President Bush plans to veto legislation that would bar the CIA from using waterboarding — a technique that simulates drowning — and other harsh interrogation methods on terror suspects.
The president plans to discuss the apparent veto during his Saturday radio address.
In the past, Bush has said the bill would impinge the government's ability to prevent future attacks. However supporters of the legislation argue that it preserves the United States' right to collect intelligence while offering a boost to the country's moral standing elsewhere.
"The bill would take away one of the most valuable tools on the war on terror, the CIA program to detain and question key terrorist leaders and operatives," deputy White House press secretary Tony Fratto said Friday.
However, this statement is in conflict with the bill's language which would restrict the CIA to using only the 19 interrogation techniques listed in the Army field manual.
What do you say John McCain?
Showing posts with label Veto. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Veto. Show all posts
Saturday, March 8
Friday, December 28
Orwell Would Be So Proud: Bush Vetos Defense Spending Bill
Yes, the President has done what the Democrats have failed to do. He has vetoed the 2008 Defense Spending Bill. Now this is not to be confused by the 3000 page budget which includes funding of the war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
However, due to a provision that would allow Iraqis to sue the current government of Iraq in American courts for damages caused under Saddam Hussein's rule, freezing funds in American banks.
Iraq discussed with the United States the possibility of pulling its assets, about $20 billion to $30 billion, out of U.S. institutions if the defense policy bill became law, a senior administration official said on condition of anonymity.
As Steve Benen at CBS said:
"Keep in mind, the veto of the defense authorization bill puts a variety of key spending measures in limbo, including a pay raise for the troops, VA care for wounded veterans, a new "Truman Commission" to fight fraud and waste by military contractors, and expanded job protections for family members of severely wounded troops."
The White House acknowledged the veto would block an additional 0.5% pay raise for military service members authorized by the bill and said it would work to ensure that a retroactive hike is included in a revised version of the legislation. A 3% raise is already set to go into effect in 2008 without the president's signature, Stanzel said.
However, due to a provision that would allow Iraqis to sue the current government of Iraq in American courts for damages caused under Saddam Hussein's rule, freezing funds in American banks.
Iraq discussed with the United States the possibility of pulling its assets, about $20 billion to $30 billion, out of U.S. institutions if the defense policy bill became law, a senior administration official said on condition of anonymity.
As Steve Benen at CBS said:
"Keep in mind, the veto of the defense authorization bill puts a variety of key spending measures in limbo, including a pay raise for the troops, VA care for wounded veterans, a new "Truman Commission" to fight fraud and waste by military contractors, and expanded job protections for family members of severely wounded troops."
The White House acknowledged the veto would block an additional 0.5% pay raise for military service members authorized by the bill and said it would work to ensure that a retroactive hike is included in a revised version of the legislation. A 3% raise is already set to go into effect in 2008 without the president's signature, Stanzel said.
Thursday, December 13
SCHIP Sinks, Again
Like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic, the President and Congress are going through a dance that will keep children in need from having access to affordable health insurance.
CNN
President Bush vetoed an expansion of the federally funded, state-run health insurance program for poor children for a second time Wednesday, telling Congress the bill "moves our country's health care system in the wrong direction."
In his veto message, President Bush calls on Congress to extend funding for the current program.
In his veto message, Bush said the bill is almost a duplicate of the proposal he spiked in October.
"Because the Congress has chosen to send me an essentially identical bill that has the same problems as the flawed bill I previously vetoed, I must veto this legislation, too," he said in a statement released by the White House.
The bill would have expanded the State Children's Health Insurance Program by nearly $35 billion over five years, the same as the measure Bush vetoed October 3. Track recent and historical presidential vetoes »
The president had proposed adding $5 billion to the program and said the version he vetoed would have encouraged families to leave the private insurance market for the federally funded, state-run program.
Democratic leaders said the new version addressed Republican objections by tightening restrictions on illegal immigrants receiving SCHIP benefits, capping the income levels of families that qualify for the program and preventing adults from receiving benefits.
Though the measure had strong bipartisan support, it fell short of the two-thirds majorities needed to override a presidential veto in the House and Senate.
House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, said Democrats were more interested in scoring political points with the veto than in reaching a compromise with Republicans.
"We could have resolved the differences in his program in 10 minutes, if the majority had wanted to resolve the differences," Boehner said. "This has become a partisan political game."
The program currently covers about 6 million children whose parents earn too much to qualify for Medicaid -- the federal health insurance program for the poor -- but who can't afford private insurance.
Democrats wanted to extend the program to another 4 million, paying for it with a 61-cent-per-pack increase in the federal tax on cigarettes.
"What a sad day that the president would say that rather than insuring [millions of] children, 'I don't want to raise the cigarette tax,' " said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
She called for a January 23 vote on whether to override the veto.
Meanwhile, Bush called on Congress to extend funding for the current program to keep the 6 million now covered on the rolls.
CNN
President Bush vetoed an expansion of the federally funded, state-run health insurance program for poor children for a second time Wednesday, telling Congress the bill "moves our country's health care system in the wrong direction."
In his veto message, President Bush calls on Congress to extend funding for the current program.
In his veto message, Bush said the bill is almost a duplicate of the proposal he spiked in October.
"Because the Congress has chosen to send me an essentially identical bill that has the same problems as the flawed bill I previously vetoed, I must veto this legislation, too," he said in a statement released by the White House.
The bill would have expanded the State Children's Health Insurance Program by nearly $35 billion over five years, the same as the measure Bush vetoed October 3. Track recent and historical presidential vetoes »
The president had proposed adding $5 billion to the program and said the version he vetoed would have encouraged families to leave the private insurance market for the federally funded, state-run program.
Democratic leaders said the new version addressed Republican objections by tightening restrictions on illegal immigrants receiving SCHIP benefits, capping the income levels of families that qualify for the program and preventing adults from receiving benefits.
Though the measure had strong bipartisan support, it fell short of the two-thirds majorities needed to override a presidential veto in the House and Senate.
House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, said Democrats were more interested in scoring political points with the veto than in reaching a compromise with Republicans.
"We could have resolved the differences in his program in 10 minutes, if the majority had wanted to resolve the differences," Boehner said. "This has become a partisan political game."
The program currently covers about 6 million children whose parents earn too much to qualify for Medicaid -- the federal health insurance program for the poor -- but who can't afford private insurance.
Democrats wanted to extend the program to another 4 million, paying for it with a 61-cent-per-pack increase in the federal tax on cigarettes.
"What a sad day that the president would say that rather than insuring [millions of] children, 'I don't want to raise the cigarette tax,' " said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
She called for a January 23 vote on whether to override the veto.
Meanwhile, Bush called on Congress to extend funding for the current program to keep the 6 million now covered on the rolls.
Tuesday, November 13
Pentagon Budget Overages Okay, Money for Jobs, Health, Education Not So Much...
From Market Watch
President Bush vetoed legislation Tuesday funding federal health and education programs, marking the latest turn in an ongoing budget fight with the Democratic-led Congress.
President Bush vetoed legislation Tuesday funding federal health and education programs, marking the latest turn in an ongoing budget fight with the Democratic-led Congress.
"The bill is nearly $10 billion over the president's request and is filled with 2,000 earmarks. He will call on Congress to take out the pork and reduce the overall spending level and return it to him quickly," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino told reporters aboard Air Force One as Bush traveled to Indiana to deliver a speech on the budget.
Democrats said Bush lacks credibility on budget issues. The $606 billion bill -- which would provide funding for the departments of labor, health and human services, and education -- passed the House of Representatives just three votes short of a veto-proof majority.
Wednesday, June 20
Stem Cell Bill Vetoed Again By Bush
From Yahoo and Delaware online
Vetoing a stem cell bill for the second time, President Bush on Wednesday sought to placate those who disagree with him by signing an executive order urging scientists toward what he termed "ethically responsible"* research in the field.
Bush announced no new federal dollars for stem cell research, which supporters say holds the promise of disease cures, and his order would not allow researchers to do anything they couldn't do under existing restrictions.
Announcing his veto to a roomful of supporters, Bush said, "If this legislation became law, it would compel American taxpayers for the first time in our history to support the deliberate destruction of human embryos. I made it clear to Congress and to the American people that I will not allow our nation to cross this moral line."
He vetoed similar embryonic stem cell legislation last July.
“We think we have 66” of the 67 votes needed to override in the Senate, said Rep. Diana DeGette, a Colorado Democrat. “So we just need one more and then it will go to the House, where we are short but are picking up more” support.
The legislation would allow federal funding for stem-cell research using excess human embryos that were created for fertility treatments and would otherwise be discarded.
Advocates say scientists may be able to replicate human tissue cells taken from discarded human embryos, possibly leading to cures for diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, juvenile diabetes and other ailments. Castle and DeGette are co-chairs of the congressional diabetes caucus.
* I wonder what "ethically responsible enhanced interrogation techniques" means.
Vetoing a stem cell bill for the second time, President Bush on Wednesday sought to placate those who disagree with him by signing an executive order urging scientists toward what he termed "ethically responsible"* research in the field.
Bush announced no new federal dollars for stem cell research, which supporters say holds the promise of disease cures, and his order would not allow researchers to do anything they couldn't do under existing restrictions.
Announcing his veto to a roomful of supporters, Bush said, "If this legislation became law, it would compel American taxpayers for the first time in our history to support the deliberate destruction of human embryos. I made it clear to Congress and to the American people that I will not allow our nation to cross this moral line."
He vetoed similar embryonic stem cell legislation last July.
“We think we have 66” of the 67 votes needed to override in the Senate, said Rep. Diana DeGette, a Colorado Democrat. “So we just need one more and then it will go to the House, where we are short but are picking up more” support.
The legislation would allow federal funding for stem-cell research using excess human embryos that were created for fertility treatments and would otherwise be discarded.
Advocates say scientists may be able to replicate human tissue cells taken from discarded human embryos, possibly leading to cures for diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, juvenile diabetes and other ailments. Castle and DeGette are co-chairs of the congressional diabetes caucus.
* I wonder what "ethically responsible enhanced interrogation techniques" means.
Wednesday, May 2
Veto Pen Honoree "So Ready to Come Home"
President Bush vetoed the war supplemental funding bill. In so doing, he used the pen provided by Robert Derga, a member of Families United for Our Troops father of Marine Corps Reserve Cpl. Dustin A. Derga killed in Iraq. The elder Derga asked Bush to promise to use the pen in his veto. On Tuesday, Derga contacted the White House to remind Bush to use the pen, and so he did.Interestingly enough, had the president known what Reservist Derga's hopes were, he would have likely not signed the veto.
According to Mackenzie Fry, This Week, May 12, 2005
"A Pickerington Marine who wrote recently in a Web site posting that he was "so ready to come home" was killed Sunday in Iraq. Cpl. Dustin A. Derga, 24, died in Ubaydi as the result of enemy fire, the Department of Defense reported Monday.
Derga, a 1999 graduate of Pickerington High School, was assigned to Marine Forces Reserves 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division. He was a member of the Columbus-based Lima Company.
Brandon Harmon, who is dating Derga's sister, Kristin, answered the phone at the family's home Tuesday. Harmon described Derga as a "very outgoing, positive person. Fun to be around." He said Derga would "do anything for you." Harmon said Derga's family, including parents Stephanie and Robert, was handling the news as "good as it can be expected."
Derga was due to return home next month, Harmon said. He said Derga had aspirations of becoming a firefighter and had made other plans, including possibly opening a bar with a friend and moving in with his girlfriend. "You feel like your world crumbles, you know?" Harmon said.
"He was a good kid," said Ken Schneider, who was Derga's teacher in the high school's construction and engineering technology preparation program in 1998 and 1999. "He worked hard."
In a posting May 3 on the "Reach a Marine" Web site, Derga said his unit had just returned from a week-long mission and was leaving for another, which he said would "be even longer," right away. He described an "unusual" hailstorm that had hit the night before. "I am so ready to come home," he wrote."
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