Congress Just Gave Itself A 21 Percent Pay Raise With Pork-Packed Omnibus Bill While Surging Gas Prices, Inflation Hurt Americans

As Americans face an economic crisis, historic inflation and surging gas prices, Congress released a $1.5 trillion omnibus bill on Wednesday allocating $5.9 billion of fiscal 2022 Legislative Branch funding to boosting the allowance and salaries of their staff.

The legislation would grant $774.4 million for the Members Representational Allowance, which funds the House budges for lawmakers, including staffer salaries and $1.7 billion for House operations.

“This $134.4 million, or 21 percent, boost over the previous fiscal year marks the largest increase in the MRA appropriation since it was authorized in 1996, according to a bill summary by the House Appropriations Committee,” Roll Call reports.

The bill does not technically provide a raise for members of Congress, who earn an annual salary of $174,000. But House staffers, who members use to run errands, and family members of Congressional lawmakers who are often put on payroll, will see a pay increase.

The measure would provide the Senate with $1.1 billion for salaries and operations and $7 million for Senate intern salaries.

The Capitol Police department would also receive $602.5 million, $87 million more than it was provided in the 2021 fiscal year.

“This bill is essential to keeping our democracy and the legislative branch of government functioning in a safe and accessible manner,” Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., chair of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee, said in a statement. “At a time when the U.S. Capitol and the Capitol Police continue to operate amidst immense challenges, this agreement ensures they have the resources and staffing to protect the Capitol complex.”

The 2,741-page omnibus spending package is also loaded with pork, funding pet projects for lawmakers. Sens.

A list of all the earmarks attached to the bill spans 367 pages.

Massachusetts Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey secured $995,000 for “Grid Resilience and Equity in the Energy Transition” research at the University of Massachusetts, allowing the left to redistribute taxpayer dollars to fix alleged inequality in the energy system, the Heritage Foundation reports. Markey and Warren also a $500,000 earmark for Worcester State University to increase diversity and inclusion for STEM students to study climate change. Rhode Island Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse and Jack Reed secured $1.6 million of federal taxpayer funding for Roger Williams University for the “development of equitable growth of shellfish aquaculture in Rhode Island.”

The massive spending bill is heading to Joe Biden’s desk after the Senate cleared it late Thursday on a 68-31 vote.

Meanwhile, surging inflation is hitting all sectors of the economy. While the inflation rate was at 1.4 percent when Joe Biden entered the White House, the inflation rate soared to 7.9 percent in February, the highest level since 1982. Gas prices reached $4.25 a gallon on Wednesday, up from about $2.86 per gallon a year ago. Filling a 20-gallon tank now costs $85, up from $57.20 last year at this time. Inflation is costing the average household $276 more per month, or about $1,100 per quarter, according to a recent report by Moody’s Analytics.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/03/congress-just-gave-21-percent-pay-raise-pork-packed-omnibus-bill-surging-gas-prices-inflation-hurt-americans/

>>15843300

There should be no pay, just expenses covered

comms?

why report such a minor event

Regional Victoria rocked by magnitude 2.6 and 2.9 earthquakes on Saturday morning

Victorians in the state's High Country may have been woken by shaking after two minor earthquakes struck during the early hours of Saturday morning.

https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/regional-victoria-rocked-by-magnitude-26-and-29-earthquakes-on-saturday-morning/news-story/7883a7eee48299e7ff66b61ddb6784c4

Texas judge blocks state investigations of transgender kids' treatments as child abuse

The decision is part of a civil lawsuit filed by the parents of a transgender child and a psychologist who are challenging Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's order to investigate "gender-transitioning procedures" among minors.

Texas District Judge Amy Clark Meachum blocked the state's Department of Family Protective Services (DFPS) on Friday from investigating parents of transgender children for child abuse with regard to providing hormone therapy.

The decision is the most recent in a weeklong civil lawsuit filed by the parents of a transgender child and a psychologist from the Houston area who are challenging Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's order from last month calling for "prompt and thorough investigation" into reported instances of "gender-transitioning procedures" among minors.

"Gender-affirming care was not investigated as child abuse by DFPS until after Feb. 22, 2022. The series of directives and decisions by the governor, the executive director and other decision-makers at DFPS changed the status quo for transgender children and their families, as well as professionals who offer treatment, throughout the state of Texas," Meachum said at the conclusion of the court hearing, according to Courthouse News Service.

"The governor's directive was given the effect of a new law or a new agency rule despite no new legislation, regulation or even stated agency policy. [Texas Governor Greg] Abbott and [DFPS] Commissioner [Jaime] Masters' actions violate separation of powers by impermissibly approaching into the legislative domain."

A trial has been scheduled for July 11.

Last week, Meachum had granted a temporary restraining order in a case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union and Lambda Legal that was filed on behalf of a transgender child’s parents who were being investigated by child welfare workers after the mother, who is a state employee, asked questions about the directive, The Texas Tribune reported.

According to DFPS, nine families are currently under investigation.

https://justthenews.com/government/courts-law/texas-judge-blocks-state-investigations-transgender-kids-parents

YouTube to demonetize all Russian users, ban ‘state media’

Google-owned video platform expanding its bans from Europe to worldwide

YouTube, owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet, announced on Friday it would block access to “Russian state media” channels across the globe and block all monetization on its platform inside Russia, citing the conflict in Ukraine.

The video-sharing platform wants to remove content “denying, minimizing or trivializing well-documented violent events,” as it goes against its Community Guidelines, YouTube said in a statement on Friday, specifically referring to content “about Russia’s invasion in Ukraine that violates this policy.”

Having blocked RT and Sputnik in the European Union – at the request of EU governments – on March 1, YouTube announced on Friday it was expanding this censorship to the entire planet, and including all channels “associated with Russian state-funded media.”

The change is “effective immediately,” YouTube said, adding that its systems may take a little while to process it.

YouTube ads have already been “paused” in Russia, but the platform is now extending this to “all of the ways to monetize on our platform” in the country, presumably affecting super-chats and sponsorships as well.

https://www.rt.com/russia/551730-youtube-demonetize-censorship-media/

https://twitter.com/ViktoriiaUAH/status/1502390400073490443

Our newest kremlin stooge is Raheem here. He is first & foremost siding with Putin. Second he isnt able to even cast a vote here as he isn’t a citizen.Why let people like him have any say in “America first”? He can’t even take necessary steps to try & support what he blabs about.

Russia sets date for Instagram shutdown

Russians have two days to claim their data before ban over Meta’s new “hate speech” policy goes into effect

Citing the “unprecedented” decision by Instagram’s parent company Meta to allow calls for violence against Russians, the country’s media regulator announced that the photo and video-sharing platform will be blocked in the country starting March 14.

“Messages are circulating on the Instagram social network encouraging and provoking violent acts against Russians,” Roskomnadzor said on Friday, adding that the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office has requested that access to the platform be restricted.

The restrictions will go into effect at the end of the day on Sunday, giving Russian users “an additional 48 hours” to retrieve their photos and videos from Instagram, migrate to other social networks and notify their contacts and subscribers, Roskomnadzor added.

Moscow has already blocked access to Meta’s flagship platform Facebook since last week, citing the Silicon Valley giant’s decision to restrict Russian media such as RT and Sputnik. WhatsApp, another Meta product, is widely used in the country. According to reports in Russian media, WhatsApp won’t go offline for Russians, as it is primarily used as a means of communication.

While considering a proposal to label Meta an “extremist organization,” the Russian authorities said on Friday they do not intend to go after their citizens who use workarounds such as VPNs “in good faith” to access the company’s products.

https://www.rt.com/russia/551731-instagram-ban-hate-speech/

Washington bans dollar supply to Russia

The US is ramping up its pressure on Moscow over the war in Ukraine

On Friday, the United States prohibited the exportation, re-exportation, sale, or supply, directly or indirectly, from the United States, or by a United States person, of US dollar-denominated banknotes to the Russian government or any person located in Russia. The White House is ramping up economic pressure on Russia over the war in Ukraine.

This presents a serious problem for Russia, which is a major oil exporter, as most oil contracts are settled in US currency.

On March 2, the European Union also banned the export and import of euro banknotes to Russia. An exception was made only for individuals arriving in Russia, diplomatic missions, and international organizations with legal immunity.

https://www.rt.com/business/551725-washington-bans-dollar-supply-russia/

Pennsylvania Senators Jake Corman and Cris Dush File Petition to Compel Sec of State to Comply with Election Related Subpoena

HARRISBURG – Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman (R-Bellefonte) and Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee Chair Cris Dush (R-Jefferson) issued the following statement today after filing a petition to compel the Department of State to comply with a subpoena for information relevant to the committee’s election investigation:

“Throughout the past several months since our investigation began, the Wolf Administration, Senate Democrats and Attorney General Shapiro have unfairly denied a co-equal branch of government the tools necessary to repair the vulnerabilities of our election system. Today’s legal action is intended to finally bring their needless delays and continued obstruction to an end.

“It is an embarrassment to our Commonwealth that the Department of State still refuses to comply with a legal, legitimate subpoena from a co-equal branch of government. The fact that the Department wouldn’t even turn over basic information included in the subpoena without pages upon pages of unexplained redactions shows they have no respect for the legislature or the courts. They should not be allowed to thumb their nose at the other two branches of government with impunity.

“Millions of Pennsylvanians have lost confidence in our elections. They deserve an election system they can believe in, and that can only happen with full transparency. We will not stop fighting to improve our voting system and repair the public’s faith in our elections – no matter how much our opponents try to obstruct, obfuscate and deceive the public about the intent of the investigation.”

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/03/breaking-pennsylvania-senators-jake-corman-cris-dush-file-petition-compel-sec-state-comply-election-related-subpoena/

Military Situation In Mariupol On March 11, 2022 (Map Update)

https://southfront.org/military-situation-in-mariupol-on-march-11-2022-map-update/