WASHINGTON — Officials say the Obama administration in its waning hours defied Republican opposition and quietly released $221 million to the Palestinian Authority that GOP members of Congress had been blocking.
A State Department official and several congressional aides said the outgoing administration formally notified Congress it would spend the money Friday morning. The official said former Secretary of State John Kerry had informed some lawmakers of the move shortly before he left the State Department for the last time Thursday. The aides said written notification dated Jan. 20 was sent to Congress just hours before Donald Trump took the oath of office.
In addition to the $221 million for the Palestinians, the Obama administration also told Congress on Friday it was going ahead with the release of another $6 million in foreign affairs spending, including $4 million for climate change programs and $1.25 million for U.N. organizations, the congressional aides said. The aides and the State Department official weren't authorized to speak publicly on the matter and demanded anonymity.
Congress had initially approved the Palestinian funding in budget years 2015 and 2016, but at least two GOP lawmakers — Ed Royce of California, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Kay Granger of Texas, who sits on the House Appropriations Committee — had placed holds on it over moves the Palestinian Authority had taken to seek membership in international organizations. Congressional holds are generally respected by the executive branch but are not legally binding after funds have been allocated.
The Obama administration had for some time been pressing for the release of the money for the Palestinian Authority, which comes from the U.S. Agency for International Development and is to be used for humanitarian aid in the West Bank and Gaza, to support political and security reforms as well as help prepare for good governance and the rule of law in a future Palestinian state, according to the notification sent to Congress.
The $1.25 million for U.N. agencies is to be used as voluntary contributions to the U.N. Peacebuilding Fund; the U.N. Special Coordinator on improving the U.N. response to sexual exploitation and abuse; the Montreal Protocol Secretariat, which oversees the protection of the ozone layer; the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights; and the U.N. System Staff College.
The $4 million for climate programs includes assistance for clean energy, sustainable landscapes, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and creating a climate technology center.
The last-minute allocation also contained $1.05 million in funding for the State Department's Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan office and the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs.
The Palestinian funding is likely to draw anger from some in Congress as well as the Trump White House. Trump has vowed to be a strong supporter of Israel and has invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Washington next month.
He has also pledged to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, although White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Monday a final decision on that had yet to be made. Despite speculation in Israel that an announcement of the move is imminent, Spicer said the decision-making process is only in its very early stages. it was already a decision, then we wouldn't be going through a process," Spicer told reporters.
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LawyerLady
I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you.
I'm not surprised. With all the touting going on about a peaceful transition, I knew in my heart Obama would do whatever he could to make things more difficult for Trump. His school-boy antics will all come to light.
President Donald Trump fulfilled two more campaign promises by signing a pair of executive orders giving the green light to the Keystone XL Pipeline and the Dakota Access Pipelines.
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America guarantees equal opportunity, not equal outcome...
I'm not surprised. With all the touting going on about a peaceful transition, I knew in my heart Obama would do whatever he could to make things more difficult for Trump. His school-boy antics will all come to light.
Yeah but at least Hillary didn't get her pardon!
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Sometimes you're the windshield, and sometimes you're the bug.
Personally, I wish they'd be prosecuted but I don't see that happening.
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actually, one of the reasons for not charging her prior to trump taking office was precisely so that obama COULDN'T pardon her ( or them )
she remains liable for any alleged crimes that she committed--expect that they will pursue further when time permits/is right
could not believe that prospective DNC chair candidate stated that her purpose was to: " shut white people down(sic). "--this from the party of inclusion, of diversity, of unity--lord
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" the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. "--edmund burke
Personally, I wish they'd be prosecuted but I don't see that happening. ______________________________________________________
actually, one of the reasons for not charging her prior to trump taking office was precisely so that obama COULDN'T pardon her ( or them )
she remains liable for any alleged crimes that she committed--expect that they will pursue further when time permits/is right
could not believe that prospective DNC chair candidate stated that her purpose was to: " shut white people down(sic). "--this from the party of inclusion, of diversity, of unity--lord
We had already determined from lawyers on this board that she could have been pardoned, analogy to Ford/Nixon. I think Trump is allowing the investigation to go on, he is keeping Comey on as FBI Director.
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Sometimes you're the windshield, and sometimes you're the bug.
I worked in the same agency/division with Comey years ago. He had a reputation for being a good guy. I really believe he had to say and do the things he did. Another guy I knew personally took the fall for the Fast and Furious, too. I feel sorry for them both.
I worked in the same agency/division with Comey years ago. He had a reputation for being a good guy. I really believe he had to say and do the things he did. Another guy I knew personally took the fall for the Fast and Furious, too. I feel sorry for them both.
I honestly believe there was something in the Wiener emails/hard drive that compelled Comey to announce what he did two weeks before the election. I am certain Loretta Lynch made a deal with Bill Clinton and told Comey to STFU.
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Sometimes you're the windshield, and sometimes you're the bug.
Congress had initially approved the Palestinian funding in budget years 2015 and 2016, but at least two GOP lawmakers — Ed Royce of California, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Kay Granger of Texas, who sits on the House Appropriations Committee — had placed holds on it over moves the Palestinian Authority had taken to seek membership in international organizations. Congressional holds are generally respected by the executive branch but are not legally binding after funds have been allocated.
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LawyerLady
I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you.
I hope he declares English as our official language. I wonder if he can do that? (off to Google)
At the very least it sends a strong message to people who refuse to learn the language . Most of our school systems have evening classes to learn. Trump is all about sending a strong message and expecting people affected to act in their own best interest. Immigrants need to know that.
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Sometimes you're the windshield, and sometimes you're the bug.
Many countries require you to learn the language. One of my friends moved to Germany with her husband - they required her to take German classes to maintain her Visa. Then they moved to Switzerland and she is required to learn French, and her children have to speak French to go to school.
I believe in giving people time to learn, so there are certain things that should be available in Spanish. However - you have to be a permanent resident for 3-5 years before applying for citizenship, so I think the citizenship test should be in English.
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LawyerLady
I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you.
Many countries require you to learn the language. One of my friends moved to Germany with her husband - they required her to take German classes to maintain her Visa. Then they moved to Switzerland and she is required to learn French, and her children have to speak French to go to school.
I believe in giving people time to learn, so there are certain things that should be available in Spanish. However - you have to be a permanent resident for 3-5 years before applying for citizenship, so I think the citizenship test should be in English.
I agree, most of our issue in this country are due to people who have been here for years and just too lazy to learn the language.
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Sometimes you're the windshield, and sometimes you're the bug.
Language classes for parents are offered through our school system.
It's a yearly thing.
Non English speaking parents get free, well, free to them, classes.
And the kids have classes during school.
That's what really bothers me.
It's a daily lesson that the whole class does.
The English speaking kids waste an hour learning to speak english.
Because they can't separate the non English speaking kids.
That'd be discrimination or some such baloney.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
There is ESL, however, in the elementary school, not enough teachers for the number of students.
So, when the class is learning to spell cup, the non English speakers are learning a second language.
Now, it wouldn't bother me at all if it was a dual language course.
Each learning the other language.
Personally, I'd love to see foreign languages taught from kindergarten.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
$21 million to Palestine? How about $21 million to help U.S.
citizens in Appalachia? Or Native Americans on reservations?
Or to help shore up the declining infrastructure of our interstate
highway system?
Sadly I was afraid of this. I knew January 20th, 2017 would not be the last day we heard about some new way Obama was screwing the country.
Thankfully though, he's now gone. And, while new things can come to light, at least he has no more power to do dastardly things against the interests of the United States.
yet another obama payoff--unfortunately for him, he's about out of bullets when the next round of his debtors come collecting--would give it a year, maybe two
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" the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. "--edmund burke
