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Federal notes: McCaskill continues contract crusade
Sen. Claire McCaskill took her crusade against wartime contracting abuses to the top rungs of the Obama administration in a hearing about Afghanistan policy.
The Missourian used a session of the Senate Armed Services Committee Wednesday to question Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates about spending accountability related to American wars.
Ms. McCaskill told the cabinet members that of the 75,000 contractors in Afghanistan, about 55,000 are Afghans.
"It's not clear to me whether this has been purposeful or situational," said the Democratic senator, who chairs a subcommittee on contracting oversight.
"I think it's probably both," Ms. Clinton replied. "I think it is to some extent a message, but it's also just a reality of who is there and what the mission requires."
Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, added that hiring Afghans into contracted positions strengthened local economies and benefited the overall mission in that nation.
Legislation costs ... no, it pays
From the world of confusing cross-claims, word comes from Washington this week that cap-and-trade energy legislation will greatly help farmers and greatly harm farmers.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, formerly governor of Iowa, talked about his department's new analysis of the climate change bill Wednesday and cited the bill's benefits. Offset markets will outpace costs associated with higher prices in the short term, he said. In the long term, offsets will "overwhelm" any increased costs.
Even without taking into account technological advances and new opportunities in bioenergy, the secretary said, "Our analysis finds that even under conservative assumptions, climate change legislation will be a net gain for agriculture."
Not so fast, says the top Republican on a House agriculture subcommittee with oversight of energy matters. A hearing on Wednesday "demonstrated overwhelmingly that cap and trade will have a severe negative impact on our farmers, ranchers and ultimately consumers," said Rep. Bob Goodlatte of Virginia.
Patrick Westhoff of the University of Missouri testified at that hearing. The Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute that he directs examined the effects this legislation will have on markets, farm income and consumer food prices.
"The House-passed legislation would raise energy costs, and this would translate into higher farm production expenses," Dr. Westhoff said in his opening statement. "Just how large the increases in production costs would be is unknown."
Mobile office visits planned
Staffers for Congressman Sam Graves will make mobile office visits to area communities in the next couple of weeks.
On Tuesday, legislative staff members will be at the Plattsburg courthouse at 8:30 a.m., at the St. Joseph courthouse at 1:30 p.m., and at the Savannah courthouse at 3 p.m.
The following week, on Dec. 14, the mobile office goes to the Maysville courthouse at 9 a.m., and the Albany courthouse at 11 a.m.
On Dec. 16, the stops include courthouses in Oregon at 8:30 a.m., in Rock Port at 10 a.m., in Maryville at 1:30 p.m. and in Grant City at 3:30 p.m.
Anyone with concerns for the congressman or an issue with a federal program is urged to attend one of the stops.
Ken Newton can be reached at kenn@npgco.com.
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Wright_Winger says...
Senator McCaskill yesterday joined 57 other Democrat Senators to cut nearly $500 billion from Medicare budget. Two Democrat Senators, Webb of Virginia and Nelson of Nebraska, joined all 40 Republican Senators in voting against slashing the budgeted Medicare funds.
See the details at:
http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/...
Here are opening paragraphs of the article:
"In the first showdown over the Senate health care bill, Democrats on Thursday successfully defended more than $400 billion in Medicare cuts, turning back a potentially lethal stab at the measure."
"On a 58-42 vote, the Senate defeated an effort by Sen. John McCain, Arizona Republican, to send the bill back to a committee where lawmakers would have had to drop the cuts in Medicare payments and instead find another way to pay for the bill, which overhauls the nation's health insurance system..."
These Medicare cuts are just the first of even more drastic cuts in the second ten years of the Democrat health insurance scam. The $500 billion Medicare cuts in the initial 10-year period are dwarfed by the $2 trillion in Medicare cuts projected for the second 10-year period.
Senators Gregg and Hatch discussed these cuts and the impact they will have on the senior population during a Senate floor debate Wednesday afternoon. Courtesy of C-SPAN you can see and hear this debate at:
http://www.c-span.org/Watch/watch.asp...
Move the viewer slider to the 1:23 time marker, the pertinent debate then lasts about 30 minutes. If you are on Medicare or will be in the next decade or care for somebody who will be affected by these drastic cuts to the Medicare budget I hope you will find the time to view this debate. The Democrats are going to pass this atrocity of a "reform" bill under the radar unless the citizens start expressing their outrage to them.
December 4, 2009 at 7:19 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
pops says...
The only real reason Sen. McCaskill is upset about the contracts is that she's not benefitting from them.....
December 4, 2009 at 7:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
terrebatu says...
wrightwinger-I would like to know why people like you feel entitled to your goverment run insurance program and but refuse to sacrifice anything for anyone else? What makes you and others on medicare so damn important? Are you more important than the family down the street that doesn't have insurance because both the parents work at crummy jobs and cant afford health insurance or maybe not even offered it?
Your generation had your chance to create a system that was fair and efficient and you chose to sit on your hands and do nothing. Now this country is left with a system that is inefficient and much too costly. We don't owe you anything.
December 4, 2009 at 11:15 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
pops says...
terrebatu,
You must not fully understand Medicare. I PAY for that program out of every paycheck, just like I pay for Social Security. Do you feel Social Security benefits are "freebies"?
December 4, 2009 at 11:30 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
terrebatu says...
pops- READ!!!! and dont put words in my mouth, I never said it was a freebie. My question is why some feel like they shouldn't have to sacrifice anything to ensure those without insurance have access to affordable health care. Your right, we all pay for Medicare and SS, even those that are employed and have no health insurance. Should they not have to CONTRIBUTE to medicare?
December 4, 2009 at 12:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Wright_Winger says...
tu tu...you should dance over to the courthouse next Tuesday at 1:30 and express your concerns to Congressman Graves' staffers. That is your chance to lobby for the changes you want in health insurance reform.
December 4, 2009 at 3:51 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
terrebatu says...
ww-so why exactly do you feel you do not have to sacrifice anything so others can have access to affordable health care?
December 4, 2009 at 5:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
terrebatu says...
ww- how about this: What are you willing to sacrifice so everyone can have access to affordable health care?
December 4, 2009 at 5:28 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Wright_Winger says...
tu tu...I will sacrifice my part, all of it, of the $800 billion stimulus package and the remaining $300 billion TARP funds. That $1.1 trillion would adequately subsidize an affordable basic health insurance package for those American CITIZENS who through no fault of their own are presently uninsured. How's that for an idea?
December 4, 2009 at 5:54 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
pops says...
terrebatu, you said:
wrightwinger-I would like to know why people like you feel entitled to your goverment run insurance program and but refuse to sacrifice anything for anyone else?
Maybe I keyed onto the wrong thing, but you DID mention wrightwinger feeling "entitled" to his government-run program. I was making the case that if he DOES use Medicare, he very possible DESERVES it and IS entitled to it...because he PAID for it. That's a FAR cry from people receiving "entitlements" when they've done nothing to earn them. I COMPLETELY disagree with ANY entitlements. If you don't work, you shouldn't receive things. There's ALWAYS work to be had. Even in times when I was laid off or unemployed, I found a way to make money. I was able to pay my bills. Sure, it wasn't easy...
December 4, 2009 at 6:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Wright_Winger says...
tu tu also said "...you chose to sit on your hands and do nothing."
Actually, my spouse and I both worked 10 and 12 hour days, six and sometimes seven days a week, saved some money, invested it conservatively and can live comfortably so long as the government JUST LEAVES US ALONE. Yes, we have Medicare, but we also paid $9,648 this year for Medicare Part B, a Medicare Supplement insurance and Medicare part D prescription drug insurance. No coverage for dental or vision expenses. Even with the insurances, our out-of-pocket expenses were over $3,000 with two more appointments to go in December.
Now, if you are in your earning years, you can work hard, study and advance in your chosen career or, like tu tu, you can sit on your butt, howl at the moon, blame your misfortunes on somebody else who may be "better off" and just be perfectly miserable. Which way do you choose? If you think this recession is the last one the country will experience you are badly mistaken. Get over this setback and be better prepared for the next one.
December 4, 2009 at 6:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
terrebatu says...
WW- Wow, well aren't you generous! No surprise your all for more subsidies for "private" insurance companies.
Misfortunes? Have you ever thought maybe your not the only person who has worked hard to build a good life for themselves and their family? And maybe, just maybe, being successful doesn't automatically mean that you have to be a greedy pig?
pops-I believe access to affordable health care for everyone is the right thing to do. An individuals financial means should NEVER determine whether they live or die.
December 4, 2009 at 8:09 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
donaldo says...
i too beleive we need health care in the U.S. for all of it's citizens that cant afford it. there are too many loop holes in the system.if you dont make enough to afford it ,you need help from our government Period!.
December 5, 2009 at 7:02 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )