The Worst Bill Ever in Congress

A great article on the new defense bill.

The Worst Bill Ever in Congress

Funds the wars :

The "Defense Authorization" bill now before Congress, HR 1750, is arguably the worst bill ever considered likely to pass into law. It includes $118 billion for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, wars a majority of Americans wants ended. But that's not why it's the worst bill ever.

This bill also includes $553 billion for other military waste. That's enough money to save and improve a lot of lives if it weren't being dumped into the war machine. But that's not why this is the worst bill ever.

Most of it probably for ``research and development``...

Basically destroys START...

The bill limits the President’s ability to implement the New START agreement unless there is full funding for the nuclear weapons complex, bars the retirement of nuclear weapons until two new nuclear facilities are completed, and bars further nuclear weapons reductions below New START levels unless approved by Congress. But that's not why this is the worst bill ever.

The bill invests heavily in a National Missile "Defense" system based in California and Alaska.

Might be needed in case NKorea goes nuts... even then, NKorea's missiles are a joke.

This bill revives a second engine for the F-35 that the Pentagon has no use for.

AGAIN?

This bill bars any transfer of prisoners from Guantanamo.

Doesn't matter that most of the prisoners are innocent.

This is the worst bill ever because it gives presidents the power to single-handedly launch wars and to lock people up without trial.

This legislation, Section 1034 of the worst bill ever, undoes the limitations on one-man rule put in place by the U.S. Constitution over two centuries ago. This is the biggest formal shift of power in our government since we've had a government.

We have military operations now in some 75 countries, and a significant war in Libya, all illegal under the U.S. Constitution and the War Powers Act. But the worst bill ever will erase the War Powers Act, and the Constitution will simply be ignored.

Republicans (house) and democrats (senate) will basically make the president, whoever he is, a KING...

Meanwhile the significant withdrawal that President Obama promised to begin in Afghanistan has been scaled back to a withdrawal of 2.5 percent of U.S. forces

Duh. Obama has been a liar since even before he was elected president.

The whole bill stinks...A HELL LOT.

Geez

as if we need to blow more money we do not have away on a war that is not real in the first place. who pays for this when its done? Not me I will not live long enough, so I am guessing my 10X grand kids, O wait there is good news dec 21 2012.....well, then I guess its ok after all....

reply to post by Vitchilo


I wonder how this bill will affect the US missle shield in Eastern Europe. Dont forget what Russia just said a few days ago.

Medvedev warns of Cold War over missile defence

Medvedev told reporters that the U.S. decision to push ahead with construction of the missile defence system despite Russia's objections will force Moscow "to take retaliatory measures — something that we would very much rather not do."

We would then be talking about developing the offensive potential of our nuclear capabilities. This would be a very bad scenario."

Maybe somebody is ready for another cold war?

Let me guess the americans are going to allow it , quite pathetic actually when this money spent on wars could actually be put to good use like feeding the poor in all third world countries and help rebuild their infrastructure .

reply to post by PS3Geek


Or feeding the poor here in America first, then them. It is our money after all.

$600BILLION DOLLARS.....

What our nation could do for the better with that much money. But no.

WE CAN NOT AFFORD IT!!!

And I say we cant afford it, because we really cant afford it. Checks n balances? nah, forget about it, we will just print up some more worthless paper!

Getting rid of this war mongering President and his administration would probably save us a lot more money.

When is it going to be impeachment time, when we are all dead?

This is so unfair to Americans:
We get a king with no crown, cape or throne.
No carriage, no pageantry, no fancy uniforms.
If were going to have a king can't we at least do it right?
Sheesh!

reply to post by Asktheanimals


Yea, lets do it right.

Lets all fight for it.

There can be only one.

-and in that scenerio- I doubt Obama will end up on top. hahahaha.

Just read the actual bill, that's not all exactly true or even there, I'll go through it again and if someone sees something I missed in the "bill speak" let me know, but the only things that I did actually read in it are:

The bill limits the President’s ability to implement the New START agreement unless there is full funding for the nuclear weapons complex, bars the retirement of nuclear weapons until two new nuclear facilities are completed, and bars further nuclear weapons reductions below New START levels unless approved by Congress. But that's not why this is the worst bill ever.

The bill invests heavily in a National Missile "Defense" system based in California and Alaska.

Those are in there, but this:

The "Defense Authorization" bill now before Congress, HR 1750, is arguably the worst bill ever considered likely to pass into law. It includes $118 billion for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, wars a majority of Americans wants ended.

And this:

This bill also includes $553 billion for other military waste. That's enough money to save and improve a lot of lives if it weren't being dumped into the war machine.

Actually says:

A UTHORIZATION OF A PPROPRIATIONS .—Funds are hereby authorized to be appropriated to the Department of Energy for fiscal year 2012 for the activities of the National Nuclear Security Administration in carrying out programs necessary for national security in the amount of $11,782,930,000, of which $7,629,716,000 shall be for weapons activities of the National Nuclear Security Administration.

Didn't see anything about war funding, those redundant F-35 engines, Gitmo prisoners, Nada about a scaling back of Afghanistan troop reductions, and nothing at all about giving the president any new authority of declaring war.

I'll read through again from a different source to double check, but I think your source may be trying to fear monger a bit.


P.S. - Still get a S&F for watching out, and like I said I'll keep digging just in case they have it attached as earmarks or something, didn't see it doesn't mean it's not there

Originally posted by Asktheanimals
This is so unfair to Americans:
We get a king with no crown, cape or throne.

Eh, nope. The money for that was just donated to other countries in the form of wheat and corn

No carriage,

Sorry, that is stuck on a road somewhere in Ireland at the moment

no pageantry, no fancy uniforms.

Again, no way Jose.... those event planner jobs were out-sourced overseas somewhere and I heard that Kim Jong Il stole all of the fancy uniforms and is selling them on the black market to the House of Windsor

If were going to have a king can't we at least do it right?
Sheesh!

You want it done right, you'll have to go to Burger King

reply to post by Vitchilo
Sounds very similar to the way Rome went, from a parliament (senate) to a dictatorship (emperor).

The sad part is that I know there have and will be, worse.

reply to post by Hijaqd


This bill is about 920 pages....that's a whole lotta reading people...

yeah lets just sit on a bunch of nukes made in the 50s they will always work its not like they need upkeep.

and the fact is the rest of the world is arming up and we disarm.

sooner or later bunch of people too stupid or lazy will at least have a fulll stomach that is until someone launchs a bunch of missiles at us and then what?

getting out of iraq and afghanistan i do agree with.

but what i do not agree with is the nonstop onslaught on defense of the nation

without it none of would be here and none of us would have roofs over our heads and food on our tables and a job to goto.


heres another fact you can either lead or follow or become a victim

what is your choice.

doesnt really matter since none of us has any say where our tax dollars go.

but i have no problems with my money going to the slugs of this country.


yeah feed them for a day

take care of them instead of them taking care of themselves

never offer a solution to get out from under the government dime.

some peoples morality makes me sick.

Sounds like the start of a great big DICKTATORSHIP!!!

Obama can guarantee re-election forever if he is the dictator!!

reply to post by PS3Geek


You sir have got to be kidding! Feed the 3rd world countries? we have children here who need feeding. research to see how much money now is sent to 3rd world countries,who dictators use for there personal bank accounts.

Originally posted by chrismarco
reply to post by Hijaqd

 

This bill is about 920 pages....that's a whole lotta reading people...

Ya know, we have a case of the source not being straight.

They are referencing HR 1750, which is not that large, 42 pages (the one I read, since that's the one they were on about)

However, they are blending, picking and choosing between a couple of bills, the BIG one which may very well contain some of the more controversial aspects seems to be HR 1540.

So no, the initial bill referenced is not so large, HR 1750 42 pages.

HR 1540, does seem to be large as hell though 920 pages, and will be a tough and long read. Whatever happened to the legislation to limit the length of a bill anyway?

From the OPs Source

This is the worst bill ever because it gives presidents the power to single-handedly launch wars and to lock people up without trial.

This legislation, Section 1034 of the worst bill ever, undoes the limitations on one-man rule put in place by the U.S. Constitution over two centuries ago. This is the biggest formal shift of power in our government since we've had a government.

From the bill itself

SEC. 1034. AFFIRMATION OF ARMED CONFLICT WITH AL-QAEDA, THE TALIBAN, AND ASSOCIATED FORCES. Congress affirms that—
(1) the United States is engaged in an armed conflict with al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and associated forces and that those entities continue to pose a threat to the United States and its citizens, both domestically and abroad;
(2) the President has the authority to use all necessary and appropriate force during the current armed conflict with al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and associated forces pursuant to the Authorization for Use of Military Force (Public Law 107–40; 50 U.S.C. 1541 note);
(3) the current armed conflict includes nations, organization, and persons who— (A) are part of, or are substantially supporting, al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or associated forces that are engaged in hostilities against the United States or its coalition partners; or (B) have engaged in hostilities or have directly supported hostilities in aid of a nation, organization, or person described in subparagraph (A); and
(4) the President’s authority pursuant to the Authorization for Use of Military Force (Public Law 107–40; 50 U.S.C. 1541 note) includes the authority to detain belligerents, including persons described in paragraph (3), until the termination of hostilities.

Let's be clear, in no way am I advocating this bill, do your own research, but OP your source is clearly agenda driven, ill-informed, or just not interested in reality or a combination of all (no reflection on you at all, just the source). The F-35 thing is also a bit bunk:

This bill revives a second engine for the F-35 that the Pentagon has no use for.

This is not true, they call for corrective actions resulting from ‘‘Corrosion Evaluation of the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter’’. No redundant second engine, just a step to make sure the new toys don't corrode, I for one am cool with this, I don't want to be the country with 5th gen fighters corroded on runways. Sec 327 for reference (only place in the bill that mentions the F-35)

Doesn't matter as long as we get our Facebook and MTV and Mickey Dees its all good!
High
Five
Americans!

US lawmakers pass $690 billion Pentagon bill

As in the OP :

and limits the Obama administration's powers on handling Guantanamo detainees.

which met the Defense Department's request for $119 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Even 1 billion more than the OP.

It also placed restrictions on President Barack Obama's authority to reduce the US nuclear weapons stockpile under the new START treaty with Russia

Lawmakers backed a Republican proposal to keep terror suspects at Guantanamo Bay, where they would be prosecuted in special military tribunals, and barring them from being tried on US soil.

The defense bill would prevent the Obama administration from spending public funds to retire any nuclear warheads covered by the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with Russia unless it certifies the remaining arsenal would be modernized.

And about the F-35 engine...

It also limits funding for a new generation of fighter jets -- the F-35 -- unless an alternate engine is developed

So the OP was mostly right. The other things are in other bills I think.