Shirley Sherrod decides not to return to the USDA



Shirley Sherrod decides not to return to the USDA (Video)

Shirley Sherrod will meet with Agriculture Secretary Vilsack



Shirley Sherrod will meet with Agriculture Secretary Vilsack (Video)

Geithner speaks about problems at Fannie and Freddie



Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner speaks about problems at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (Video)

Senator John McCain says Blackwater guards should be recharged



Senator John McCain says Blackwater guards should be recharged (Video)

Originally posted 2010-01-06 09:03:42. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Budget cuts will include Pentagon command center



Budget cuts will include Pentagon command center (Video)

Protesters speak out about new Arizona immigration law at hearing



Protesters speak out about new Arizona immigration law at hearing (Video)

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Vilsack apologizes to Shirley Sherrod over firing



U.S. Agriculture Secretary Vilsack apologizes to Shirley Sherrod over firing (Video)

President Obama wants additional spending for jobs growth



President Obama wants additional spending for jobs growth (Video)

Originally posted 2009-12-08 18:50:33. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

U.S. Congress finally passes Financial Reform bill, sends to President Obama



U.S. Congress finally passes Financial Reform bill, sends to President Obama (Video)



President Obama welcomes passage of Financial Reform bill (Video)

U.S. Federal Budget deficit is over $1 Trillion for current fiscal year



U.S. Federal Budget deficit is over $1 Trillion for current fiscal year (Video)

  • Editorial opinion: While we believe in government responsibility, there is a major recession and high unemployment that needs government stimulus.
  • From Wikipedia for 2010 U.S. Government budget:
  • Total receipts

    • $1.061 trillion – Individual income taxes
    • $940 billion – Social Security and other payroll tax
    • $222 billion – Corporation income taxes
    • $77 billion – Excise taxes
    • $23 billion – duties
    • $20 billion – Estate and gift taxes
    • $22 billion – Deposits of earnings
    • $16 billion – Other
    • Mandatory spending: $2.184 trillion (+15.6%)
    • $695 billion (+4.9%) – Social Security
    • $453 billion (+6.6%) – Medicare
    • $290 billion (+12.0%) – Medicaid
    • $0 billion (−100%) – Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP)
    • $0 billion (−100%) – Financial stabilization efforts
    • $11 billion (+275%) – Potential disaster costs
    • $571 billion (−15.2%) – Other mandatory programs
    • $164 billion (+18.0%) – Interest on National Debt

    • Discretionary spending: $1.368 trillion (+13.1%)

    • $663.7 billion (+12.7%) – Department of Defense (including Overseas Contingency Operations)
    • $78.7 billion (−1.7%) – Department of Health and Human Services
    • $72.5 billion (+2.8%) – Department of Transportation
    • $52.5 billion (+10.3%) – Department of Veterans Affairs
    • $51.7 billion (+40.9%) – Department of State and Other International Programs
    • $47.5 billion (+18.5%) – Department of Housing and Urban Development
    • $46.7 billion (+12.8%) – Department of Education
    • $42.7 billion (+1.2%) – Department of Homeland Security
    • $26.3 billion (−0.4%) – Department of Energy
    • $26.0 billion (+8.8%) – Department of Agriculture
    • $23.9 billion (−6.3%) – Department of Justice
    • $18.7 billion (+5.1%) – National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    • $13.8 billion (+48.4%) – Department of Commerce
    • $13.3 billion (+4.7%) – Department of Labor
    • $13.3 billion (+4.7%) – Department of the Treasury
    • $12.0 billion (+6.2%) – Department of the Interior
    • $10.5 billion (+34.6%) – Environmental Protection Agency
    • $9.7 billion (+10.2%) – Social Security Administration
    • $7.0 billion (+1.4%) – National Science Foundation
    • $5.1 billion (−3.8%) – Corps of Engineers
    • $5.0 billion (+100%) – National Infrastructure Bank
    • $1.1 billion (+22.2%) – Corporation for National and Community Service
    • $0.7 billion (0.0%) – Small Business Administration
    • $0.6 billion (−14.3%) – General Services Administration
    • $19.8 billion (+3.7%) – Other Agencies
    • $105 billion – Other
    • The U.S. budget situation has deteriorated significantly since 2001, when the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) forecast average annual surpluses of approximately $850 billion from 2009–2012. The average deficit forecast in each of those years is now approximately $1,215 billion. The NY Times analyzed this roughly $2 trillion "swing," separating the causes into four major categories along with their share:

    • Recessions or the business cycle (37%);
    • Policies enacted by President Bush (33%);
    • Policies enacted by President Bush and supported or extended by President Obama (20%); and
    • New policies from President Obama (10%).
    • CBO data is based only on current law, so policy proposals that have yet to be made law are not included in their analysis. The article concluded that President Obama's decisions accounted for only a "sliver" of the deterioration, but that he "...does not have a realistic plan for reducing the deficit.