Obama Administration

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Congressional budget referees say President Barack Obama's new health care law could potentially add another $115 billion over 10 years to government health care spending. If Congress approves all the additional spending, that would push the 10-year cost of the overhaul above $1 trillion -- an unofficial limit the Obama administration set early on. The Congressional Budget Office said Tuesday the added spending includes $10 billion to $20 billion in administrative costs to federal agencies carrying out the law, as well as $34 billion for community health centers and $39 billion for American Indian health care.

U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa., delivered the Republican weekly address Saturday. Shuster represents the Ninth Congressional District, which includes Franklin and Fulton counties. “This week, many Americans had their flights delayed or canceled because of the way in which the Obama administration chose to implement the president's automatic sequestration cuts,” Shuster said, according to a transcript of the remarks. Shuster is chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama said Friday that his administration will start releasing the names of people who visit the White House, reversing a long-standing policy transcending both Democratic and Republican presidents. The move, which could shed light on who influences White House decision-making, comes after a White House review of its disclosure policy and legal pressure from the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. Until now, the Obama administration had sided with the Bush administration's stand of refusing to release records, in contrast with Obama's pledge of transparency.

We should thank veterans, active military for our freedom To the editor: Veterans Day is a day set aside to honor and remind us to thank our vets and active military. Have you ever thought where we would be without them? I have, and let me tell you, it is not a pretty thought. I could never do their job. It is not a gift-giving day as such, but there is a gift involved - our freedom and safety. It is a gift from our military to us civilians. Living close to Antietam Battlefield with all the re-enactments going on recently was a little disturbing at times.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama was unaware a top aide encouraged a Colorado Democrat to apply for an international development job instead of challenging the candidate whom the president favored in a Senate race, the White House said Thursday. Press Secretary Robert Gibbs faced fresh questions about another backroom political deal -- the first involving a Pennsylvania candidate, now a Colorado hopeful -- that put the Obama administration on the defensive. The White House acknowledged that it had contacted former Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff about possible jobs in hopes of persuading him to skip the Senate primary.

Claiming the Obama Administration has not kept its promises on health care reform, U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster said Tuesday that the Republican majority in the House of Representatives will "chip away" at the money needed to keep the program viable. Shuster, who represents Pennsylvania's 9th District, was speaking to a friendly audience at a breakfast attended by 150 members representing all five Franklin County Chamber of Commerce chapters. The breakfast was held at Green Grove Gardens off Pa. 16. Shuster, a popular Pennsylvania politician who was re-elected to a sixth term in November, said his GOP House colleagues are sticking to their "Pledge to America" to make drastic cuts in federal spending.

Reports of social security benefits increasing at the beginning of 2013 were shoved aside Tesday night in the second presidential debate between Preisdent Obama and challenger Mitt Romney, but that did not stop it from being a relevant topic to many area residents Wednesday. “Social Security is very important to a lot of people,” Al Hudak, 61, of Hagerstown, said. “It is an entitlement and a tough issue, but it's time that Congress step up and deal with it.” Social Security payments are expected to rise about 1.7 percent on average at the start of the new year.

o Comparing the House and Senate stimulus plans WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate approved President Barack Obama's giant economic stimulus measure on Tuesday, part of a string of powerful government steps that could marshal close to $3 trillion in taxpayer and private money to revive the collapsing national economy. The 61-37 vote by the Senate was a key victory for the president but sets up difficult negotiations with the House, which passed a slightly different version than the $838 billion bill approved Tuesday.

OAK BLUFFS, Mass. (AP) -- President Barack Obama announced Tuesday he wants to keep Ben Bernanke on as Fed chairman, saying he shepherded America through the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. "Ben approached a financial system on the verge of collapse with calm and wisdom; with bold action and out-of-the-box thinking that has helped put the brakes on our economic freefall," said Obama, with Bernanke standing by his side. "Almost none of the decisions he or any of us made have been easy.

I recently wrote a column about getting along, but it will have to wait until next week. The theme of that column has to do with political factions getting along for the betterment of people as a whole.  But after our esteemed president, his administration and his staff spent time in “la la land,” I just don't have getting along in my heart for today's column. Two weeks ago the Obama administration gutted the Welfare Reform Act of 1996 (President Bill Clinton signed the law) by abolishing reasonable standards that define work.

U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa., delivered the Republican weekly address Saturday. Shuster represents the Ninth Congressional District, which includes Franklin and Fulton counties. “This week, many Americans had their flights delayed or canceled because of the way in which the Obama administration chose to implement the president's automatic sequestration cuts,” Shuster said, according to a transcript of the remarks. Shuster is chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

You can meet and talk with people who don't share your beliefs, but never surrender your principles, the keynote speaker at Wednesday's Franklin County (Pa.) Republican Committee dinner advised. The GOP hosted National Rifle Association President David Keene for its annual Lincoln Day Dinner at Green Grove Gardens outside Greencastle. Pennsylvania has more NRA members than any other state, Keene said. “I thought this was a dinner for the Republican Party, but it's actually a gathering of NRA members,” he said to laughter.

We should thank veterans, active military for our freedom To the editor: Veterans Day is a day set aside to honor and remind us to thank our vets and active military. Have you ever thought where we would be without them? I have, and let me tell you, it is not a pretty thought. I could never do their job. It is not a gift-giving day as such, but there is a gift involved - our freedom and safety. It is a gift from our military to us civilians. Living close to Antietam Battlefield with all the re-enactments going on recently was a little disturbing at times.

“Since most of the contributors to this section don't do independent research, I'd like to add some actual facts to the discussions. In George W. Bush's time in office (eight years), the Republican Party controlled both houses of Congress for only four years, and two of those years - '03 and '04 by only 51 senators. In 2007 and '08, Bush's last two years in office, both houses were controlled by the Democrats. So, President Obama inherited a Congress controlled by his own party.” - Williamsport “April 16, 2009, OLC opinions disclosed by the Obama administration.

Reports of social security benefits increasing at the beginning of 2013 were shoved aside Tesday night in the second presidential debate between Preisdent Obama and challenger Mitt Romney, but that did not stop it from being a relevant topic to many area residents Wednesday. “Social Security is very important to a lot of people,” Al Hudak, 61, of Hagerstown, said. “It is an entitlement and a tough issue, but it's time that Congress step up and deal with it.” Social Security payments are expected to rise about 1.7 percent on average at the start of the new year.

I recently wrote a column about getting along, but it will have to wait until next week. The theme of that column has to do with political factions getting along for the betterment of people as a whole.  But after our esteemed president, his administration and his staff spent time in “la la land,” I just don't have getting along in my heart for today's column. Two weeks ago the Obama administration gutted the Welfare Reform Act of 1996 (President Bill Clinton signed the law) by abolishing reasonable standards that define work.

“This is about Monday, March 28’s Mail Call, about the motorcycles. Amen. We live on a corner, there’s a bar at the end of the street, and every summer they just stop here on the corner because there’s a red light, and just keep revving up their motorcycles. We can’t even hear the TV. And about the stink bugs, I think they’re genetically engineered, and I think that some company has, already has the cure for that and is just trying to make a million dollars for people to buy their product.” — Hagerstown “I just wanted to make a remark about President Obama.

Claiming the Obama Administration has not kept its promises on health care reform, U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster said Tuesday that the Republican majority in the House of Representatives will "chip away" at the money needed to keep the program viable. Shuster, who represents Pennsylvania's 9th District, was speaking to a friendly audience at a breakfast attended by 150 members representing all five Franklin County Chamber of Commerce chapters. The breakfast was held at Green Grove Gardens off Pa. 16. Shuster, a popular Pennsylvania politician who was re-elected to a sixth term in November, said his GOP House colleagues are sticking to their "Pledge to America" to make drastic cuts in federal spending.

"I've come to one conclusion: The Obama administration is a bigger bunch of liars than the Bush administration ever was. Both of them told lies, but President Obama is topping the list. He is doing everything to further his own agenda, whether we like it or not. It's plain to see. Anything that we don't like, if he likes it, it's OK. So he's not listening to the people. " - Sharpsburg "Here we go again, the Brett Favre saga. Will he or won't he? Well, I'm not a betting man, but I'll cover any bets in this case that he will.