Oh my god!

Really, we are now crying about our government cell phones?

Oh My!

This should sell really well with the peasants

Oh-oh, will Obama's buddy lose his since he was arrested in Honolulu looking to buy some A@@?

Republican Riders That’s Causing The “Shut Down Storm:” They Have Nothing To Do With The Budget; Government Shutdown Looms Over Anti-Abortion And Anti-EPA Measures

If a government shutdown happens, it'll be because Republicans are demanding policy restrictions in addition to spending cuts before agreeing to fund the government through September.

These policy restrictions would target abortion providers and seek to limit the reach of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Which of the so-called riders are at stake and how do they work?

There are several riders addressing abortion and environmental regulation.

It's not clear yet which of them specifically are at issue. Neither side is saying publicly which they are. But here's a primer on what they contain:

Abortion

The abortion rider that's received the most attention would prohibit the government from giving any money to Planned Parenthood.

That passed as an amendment on the House floor. However, written into the base bill is a provision that would eliminate Title X -- a program that provides funding for family planning clinics across the country -- altogether.

But there's one in there, too, which would prohibit the city of Washington, D.C., from using its own, non-federal funds to pay for abortions, beyond the accepted limits for the use of federal funds -- rape, incest, or life of the mother.

It also blocks funding for the U.S. Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation, the UN Population Fund, and any foreign NGOs that use non-U.S. funds to provide abortions.

The Environment

Before the House passed its spending bill, it tacked on several anti-environmental amendments to limit EPA authority. In particular, Republicans want to prevent the EPA from complying with a Supreme Court ruling requiring it to regulate green house gas pollution.

One section of the base bill would prevent the EPA from proposing, implementing or enforcing rules to mitigate emissions of climate pollution.

On top of that additional specific amendments would block the EPA from limiting, or tightening limits on, toxic cement plant emissions and particulate emissions. Rep. Don Young (R-AK) secured an amendment that would exempt oil drilling activities in Alaska from EPA regulations.

Other riders would prevent the EPA from executing a plan to clean up the Chesapeake Bay, strip it of its power to prevent water pollution that endangers animals, and block them from setting regulations regarding the containment and handling of coal ash.

There are other environmental riders in the bill that seek to limit other agencies.

Here's a full list.

Anti-Environmental Riders in H.R. 1

Anti-Environmental Riders in H.R. 1

Air/ Climate

Section 1746 would prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from proposing, implementing or enforcing any regulations on stationary sources of greenhouse gas emissions because of concerns about climate change.

An amendment offered by Rep. Carter (R-TX), and passed 250-177, would prevent EPA from limiting toxic emissions from cement plants. The amendment would block the EPA's efforts to keep 16,000 pounds of mercury a year out of the air.

An amendment offered by Rep. Noem (R-SD), and passed 255-168, would block EPA from updating limits on the emission of particulates -- basically, soot .

An amendment offered by Rep. Poe (R-TX), and passed 249-177, would block EPA from limiting emissions of greenhouse gases from any stationary source for any reason.

An amendment offered by Rep. Young (R-AK), and passed 243-185, would block EPA from fully applying the Clean Air Act to oil drilling activities in Alaska. The EPA's Environmental Appeals Board recently ruled that a permit issued for Shell Oil to drill in the Arctic did not comply with the Clean Air Act. This amendment would prevent the Board from taking any similar actions for the rest of the fiscal year.

Water

Section 1475(a) would block implementation of protections under the Endangered Species Act for imperiled fish in the San Francisco Bay-Delta ecosystem, including winter run Chinook salmon, spring run Chinook salmon, steelhead, green sturgeon and delta smelt. This measure is designed to increase the delivery of water subsidized by federal taxpayers, at the expense of California cities, other farmers, the health of the San Francisco Bay-Delta, and especially the California salmon fishing industry.

Section 1475(b) would block the restoration of California’s San Joaquin River. This restoration agreement was supported by environmentalists, fishermen, farmers, urban water agencies, the Bush Administration, California’s Republican governor and even former Congressman Richard Pombo. This rider would degrade water quality for millions of California residents and farmers, damage salmon restoration efforts, and reduce water supplies.

Section 1747 would halt EPA’s ongoing work to clarify which waters remain protected by the Clean Water Act in the wake of confusing court decisions. EPA estimates that roughly 117 million Americans get at least some drinking water from systems that rely on headwaters and other critical streams for all or part of their supply. Many of those streams are at risk of being denied Clean Water Act protections today.

An amendment offered by Rep. Griffith (R-VA), and passed 235-185, would block EPA and other agencies from conducting meaningful oversight of mountaintop removal “Coal Mining Operations.”

An amendment offered by Rep. Goodlatte (R-VA), and passed 230-195, would block EPA from implementing a plan to clean up the Chesapeake Bay.

An amendment offered by Rep. Johnson (R-OH), and passed 239-186, would block the Department of the Interior from issuing new regulations to limit stream damage from surface “Coal Mining.

An amendment offered by Rep. Jones (R-NC), and passed 259 – 159, would prohibit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from developing or approving new catch share programs to limit overfishing.

An amendment offered by Rep. McKinley (R-WV), and passed 240-182 , would effectively strip EPA of its authority under the Clean Water Act to prohibit or restrict certain discharges that would have an “unacceptable adverse effect” on water, fish or wildlife.

An amendment offered by Rep. McKinley (R-WV), and passed 239-183, would prevent EPA from establishing minimum standards for the disposal and handling of coal ash as a hazardous waste. “Coal ash is a well-documented threat to human health and the environment, and due to largely unregulated dumping, poses a threat to our waterways and drinking water.”

An amendment offered by Rep. Rooney (R-FL), and passed 237-189, would block a plan to clean up waterways in Florida.

Wildlife/ Lands

Section 1713 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to reinstate a 2009 rule delisting wolves under the Endangered Species Act within portions of the northern Rockies within 60 days of the bill’s enactment and insulates the action from judicial review. This provision would overturn a federal court decision and establish a dangerous precedent of legislatively delisting a species.

Section 1778 would block the reinstatement of a policy that allows the Department of the Interior to protect the wilderness qualities of lands pending a Congressional wilderness designation.

An amendment offered by Rep. Herger (R-CA), and passed 227 - 197, would stop implementation of the Forest Service’s Travel Management Rule, to develop a more efficient, more manageable system of roads through our national forests.

Environmental Justice

An amendment offered by Rep. Lummis (R- WY), and passed 232- 197, would “make it harder to sue the government” to enforce environmental laws. The amendment would block the government from paying the legal fees of individuals or citizen groups that successfully sue it. Since the amendment does not change the underlying law, it basically would require the government to default on its obligation to pay the fees.

There are scores of other policy restrictions in the bill, too. But it these are the ones in the way of a deal to prevent a government shutdown.

 Republicans fault? Really this should have been done last year. We are talking about the budget for 2011. The Democrats had all the votes they needed to do whatever they wanted to, they just did not bother to. How on earth can you put it on the Republicans? If you leave your work for others to take care of do not complain on how they do it. If the government shuts down I will be without a paycheck, I live like most that a small savings that will not cover a shutdown. Bills will be delayed or no paid at all. I know the cost of a shut down and am mad about it but how can I blame someone who has come in at the end of the time limit doing someone else's job.

June FL.--- I for one appreciate your information, because it gets to root of why there will be a shutdown. (Republican policy riders.) I guess your critics on the other side really don't like the facts, or maybe all that reading hurts their little heads.

It's not about fault, it's about doing what's right for the American people. You don't take advantage because something did not work out. However as Renee pointed out Republicans blocked the bill.

However, that's the issue, we get too concerned about who's at fault rather than doing what's right by the people.

Republicans ran on a Jobs, Jobs, Jobs, plan correct? Went to ever camera held more press conferences than we can count

Not one jobs bill, not one minute on helping that 14 Million Families suffering because of the Republicans handling of the economy.

Once elected they Republicans took up their age old Culutral Issues, stripping women of reporductive rights, Abortion, sitting in their doctors offices, making them see sonograms, stripping their dignity. I hope those who don't understand this are not married.

Women it's time to stand up. Women rule women's rights period, whatever that decision each woman makes is up to her not the Government. Not now not ever.

Republicans have wives if that's what their wives want to do great, but you don't push your wishes or your rules off to other women not here not in the U.S.

Speaker Boehner: Divisive Policy Riders "Just As Important" To GOP As Spending Cuts

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) confirmed at a press conference this afternoon that the GOP cares as much about advancing the culture wars through controversial social policy as they do about spending cuts — and they're prepared to shut down the government to get their way.

Asked by a reporter if the budget riders (which would defund Planned Parenthood, among other things) were holding up his negotiations with the Senate and White House, Boehner said, "We will continue to insist that the policy riders passed in H.R. 1 are on the table. It's just as important to many of our members as the spending cuts themselves." In case anybody missed the message, Boehner reiterated his commitment just before walking away from the microphones.

You'd expect this kind of zealotry on social issues from someone like Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), but Boehner is the Speaker of the House and the de facto leader of his party. Most of the Tea Party activists who swept Boehner into power last November insisted their movement was about fiscal issues and not cultural fault lines.

Regardless of how the base feels, Speaker Boehner and the GOP are going to the wall not for jobs legislation, not for meaningful spending cuts, but for a chance to shave a few paltry billions from programs they hate.

I wonder what the chances are that enough people in the Cincinatti area could gather enuf signatures to recall BONEHEAD. I can't understand why people would still support this man and I use the term loosely. Republicans nowadays don't care about humanity. They care about profits. That mountain top standing in the way of your coal supply? Blow it off! You seen one mountain ya seen 'em all. Don't like drinking poisoned water? Buy it bottled. That's what we rich white republicans do. Sorry if you can't afford that. That's your problem. If you support these greedy bastards you are just as depraved as they are. Thanks to June for all that info. I was not aware of all those riders, just some of them. How can anyone of sound mind and body support these reiders? Do you want to breathe filthy air? Drink poisoned water? Have your most personal decisions dictated by some government entity? Everyone's all for freedom of choice but only if it's something they believe in. And if those rich white republicans got pregnant, carried a baby to term, delivered it, etcd. abortiion wouldn't be an issue AT ALL!

omg