South Carolina’s Republican Representative Joe Wilson showed his true feelings yesterday during President Barack Obama’s speech to Congress concerning healthcare. As the president affirmed Congress that his public option for Americans would not insure illegal immigrants, the congressman abruptly shouted “You lie!”
Wilson’s rude behavior was quickly denounced on both sides of the aisle. “I was embarrassed for the chamber and a Congress I love. It demeaned the institution,” Vice President Joe Biden said on ABC’s Good Morning America.
Wilson later apologized to President Obama in a statement, “This evening I let my emotions get the best of me. While I disagree with the president’s statement, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable. I extend sincere apologies to the president for this lack of civility.”
Wilson’s behavior gave credence to the president’s assessment that Republicans are more interested in killing any health care package instead of an amicable solution for all Americans.
Even with the current economic crisis, the government still manages to ride in style as Congress plans to spend $550 million on new jets for federal officials in order to accommodate the “growing travel demands” by congressional officials.
In addition to the request in the Air Force’s annual appropriations report, the Pentagon ordered one Gulfstream V and a business class equivalent of a Boeing 737. The Defense Department also asked to purchase the two additional 737’s that were being leased. Additional funds were approved by the House to buy an additional two 737’s and two Gulfstream V planes, although the Senate must approve of the acquisitions.
According to the Department of Defense, the Air Force version of the Gulfstream V each costs $66 million and the 737’s cost about $70 million. The House Appropriations Committee says the new purchases will be replacing seven aging and expensive business jets.
A Wall Street Journal analysis of congressional records indicate that last year, House members spend about 3,000 days overseas on taxpayer-funded trips. In the past, lawmakers have criticized taxpayer-funded jets used by corporations following the government bailout of banks but have apparently reconsidered.
Have you ever frustrated yourself trying to decipher what the hell all that small print on the back of the mail credit card companies are issuing you? Of course you have.
Well thanks to our lovely Congress the wording on those pieces of mail will have to be easier to understand; using layman’s terms. The Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill today to place new restrictions on credit card companies that force them to be straight forward with customers.
Some of the measures the Senate put into place include a provision that prohibit the credit card industry from raising interest rates on existing balances unless a consumer was 60 days behind. Thereafter, once a card holder’s payments were on time for the ensuing six months the companies are required to return to their initial interest rate. Also, companies have to notify card holder of rate increases 45 days in advance and cannot charge a late fee for processing a payment late.
