November 21, 2004: Headlines: Congress: Legislation: Appropriations: CNN: Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Sunday that "accountability will be carried out" against whoever slipped a provision into an omnibus spending bill that would have allowed two committee chairmen to view the tax returns of any American

Peace Corps Online: Peace Corps News: Special Reports: December 3, 2004: Promises not funded are promises not kept: November 19, 2004: Headlines: Congress: Legislation: Appropriations: Thomas: Peace Corps is funded at $320 million, $12 million above FY04 and $81 million below the President's request. : November 21, 2004: Headlines: Congress: Legislation: Appropriations: CNN: Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Sunday that "accountability will be carried out" against whoever slipped a provision into an omnibus spending bill that would have allowed two committee chairmen to view the tax returns of any American

By Admin1 (admin) (pool-151-196-36-89.balt.east.verizon.net - 151.196.36.89) on Saturday, November 27, 2004 - 8:42 pm: Edit Post

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Sunday that "accountability will be carried out" against whoever slipped a provision into an omnibus spending bill that would have allowed two committee chairmen to view the tax returns of any American

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Sunday that accountability will be carried out against whoever slipped a provision into an omnibus spending bill that would have allowed two committee chairmen to view the tax returns of any American



Read and comment on this story from CNN that Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Sunday that "accountability will be carried out" against whoever slipped a provision into an omnibus spending bill that would have allowed two committee chairmen to view the tax returns of any American. Sen. John McCain said Sunday that the episode points up the problems created when Congress passes gigantic spending bills at the end of a session, before anyone has time to read them.

Something similar happened on February 13, 2003 when a provision supported by Peace Corps Director Gaddi Vasquez was inserted into the Consolidated Appropriations Bill of 2003 modifying the Peace Corps Act to change the five-year rule. The change to Shriver's 5-year rule (instituted in 1965) was slipped in the Omnibus spending bill without debate or discussion. Read the story at:


Frist: Tax-returns measure indefensible*

* This link was active on the date it was posted. PCOL is not responsible for broken links which may have changed.



Frist: Tax-returns measure indefensible
Senate leaders vow author will be held accountable

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Sunday that "accountability will be carried out" against whoever slipped a provision into an omnibus spending bill that would have allowed two committee chairmen to view the tax returns of any American.

"I have no earthly idea how it got in there," Frist said on CBS's "Face The Nation." "Nobody is going to defend this."

The language was caught and removed in the Senate on Saturday, but the House will have to approve the fix before the spending bill can be sent to the White House for President Bush's signature.

However, the delay will not cause a government shutdown. Congress already had passed a stopgap resolution to fund government agencies through December 3 in order to give the White House time to consider the omnibus bill.

A military plane flew that resolution to Chile, where Bush was attending the APEC summit, so the president could sign it to avoid any disruption of government.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, said in a written statement that "The Republicans' lack of transparency and willingness to abuse their power is undermining democracy. It should be of grave concern to all Americans that their privacy could be invaded by such an outrageous provision."

Sen. John McCain said Sunday that the episode points up the problems created when Congress passes gigantic spending bills at the end of a session, before anyone has time to read them.

"If there is ever a graphic example of the broken system that we now have, that certainly has to be it," the Arizona Republican said on NBC's "Meet The Press." "How many other provisions didn't we find in that 1,000-page bill?"

Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer of New York called Sunday for a "full and complete" investigation into how the language got into the bill, followed by "appropriate punishment" for those responsible.

"This harkens back to the days of [FBI Director] J. Edgar Hoover, when some unknown person could go and snoop on you," he said on CNN's "Late Edition With Wolf Blitzer."

Saturday, rushing to adjourn for the year, the House passed the $338 billion omnibus spending bill, which was necessary to keep government operations funded after Congress ran out of time to pass nine regular appropriations bills. The bill ran to more than 1,000 pages. (Full story)

Saturday had been scheduled as the final day of a lame-duck session for the 108th Congress. On Sunday, top Democrats and Republicans expressed frustration over the House's failure to pass a broad intelligence reorganization bill. A vote in December is still possible, as Congress has not gone into recess. (Full story)

After the House passed the spending bill, Democratic Senate staffers discovered that it contained a provision allowing the chairmen of the House and Senate appropriations committees, or their agents, to examine the tax returns of any American.

The two lawmakers who would have gained that power -- Sen. Ted Stevens, an Alaska Republican, and Rep. Bill Young, a Florida Republican -- both said they wouldn't use it, and the Senate approved a resolution deleting the language.

Frist and outgoing Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, a Democrat from South Dakota, agreed to hold the bill until the House could pass a similar fix, which could not happen before Wednesday.

Schumer said Pelosi told him she planned to hold up consideration of the bill in the House "until we find out who put this provision in."

Some Democrats implied that the measure was inserted for political gain.

"Does anyone believe that some staffer without permission thought up a scheme by which a chairman's 'agent' could have access to every IRS facility everywhere in this nation and every single IRS filing of every citizen of this nation?" said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat.

"I mean, you know, we weren't born yesterday."

Frist said he did not know who was responsible for inserting the language, "but, obviously, somebody is going to know, and accountability will be carried out."

The Senate leader also noted that passing appropriations together into one omnibus bill was "not unusual," and that the appropriations subcommittees have been working on it for nine months.

"This thing wasn't written over the last three or four days," he told CBS, though he conceded that the budget process needed to be changed.

"We're going to work on that in the next Congress," he said.



Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/11/21/tax.provision/index.html



February 13, 2003 - Congress modifies Five Year Rule for Peace Corps





Read and comment on the joint resolution of Congress called the "Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, 2003" that Congress passed on February13 that appropriated $297 million to the Peace Corps for FY03, a $22 million increase over the FY02 level but $20 million less than requested.

The 500-page long bill also includes a provision to modify Section 7 of the Peace Corps Act with regard to the five year rule. Section 7 of the Peace Corps Act limits the length of appointments in the Peace Corps and only allows appointments that exceed 5 years in special circumstances. Section 7 also limits the percentage of appointments or assignments that can be made in excess of 5 years

The rule change that was just passed by Congress now permits the Director of the Peace Corps to make appointments for Peace Corps employees to serve for periods in excess of 5 years in the case of individuals whose appointment or assignment involves the safety of Peace Corps volunteers. The examples given in the bill are positions such as regional safety security officers and employees within the Office of the Inspector General. Read the story at:


To find the full bill go to Thomas and look under the Congressional Record "This Congress by Date" for the Daily Digest of February 13*

* This link was active on the date it was posted. PCOL is not responsible for broken links which may have changed.



To find the full bill go to Thomas and look under the Congressional Record "This Congress by Date" for the Daily Digest of February 13

PEACE CORPS

For necessary expenses to carry out the provisions of the Peace Corps Act (75 Stat. 612), $297,000,000, including the purchase of not to exceed five passenger motor vehicles for administrative purposes for use outside of the United States:

Provided, That none of the funds appropriated under this heading shall be used to pay for abortions:

Provided further, That funds appropriated under this heading shall remain available until September 30, 2004:

Provided further, That the Director of the Peace Corps may make appointments or assignments, or extend current appointments or assignments, to permit United States citizens to serve for periods in excess of 5 years in the case of individuals whose appointment or assignment, such as regional safety security officers and employees within the Office of the Inspector General, involves the safety of Peace Corps volunteers:

Provided further, That the Director of the Peace Corps may make such appointments or assignments notwithstanding the provisions of section 7 of the Peace Corps Act limiting the length of an appointment or assignment, the circumstances under which such an appointment or assignment may exceed 5 years, and the percentage of appointments or assignments that can be made in excess of 5 years.




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This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Congress; Legislation; Appropriations

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