Chief Justice Prods Congress to Resolve Budget Talks and Control National Debt
December 31, 2012
Chief Justice Prods Congress to Resolve Budget Talks and Control National Debt
By ADAM LIPTAK
WASHINGTON — Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. used his year-end report on the federal judiciary to give Congressional budget negotiators a little nudge.
“Our country faces new challenges, including the much-publicized ‘fiscal cliff’ and the longer-term problem of a truly extravagant and burgeoning national debt,” he wrote. “No one seriously doubts that the country’s fiscal ledger has gone awry. The public properly looks to its elected officials to craft a solution.”
The chief justice said that his branch of the government provided an example of doing much with few resources. The federal judiciary makes do with a budget appropriation of about $7 billion, he wrote, “a mere two-tenths of 1 percent of the United States’ total budget of $3.7 trillion.”
“Yes,” he went on, “for each citizen’s tax dollar, only two-tenths of one penny goes toward funding the entire third branch of government!”
In the report, Chief Justice Roberts said the judiciary was doing what it could to cut costs in rent, salaries and computer services. The Supreme Court “continues to set a good example,” he said, asking for a smaller appropriation in the last fiscal year than in the previous one. This fiscal year, the request rose slightly, “largely in response to new judicial security needs,” he said. He did not elaborate.
An appendix to the chief justice’s report on the workload of the federal courts showed decreases in the Supreme Court’s docket and in the number of cases it is deciding. In the term that ended last year, the number of requests for Supreme Court review dropped by almost two percent from the previous term. The justices issued just 64 signed opinions in the most recent term, down from 75.
The federal courts went to great lengths last year in trying circumstances, notably after Hurricane Sandy. “As just one example,” he said, “the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York conducted emergency hearings in Lower Manhattan the day after the storm hit, working in a building without heat or hot water that was only sparsely lit by gas-fueled emergency generators.” Though Chief Justice Roberts did not say so, the Supreme Court also showed fortitude the day the storm hit, hearing arguments when the rest of official Washington was closed.
He called on President Obama and Congress “to be especially attentive to the needs of the judicial branch and provide the resources necessary to its operation.”
“Because the judiciary has already pursued cost containment so aggressively, it will become increasingly difficult to economize further without reducing the quality of judicial services,” he wrote. “Virtually all of the judiciary’s core functions are constitutionally and statutorily required. Unlike executive branch agencies, the courts do not have discretionary programs they can eliminate or projects they can postpone.”
The number of judicial vacancies does not help matters, he went on. “At the close of 2012, 27 of the existing judicial vacancies are designated as presenting judicial emergencies,” he wrote. “I urge the executive and legislative branches to act diligently in nominating and confirming highly qualified candidates to fill those vacancies.”
Barrasso: Obama has 'addiction' to spending
THEHILL.COM 2 Days Ago
Barrasso: Obama has 'addiction' to spending
by Daniel Strauss
By Daniel Strauss - 12/30/12 09:46 AM ET
Tweet
Remarks begin at 6:32 mark
Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) accused President Obama of not adequately addressing federal spending in negotiations to avoid January's "fiscal cliff."
Barrasso's comments Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union" comes as legislators rush to beat the end-year deadline to prevent automatic spending cuts and tax increases from taking effect in 2013.
"He's fixated on what may fund the government for seven days a year," Barrasso said of Obama. "The president is doing nothing about the addiction that his administration and he has done to spending —he's the spender-in-chief."
On Sunday both the Senate and House are slated to reconvene, setting up a chance for Obama and lawmakers to quickly pass a compromise bill. Senate leaders on Sunday worked on a compromise bill that would prevent tax increases on most Americans. But top Democrats and Republicans were mum on the progress of a deal, saying only that negotiations were ongoing.
As of Sunday, Barrasso said, there was "no deal yet."
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The contents of this site are © 2012 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.
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Barrasso: Obama has 'addiction' to spending
by Daniel Strauss
By Daniel Strauss - 12/30/12 09:46 AM ET
Tweet
Remarks begin at 6:32 mark
Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) accused President Obama of not adequately addressing federal spending in negotiations to avoid January's "fiscal cliff."
Barrasso's comments Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union" comes as legislators rush to beat the end-year deadline to prevent automatic spending cuts and tax increases from taking effect in 2013.
"He's fixated on what may fund the government for seven days a year," Barrasso said of Obama. "The president is doing nothing about the addiction that his administration and he has done to spending —he's the spender-in-chief."
On Sunday both the Senate and House are slated to reconvene, setting up a chance for Obama and lawmakers to quickly pass a compromise bill. Senate leaders on Sunday worked on a compromise bill that would prevent tax increases on most Americans. But top Democrats and Republicans were mum on the progress of a deal, saying only that negotiations were ongoing.
As of Sunday, Barrasso said, there was "no deal yet."
Tweet
The contents of this site are © 2012 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.
Get latest news from The Hill direct to your inbox, RSS reader and mobile devices.
News Alert: White House, Senate leaders reach deal on taxes, delaying 'sequester' cuts
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Obama Yawns As Syria Uses Chemical Weapons, Crosses 'Red Line'
BREITBART.COM 10 Hours Ago
Obama Yawns As Syria Uses Chemical Weapons, Crosses 'Red Line'
by AWR Hawkins 31 Dec 2012, 7:29 AM PDT post a comment
Western intelligence operatives have reviewed multiple frames of footage taken in Syria, and from that footage have determined Assad has been using "paralyzing agents" against rebel forces for "a few months now."
According to Israel's Ynet News:
These agents are not mustard gas, sarin nerve gas or VX, which are classified as chemical weapons, but they can definitely be considered toxic and harmful to humans.
For now, there have been less than 20 incidents in which Syrian army forces and the Shabiha militia have sprayed gas or a toxic liquid in rebel-held residential neighborhoods. Since the rebels did not display any bomb remnants, it is safe to assume that the gas was sprayed manually.
These gases do not necessarily cause death and are not as lethal as gases that are classified as chemical weapons. They also evaporate quickly and do not leave an odor, making them difficult to identify. However, they can cause a sense of asphyxiation, harm the airways and cause skin burns. The gases can be lethal if inhaled by people who not healthy.
The Assad regime is most likely using these chemicals to instill fear without risking an international response. The last incident in which toxic gas was used was in Homs a few days ago. Six people died.
This news is made even worse by the fact that death numbers rolling in from Syria show 24-hour periods in which 400 people have been killed by conventional warfare alone. Add chemical weapons to that and who knows how high the death toll for one day could climb?
To date, over 44,000 people have been killed in the Syrian conflict and estimates are that the number could climb to 100,000 by the end of 2013 if there is no true intervention.
While refusing to put down red lines on Iran for Israel, Obama and his advisers were very public about their "red line" for Syria: the use of chemical weapons.
It appears that red line was crossed months ago, yet there have been no repercussions for Assad.
Obama Yawns As Syria Uses Chemical Weapons, Crosses 'Red Line'
by AWR Hawkins 31 Dec 2012, 7:29 AM PDT post a comment
Western intelligence operatives have reviewed multiple frames of footage taken in Syria, and from that footage have determined Assad has been using "paralyzing agents" against rebel forces for "a few months now."
According to Israel's Ynet News:
These agents are not mustard gas, sarin nerve gas or VX, which are classified as chemical weapons, but they can definitely be considered toxic and harmful to humans.
For now, there have been less than 20 incidents in which Syrian army forces and the Shabiha militia have sprayed gas or a toxic liquid in rebel-held residential neighborhoods. Since the rebels did not display any bomb remnants, it is safe to assume that the gas was sprayed manually.
These gases do not necessarily cause death and are not as lethal as gases that are classified as chemical weapons. They also evaporate quickly and do not leave an odor, making them difficult to identify. However, they can cause a sense of asphyxiation, harm the airways and cause skin burns. The gases can be lethal if inhaled by people who not healthy.
The Assad regime is most likely using these chemicals to instill fear without risking an international response. The last incident in which toxic gas was used was in Homs a few days ago. Six people died.
This news is made even worse by the fact that death numbers rolling in from Syria show 24-hour periods in which 400 people have been killed by conventional warfare alone. Add chemical weapons to that and who knows how high the death toll for one day could climb?
To date, over 44,000 people have been killed in the Syrian conflict and estimates are that the number could climb to 100,000 by the end of 2013 if there is no true intervention.
While refusing to put down red lines on Iran for Israel, Obama and his advisers were very public about their "red line" for Syria: the use of chemical weapons.
It appears that red line was crossed months ago, yet there have been no repercussions for Assad.
It’s Official: U.S. Hits $16.4T Debt Limit
THEBLAZE.COM 2 Hours Ago
It’s Official: U.S. Hits $16.4T Debt Limit
The U.S. government on Monday officially reached it $16.4 trillion borrowing limit, a grim reminder of the state of the country’s finances.
Reaching the limit sets up another dispute between the White House and Congress over taxes and spending in the new year.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner says the government will take a series of accounting measures to avoid defaulting on its debt. On Monday, it suspended the issuance of new debt for two government retirement funds.
Last week, Geithner said the measures would save about $200 billion and avoid default for about two months.
Geithner said it is difficult to predict how long default can be avoided because of ongoing negotiations over tax and budget policies.
The debt limit is the amount the government can borrow to help finance its operations.
Follow Becket Adams (@BecketAdams) on Twitter
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Featured image courtesy Getty Images.
It’s Official: U.S. Hits $16.4T Debt Limit
The U.S. government on Monday officially reached it $16.4 trillion borrowing limit, a grim reminder of the state of the country’s finances.
Reaching the limit sets up another dispute between the White House and Congress over taxes and spending in the new year.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner says the government will take a series of accounting measures to avoid defaulting on its debt. On Monday, it suspended the issuance of new debt for two government retirement funds.
Last week, Geithner said the measures would save about $200 billion and avoid default for about two months.
Geithner said it is difficult to predict how long default can be avoided because of ongoing negotiations over tax and budget policies.
The debt limit is the amount the government can borrow to help finance its operations.
Follow Becket Adams (@BecketAdams) on Twitter
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Featured image courtesy Getty Images.
News Alert: Hillary Rodham Clinton expected to make 'full recovery,' doctors say
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