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DAILY 03-11-10 MD SU A4 CMYK
A4 Politics & The Nation
S KLMNO THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2010
Senate passes $140 billion in tax breaks, aid to unemployed
ship of the economy. While health insurance, plus extra Some experts were less im- paid for?” would give $75 billion directly to
Legislation could face
President Obama spoke in St. funding to help states pay for pressed with the stimulative In the House, Rep. Sander M. states, counties and cities to save
obstacles
Louis on Wednesday about com- Medicaid. The bill would also properties of the tax extenders, Levin (D-Mich.), the new chair- or create government and non-
bating Medicare and Medicaid help struggling private pension arguing that aid to the unem- man of the tax-writing Ways and profit jobs.
in the House
fraud, the Republican National funds and block a scheduled cut ployed is far more important. Means Committee, told report- The Senate hasn’t considered
Committee released a statement in payments to doctors who “The single most important ers Tuesday that his chamber similar language, choosing in-
pointing to the number of jobs treat Medicare patients. thing you can do is [unemploy- may want to go to a formal con- stead to move measures heavy
by Ben Pershing lost in the United States since Beyond those provisions, the ment benefits] and COBRA, be- ference committee to reconcile on tax breaks that are viewed
the health-care debate began a bill carries renewals of several cause you’re providing money to the two chambers’ jobs bills. Cre- unfavorably by many liberals.
The Senate approved a year ago. expired tax credits, including people you know are going to be ating a conference committee Separately, the Senate is ex-
$140 billion package of tax Democrats countered that the those for research and devel- spending it,” said Lawrence Mis- could drag out the process in the pected to vote as soon as this
breaks and aid to the unem- bipartisan vote Wednesday opment, biodiesel, energy-effi- hel, president of the left-leaning Senate for several days, unless week to send a $15 billion jobs
ployed Wednesday, the most meant their agenda was on the cient home improvements, and Economic Policy Institute. Republicans cooperate. package to the president’s desk.
substantial effort by the cham- right track. the deduction of state and local Mishel said that he wouldn’t House Democrats have been That bill — which would create a
ber to boost the nation’s econo- “While our Republican col- sales taxes. Those extensions give Congress much credit for broadly skeptical of their Senate Social Security tax break for
my since it passed the stimulus leagues on health care have been helped attract the support of Re- creating jobs. “To really move counterparts’ approach to jobs companies hiring new employ-
bill last year. stonewall[ing], on jobs they publicans and the praise of busi- the dial, we’re going to have to legislation. The House moved a ees and reauthorize federal
Six Republicans joined 56 know that they block us at their ness groups. do much more,” he said. $154 billion package in Decem- highway spending — has passed
Democrats to pass the measure, own political peril . . . and sub- Dorothy Coleman, vice presi- Although Republicans sup- ber that included significant the Senate once with bipartisan
62 to 36. The package faces an stantive peril as well,” said Sen. dent of tax and domestic eco- ported many of the bill’s individ- new spending for infrastructure support. But because the House
uncertain future in the House, Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.). nomic policy for the National ual provisions, critics said that projects, as well as aid to states altered the bill slightly before
where Democrats have taken a Obama said in a statement Association of Manufacturers, much of the bill’s cost would add to prevent layoffs of key person- approving it last week, the Sen-
markedly different approach to that he was “grateful to senators said the research-and-develop- to the swelling budget deficit. nel such as teachers, police and ate will have to take it up once
the “jobs agenda,” as current ef- in both parties who took one ment credit extension will be a “Why do we keep doing this?” firefighters. more.
forts to pass jobs legislation are more step forward today in get- particularly effective job creator. asked Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.). That funding for local govern- Both chambers are planning
known, than have their Senate ting our nation back on a solid “Going ahead and acting on “Why do we keep passing debt ments is also part of a new jobs in the coming weeks to consider
colleagues. economic footing.” these [tax extensions] gives com- on to our children? Why do we package unveiled Wednesday by proposals to provide tax breaks
The Senate’s action comes as The Senate measure contains panies some certainty” about keep running program after pro- House Education and Labor and access to credit for small
Republicans continue their at- one-year extensions of unem- how they can spend money in gram out here that is shrouded Committee Chairman George businesses.
tacks on Democrats’ steward- ployment benefits and COBRA the future, she said. in sweetness and light but not Miller (D-Calif.). His proposal ben.pershing@wpost.com
Rallying to change immigration law
Today Marks
The Beginning
M. SPENCER GREEN/ASSOCIATED PRESS
University of Illinois graduate Tania Unzueta, right, comes out as an
illegal immigrant at a rally in Chicago. She was among dozens
nationwide who risked deportation to push for changes in the law.
Early life may have left
woman open to terrorism
ing to an analysis by the SITE In-
‘JihadJane’ suspect
telligence Group, a private firm
that monitors jihadist Web sites.
Washington
married at 16, dropped
LaRose is scheduled to appear
out before high school
in court March 18 for an arraign-
ment on charges that she con-
spired to support terrorists and
by Carrie Johnson kill a Swedish artist and that she
and Alice Crites lied to FBI agents about her on-
line activities and associations.
The Pennsylvania woman who Prosecutors say she could face
allegedly used the Internet alias life in prison if convicted. Mark
Nearly
JihadJane to recruit people for Wilson, a public defender repre-
violent jihad had dropped out be- senting her, declined to com-
fore reaching high school and ment.
was married at age 16, the start of LaRose was arrested in Octo-
a bumpy life that might have left ber in Pennsylvania, accused of
her vulnerable to radical beliefs, attempting to transfer a passport
in America doesn’t know where their
according to federal sources and stolen from her boyfriend, Kurt
public records. Gorman. She was appointed an
next meal is coming from.
While caring for an ailing man attorney, appeared at a brief pub-
in a suburban community where lic court hearing, agreed to be de-
Hunger is an everyday reality in Washington, for children just like Daniel.
she had few friends, Colleen Re- tained and waived her right to a
nee LaRose, 46, turned to You- speedy trial. The grand jury in-
Tube, MySpace and electronic dictment accusing LaRose of ter-
Spunky little Daniel is one of the nearly 17 million children across the country struggling with hunger
message boards, where she found rorist offenses did not emerge
everyday.Withhismomworkingdaysandgoingtonightschoolandhisdadrecentlyunemployed,
like-minded individuals bent on until last week and was unsealed
Daniel’sfamilyofeightreliesontheirlocalFeedingAmericamemberfoodbanktohelpmakeendsmeet.
supporting international terror- by authorities Tuesday.
ism, according to an indictment The charges came as a surprise®
ImageandstorycourtesyofFeedingAmerica
unsealed this week. Her path to to neighbors on Main Street in
radicalization took years and in- Pennsburg, a little less than 50
cluded a series of online contacts miles from Philadelphia, where
with men who urged her to ac- LaRose had lived for years while
tion, the sources said. taking care of Gorman’s elderly
LaRose left her live-in boy- father.
friend in Pennsburg, a quiet town In an interview with CNN,
outside Philadelphia, and trav- Gorman said LaRose had van-
Beginning today and through May 31, ConAgra Foods
®
will donate
eled to Western Europe in August ished — with his stolen passport
as part of an alleged plan to kill a — in August, shortly after his fa-
ONE MEAL*toFeedingAmericaeverytimeyoupurchaseoneofthesebrands.
Swedish artist. LaRose believed ther’s death. Prosecutors say she
she could “blend in” to the com- traveled to Europe to find artist
munity because of her blond hair, Lars Vilks as part of an alleged
blue eyes and small frame, she plot to kill him in revenge for his
wrote in e-mail messages to her provocative drawing of the
alleged co-conspirators. Prophet Mohammed on the body
FBI analysts and national se- of a dog.
curity experts have worried for “Sounds crazy,” Gorman told
years that Westerners with easy CNN. “It is hard to believe. . . .
access to passports could be re- She wasn’t no rocket scientist.
cruited for terrorist aims. Mi- She was limited in her capacity,
chael L. Levy, the U.S. attorney in so I’m not sure how much she
Philadelphia, said the JihadJane thought she could do on her
case “shatters any lingering own.”
thought that we can spot a terror- Four men and three women
ist based on appearance.” were arrested in Ireland by local
Central to LaRose’s case is the police this week in connection
LookforsavingsinthecouponinsertofthisSunday’snewspaper—andformoreways
Internet, which is being used in- with the case, according to Euro-
creasingly by al-Qaeda and other pean news accounts.
youcanhelpfightchildhungergotoChildHungerEndsHere.com
groups to penetrate U.S. borders LaRose had brushes with the
with radical propaganda, Nation- law in Pennsylvania, where in
al Counterterrorism Center Di- 2002 she faced charges of public
Support your local Feeding America
®
food banks:
rector Michael E. Leiter said in a drunkenness and disorderly con-
talk last month to the Intelli- duct, according to public records.
gence and National Security Alli- She also fought charges in South
ance. Texas, where she lived with Shel-
capitalareafoodbank.org fredfood.org “LaRose’s actions again reflect don “Buddy” Barnum, the man
the fact that immersing oneself she married at 16.
in the propaganda and culture of In a telephone interview, Bar-
jihadists through the Internet num, who was 32 at the time of
can lead to an individual at- the 1980 wedding, said: “What do
tempting to undertake a violent I remember about her? Nothing.
*Monetary equivalent of up to 2.5 million meals provided to Feeding America through their network of food banks for purchases made through 5/31/10.
act, no matter that person’s age, Wasn’t nothing to remember.”Every dollar donated enables seven meals to be provided to Americans in need. ©ConAgra Foods, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
gender, or background,” accord- johnsonca@washpost.com
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