• Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
  • CCPA
  • Medical Disclaimer
Saturday, January 28, 2023
Wisconsin Digital News
  • Home
  • US
  • Business
  • Covid 19
  • Milwaukee
  • Madison
  • Green Bay
  • Kenosha
  • Racine
  • Appleton
  • Press Releases
  • Videos
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • US
  • Business
  • Covid 19
  • Milwaukee
  • Madison
  • Green Bay
  • Kenosha
  • Racine
  • Appleton
  • Press Releases
  • Videos
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result
Home US

Under The Hood Of $1.5T Bill For Ukraine, Pandemic, Agencies

by NewsReporter
March 10, 2022
in US
Reading Time: 4 mins read
under-the-hood-of-$1.5t-bill-for-ukraine,-pandemic,-agencies
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

WASHINGTON (AP) — Even for Congress, the $1.5 trillion price tag for its bipartisan package helping Ukraine and financing federal agencies for the last half of this year is a lot of money. And 2,741 pages is a long, long bill.

In fact, the measure and its cost are so daunting that it can be hard to digest. Here’s a look at some of what’s going on as the Senate prepares to send the legislation to President Joe Biden.

FOR UKRAINE, A BIG NUMBER

The legislation, passed Wednesday by the House, would provide $13.6 billion to help Ukraine resist Russia’s invasion and to buttress NATO allies worried about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s next move.

There’s money for weapons and equipment, for humanitarian aid for refugees and allied nations’ economies, and for the U.S. costs of bolstering its military presence in the region. It’s roughly evenly divided between defense and non-defense spending.

In the world of foreign aid, $13.6 billion is real money. By comparison, the measure also includes $3.3 billion in military assistance for Israel, long a top recipient of such help. There’s $1.65 billion for Jordan and $1.3 billion for Egypt.

In another comparison, Russia, whose forces have been tromping through Ukraine and bombarding cities for two weeks, had a $62 billion military budget in 2020, according to the World Bank. Ukraine’s was $6 billion.

Overall, annual U.S. foreign assistance for economic, military and humanitarian programs comes to around $50 billion, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. That’s less than 1% of this year’s federal budget, though it makes the U.S. the world’s biggest provider of foreign aid.

Many in Washington think there will be more aid to Ukraine and Eastern Europe, though it’s unclear when.

FOR NOW, NO MORE PANDEMIC MONEY

Though White House officials initially told Congress that Biden wanted $30 billion more to continue battling COVID-19, a few days later he formally requested a scaled-back $22.5 billion. In bargaining over a final bill with skeptical Republicans, who said Congress had already spent enough, top Democrats settled for $15.6 billion.

But Wednesday, rank-and-file House Democrats rebelled against cuts Republicans had negotiated in previously approved pandemic aid for 30 states to help pay for the new spending. Rather than delaying the entire bill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., removed all the pandemic funds. The number ended up at zero.

How to measure the potential impact of $15.6 billion?

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says the six COVID-19 relief bills enacted since March 2020 cost around $5.1 trillion. The $15.6 billion Democrats want is less than one-third of 1% of that total.

The White House’s Office of Management and Budget, measuring the money differently, says $4.6 trillion has been provided to respond to the pandemic. It says of that, $4.2 trillion has been spent or formally committed to programs.

According to a Health and Human Services Department table, $370 billion of the total was specifically for public health initiatives like acquiring vaccines, testing and reimbursing health care providers. Of that, $355 billion has been spent or committed to contracts.

The $15.6 billion Democrats want would largely be for obtaining vaccines and drugs in preparation for any future variants or other pandemic needs, though some would be to help other countries. Republicans say there are plenty of unspent funds to draw on.

Democrats say they’ll fight for the added funds in future bills. But Pelosi’s willingness to lay the proposed COVID-19 money aside, even temporarily, suggests that with the omicron wave receding and voters exhausted from the two-year-old pandemic, the issue’s political clout may be waning.

EARMARKS ARE BACK

In 2011, Republicans ended Congress’ practice of slipping projects requested by members for their districts into spending bills. The so-called earmarks were beloved by lawmakers eager to bestow them on constituents, and by party leaders as a way to finagle rank-and-file support for legislation.

But the practice had fallen into disrepute, especially among conservatives, as a symbol of wasteful spending that was steered by cronyism, not actual need.

This year, Democrats controlling Congress brought them back, rebranded as community projects and subject to tighter restrictions. They’ve proven extremely popular.

According to House figures, the expansive spending bill includes 2,021 of the projects worth $2.5 billion for the chamber’s Democrats. Republicans got 706 of them, with a $1.7 billion price tag.

The Senate didn’t immediately provide totals for its earmarks, but its tables listing senators’ projects totaled 300 pages.

That included an unusually large $76 million for the medical school at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The sponsor: that state’s Sen. Richard Shelby, top Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, who’s retiring.

Another soon-to-be retiree, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., chairman of the Appropriations panel, had 11 projects for Vermont worth $27 million in just one section of the legislation.

Many lawmakers weren’t shy and blasted out news of their achievements in press releases and tweets.

Rep. Elise Stefanik, the No. 3 House GOP leader, touted wins for her upstate New York district that included $27 million to improve Fort Drum’s water supply. Liberal Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said her 10 projects included $3 million to improve obstetrics facilities at a Queens hospital.

CONGRESS’ SPENDING WORK, LATE AGAIN

Lawmakers are completing the 2022 spending package more than five months late. It was supposed to be finished by last Oct. 1, when the government’s fiscal year began.

That seldom happens. The last time Congress enacted all its spending bills by then was in 1996, when the Senate finished its work on Sept. 30, the very last day of the budget year. Then-President Bill Clinton signed it that same day.

Even so, Congress has been slower than this before. Its worst performance came in 2017, when lawmakers didn’t finish all their spending work until May.

Read More Here

Related Posts

brian-benjamin’s-arrest-and-new-york’s-failure

Brian Benjamin’s Arrest And New York’s Failure

by NewsReporter
April 13, 2022
0

Another ethics bombshell just hit New York: the arrest of Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin. The charges against Benjamin stem from an alleged misuse of his public office to financially benefit a big campaign contributor. Of course, Benjamin deserves to have his side heard, but the indictment is fresh evidence that...

explainer:-what-do-new-alabama-laws-say-on-transgender-kids?

EXPLAINER: What Do New Alabama Laws Say On Transgender Kids?

by NewsReporter
April 12, 2022
0

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama has become the first state to criminalize the use of puberty blockers and hormones to treat transgender people under age 19. In line with some other Republican-led states, legislators here also passed a law requiring students to use bathrooms corresponding to their sex at birth and...

biden-to-announce-new-gun-regulation-–-follow-live

Biden To Announce New Gun Regulation – Follow Live

by NewsReporter
April 11, 2022
0

(Getty Images)President Joe Biden is expected to announce new gun regulations on Monday to rein in so-called “ghost guns” — privately made firearms without serial numbers that have been used in several high-profile violent crimes.Mr Biden is expected to nominate Steve Dettlebach, an Obama-era US attorney, to run the Bureau...

nominations-for-pakistan-pm-due;-supporters-of-ousted-khan-expected-to-protest

Nominations For Pakistan PM Due; Supporters Of Ousted Khan Expected To Protest

by NewsReporter
April 10, 2022
0

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comISLAMABAD, April 10 (Reuters) - Candidates for Pakistan's next prime minister are due to file nomination papers on Sunday after incumbent Imran Khan lost a no-confidence vote in parliament, bringing an end to the former cricket star's nearly four years in power.Khan had...

Wisconsin Digital News

© 2021 Wisconsin Digital News

Navigate Site

  • Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
  • CCPA
  • Medical Disclaimer

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • DMCA Policy
  • Medical Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure
  • CCPA
  • Terms of Use

© 2021 Wisconsin Digital News

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT