Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 21, 2019)
A7 THE ASTORIAN • SATuRdAy, dEcEmbER 21, 2019 $1.4 trillion spending bill wins Senate OK Washington state lawmaker accused of domestic terrorism By ANDREW TAYLOR Associated Press WASHINGTON — The Senate passed a $1.4 trillion government spending pack- age Thursday in a last bipar- tisan burst of legislating before bolting for the holi- days from a Capitol riven by impeachment. Lawmakers cleared the two-bill package in a set of votes, sending it to President Donald Trump in time to forestall a possible govern- ment shutdown this week- end. The White House said Trump would sign it before Friday’s midnight deadline. The first measure, cov- ering domestic programs, passed by a 71-23 vote. A Pentagon and homeland security measure passed hours later in an 81-11 vote that was the last Senate tally for the year. The legislation deliv- ers Trump a victory on his U.S.-Mexico border fence and gives Democrats long- sought domestic spending increases and a repeal of Obama-era taxes on high- cost health insurance plans. It blends spending increases for both sides — reelec- tion fodder for lawmakers — with tax and benefit add- ons that will mean a roughly $400 billion boost to the deficit over 10 years. The split-their-differ- ences legislation was carry- ing a large number of unre- lated provisions into law, drawing protests from fiscal conservatives. It would put in place an earlier spending deal that reversed unpopular and unworkable automatic spending cuts to defense and domestic programs — at a $1.6 trillion or so cost over the coming decade. “These spending bills are a fiscal dumpster fire,” said Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah. “This is embarrassing.” Key provisions include an expensive repeal of Obama- era taxes on high-cost health plans, help for retired coal miner, and an increase from 18 to 21 in the nationwide legal age to buy tobacco products. The tobacco mea- sure was pushed by Sen- ate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. The almost 2,400-page package reflects the real- ity of divided government and the enduring strength of the Capitol’s appropria- tions process, which allows lawmakers to go to bat for their states and congressio- nal districts. McConnell emerged as a victor, winning the polit- ically popular $6 billion pension rescue for about 100,000 retired coal min- ers, along with more paro- chial items such as help for his state’s legal hemp indus- try and $410 million to build a new veterans hospital in Louisville. GOP Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama, the Sen- ate Appropriations Com- mittee chairman, secured many items for his state, includinga $378 million har- bor dredging program. It’s expected to deliver the lions share to a Shelby-backed initiative to deepen Mobile to include 2014, 2015 and 2016,” the report said. The report said Shea “participated in an act of domestic terrorism” when By NICHOLAS K. in 2016 he visited the Mal- GERANIOS heur National Wildlife Ref- Associated Press uge in eastern Oregon to support its armed occupa- SPOKANE, Wash. — tion by two sons of rancher A right-wing Washington Cliven Bundy. Shea “engaged in con- state lawmaker vowed that he will not resign despite a versations with Ammon damning report that says he Bundy and other mili- took part in “domestic ter- tia members in the plan- rorism” against the United ning and preparation of the armed takeover of the Mal- States. The report, which was heur National Wildlife Ref- prepared by an outside uge in Burns, Oregon,’’ the investigator for the Legisla- report said. He also issued ture and released Thursday, a press release on Dec. 11, said Rep. Matt Shea trav- 2015, asking for patriot and eled throughout the West in militia groups near the take- recent years meeting with over to rally against the U.S. far-right extremist groups government, according to and participating and even the report. After the occupation of organizing anti-govern- ment activities. The Repub- the wildlife refuge ended, lican from the city Shea posted on his of Spokane Valley Facebook page: was kicked out of “After much prayer, the House GOP cau- I’m afraid violence cus late Thursday might be necessary to take our coun- and there have been try back,” the report calls for his resig- said. nation from both Matt Shea Shea also went major parties. to Cliven Bun- “Like we are see- ing with our President this is dy’s Nevada ranch in 2014 a sham investigation meant during a standoff with FBI to silence those of us who agents in a dispute over stand up against attempts grazing rights. And in 2015, to disarm and destroy our in Priest River, Idaho, Shea great country,” Shea wrote resisted when authorities on Facebook late Thurs- planned to remove firearms day. “I will not back down, from the home of an aged I will not give in, I will not military veteran who was resign. Stand strong fellow not eligible to have them. The report also said that Patriots.” If Shea does not resign, it Shea in 2012 engaged in would take a two-thirds vote intimidation when he posted in the state House to expel a photo of himself on his him from office. Democrats Facebook page standing in have the majority, but would front of a political oppo- need some Republicans to nent’s home, and refused to vote for it as well. The only remove the photo despite legislator ever expelled from requests from his adver- the Legislature in Washing- sary, GOP officials and law ton state was Nelson Robin- enforcement. son, ousted in 1933 for sex- Shea has also pursued ually abusing a girl. creation of a 51st state in The findings of the 108- eastern Washington that page report have been for- would be called Liberty and warded to the FBI and the run on biblical principles. The Army veteran hosts U.S. attorney for eastern a weekly show on the Amer- Washington. The report found that ican Christian Network Shea had trained young and in 2017 complimented people to fight a “holy members of Team Rugged, a war,” condoned intimi- group that one member said dating opponents and pro- provides special-forces-type moted militia training by the gun training for young men Patriot Movement for possi- so they can be effective in ble armed conflict with law Christian warfare. enforcement. Shea last year lost a Shea has complained that House leadership position he was denied any opportu- after acknowledging he dis- nity to review and respond tributed the “biblical basis to the report. The report for war” document that also noted Shea declined to be calls for killing non-Chris- interviewed as part of the tian males who refuse to fol- low fundamentalist biblical probe. The investigative team, law. Despite the controver- headed by a former FBI agent and a former law sies, Shea is popular in his enforcement officer, was very conservative district and was reelected in 2018 hired in July. “Investigators obtained with 58% of the vote. But he has already drawn evidence that Representative Shea planned, engaged in, a Democratic challenger for and promoted a total of three the 2020 election. “We must put our com- armed conflicts of political violence against the United munity’s safety and our States ... in three states out- future over party loyalty,” side the State of Washing- Democrat Lori Feagan said ton over a three-year period Thursday. Took part in Malheur wildlife refuge occupation Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo President Donald Trump is expected to sign a $1.4 trillion government spending package. Harbor to accommodate larger cargo ships. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was also a driving force, winning per- manent repeal of a tax on high-cost “Cadillac” health insurance benefits that is unpopular with Democratic labor allies. After months of negotia- tion, leading lawmakers cut a deal on Monday that gives Trump a steady stream of money for the border wall. “I would have preferred no funding for the wall,” said Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee. “But the Repub- licans were clear. ... They stood with the president on the wall, as they seem to do time after time.” times that amount. That’s a blow for liberal opponents of the wall but an accept- able trade-off for Democrats who wanted to gain $27 bil- lion in increases for domes- tic programs. But the Democratic con- cession angered some His- panic lawmakers. They lashed out at the head of the House Appropriations Com- mittee, Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., rather than Pelosi. “I told (Lowey) we don’t appreciate that we’re going to get thrown under the bus so she can pass this omnibus and she did exactly that,” said Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz. The trade-off for the wall money was Trump’s signa- ture on the broader package, which increases spending ‘THESE SPENdING bILLS ARE A FIScAL dumPSTER FIRE. THIS IS EmbARRASSING.’ Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah The bill also offered busi- ness-friendly provisions on export financing, flood insurance and immigrant workers. A tax on medical devices and health insurance plans would be repealed permanently. The core of the spend- ing bill is formed by the 12 annual agency appropria- tions bills passed by Con- gress each year. It fills in the details of a bipartisan frame- work from July that deliv- ered about $100 billion in agency spending increases over the coming two years instead of automatic spend- ing cuts. The bill exceeds Trump’s budget requests in virtu- ally every domestic cate- gory, except for Trump’s request for $8 billion-plus for the U.S.-Mexico wall. It was cut back to $1.4 billion, equal to last year’s appro- priation. The measure pre- serves Trump’s ability to use his budget powers to tap other accounts for several SEVENDAY FORECAST FOR ASTORIA TODAY SUNDAY MONDAY across the almost one-third of the budget that’s passed by Congress each year. Popu- lar bipartisan programs such as health research, veterans medical care, NASA, Space Force, sewer and water proj- ects, and law enforcement grants to states and local governments would get increases. The $738 billion Pentagon budget is a record, with increases for procure- ment of expensive weapons systems like the F-35 fighter. The increase in the tobacco purchasing age to 21 also applies to e-cigarettes and vaping devices. Aides familiar with the talks said Pelosi agreed to the tobacco legislation as she also won help for unionized carpen- ters with lower drug costs under their health plans. Anti-smoking activists were irate at the tobacco provision, saying it doesn’t go far enough because it failed to ban flavored vaping products popular with teen- agers. It also threatens to kill TUESDAY WEDNESDAY momentum for more strin- gent anti-vaping legislation backed by House Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J., who was one of only seven Dem- ocrats to oppose the domes- tic spending half of the two- bill package. Approached in the Cap- itol on Thursday, a deflat- ed-sounding Pallone declined to comment on his opposition to the bill. For the first time in two decades, the bill would provide money for fed- eral research on gun safety. That’s a major legisla- tive victory for Demo- crats, gun control supporters and researchers who have pushed to study gun vio- lence in the same way sci- entists look at opioid over- doses and other public health crises. A law adopted in the 1990s has effectively blocked such research and prohibits federal agencies from engaging in advocacy on gun-related issues. The bill provides $25 million for gun violence research, divided evenly between the National Insti- tutes of Health and the Cen- ters for Disease Control and Prevention. Business groups praised a seven-year extension of the charter of the Export-Import Bank, which helps finance transactions benefiting U.S. exporters, as well as a renewal of the government’s terrorism risk insurance pro- gram. The financially trou- bled government flood insurance program would be extended through Septem- ber, as would several visa programs for both skilled and seasonal workers. Most provisions enjoyed bipartisan support, includ- ing increases for medical research, combating the opi- oid epidemic, Head Start and child care grants to states. Democrats also secured $425 million for states to upgrade their election sys- tems, and they boosted the U.S. Census budget $1.4 bil- lion above Trump’s request. They won smaller increases for the Environmental Pro- tection Agency, renewable energy programs and afford- able housing. THURSDAY FRIDAY REGIONAL FORECAST Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows. Seattle 49 38 Cloudy, a little rain 47 37 48 35 47 37 48 37 47 36 A shower in spots Chance of a shower A passing shower A couple of showers Showers possible 48 35 Cloudy Aberdeen Olympia 48/40 48/41 Wenatchee Tacoma Moses Lake 46/36 ALMANAC UNDER THE SKY TODAY'S TIDES Astoria through Thursday Tonight’s Sky: Orion’s Belt stands almost straight up from the horizon. Astoria / Port Docks Temperatures High/low ................................ 54/42 Normal high/low .................. 48/36 Record high .................. 61 in 1981 Record low .................... 17 in 1924 Precipitation Thursday ................................. 1.60” Month to date ........................ 5.12” Normal month to date ......... 6.15” Year to date .......................... 46.07” Normal year to date ........... 63.52” Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2019 Time 8:51 a.m. 9:41 p.m. 8.8 2:31 a.m. 6.7 3:44 p.m. Cape Disappointment 8:31 a.m. 9:27 p.m. Source: Jim Todd, OMSI Sunrise today .................. 7:55 a.m. Sunset tonight ............... 4:32 p.m. Moonrise today .............. 2:37 a.m. Moonset today .............. 1:55 p.m. New First Full 8.4 1:40 a.m. 6.3 3:05 p.m. 1.8 0.9 9.1 2:02 a.m. 7.0 3:18 p.m. 1.8 1.0 9.2 2:15 a.m. 7.1 3:28 p.m. 1.9 1.1 9:28 a.m. 9.0 3:32 a.m. 10:18 p.m. 7.0 4:45 p.m. 1.5 0.8 Hammond SUN AND MOON Last 8:41 a.m. 9:31 p.m. Warrenton 8:46 a.m. 9:36 p.m. Knappa Depoe Bay Dec 25 Jan 2 Jan 10 Jan 17 1.8 1.0 7:45 a.m. 8:40 p.m. 8.9 1:07 a.m. 6.5 2:34 p.m. 2.0 1.1 City Atlanta Boston Chicago Dallas Denver Honolulu Houston Los Angeles Miami New York City Phoenix San Francisco Wash., DC Today Hi/Lo/W Sun. Hi/Lo/W 50/42/c 35/30/c 43/31/s 52/35/pc 58/34/s 78/73/c 57/42/c 72/51/pc 79/72/pc 34/28/pc 71/45/pc 61/50/pc 42/29/pc 50/46/r 44/33/s 46/33/pc 58/36/s 60/37/pc 80/72/c 64/42/s 64/51/sh 79/67/r 46/35/pc 72/50/pc 57/45/sh 48/34/pc Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow fl urries, sn-snow, i-ice. 52/37 Hermiston The Dalles 59/41 Enterprise Pendleton 45/32 59/39 49/39 La Grande 45/33 49/41 NATIONAL CITIES High (ft.) Time Low (ft.) 49/36 Kennewick Walla Walla 55/39 Lewiston 60/41 50/41 Salem Pullman 50/32 Longview 49/38 Portland 50/41 48/35 Yakima 51/35 47/37 Astoria Spokane 41/32 Corvallis 49/38 Albany 49/40 John Day Eugene Bend 50/40 50/33 49/34 Ontario 46/31 Caldwell Burns 46/26 47/35 Medford 48/37 Klamath Falls 45/30 City Baker City Brookings Ilwaco Newberg Newport Today Hi/Lo/W 43/27/c 51/40/r 48/41/c 49/40/r 49/41/r Sun. Hi/Lo/W 43/27/pc 47/40/sh 48/40/pc 46/37/sh 48/38/sh City North Bend Roseburg Seaside Springfi eld Vancouver Today Hi/Lo/W 49/41/r 50/42/r 48/39/r 50/41/r 51/41/r Sun. Hi/Lo/W 48/38/sh 46/36/sh 48/37/c 47/35/sh 47/40/sh
