Tag Archives: budget

Dec 9 2025

House Releases Text of 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Codifying 15 Trump Executive Orders


The House Armed Services Committee has released the full text of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2026 [SEE TEXT HERE]. The massive bill consists of 3,086 pages, making the fiscal year 2026 NDAA longer than the manuscript of War and Peace. Most people will never read it, so a 24-page Summary Version is Here.

The FY 2026 NDAA authorizes $892.6B for defense, which includes $153B for procurement, $142B for Research and Development, and $235B for military personnel. The legislation: Codifies 15 Trump EOs on military reform, border security, and DEI elimination. Boosts shipbuilding, aircraft, munitions, funds Taiwan aid and Israel programs, reforms acquisitions, enhances border support including $900M for counter-narcotic operations and includes a 3.8% pay raise and quality-of-life improvements.

There is a $400 million authorization for Ukraine support, however, the amount is ‘authorized’ not ‘appropriated’ – which would have to come in a separate spending bill.

Other Ukraine-Related Provisions (No Specific Funding). These sections emphasize oversight, reporting, and strategic support but do not authorize new funding:

SEC. 1244 (Military Intelligence Support for Ukraine): Directs the provision of military intelligence to Ukraine but without dollar figures.

SEC. 1245 (Report Relating to Allied and Partner Support to Ukraine): Requires the Secretary of Defense to report on U.S. and allied contributions, including unobligated balances in the USAI account and plans for using funds to bolster Ukraine’s defense. Covers bilateral aid, Jumpstart/PURL initiatives, and deterrence against Russia.

SEC. 1246–1250: Broader provisions on NATO’s eastern flank, Baltic security, U.S. basing/training in NATO countries, and European deterrence reports. These indirectly support Ukraine via enhanced regional posture but lack Ukraine-specific funding.

No other sections in the amendment (e.g., those on Indo-Pacific, cyber, or appropriations for unrelated programs) mention Ukraine funding. The total direct authorization for Ukraine in FY 2026 appears to be $400 million under USAI, building on prior years’ initiatives. This is an authorization bill, so final funding levels depend on the appropriations process and conference reconciliation between House and Senate versions.

December 8, 2025 | Sundance

Nov 10 2025

Senate Deal Reached to End the Govt Shutdown


The AP is reporting on information from the Senate. A deal has been reached.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is voting on the first steps to end the 40-day government shutdown Sunday after a group of moderate Democrats agreed to proceed without a guaranteed extension of health care subsidies, angering many in their caucus who wanted to continue the fight.

The group of three former governors — New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan and Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine — said they would vote to reopen if the Senate passed three annual spending bills and extend the rest of government funding until late January. Senate Majority Leader John Thune endorsed the deal Sunday night and called an immediate vote to begin the process of approving it.

“The time to act is now,” Thune said.

The deal would also include a future vote on the health care subsidies, which would not have a guaranteed outcome, and a reversal of the mass firings of federal workers that have happened since the shutdown began on Oct. 1. The full text of the deal has not yet been released.

[…] Republicans need five Democratic votes to reopen the government. In addition to Shaheen, King and Hassan, Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, home to millions of federal workers, also said he would support the agreement.

After Democrats met for over two hours to discuss the proposal, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said he could not “in good faith” support it. (read more)

November 9, 2025 | Sundance

Nov 9 2025

President Trump Recommends Congress Bypass Funding Health Insurance Companies and Send Funds Directly to Consumers


Posted originally on CTH on November 8, 2025 | Sundance 

In a series of statements from his Truth Social account, President Trump is recommending that congress bypass the subsides for insurance companies and instead send the funds directly to the healthcare consumers who can negotiate with their healthcare providers.

[SOURCE]

Nov 4 2025

Senate Leader John Thune Tells President Trump, “There aren’t enough Republican votes to end CR filibuster”


Posted originally on CTH on November 3, 2025 | Sundance |

Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters he informed President Trump, “The votes aren’t there” to kill the filibuster.  Ergo, the govt shutdown will continue.

The issue is somewhat frustrating for those who have followed DC events closely.  The Democrats hated the Big Beautiful Bill budget and spending legislation, so the Republicans had to suspend the filibuster to pass it.  However, the Democrats are blocking the BBB budget and spending legislation by shutting down government, and the Republicans will not suspend the filibuster to open it.

WASHINGTON DC – Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Monday there’s not enough support among Republican senators to eliminate the filibuster as President Donald Trump ramps up pressure to change the chamber’s rules to allow the simple-majority passage of legislation. “The votes aren’t there,” Thune told reporters.

Thune said he had spoken to Trump about the issue — he didn’t specify when — and questioned whether his campaign against the filibuster should come as a surprise. (more)

The Moonbat leftists are not the biggest problem; they never have been. They are ideologues, mostly. Insufferable, stupid, violent at times, but easy to spot.  Remember, Democrats quest for power; Republicans quest for money. Always underline this, because it’s really important.

The Moonbat leftists seek power, seek control of your life, and they are open in their insufferably stupid arguments to get there. When they start to lose, they turn violent. This is their history.

That said, they are not the most dangerous.

The professional Republicans are more dangerous, because their priority is money. As a result, their approaches, goals, objectives and arguments can be purchased.

Republicans have no interests, goals or objectives, nor allegiances, that supersede their primary objective – getting money, and growing their wealth.

Democrats will come at you with a knife, a gun or a baseball bat. You can see them. The professional Republican guy standing beside you, however, is willing to take a payment to shoot you in the ear when you don’t see it coming.

This is also why it seems like Democrats stick together, and Republicans split. Democrats are chasing a common goal, a collective goal – power. Republicans are chasing a commonality, yes, but an individual goal – money, their wealth.

Donors contribute to the Democrat agenda because their interest is to benefit from power. Republicans modify their agenda to benefit donors, because their goal is money.

Democrats stay on task, power. Republicans are flexible, money.

You enter a war against Leftists with extreme danger. However, the danger is not the war in front of you, it’s the army beside you waiting to get a payment from the enemy in front of you.

Out of a group of 1,000 Democrats, 900+ will join in to defend a weakened Moonbat leftist (see Kimmel).

Out of a group of 1,000 Republicans, you will find, maybe, 5 willing to cover your back regardless of how much bribery is put in front of them.

Remember this, understand this, and the reality of who presents the most danger to us is accurately framed.

Republicans do not simply snatch defeat from the jaws of victory; they sell defeat to the highest bidder!

It is interesting to watch Senate Republicans proclaim how agencies like the DOJ and FBI have lost the institutional trust of the American people due to corruption, while simultaneously the same Senate Republicans never note the trust loss within their party as a result of their willful blindness to it.

Wax on….  Wax off.   Today is another Monday.

Nov 4 2025

USDA Will Exhaust All Emergency Funds to Pay Food Stamp Benefits at 50 Percent for November, After That No Money


Posted originally on CTH on November 3, 2025 | Sundance |

No amount of judicial activism can get blood from a stone.  After the Rhode Island judge demanded the USDA pay food stamp benefits from an emergency/disaster fund, Deputy Under Secretary of the Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services (FNCS) at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Patrick Penn, files a court response saying all funds distributed.

Approximately 50% of the normal distribution for 42 million recipients has been transmitted.

[SOURCE DOCUMENT]

Block grants for Puerto Rico and Samoa?

Nov 3 2025

Sunday Talks – White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Discusses Administration Perspective on Federal Govt Shutdown


Posted originally on CTH on November 2, 2025 | Sundance | 

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt appears on Fox News with Maria Bartiromo to discuss the ongoing federal government shutdown and the current position of the White House.

As noted by Leavitt, Democrats will kill the filibuster when/if they ever take power again, as the only thing that stopped them before was Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, both of whom are no longer in office as Democrats.  Secretary Leavitt also discusses upcoming Supreme Court case regarding presidential authority for tariffs.

.

Nov 2 2025

President Trump Asks Senate Republicans to End Filibuster and Extend CR to Reopen Government


Posted originally on CTH on November 1, 2025 | Sundance

I see President Trump’s point on this quite clearly.

The Big Beautiful Bill (BBB), essentially the 2026 budget and spending package, was passed along party lines because Democrats would not support the cuts to their spending programs which purchased votes.  The Democrat opposition to the fiscal spending Continuing Resolution (CR) is essentially just another way to filibuster the BBB that preceded it.

If the Republican Senate would end the filibuster to pass the BBB, then why would the Republican Senate permit the spending filibuster to block the CR which is the spending vehicle to deploy the BBB?

DONALD J TRUMP – “Remember, Republicans, regardless of the Schumer Shutdown, the Democrats will terminate the Filibuster the first chance they get. They will Pack the Supreme Court, pick up two States, and add at least 8 Electoral Votes. Their two objectors are gone!!! Don’t be WEAK AND STUPID. FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT! WIN, WIN, WIN! We will immediately END the Extortionist Shutdown, get ALL of our agenda passed, and make life so good for Americans that these DERANGED DEMOCRAT politicians will never again have the chance to DESTROY AMERICA! Republicans, you will rue the day that you didn’t TERMINATE THE FILIBUSTER!!! BE TOUGH, BE SMART, AND WIN!!! This is much bigger than the Shutdown, this is the survival of our Country!”

Nov 1 2025

Administrator Mehmet Oz Shares Alarming Details of CMS Audit Showing Billions Being Spent on Illegal Aliens Gaining Medicaid Benefits


Posted originally on CTH on October 31, 2025 | Sundance

Dr Mehmet Oz is the Trump administration Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the massive federal health care bureaucracy that covers more than a third of Americans.

At least 14 states (pictured below) provide Medicaid to illegal aliens. Today Dr Oz provided some alarming information about corruption within the CMS system leading to millions of illegal aliens gaining benefits.

[Dr Oz, CMS Administrator] – “Based on our initial set of audits, more than $1B of federal taxpayer dollars were being spent on funding Medicaid for illegal immigrants. And my team is getting it back.

Some want to deny that illegal immigrants are receiving Medicaid. Others insist it’s illegal for Medicaid to cover illegal immigrants. And others accurately point out that hospitals can provide emergency services to illegal immigrants under the program.

We can all agree on this: rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse is essential to protecting this program for the most vulnerable. It’s also one of the Trump Administration’s top priorities.

Let me lay down the facts”:

“The truth is that federal law is supposed to prohibit federal Medicaid dollars broadly from being used to cover illegal immigrants. It does permit states to use Medicaid dollars for emergency treatment, regardless of patients’ citizenship or immigration status. States can also legally build Medicaid programs for illegal immigrants using their own state tax dollars, so long as no federal tax dollars are used.

But that didn’t stop Democrats from going even further by breaking federal law to give illegal immigrants federal Medicaid dollars meant for American citizens.

Earlier this year, the CMS team began auditing state Medicaid programs to ensure they were following the law and not spending any federal tax dollars on illegal immigrants outside of emergency Medicaid. What we found was shocking.

In a preliminary review of 6 states, we found those states improperly using federal tax dollars for their allegedly state-funded program and providing coverage to individuals, including some with criminal records of murder and assault.

Those states are:
CA – $1,310,032,549
DC – $2,114,628
IL – $29,778,645
WA – $2,367,194
CO – $1,506,743
OR – $5,404,368

We notified the states, and many have begun refunding the money. But what if we had never asked?

Whether willful or not, the states’ conduct highlights a terrifying reality: American taxpayers have been footing the bill for illegal immigrants’ Medicaid coverage, despite many Democrats and the media insisting otherwise.

Democrats are demanding the repeal of the President’s Working Families Tax Cuts legislation in order for their votes to reopen the government. This law wisely strengthened our ability to limit federal dollars from being spent on health care for illegal immigrants. Until Democrats explicitly drop that demand, they’re blatantly holding the government hostage over giving Medicaid to illegal immigrants. (SOURCE)

Dec 22 2023

Christmas Spending in the US to Break Records


Posted originally on Dec 22, 2023 By Martin Armstrong 

Christmas

Americans are planning to increase their holiday spending this year, according to a Gallup poll, which believes Christmas spending in 2023 will be the highest on record since they began collecting data in 1999. The average American estimates they’ll spend on Christmas or other holiday gifts is $975, which is up from last year’s estimate of $923. The largest increase is seen among middle-income households and younger adults, with middle-income households planning to spend $947 on average, up more than $200 from last year. This increase in spending intentions runs contrary to the implications of Americans’ continued pessimism about the economy and ongoing cost of living crisis.

The increase in holiday spending intentions could reflect consumer interest in retailer promotions that kicked off ahead of Black Friday and strong year-over-year growth in sales. Additionally, a recent analysis by the San Francisco Federal Reserve found consumers holding significant, albeit dwindling, “excess savings,” meaning they are prepared to open their wallets over the holiday season despite their budgets.

The holiday season is a multi-billion-dollar event for the retail and travel & hospitality sectors, multi-trillion perhaps when everything is calculated. Nine in 10 Americans plan to partake in holiday shopping. We saw Black Friday through Cyber Monday sales reach new highs, and spending on retail alone between November and December is expected to reach $966.6 billion. Simply put, Americans prioritize the holiday season as indicated by spending habits.