Joe Biden proposes hitting Donald Trump with a $1 billion tax bill

SEE: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/joe-biden-proposes-hitting-donald-trump-with-a-1-billion-tax-bill-e9789774; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

The president has proposed a tax on unrealized capital gains for people worth more than $100 million. Who do we know falls into that category?

Biden has released a clever campaign document disguised as a budget.

ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

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That’s something they may come to regret, because it’s a campaign document for the presidential election. And as such, it’s pretty clever. 

Among its features, buried in the fine print, is a big stick that Biden can be expected to use against Donald Trump in the fall.

That stick: a hefty 25% tax on unrealized capital gains for people worth more than $100 million.

Hmmm. Who do we know who is worth more than $100 million and likes to brag about paying no taxes?

During Trump’s first debate with Hillary Clinton in 2016, she brought up past tax disclosures that showed that in certain years, her opponent had effectively paid no federal taxes. Trump didn’t deny it. “That makes me smart,” he retorted. He didn’t offer a rebuttal when she said he might have paid taxes for a decade.

Even former Trump cheerleader Ann Coulter found that too obnoxious to bear.

The U.S. tax code is insane in many ways. (Biden’s budget, incidentally, would pile still more complications and convolutions onto a system that is already a monstrosity.) One of its features is that, despite what Bernie Sanders likes to imply, it does not treat millionaires and billionaires the same way.

People who earn more than $1 million a year are generally taxed very heavily. If you include state and maybe local taxes, the top rate for such earners may already be near 50% and could soon be much higher. Even people who earn a lot less but have at least $1 million in assets usually pay pretty hefty taxes.

It’s the billionaires whose tax bill resembles a love letter from the IRS. Billionaires along with those worth hundreds of millions of dollars, that is.

Those people don’t live on income. They live on assets. Taxes on assets range from low to nonexistent. 

I know, I know — it’s an absolute shock that the donor class has bought themselves a tax code that benefits them at the expense of everyone else. Right?

It’s something to think about every time politicians argue about taxes for “high earners,” trying to equate those people with the super-rich. Most high earners are workers and are taxed heavily. Unless politicians start to go after untaxed assets, they are just playing you.

Which brings us to Biden’s fascinating campaign document wrapped in a federal budget. The key facts don’t even appear in the budget itself, but in a companion document titled “General Explanations of the Administration’s Fiscal Year 2025 Revenue Proposals.” It comes from the U.S. Treasury, not the White House, and is nearly 300 pages long.

Page 83 is a doozy. “The proposal would impose a minimum tax of 25 percent on total income, generally inclusive of unrealized capital gains, for all taxpayers with wealth (that is, the difference obtained by subtracting liabilities from assets) greater than $100 million,” it says. 

Objectively, this shouldn’t be a big deal. Workers have to pay a 24% tax rate once their taxable income for the year exceeds $95,000, or $190,000 for joint filers. Those rates rise as high as 37% once people clear about $600,000 a year. It hardly seems like the height of communism to levy a 25% tax on people worth more than $100 million.

But it will be greeted that way, because it touches the donor class. (When people criticize Congress, I like to remind them that we have the best Congress money can buy.) Cue the inevitable cries of “taxing wealth creators” and so on.

Apparently the rest of us aren’t wealth creators.

Biden’s proposal is an attempt to move the so-called Overton window on the issue of assets and wealth taxes. The Overton window refers to ideas that are considered within the realm of normal debate. Elizabeth Warren brought up wealth taxes during her failed 2020 presidential election campaign, but the proposals went down with the ship. Biden, or his team, wants to bring them back into the discussion. 

We don’t know how much Donald Trump is worth, or how much that changes from year to year. Forbes says that figure is up about $4 billion this year, mainly due to Trump’s stake in Trump Media & Technology Group DJT, 5.16%, currently valued at around $4 billion. Based on the company’s financials, we can assume that’s nearly all profit.

At these levels, his Biden tax would be a cool $1 billion.

Taxes will not become law. Not anytime soon, and maybe never. But it will surely make for a lively punch line this fall.

Who Funds Hamas? You Do, Thanks to Old Joe Biden

AP Photo/Adel Hana
It’s all out in the open now. The House voted 366-58 on Saturday to send $9.1 billion to Gaza, and that means $9.1 billion to Hamas. This isn’t the first time that the Biden regime has made clear which side it’s on, and it likely won’t be the last. But this time, Old Joe and his henchmen are getting some pushback.

The $9.1 billion is earmarked, of course, as “humanitarian assistance,” but that ruse is fooling fewer and fewer people. Just The News reported Friday that the bill is “under scrutiny” in the first place because the amount that Gaza will be getting is “significantly more than the annual gross domestic product of the Gaza Strip,” and no safeguards are in place to ensure that the money will not fall into the wrong hands: “critics say the U.S. is essentially funding Hamas through the bill.”

Officially, this massive cash outlay is for "Migration and Refugee Assistance" and "International Disaster Assistance." It is so massive, in fact, that it is “more than four times the amount of the annual GDP in the Gaza Strip, which was about $2 billion last year, according to the United Nations.” The Gaza Strip is about to be awash in American money, and that means that even if Hamas has already burned through the $10 billion that Old Joe Biden and his henchmen sent to Hamas’ money men in Tehran last month, more billions are on their way.

The Biden regime doesn’t want you to worry about this. The bill “calls for the Secretary of State to establish oversight measures to ensure that the aid is not diverted by Hamas,” but really, what can he possibly do short of establishing an American military presence in Gaza? Hamas controls Gaza. There is no force in Gaza that is strong enough to stand up to Hamas. So provisos written into legislation drafted and passed in faraway Washington, D.C. is one thing, but the reality on the ground in Gaza is something else altogether, and the Biden regime must know that. 

Morton Klein, President of the Zionist Organization of America, stated it plainly: "Biden and this administration knows that almost all of it,” that is, the aid, “is stolen by Hamas.” That leads to an inescapable conclusion: “We are funding Hamas. Do you realize the nightmare of this? We are funding Hamas with this 9 billion. What is wrong with this administration?" 

Well, that last question would take longer to answer than there is space on the Internet, but Klein is right: the Biden regime is funding Hamas, which means that American taxpayers are getting soaked to provide for the upkeep of jihad terrorists. Klein also pointed out that by waiving sanctions on Iran and ensuring that billions flow into the mullahs’ coffers, the Biden regime was "funding the biggest funder of terrorism for Islamic terrorism in the world." 

      Related: Did the Biden Regime Green-Light Arrest Warrants for Israeli Leaders, Including Netanyahu?

Morton Klein was not alone in noticing where the money was going. Ramzi Awda, who as secretary-general of the International Campaign to Combat the Occupation and Apartheid is no friend of Israel, said that an "armed militia of Hamas" stole the aid that came into Gaza. He added: “Most of the aid is being stolen – over 60% or 70% of the aid goes to the warehouses of some movements, some factions, some tribes.” Hamas jihadis, he says, then "re-sells the products to the people at exorbitant prices."

Klein concluded: "This administration should be ashamed of itself for funding Hamas and the biggest funder of terrorism in the world, Iran. It's just mind-boggling." Yes indeed, Mr. Klein, but for Biden regime wonks to be ashamed of themselves, they would have to be capable of shame. If anything is clear from the tragicomedy of the last three years, it is that shame is not a concept with which regime apparatchiks are familiar. They maintain with a straight face that men can become women, that these pretend women should be able to compete in women’s sports, even though they make women’s sports a mockery. They claim that the Southern border is secure. They insist that old Joe Biden is energetic and sharp as a tack, leaving people who are decades younger exhausted after trying to keep up with his whirlwind of activity. Shame? The Biden regime doesn’t know the meaning of the word.

Biden regime to spend $3,500,000,000 to ‘supercharge mass migration from the Middle East’

SEE: https://www.jihadwatch.org/2024/04/biden-regime-to-spend-3500000000-to-supercharge-mass-migration-from-the-middle-east; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

What could possibly go wrong? Jihad? Oh, you mean an interior spiritual struggle? What are you, some kind of “Islamophobe”?

“Ukraine-Israel Aid Bill Includes ‘$3.5 Billion to Supercharge Mass Migration from the Middle East,’” by Neil Munro, Breitbart, April 25, 2024:

President Joe Biden’s pro-migration border chief is opening new processing centers for Muslim migrants, amid pro-HAMAS riots in U.S. cities and just after Congress granted $3.5 billion more for migration within the $95 billion aid package for Ukraine and Israel.

“Not only did the ‘Foreign Aid’ package do nothing to secure our own border, it included $3.5 Billion to supercharge mass migration from the Middle East,” said a tweet from Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO)….

The package does not include any funds to help rebuild Americans’ border defenses against migration. but it does include $481 million to settle migrants in U.S. cities and $3.5 billion to expand migration programs worldwide.

The $3.5 billion was granted to the Department of State, which works with many international groups that feed and transport migrants on their way to the United States….

They are also using refugee funds to expand migration routes from many African and Muslim countries. In March, they pulled in 12,018 people from the Congo, plus 16,732 migrants from Muslim countries in Afghanistan, Syria, Pakistan, Iraq and Eritrea, according to a report by Stacker.com.

The inflow of Muslim migrants climbed rapidly under President Barack Obama. That inflow has helped to radicalize the Democratic Party and has imposed chaotic diversity on many communities, including elite universities and in Michigan….

‘It is disgusting’ to watch ‘brainwashing’ at these colleges: Rep. Buddy Carter R-Ga., criticizes Biden’s $7 billion renewable “solar power” energy and spending policies, as well as anti-Israel protests surging across esteemed college campuses.

N.Y. Legislators Approve $237B Budget Addressing Surge Of Migrants, Plans To Jump-Start Housing Market

N.Y. Legislators Approve $237B Budget Addressing Surge Of Migrants, Plans To Jump-Start Housing Market

FILE - The New York state Assembly Chamber is seen during a legislative session after Gov. Kathy Hochul presented her 2025 executive state budget at the state Capitol, Jan. 16, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. New York lawmakers passed a $237 billion state budget Saturday, April 20, that includes plans to spur housing construction and combat unlicensed marijuana stores. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink, File)
FILE – The New York state Assembly Chamber is seen during a legislative session after Gov. Kathy Hochul presented her 2025 executive state budget at the state Capitol, Jan. 16, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. New York lawmakers passed a $237 billion state budget Saturday, April 20, that includes plans to spur housing construction and combat unlicensed marijuana stores. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink, File)

OAN’s Elizabeth Volberding
10:32 AM – Sunday, April 21, 2024

SEE: https://www.oann.com/newsroom/n-y-legislators-approve-237b-budget-addressing-surge-of-migrants-plans-to-jump-start-housing-market/; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

A $237 billion state budget that includes measures to encourage home construction and combat unauthorized marijuana stores was approved by New York lawmakers over the weekend.

The package addresses a recent surge of immigrants, expedites the closing of some state prisons, and maintains the policy of allowing people to purchase takeout drinks during the pandemic.

The state Senate and Assembly approved a number of budget bills on Saturday. The budget now goes to Governor Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.), who is anticipated to sign it into law.

Additionally, $2.4 billion has been set aside by state authorities to assist with the large number of immigrants in New York City’s homeless shelters. The funds will be used for the immigrant population’s housing, legal needs, and medical treatment.

Lawmakers also took action in response to the growing number of unauthorized cannabis shops in New York City. The state has found it difficult to close the stores, which have proliferated throughout the Big Apple, due to bureaucratic obstacles.

The budget also contains provisions that would make it easier for local law enforcement to close down establishments suspected of selling marijuana illegally while their legal cases are pending, which would help address the issue. Previously, the state was solely responsible for the majority of enforcement, and these types of establishments could remain open while a drawn-out appeals process took place.

Hochul and leading legislative leaders engaged in private negotiations that centered mostly around a comprehensive plan to stimulate the state’s housing market.

Developers who agree to rent a share of the units in new buildings below the market rate will receive a tax benefit under the plan. Though not as extensive as many advocates had hoped, the agreement also contains protections against evictions and unjustified rent increases for some residents.

Governor Hochul made a statement after the budget’s passage, saying:

“In my State of the state, I promised New Yorkers we’d fight to build more housing, improve education and protect public safety — and that’s exactly what our budget is going to do.

“This budget agreement represents the most significant improvement in housing policy in three generations. This includes transformative investments in health care and education that will put our state on the path to fiscal stability. It will end co-pays for insulin, establish first-in-the-nation paid prenatal leave, and launch the EmpireAI consortium. This budget cracks down on retail theft and gives us new tools to shut down illicit cannabis storefronts. It helps the children of New York City by extending mayoral accountability for public schools. We got it all done without raising income taxes by a single cent. 

“I’m grateful to Speaker Heastie, Leader Stewart-Cousins and my colleagues in the Legislature for their collaboration on this agreement, and look forward to continuing to work together.”

During floor debates, state Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt (R-N.Y.) attacked the proposal, claiming it would attract more illegal migrants to New York.

“We made a lot of tough decisions in this budget,” Ortt said. “But 2.4 billion goes a long way, and I just wonder what that could have done in other parts of the budget for legal New Yorkers.”

Additionally, in an effort to conserve money in light of the state’s decreasing prison population, New York will expedite the closure of up to five state prisons. The governor will decide which jails to close by March of next year. The state’s corrections administration reports that since 2011, the state has closed two dozen prisons due to vacant beds, saving approximately $442 million a year.

The budget also included provisions to allow movie theaters to sell hard liquor, extend the pandemic-era sale of to-go alcoholic drinks, and allow New York City to lower its speed limits. These measures would also provide paid time off during pregnancy.

The state office responsible for drafting laws for the Legislature was affected by a cyberattack, which delayed the budget’s finalization by almost three weeks from its planned deadline of April 1st.

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Biden Signs $1.2T Spending Bill To Keep Government Open

Biden Signs $1.2T Spending Bill To Keep Government Open

President Biden Holds News Conference After Summit with Chinese President Xi In San Francisco
WOODSIDE, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 15: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks at a news conference at the Filoli Estate on November 15, 2023 in Woodside, California. The news conference follows a meeting between Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' week, their first since meeting at the Indonesian island resort of Bali in November 2022. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
(Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

OAN’s Abril Elfi
11:35 AM – Saturday, March 23, 2024

SEE: https://www.oann.com/newsroom/biden-signs-1-2t-spending-bill-to-keep-government-open/; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

President Joe Biden has signed the $1.2 trillion spending package to keep the government open.

On Saturday, Biden signed a bill for the spending package just hours after it was passed by the senate. 

Biden praised the measure as a compromise, and “good news for the American people.”

“This agreement represents a compromise, which means neither side got everything it wanted,” Biden continued, emphasizing that it rejected “extreme cuts from House Republicans and expands access to child care, invests in cancer research, funds mental health and substance use care, advances American leadership abroad, and provides resources to secure the border that my Administration successfully fought to include. That’s good news for the American people.”

During his speech, Biden called on Congress, urging them to enact a border security agreement and a national security supplemental bill in the House.

“It’s time to get this done,” Biden said.

The House passed the legislation Friday with a bipartisan 286-134 vote, which spurred a push among some conservatives to oust Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.). 

The bill passed the Senate by a 74-24 vote early Saturday morning following hours of intense negotiations.

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The IRS Helps UNRWA Fund Hamas While nations drop support for UNRWA over terror funding, the IRS lets the cash flow.

[Pre-order a copy of Daniel Greenfield’s first book, Domestic Enemies, by clicking here. Orders will begin shipping on April 30th.]

Before Ismail Haniyeh became the leader of Hamas, he was a teacher at UNRWA.

The UN agency dedicated welfare agency for the Arab Muslim colonists who call themselves “Palestinians” had long since become a terrorist front.

“I am sure that there are Hamas members on the UNRWA payroll,” a former UNRWA Commissioner General said, “and I don’t see that as a crime.”

A former official boasted “that UNRWA was raising thousands and thousands of cadres” and “first and foremost, we can mention Ismail Haniyeh, who was an UNRWA teacher, and so was Dr. Talal Naji, Secretary-General of the PFLP-GC.” The PFLP is also a terrorist group.

UNRWA’s Gaza staff has their own union. In a 2012 election, a pro-Hamas bloc won the support of most of the union with 25 out of 27 seats on a union board. When there was talk of reforming the UNRWA by removing Hamas members from its ranks, the editor of a Hamas paper wrote that, “they are all members of the ‘resistance,’ in its various forms.”

How true is that? Israeli intelligence estimates that 1 in 4 male UNRWA employees had ties to Hamas and 1 in 2 employees had family ties to terrorists.

On Oct 7, multiple UNRWA employees took part in the attack. One UNRWA teacher was recorded boasting “I’m inside, I’m inside with the Jews!" We have female hostages, I captured one!” while using the Islamic term for sex slave. At least 30 UNRWA employees took part in other parts of the attack, running an ops room, carrying antitank missiles and invading Israel.

Within a group of 3,000 UNRWA staff members, there was widespread celebration on Oct 7.

Hamas kept key assets, including a data and command center, under UNRWA’s headquarters and has regularly deployed its rockets at UNRWA sites and hidden in UNRWA supplies. Hamas has taken UNRWA supplies so that aid and funding for it supplies the Islamic terror group.

As a result of these revelations and more, a number of nations paused their funding to UNRWA.

But despite evidence of Hamas ties, UNRWA USA continues to retain nonprofit status in the U.S. Providing material aid to Hamas, a sanctioned terrorist group on the State Department’s Foreign Terrorist Organization list, is illegal, and illegal acts violate tax code regulations.

Survivors of the Oct 7 attacks including Lishay Lavi, who had to watch along with her daughters while Hamas kidnapped her husband, David Bromberg, who hid for 7 hours while watching others at the Nova music festival being massacred by the terrorists, and Natalie Sanandaji, an American woman who had been in Israel for a wedding and then had to run for her life, along with other survivors have sued UNRWA USA.

The lawsuit alleges that “UNRWA USA collects donations in the United States and then transfers nearly all its funds to UNRWA” which “redistributes those funds to Hamas members on their payroll, some of whom are directly engaged in acts of terrorism, including but not limited to, the October 7th atrocities.”

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) depends heavily on two international NGOs, UNRWA USA and another in Spain. UNRWA USA, despite cultivating an image as an aid group, features veteran anti-Israel activists on its board, including Nadia Saah, Lara Friedman, and Shibley Telhami. The latter took part in an event with a Hamas apologist.

UNRWA USA’s report claims that it was able to provide $3.8 million to UNRWA in 2022. That money and previous funds raised by UNRWA USA could have bolstered Hamas before Oct 7.

While survivors and their families are entitled to sue UNRWA USA, the IRS has failed to act.

This is in sharp contrast to the IRS' pursuit of pro-Israel groups under the Obama administration.

Z Street, one of those groups, launched a legal battle that exposed the administration’s targeting of political opponents.

Z Street’s founder, Lori Lowenthal Marcus, told Front Page Magazine that, “One of the excuses given to Z Street by an IRS official was that the IRS had to make sure we were not ‘engaged in terrorism’ because we mentioned ‘terror’ in our mission statement." The part of Z Street’s mission that mentioned terror? ‘We will not engage with, negotiate with or appease terrorists.’”

The IRS however appears to have a different position on terrorism. And that may explain its actions.

Among the more recent targets for the IRS has been the David Horowitz Freedom Center, which spent 5 years battling the federal agency because we reported on Hillary Clinton’s emails.

Front Page Magazine has previously exposed the role that the IRS has played in enabling funding and political support for Hamas in the United States by 501(c)(3) charity nonprofits.

But UNRWA may be the single largest beneficiary of the IRS’ willful blindness to Islamic terrorism.

What is true of UNRWA is also true of much of the United Nations.

“Hamas is not a terrorist group for us, as you know, it is a political movement,” UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths recently argued.

But UNRWA is unique as a UN agency that functions as an employment agency for Hamas, providing it with facilities and aid, and political cover for its campaign to kill Jews.

The lawsuit by the survivors of the Hamas attacks states that, “UNRWA USA was fully aware that UNRWA employees supported, engaged in, and celebrated the terrorist attacks on October 7, but Defendant continued to fund UNRWA and its terrorist activities before, during, and after the October 7 terrorist attack.”

Even as the investigation of UNRWA goes on, the IRS has expressed no interest in examining the nonprofit status of UNRWA USA as they did Z Street, the David Horowitz Freedom Center and other conservative and pro-Israel groups who have been targeted for political reasons.

The Freedom Center and Front Page Magazine will not stop holding the IRS and those organizations, like UNRWA, that aid and abet terrorism against America and Israel accountable.

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Biden Cancels $6 Billion In Student Debt For 78,000 Public Service Workers

Biden Cancels $6B in Student Debt For 78,000 Public Service Workers

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 12: Student loan borrowers gather near The White House to tell President Biden to cancel student debt on May 12, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for We, The 45 Million)
WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 12: Student loan borrowers gather near the White House to tell President Biden to cancel student debt on May 12, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for We, The 45 Million)

OAN’s James Meyers
11:10 AM -Thursday, March 21, 2024

SEE: https://www.oann.com/newsroom/biden-cancels-6b-in-student-debt-for-78000-public-service-workers/; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

President Joe Biden announced on Thursday that the White House had approved the cancellation of $6 billion in federal student debt for “thousands of public service workers.”

The 78,000 eligible public service workers include nurses, teachers, and firefighters, according to the White House.

“These public service workers have dedicated their careers to serving their communities, but because of past administrative failures, they never got the relief they were entitled to under the law,” Biden said in a statement touting the move.

“From day one of my Administration, I promised to fix broken student loan programs and make sure higher education is a ticket to the middle class, not a barrier to opportunity,” Biden continued. “I won’t back down from using every tool at my disposal to deliver student debt relief to more Americans, and build an economy from the middle out and bottom up.”

Meanwhile, as of June 2023, almost 43.4 million U.S. student loan recipients had $1.63 trillion in outstanding loans, according to the Federal Student Aid website. 

This comes after the Biden administration canceled almost $5 billion in debt for 74,000 public-sector borrowers. 

Overall, the White House has approved $144 billion in federal loan forgiveness for about 4 million borrowers in total, according to the Biden administration. 

Meanwhile, the White House will reportedly email close to 380,000 student loan borrowers to let them know they are on track to have their student debt canceled within two years. 

However, other former college students have expressed frustration regarding how their loans have not paid off while others have, accusing Biden of being choosy and unfair. 

“So… what? Biden’s just gonna cancel some people’s debt and not everyone’s? How is that fair? "It should be everyone or no one,” said one X (Twitter) user.

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Lawmakers Reveal Text Of $1.2T Spending Bill To Avoid Government Shutdown

Lawmakers Reveal Text Of $1.2T Spending Bill To Avoid Government Shutdown

WASHINGTON - JUNE 5: The U.S. Capitol is shown June 5, 2003 in Washington, DC. Both houses of the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives meet in the Capitol. (Photo by Stefan Zaklin/Getty Images)
(Photo by Stefan Zaklin/Getty Images)

OAN’s James Meyers
9:14 AM -Thursday, March 21, 2024

SEE: https://www.oann.com/newsroom/lawmakers-reveal-text-of-1-2t-spending-bill-to-avoid-government-shutdown/; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have released the details of the newest $1.2 trillion government funding bill negotiated by the Biden administration and leaders of both political parties. 

The new spending deal, which was announced on Tuesday, includes funding for the departments of Homeland Security, State, Labor, Defense, Health and Human Services.

However, the federal agencies listed are scheduled to shut down on Saturday if the funding package is not passed by Friday night and it’s unclear if Congress has enough time to pass it before the deadline. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) applauded the package in a statement on Thursday, saying “House Republicans have achieved significant conservative policy wins” during this year’s appropriations process.

“This FY24 appropriations legislation is a serious commitment to strengthening our national defense by moving the Pentagon toward a focus on its core mission while expanding support for our brave men and women who serve in uniform,” Johnson said. “Importantly, it halts funding for the United Nations agency which employed terrorists who participated in the October 7 attacks against Israel.”

The new deal will also include a ban on all direct U.S. funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees. Johnson also said the latest funding will increase U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention capacity from 34,000 to 42,000 beds, and provide more funding for almost 22,000 Border Patrol agents. 

“In addition, the bipartisan agreement reached to fund the Department of Homeland Security moves the Department’s operations toward enforcing our border and immigration laws,” Johnson’s statement read. “It significantly cuts funding to NGOs that incentivize illegal immigration and increases detention capacity and the number of Border Patrol agents to match levels in the House-passed appropriations bill and the Secure the Border Act.”

“Overall, during the FY24 appropriations process, House Republicans have achieved significant conservative policy wins, rejected extreme Democrat proposals, and imposed substantial cuts to wasteful agencies and programs while strengthening border security and national defense,” Johnson added.

Once the House passes the bill, the Senate will then require unanimous consent to vote quickly. 

“Once the House sends us a funding package, I will put it on the floor of the Senate without delay,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, (D-N.Y.), said on the floor. “We haven’t had a government shutdown since 2019. There’s no good reason for us to have one this week.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, (R-Ky.), said, “Congress has secured a path forward to fund the Department of Homeland Security, which will allow us to complete the fiscal year 2024 appropriations process in the coming days.”

Meanwhile, if the bill is not passed, it would likely only impact a limited number of government operations if funding were to be restored before the end of the weekend. 

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After Iran Killed 3 U.S. Soldiers, Biden Regime Gives It $10,000,000,000 Sanctions Waiver

SEE: https://www.jihadwatch.org/2024/03/after-iran-killed-3-u-s-soldiers-biden-regime-gives-it-10000000000-sanctions-waiver; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

Treason

This story is worse than it sounds. And while that’s true of nearly everything this administration does, it’s truly true here.

Iran’s terror militias launched a wave of rocket attacks against American soldiers in Iraq and Syria under Biden. There were dozens of these attacks last year alone.

In the spring of 2023, Scott Patrick Dubis, a 52-year-old military contractor who had worked on U.S. military bases in Afghanistan, Kuwait and Qatar, was killed in an Iranian-backed attack.

Three US Army soldiers were killed and over 30 were wounded in an Iranian-backed drone attack on a position on the Jordanian-Syrian border. This is the worst death toll in some time.

Beyond that, Iran was behind the Hamas Oct 7 attack which killed over 30 Americans and we’re in a battle with its Houthi proxies over shipping in the Red Sea.

So what does Joe Biden go ahead and do?

The Biden administration on Wednesday reapproved a sanctions waiver that unlocks upwards of $10 billion in frozen funds for the Iranian government, according to a copy of a notice submitted to Congress late Wednesday and reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon.

But this is Joe Biden we’re talking about. In October 2001, Biden proposethat, “this would be a good time to send, no strings attached, a check for $200 million to Iran.”

So why is this story even worse than it sounds?

“The sanctions waiver—which has drawn fierce GOP opposition on Capitol Hill—allows Iraq to transfer electricity payments to Iran via third-party countries.”

Now remember, Iran has effectively taken over Iraq. 3 American soldiers were killed because Iran has developed major Shiite militia forces across Iraq. The transfer payments prop up Iraq’s dependency on Iran which leads to further attacks on Americans. This is not some sort of indirect issue, it’s the core problem.

Not only is Iran profiting, but Iraq continues to be wired into Iran which makes a mockery of the entire war.

The State Department would not immediately confirm transmitting the sanctions waiver to Congress, but defended its previous renewals on Tuesday in response to Free Beacon questions.

“Since 2018, the waiver has remained necessary as Iraq weans itself off Iranian energy imports, which cannot happen overnight,” a State Department spokesman told the Free Beacon. “And Iraq is making progress in its path to energy self-sufficiency by increasing regional electricity interconnections, capturing and utilizing natural gas associated with oil production, and developing new domestic gas resources.”

2018. Six years later, Iraq has yet to “wean itself off”.

Iraq has plenty of its own natural gas. It keeps buying Iranian energy because its government is corrupt and because Iran’s Shiite catspaws run the place. Rather than put a stop to this, Biden is authorizing it by providing yet more waivers so the same corrupt arrangement remains in place.

Lockheed Martin to sell $23 billion worth of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey

SEE: https://www.jihadwatch.org/2024/02/lockheed-martin-to-sell-23-billion-worth-of-f-16-fighter-jets-to-turkey; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

The U.S. State Department has yet to sign off on the multibillion-dollar deal to sell F-16 fighter jets to Turkey and Greece; of those two countries, the latter is not the problem. Turkey is. The deal will amount to another foolish move by the Biden government that would see the U.S. strengthening its enemies. This deal is akin to the Iran nuclear deal that strengthened Iran. Supplying weaponry to Islamic supremacist Turkey, whose president dreams of a revived Ottoman Empire (a global caliphate) is imprudent at best. Providing weaponry to Turkey gives it enormous leverage, while undermining American security and “destabilizing a region that Washington seems unable to ignore.” An article from The Hill provides notable examples of Turkey’s troublesome antics:

Turkey bought the S-400 (a Russian air defense system that threatens Washington’s F-35 program), nearly upended NATO by threatening to invade Greece, almost hit U.S. troops in Syria, became the safe-haven for the Muslim Brotherhood after it was kicked out of Egypt, served as a financing arm for Hamas and Russia, and is engaging in a battle of threats with Israel over Ankara’s support for Hamas.

Last month, Biden urged the US Congress to approve the F-16 sale to Turkey “without delay.” Advancing the interests of Lockheed Martin is advantageous to Biden’s political aspirations, too, since defense companies are major donors to political campaigns. 

The $23 billion deal serves Lockheed Martin and Turkey, but not the United States. American citizens and particularly Israel should be worried. Turkey is a supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood, of which Hamas is an offshoot. In November, the Turkish foreign minister threatened to use military force against Israel to aid Hamas.

“Lockheed Martin Will Sell $23 Billion Worth of F-16 Fighter Jets to Turkey,” by Rich Smith, The Motley Fool, February 12, 2024:

Military contractor Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is in the business of building fighter jets — and business is booming. In a pair of Earth-shaking announcements last week, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) informed Congress of a plan to sell a combined $31.6 billion in new weapons sales to Greece and Turkey.

But the biggest of these deals is for Turkey.

Why is Turkey buying 40 new F-16 fighter jets?

As you may already know, DSCA is the Pentagon department responsible for coordinating sensitive weapons sales between U.S. defense contractors and foreign governments. Turkey says it wants these new fighter jets to “expand and modernize” its air force, which currently comprises primarily older F-16C Falcon and F-4E Phantom fighter jets.

Before this sale can go through, though, the U.S. State Department must sign off on the deal as supporting “the foreign policy goals and national security of the United States” and unlikely to “alter the basic military balance in the region” — in this case, southern Europe — and Congress must either approve or reject the sale…..

CEO Zuckerberg Will Get $700 Million in Income From Meta’s New Dividend—and a Hefty Tax Bill

SEE: https://www.marketwatch.com/articles/meta-dividend-zuckerberg-taxes; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:
Mark Zuckerberg is set to receive $700 million in annual dividends from Meta Platforms’ new payout, which could make him one of the highest earners in California—and one of its largest taxpayers.

Meta Platforms surprised Wall Street Thursday by initiating a 50-cent quarterly dividend, or $2 a share annually. Zuckerberg, Meta’s founder and CEO, owns 350 million shares, a 13% economic stake with 61% voting control since nearly all the stock he owns is supervoting B shares, according to Meta’s 2023 proxy statement.

With the new dividend, Zuckerberg will receive about $700 million in dividends a year. In recent years, he has received a salary of just $1 annually and no bonus—with his $27 million in compensation in 2022 largely related to personal security expenses.

New York tax expert Robert Willens tells Barron’s that Zuckerberg faces a 23.8% federal tax bite—20% federal tax on dividend income and a 3.8% Medicare surcharge—plus the top 13.3% state income-tax rate in California. 

States unlike the federal government generally offer no preferential tax rate on dividend income versus earned income.

“Since state and local taxes are no longer deductible for federal purposes, he’s looking at a 37 percent “all-in” tax levy on these dividends,” Willens tells Barron’s in an email.

Zuckerberg’s Meta stake is now worth about $168 billion with the shares jumping 21% to $479 Friday as investors reacted to an earnings beat in the fourth quarter and favorable financial guidance. The stock has hit a record in trading Friday. Zuckerberg now is fourth on Bloomberg’s list of the world’s wealthiest individuals behind only Elon Musk, LVMH’s Bernard Arnault and Jeff Bezos.

Barron’s wrote that Alphabet may follow Meta’s lead and initiate a dividend and that other big non-dividend payers like Amazon.com and Tesla could also follow suit.

Alphabet has resisted paying a dividend, preferring to return cash to holders via a large stock repurchase program. It is a prime candidate for a dividend given its ample earnings and free cash flow.

Barron’s has argued that tech giants like Meta and Alphabet can do both—buy back stock and pay dividends. Meta bought back $20 billion of its stock in 2023, and the dividend will cost it about $5 billion annually.

Tech companies that don’t pay dividends have often said it’s due to prioritizing spending elsewhere, particularly in areas of growth. For investors, a dividend is increasingly seen as a sign of management confidence in the business.

Another unstated reason that founder-led companies may not have wanted to pay dividends is that the founders with large equity stakes would face sizable tax bills on the dividends. 

Companies with powerful founders—in either a board or management role—that don’t pay dividends include Alphabet, Tesla, Amazon.com, and Berkshire Hathaway.

Berkshire’s policy has enabled Buffett to minimize his annual tax bill. Buffett released information on his 2015 taxes after he was criticized by then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. Buffett said that he had $11.5 million of income (probably dividend income on stocks that he holds personally) during 2015 and paid $1.8 million in federal income taxes.

Buffett’s stake in Berkshire is now worth over $125 billion with the stock hitting a record high Friday. The Class A shares are up 0.5% at $584,385. With Buffett’s plan to donate his Berkshire stake after his death, he likely will have paid comparably little in taxes over a lifetime despite accumulating enormous wealth.

If Berkshire paid a 1% dividend, Buffett would get over $1 billion of income annually and would pay 30% of that income in federal and state taxes on that.

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