[JonnyF]

24 minutes ago, Berkshire said:

Another way to look at this is that defunding the IRS is foolish.  More agents allow the IRS to go after tax cheats which would increase revenue substantially.  Much more than the defunding itself.  Not sure if you understand what it is the IRS does.

 

Here's a link if you're not sure what they do. 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_Revenue_Service

 

[JonnyF]

8 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

No funding at all for Ukraine then? Oh dear, oh dear oh dear.

 

Is Zelenski feeling a cold breeze down his back?

 

So much for saving the world from the evil orcs.

 

I'm sure Zelenski is aware of the US' record in terms of bailing on their various missions to police the world as soon as something more important comes along.

 

If he isn't, he should be. He's had plenty of examples to choose from.

[thaibeachlovers]

5 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

 

I'm sure Zelenski is aware of the US' record in terms of bailing on their various missions to police the world as soon as something more important comes along.

 

If he isn't, he should be. He's had plenty of examples to choose from.

I can think of a few without even having to think about it.

The only difference is in how long it took before they bailed and how many American boys died for nothing.

[Bkk Brian]

22 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

No funding at all for Ukraine then? Oh dear, oh dear oh dear.

 

Is Zelenski feeling a cold breeze down his back?

 

So much for saving the world from the evil orcs.

I know you'd love the Russians to win but its just not gonna happen:

 

Biden Administration Announces Additional Security Assistance for Ukraine Oct. 26, 2023

https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3569812/biden-administration-announces-additional-security-assistance-for-ukraine/

 

[Tug]

10 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

No funding at all for Ukraine then? Oh dear, oh dear oh dear.

 

Is Zelenski feeling a cold breeze down his back?

 

So much for saving the world from the evil orcs.

I know some are excited at the thought of a fledgling democracy being snuffed out and the country and its people subjected and looted by a dictatorship and the rest of the Eastern European country’s threatened but I wouldn’t get your hopes up yet comrade.it still has to get through the senate then past the president’s desk.

[placeholder]

11 hours ago, JonnyF said:

 

I'm sure Zelenski is aware of the US' record in terms of bailing on their various missions to police the world as soon as something more important comes along.

 

If he isn't, he should be. He's had plenty of examples to choose from.

If aid to the Ukrainians is cut off, it will because of the Republicans in the House. And Trump:

Trump urges pause on Ukraine aid until agencies turn in ‘every scrap’ of evidence in Biden probe

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4127166-donald-trump-urges-pause-on-ukraine-aid-amid-biden-probe/

[stevenl]

12 hours ago, JonnyF said:

 

No surprise that The Democrats object to this. Balancing the books has never been their forte. In their mind they can just spend, spend and spend some more. Just pluck more money from the magic money tree. 

 

Thank goodness the Republicans won back control of the house in 2022.

Nonsense, balancing the books is not something the Republicans do. Democratic presidents have been much better at that.

[placeholder]

12 hours ago, JonnyF said:

 

No surprise that The Democrats object to this. Balancing the books has never been their forte. In their mind they can just spend, spend and spend some more. Just pluck more money from the magic money tree. 

 

Thank goodness the Republicans won back control of the house in 2022.

So the way to balance the books is to go after the people who collect the revenue? Does the phrase "Penny wise and pound foolish" mean anything to you?

 

Richest 5% Of Americans ‘Choose Not To Pay’ $307 Billion In Taxes Each Year, Treasury Reports

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanponciano/2021/09/08/richest-5-of-americans-choose-not-to-pay-307-billion-in-taxes-each-year-treasury-reports/?sh=2173a21c459d

 

 

[Jingthing]

13 hours ago, JonnyF said:

 

No surprise that The Democrats object to this. Balancing the books has never been their forte. In their mind they can just spend, spend and spend some more. Just pluck more money from the magic money tree. 

 

Thank goodness the Republicans won back control of the house in 2022.

Good sarcasm. The republicans only care about deficits when they're not in power.

It's ironic that the republican fascist party wants to throw Russia under the bus, a country that has officially backed genocidal terrorist scum Hamas over Israel. 

[Jingthing]

59 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Nonsense, balancing the books is not something the Republicans do. Democratic presidents have been much better at that.

Yeah but the republican version of Putin's Z zombies aren't interested in such facts.

[impulse]

5 hours ago, stevenl said:

Nonsense, balancing the books is not something the Republicans do. Democratic presidents have been much better at that.

 

Those were yesterday's Dems, who bear little resemblance to what that party has become. 

 

How's that deficit reduction coming along under Mr. "Let's throw $$$ trillions at our pet projects and forecast great results to get re-elected"?

[Skipalongcassidy]

Does Joe still get his full 10%

[candide]

13 minutes ago, Skipalongcassidy said:

Does Joe still get his full 10%

When did he get 10% and of what? 😃

[placeholder]

2 hours ago, impulse said:

 

Those were yesterday's Dems, who bear little resemblance to what that party has become. 

 

How's that deficit reduction coming along under Mr. "Let's throw $$$ trillions at our pet projects and forecast great results to get re-elected"?

Actually, those forecasts are coming true. The US has way outperformed other other major developed economies and China, too. And remember those predictions of a recession for the US economy? And this despite high interest rates from the Fed.

As for deficit reduction... thanks to a few DINO's taxes weren't raised nearly as much as the Biden administration wanted to raise them. While Republicans are still pushing for tax cuts. And they actually to cripple the IRS' ability to go after widescale tax evasion by the wealthy by undoing the funding that the Biden administration secured to upgrade the IRS.

[placeholder]

1 hour ago, Skipalongcassidy said:

Does Joe still get his full 10%

Yes he does. After all, 10% of $0.00 is $0.00

[impulse]

1 minute ago, placeholder said:

Actually, those forecasts are coming true. The US has way outperformed other other major developed economies and China, too. And remember those predictions of a recession for the US economy? And this despite high interest rates from the Fed.

As for deficit reduction... thanks to a few DINO's taxes weren't raised nearly as much as the Biden administration wanted to raise them. While Republicans are still pushing for tax cuts. And they actually to cripple the IRS' ability to go after widescale tax evasion by the wealthy by undoing the funding that the Biden administration secured to upgrade the IRS.

 

Is that alleged growth in GDP from real growth, or from gub'ment spending, leading to more long term pain?  And did they (one more time) change how they calculate GDP in the runup to another election?

 

I'm all for increasing the top marginal tax rate.  It was 91% the year I was born, and the USA was as strong and admired around the world as it's ever been.  Still had millionaires, but we also had great (and improving) infrastructure.  Nowadays, they can't even maintain what we have, never mind making improvements.

 

I'm ambivalent around the increase in IRS budgets after the whistleblowers who indicated the agency is being used for political purposes.

[Chomper Higgot]

10 minutes ago, impulse said:

I'm ambivalent around the increase in IRS budgets after the whistleblowers who indicated the agency is being used for political purposes.

They asserted their view, they did not indicate.

 

Investigators not happy with the decisions made by their directing managers/prosecutors (I. This case a Trump appointee) are par for the course in all Investigation/prosecution authorities.

 

 

 

 

[impulse]

2 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

They asserted their view, they did not indicate.

 

Investigators not happy with the decisions made by their directing managers/prosecutors (I. This case a Trump appointee) are par for the course in all Investigation/prosecution authorities.

And I suppose you think it's a coincidence that Matt Taibbi was audited immediately after the Twitter Files dropped?  Visited his home, no less.

 

BTW, they found out he had overpaid and was entitled to a refund.

 

[placeholder]

1 minute ago, impulse said:

 

Is that alleged growth in GDP from real growth, or from gub'ment spending, leading to more long term pain?  And did they (one more time) change how they calculate GDP in the runup to another election?

 

I'm all for increasing the top marginal tax rate.  It was 91% the year I was born, and the USA was as strong and admired around the world as it's ever been.  Still had millionaires, but we also had great (and improving) infrastructure.  Nowadays, they can't even maintain what we have, never mind making improvements.

 

I'm ambivalent around the increase in IRS budgets after the whistleblowers who indicated the agency is being used for political purposes.

Please, spare me the old wives' tale about the IRS being used for political purposes.

https://theconversation.com/the-irs-targeting-scandal-was-fake-but-irs-budget-woes-are-a-real-problem-85310

What they did was use shortcuts to target words that they believed could indicate fraud on the part of both left and right wing groups. Maybe if they had been adequately funded they wouldn't have had to resort to such shortcuts in the first place.

As for the GDP being from real growth or government spending, the US has embarked on an sustained investment in infrastructure growth. There's a myth out there that government spending doesn't lead to real growth. The right wing espouses something called Ricardian equivalence which claims that government spending amounts to a wash because potential investors withhold from investing because they fear that taxes will be raised later to pay for the increase. No sign of this happening ever. And the investment in renewable energy is obviously necessary except to those subscribing to conspiracy theories about the motivations behind climate research.

So, yes, government spending has increased, but so has private growth.

And this despite the fact that the Fed's high interest rates have severely depressed the housing market.

[sirineou]

22 hours ago, Social Media said:

House Republicans unveiled a $14.3 billion aid package for Israel on Monday,

Funny how not one person in this thread is willing to talk about the subject matter of this thread. 

[placeholder]

3 minutes ago, impulse said:

And I suppose you think it's a coincidence that Matt Taibbi was audited immediately after the Twitter Files dropped?  Visited his home, no less.

 

BTW, they found out he had overpaid and was entitled to a refund.

 

Comey and McCabe got audited, too. But Democrats accepted an investigation that showed it was just a coincidence. As for Taibibi, it wasn't much of an audit. The IRS said it was concern about identity theft. And what kind of persecution is it that results in a tax refund?

[Chomper Higgot]

14 minutes ago, impulse said:

And I suppose you think it's a coincidence that Matt Taibbi was audited immediately after the Twitter Files dropped?  Visited his home, no less.

 

BTW, they found out he had overpaid and was entitled to a refund.

 

I’m sure he appreciated the refund.

 

 

[Chomper Higgot]

4 minutes ago, sirineou said:

Funny how not one person in this thread is willing to talk about the subject matter of this thread. 

The GOP proposal is a wrapper, what’s inside is more important than what’s printed on the wrapping paper.

[Tug]

1 minute ago, sirineou said:

Funny how not one person in this thread is willing to talk about the subject matter of this thread. 

I thought I did at the start personally in its present form Imo it’s doa it guts Biden’s agenda continues trump’s vendetta against the IRS further endangers government revenue and abandons Ukraine personally I think they are trying to shift blame to make the dems look bad