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The catch-all spending bill Congress is set to pass this week will provide President Barack Obama with the funds he needs to admit an extra 45,000 refugees in the next two years, including a minimum of 10,000 from Syria. Congressional leaders did not use the Obama administration's annual request for funds as leverage to force him to address concerns with the resettlement program, and they did not negotiate the addition of a measure backed by conservative lawmakers that would require the administration to jump through additional security hoops when admitting Syrian and Iraqi refugees. Instead, House Speaker Paul Ryan unveiled...

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—Republican state lawmakers stood in united but futile opposition Thursday to the practice of approving empty bills that contain no real legislation but will be amended later to include budget legislation. Democrats, who control both houses, each approved several so-called "shell" bills—the Senate 40 of them, and the Assembly 38. The bills contain no actual budget details but will be amended later to include specific language needed to enact the budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. Passing the bills now makes it quicker and easier to approve a state spending plan before the constitutional deadline in...

He criticizes Henry Paulson for changing the $700 billion bailout plan. WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe said Saturday that Congress was not told the truth about the bailout of the nation's financial system and should take back what is left of the $700 billion "blank check'' it gave the Bush administration. "It is just outrageous that the American people don't know that Congress doesn't know how much money he (Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson) has given away to anyone,'' the Oklahoma Republican told the Tulsa World. "It could be to his friends. It could be to anybody else. We don't...

Goldman Sachs enters blank check arena Stephanie Baum 25 Mar 2008 Goldman Sachs is underwriting its first blank check deal as the market for these acquisition vehicles continues to grow and evolve. Liberty Lane Acquisition Company registered for a $350m (€224.3m) initial public offering. While it will make 35 million units available at $10 each, Liberty Lane will differ significantly from previous blank check agreements because its initial stockholders' shares of common stock will represent 7.5% of the total outstanding shares of common stock instead of the 20% of outstanding shares that has been typical for previous deals, according to...

<p>Two new 30-second television ads paid for by opponents of Proposition 56, a coalition of business groups, began airing this week in the state's four largest media markets: Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Sacramento. Following is an analysis of one of the ads by Clea Benson of The Bee Capitol Bureau.</p>

<p>Taking advantage of the lull before Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger presents his budget late next week, business groups Tuesday stepped up their campaign against a ballot initiative that would make it easier for the Legislature to pass a spending plan and raise taxes.</p>

<p>As the holidays approach and we prepare for the gift-giving season, it is easy to overlook Proposition 56, a "present" for taxpayers that public employee unions have placed on the March 2004 ballot.</p> <p>Unfortunately, Prop. 56, benignly titled the "Budget Accountability Act," is like the gift the Greeks left outside the walls of Troy. It contains some very nasty surprises.</p>

Opponents labeled it the "blank check initiative." "When you peel away the window dressing, people realize that this is about whether people want Sacramento politicians to have an easier route to raise taxes," said Al Lundeen, spokesman for Californians Against Higher Taxes, a political action committee organized to fight the initiative.