Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/344747
ByJoanLowy The Associated Press WASHINGTON House and Senate committees took steps Thursday toward keeping highway and tran- sit aid flowing to states just three weeks before the gov- ernment says it will have to slow down payments. The House Ways and Means Committee approved on a voice vote a bill by its chairman, Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich., that cobbles to- gether $11 billion in pension tax changes, customs fees and money from a fund to repair leaking underground fuel storage tanks to shore upthefederalHighwayTrust Fund through May 2015. In the Senate, the Fi- nance Committee, also on a voice vote, approved a compromise worked out between the committee's chairman, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and its senior Re- publican, Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah. The Senate bill looks much like the House bill except it relies less on pension tax changes for rev- enue and more on steps to ensure the earned income and child tax credits and mortgage deductions are being used only by peo- ple who qualify for them, among other tax changes. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has warned that by the first week in Au- gust the fund will no longer have enough money to cover promised aid to states, and the government will begin to stretch out payments. States have been told to ex- pect a 28 percent reduction in aid on average. The fund is expected to reach a zero balance by the end of Au- gust. Some states have al- ready begun to delay or can- cel construction project due to the uncertainty of federal aid. WASHINGTON Committees advance highway aid proposals By Alan Fram The Associated Press WASHINGTON Repub- licans and liberal Dem- ocrats on Thursday de- railed a Senate bill to help hunters and potentially aid Democratic senators seeking re-election in GOP-leaning states. It's the latest bipartisan mea- sure to fall victim to elec- tion-year maneuvering. The broadly popular leg- islation would have opened more federal lands to hunt- ers and other sportsmen, increased funds for shoot- ing ranges and blocked government curbs on bul- lets and fishing gear con- taining lead. It also would have renewed some con- servation programs. But senators voted 56- 41 against ending debate on the bill as the measure became enmeshed in gun politics. Supporters fell 19 votes short of the 60 needed to move to a final vote,effectivelyderailingit. All 45 Republicans voted against moving ahead on the legislation as did 11 Democrats. In May, a bipartisan bill promoting energy ef- ficiency crumbled after Republicans demanded votes on the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline and proposed Obama ad- ministration restrictions on greenhouse gas pollu- tion from coal-fired power plants. That same month, a bipartisan effort to renew more than 50 expired tax breaks also died amid a dispute over amendments. Thursday's collapse of the sportsmen's bill came after Republicans com- plained that Senate Ma- jority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., had blocked them from offering amend- ments, including some ex- panding gun rights. WASHINGTON Senators block bill aiding hunters By Aron Heller The Associated Press JERUSALEM Israel dra- matically escalated its aer- ial assault targeting hun- dreds of Hamas sites in the Gaza Strip Thursday as Palestinians reported the strikes also hit a home and a beachside cafe, rais- ing the total number of peo- ple killed in this week's of- fensive to at least 85. Isra- el's missile defense system also once again intercepted rockets fired by Gaza mili- tants at the country's two largest cities, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The Israeli military said it had struck a total of some 500 targets throughout the day, focusing on under- ground tunnel networks and rocket launching sites. In all, the military said it has hit some 860 sites since the operation started Tues- day. Gaza militants fired more than 140 rockets at ma- jor Israeli residential ar- eas Thursday, Israel's mil- itary said. Rockets fired at southern Israel dam- aged homes, infrastructure and spread panic. Israelis rushed to bomb shelters as sirens wailed in major cit- ies. About 5 million Israelis are in range of the Palestin- ian rocket attacks. No Israe- lis have been killed. A rocket hit a car in the southern Israeli city of Ash- dod Thursday night en- gulfing it in flames. Israel's emergency services said no- body was injured in the at- tack, reversing an earlier statement in which it said a man was hurt. Israel has mobilized 20,000 reservists for a pos- sible ground operation into Gaza, but for the time re- mains focused on maxi- mizing its air campaign, said Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, a military spokesman. A ground invasion could lead to heavier civilian casu- alties on the Palestinian side and put Israeli ground forces in danger. Neither side is showing any sign of halting their heaviest fighting since an eight-day battle in late 2012. Israel says that Hamas must cease rocket fire from Gaza for Israel to consider a truce. Militants have fired hundreds of rockets, strik- ing across the length of Is- rael and disrupting life across the country. MIDDLE EAST Gaza offensive escalates, casualties mount By Erica Werner The Associated Press WASHINGTON Outlines of a possible compromise that would more quickly de- port minors arriving from Central America emerged Thursday as part of Pres- ident Barack Obama's $3.7 billion emergency request to address the immigra- tion crisis on the southern border. Republicans demanded speedier deportations, which the White House initially had supported but left out of its proposal after complaints from im- migrant advocates and some Democrats. The top House and Senate Dem- ocrats pointedly left the door open to them. "It's not a deal-breaker," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D- Calif. "Let them have their face-saver. But let us have the resources to do what we have to do." Her spokes- man Drew Hammill later clarified that any changes "must ensure due process for these children." In the Senate, Major- ity Leader Harry Reid, D- Nev., said: "I'm not going to block anything. Let's see what comes to the floor." Reid and Pelosi made their comments as House Speaker John Boehner, R- Ohio, and Senate Repub- lican leader Mitch Mc- Connell, R-Ky., both said they didn't want to give Obama a "blank check" to deal with the crisis of tens of thousands of un- accompanied children ar- riving at the Texas border, many fleeing gang violence and drawn by rumors they would be able to stay in the U.S. Boehner and Mc- Connell indicated policy changes would be neces- sary to win their support. "We want to make sure we actually get the right tools to help fix the prob- lem," McConnell said. Obama "needs to work with us to get the right pol- icy into effect." The developments came as Obama's Homeland Se- curity secretary, Jeh John- son, defended the emer- gency spending request at a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Commit- tee. He said that without the money, the U.S. Immi- gration and Customs En- forcement and Customs and Border Patrol agen- cies would both run out of money in the next two months, and the Home- land Security Department "would need to divert sig- nificant funds from other critical programs just to maintain operations." At issue is a law ap- proved in 2008. Passed to give protection to sex traf- ficking victims, it requires court hearings for migrant young people who arrive in this country from "noncon- tiguous" countries — any- where other than Mexico or Canada. Because of enormous backlogs in the immigra- tion court system, the re- sult in the current crisis is that kids streaming in from El Salvador, Hondu- ras and Guatemala are re- leased to relatives or oth- ers in the U.S. with notices to appear at long-distant court hearings that many of them never will attend. Republicans want the government to have the authority to treat Central American kids the same way as kids from Mex- ico, who can be removed quickly unless they con- vince Border Patrol that they have a fear of return that merits additional screening. "I think clearly we would probably want the language similar to what we have with Mexico," Boehner said. White House officials have said they support such changes and indicated last week that they would be of- fering them along with the emergency spending re- quest. But immigration ad- vocates objected strongly, saying children would be de- nied legal protections, and the White House has not yet made a formal proposal. Asked Thursday about the issue, Johnson said he supported changing the law to treat children from Central American nations the same as those from Mexico. IMMIGRATION Possible compromise on border request AUSTINAMERICAN-STATESMAN,RODOLFOGONZALEZ—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS Three-year-old Josefa, of Honduras, stands next to his mother, Eide Cerrato, center, as they prepare to board a bus leaving the city bus station in McAllen, Texas, on July 1. 2nd Annual Micro-Brew Festival AUGUST 16, 2014 2-6 PM Red Bluff River Park 40 West Coast Breweries! Local Entertainment - Wine Garden Local Food - Home Brew Demonstrations Over a Thousand Expected... BUSINESS SPONSORS NEEDED! Proceeds from the festival support the business-building and tourism promotion goals of the Red Bluff-Tehama County Chamber of Commerce Associate Sponsor - $250 We provide a banner promoting your business' partnership with a participating brewery, a tent for shade, lots of cold beer, and a thirsty crowd. All set-up for your convenience, your business need only focus on facing the crowd with a smile & sharing a love of craft brew Corporate and Event Sponsorships also available with additional benefits! For details on sponsorship: www.tapintotehama.com or call The Chamber of Commerce at (530) 527-6770 Attention Business Operators! This ad published as part of an event co-sponsorship agreement with The Daily News | NEWS | REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM FRIDAY, JULY 11, 2014 6 B