Audit every penny that goes to Ukraine.

BAN TIKTOK
TikTok would be banned on all government-issued devices over security concerns.

So we're banning TikTok but totally unable to regulate ANY crypto?  Did I get this right?  Thousands of people have lost millions of dollars investing in a complete scam but boy are we upset about TikTok because it might be China spying on us?  Are You Joking?  How about corporate America ripping off investors?  Nah - no big deal!  Buyer beware and all that jazz.  SNORT!

And rather than "BAN TIKTOK" fire the morons who are looking at it on government devices while they're supposed to be working.  How freaking difficult is this?  NO YOU DON'T PLAY AROUND ON OUR PHONE WHEN WE'RE PAYING YOU TO ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING.  If you're unable to accomplish something, please, for my sake, FAKE IT! 

Where is the novel concept of holding people responsible?  Oh, that's right, it's Washington DC, no one has ANY responsibility!

So let me get this straight, a platform that billion people use is a national security threat but, the butt buddy of president oatmeal for brains have been hacking into the United States even before Tiktok! So can one of the 80 million supporters of oatmeal for brains try to explain how an app is a threat but the national threat will continue because we already know that that president oatmeal for brains is compromised by the ccp. Far as Ukraine why don’t we just end the war president oatmeal for brains said that putin is a killer so what is this weak clown will do? The weak clown will probably trip over something

"If we did these commonsense things, ...". 

I have seen this "common sense" argument used repeatedly to address multiple questions on this forum, and each time I find it displays the arrogance and lack of insight of the person using that terminology.

"Common sense" is only a useful concept if there is a common frame of reference to which it is applied. When there are multiple people from a wide variety of parts of the country, with varying backgrounds and experiences, of varying racial descents, of varying social backgrounds and class, to expect a common frame of reference is ludicrous unless the topic is so pervasive and so well explained that there can be no question. The chances of that occuring are vanishingly low as we cannot, as a nation, not even agree that Donald Trump legitimately lost the 2020 Presidential Election. 

I can put forth a reasonable argument that the concept of maintaining national borders is outdated and harmful, and that we would be better off not having such designations. Borders take the form of being political or geographical. Boundaries, in contrast, are social or cultural. We are faced with several crises that include wars and climate change that are resulting in social and political upheavals that are causing increasing numbers of people to migrate from their homes to other locations in search of safety, food, water, employment, and some type of stability. This is not happening just where the United States and Mexico demarcate their respective national jurisdictions, but all over the world. The United States has projected an image of welcoming immigrants. The reality has been less inviting and more one of rejection, especially in recent years.  Studies have shown that increasing immigration would actually be to the financial benefit of the United States economy. This, however, flies in the face of conservative doctrine and Trumpian/fascist values that are based on emotion rather than reason and "common sense."

In this situation there are actually two versions of "common sense", both judged by their practictioners to be valid, one research based, the other not, but diametrically opposite of each other. Where is the common frame of reference and experience that would reconcile these two opposing views of what is "common sense" and enable both to be right?

Our nation could do so much more so much better and so much cheaper if we stopped over-funding the largest, most expensive military in the world.  By the way, you do realize that our military has NEVER secceeded in completing a financial audit.  

And while we're cutting actual waste, let's cut our federal prison system and end the For-Profit Prison System.  

If we did these commonsense things, we'd have some much more to make people's lives so much better.

So let's place bets on how much better the GOP House does in passing the budget next year. Do we really think they're going to get it done sooner and with fewer objections?

WHERE IS THE MONEY COMING FROM? Papa XI?

If this were truly about preventing a government shutdown, why is there so much new spending in the bill?  No one and I mean no one had the time to read over 4000 pages of this crap before casting a vote and then madam Nanny allows vote by proxy.  What a joke. The losers had already skipped town. 

A reveal of spending on pet projects and foreign aid is coming to light with the most glaring being that of US support for Ukraine.  We have thus far accounted for almost two-thirds of all financial aid to that war.  Money that is needed here at home to secure the southern border and bolster infrastructure.  Where's the rest of the world?  It's no wonder Russia views it as a proxy war.

The archives of this site will show that I have long recognized Liberal Progressivism for what it is - a cult or mental illness.  I'll soften the latter by replacing illness with disorder.  If you're cheering for this bill, reality is probably out of reach for you.

Omnibus Section 110 links retirement saving and student loans repayments by treating student loans as deferrals for the purpose of retirement savings.

"As of 2024, if the company chooses to provide the benefit, a worker could write a check for their monthly student loan bill, but in the process also earn a “match” for their 401(k), 403(b), or SIMPLE IRA account"

"...it will help young people avoid missing out on years of saving and the compound interest that builds up when people start early. A 2019 study from Bankrate found that 29% of college graduates with student loans delayed retirement savings. Another study, from the Employee Benefit Research Institute, found that holding student loan debt is a key factor in how much households were able to save."

"This idea of allowing simultaneous student loan payments and retirement savings has bounced around Washington for years and has gradually gained bipartisan support. Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon put forward a bill in 2019 with Republicans like Rep. Fred Keller (R-PA) also championing the effort over the years."

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/new-law-links-your-student-loans-with-retirement-savings-162657977.html

New law links your student loans with retirement savings

Tucked inside the $1.7 trillion government spending bill are a series of provisions that experts sa...

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/new-law-links-your-student-loans-with-retirement-savings-162657977.html

This is to my Alaskan representatives. Does this 1.7 trillion budget bill include finally a national medical healthcare plan that includes building national hospitals and clinics so those who do not want to go to private hospitals can have healthcare from our national system? If not why not?

I am not in favor of Omnibus Bills, one bit. I as many of you did not read this Bill in its entirety. There were some good items within the Bill, but way to much spending garbage, and the threatening of shutting down our normal every day government operations. This is a childish ploy by worthless Congressional members. Of course we realize the majority of the funds are going to be borrowed, at someone's future expense. Most within this Bill filled the pockets of big campaign donators, and not really doing anything to really support our most vital structures. You can argue this with me but Omnibus Bills are bad for our country. 

Sound like this budget bill will be beneficial in many ways, as well as from a budgetary standpoint.

Bipartisan? Only traitorous RINOs voted for this abomination. The few 'common sense party' talked loudly about the faults of this bill. Oh well, no one hears, and it seems no one cares; hopefully twitter will help, the future of America hangs on a thread. Thank You Elon Musk.

Yea, pass the bill quickly; we have loads of debt, the card will never expire, & so much "help" [to other countries], no problem, everything is peaches and cream in our remade America.

Reps,

Get It Done!

Happy Holidays!

Hope the House passes the bill quickly.

Wish there was a group would pay for a deep dive into Tiktok's code to see if it is sending sensitve info greater than any other social media platforms.
BTW–The better creators are already posting their alternative platforms, mostly Instagram & YouTube.

The idea that a bill with 1.7 trillion dollars at over 4,000 pages should be voted on with less than a week of consideration is absurd. From what we do know about it, it is filled with wasteful spending that with further exasperate inflation. It shoudl be voted down and instead a CR should be approved and budgeting should take place by regular order in 12 bills. 

One Republican Senator said it best.

He said he would vote for the omnibus annual spending bill even though it will be hard to thourougly read it before voting - because it would save the incoming House Reopblicans from the having the inconvenience of actually having to legislate!

Suspect this legislation will pass as the vast majority is for Defense, and much of it has been defined in Legislation that has been previously passed. 

Democrats failed to increase domestic spending at the same rate as defense spending, with deep cuts to the President’s requested budget, hence the support from moderate Republicans. Defense lobbyists that contribute heavily to campaigns in both sides of the aisle will also be lobbying heavily for this.

Top line:

(1) $858B Pentagon and related programs (10% increase which is more than the 4% increase Biden wanted) 

(2) $772.5B domestic agencies (5% increase over 2022 but less than the 6.7% requested)

What’s included:

(1) previously passed legislation in 2022 

-PACT Act increased benefits for veteran

-CHIPS and Science Act investments in key technologies

-supplemental funding of $45B for Ukraine aid and $41B for disaster relief. 

(2) 10% increase for law enforcement (FBI, DEA and U.S. Marshals Service for new judicial protection responsibilities, Bureau of Prisons)

(3) 2% decrease for IRS since funding was increased through the Inflation Reduction Act

(4) 20% increase fir Health preparedness - 20% funding boost to develop countermeasures against future pandemics and rebuild stockpiles of drugs, masks and other supplies. 

(5) 17% increase in border security for 300 Border Patrol Agents & $3.2B for Homeland Security

(6) Immigration - $133M for electronic case management but only 1/3rd the amount Biden requested to process asylum claims, work authorizations, naturalizations and other immigration benefit cases.

(7) 13% increase to improve systems and practices for federal hiring

(8) TSA only received 1/3rd of requested funds for parity with other federal workers

(9) SSA - only 50% of requested received to replace staffing that left during COVID 

(10) Veterans 20% increase to provide more healthcare benefits

(11) $10B for National Science Foundation with an 8% increase for National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 

(12) $46.5B for DOE, an increase of roughly $1.7 billion from fiscal 2022 to scale carbon capture and removal technologies, advance technologies aimed at boosting the resilience of the U.S. electricity system and reduce emissions from heavy industry like steel and concrete, among other initiatives.

Other provisions:

(1) extension of HHS Telehealth benefits

(2) state grants for opioid crisis

(3) bipartisan legislation for pandemic preparedness with DOD & DOE support

(4) FDA oversight for cosmetics, accelerated approval pathways with oversight on post marketing trials

(5) ARPA part of NIH

(6) Mental Health - Community Mental Health block grants

https://www.eenews.net/articles/how-the-1-7t-omnibus-affects-energy-from-ccs-to-hydrogen/

https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-pulse/2022/12/21/unpacking-the-omnibus-health-provisions-00074840

https://www.govexec.com/management/2022/12/here-are-major-takeaways-17-trillion-omnibus-spending-bill/381162/

Here Are the Major Takeaways From the $1.7 Trillion Omnibus Spending Bill

See which agencies are getting the biggest funding increases, hiring orders and new policy initiati...

https://www.govexec.com/management/2022/12/here-are-major-takeaways-17-trillion-omnibus-spending-bill/381162/