Page 6 - Florida Sentinel 9-8-15 Edition

Presidential News
U.S. Labor Market Shows Some Muscle
Saudi King Meets With President Obama Amid Gulf Concerns Over Iran Deal
U.S. President Barack Obama (L) shakes hands with Saudi Arabia's King Salman at the start of a bilateral meeting at Erga Palace in Riyadh Janu- ary 27, 2015.
Saudi King Salman met with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington on Fri- day to seek more support in countering Iran, as the Obama administration aims to use the visit to shore up relations after a period of tensions.
The visit is the king's first to the United States since ascend- ing to the throne in January, and comes after the United States agreed to a nuclear deal with Iran in July, raising Gulf Arab fears that the lifting of sanctions on Iran would enable it to pursue destabilizing poli- cies in the Middle East.
The U.S.-Saudi relationship has suffered strain because of what Riyadh sees as Obama's withdrawal from the region, a lack of direct U.S. action against President Bashar al- Assad in Syria, and a perceived U.S. tilt towards Iran since the 2011 Arab uprisings.
"Both nations are close strategic partners in spite of their differences, and both states need each other," wrote Anthony Cordesman, a Middle East analyst at the Cen- ter for Strategic and Interna- tional Studies think tank in Washington.
But he said the Obama ad- ministration "needs to reassure its allies and reinforce its com- mitment to that partnership," especially given Saudi concerns about the Iran nuclear deal.
Salman skipped a Gulf Arab summit at Camp David in May, a move widely seen as a diplomatic snub over Pres. Obama's Iran strategy - though both governments de- nied that interpretation.
Pres. Obama secured a po- litical victory this week, when enough Senate Democrats threw their support behind the Iran nuclear deal to sustain a threatened veto of any congres- sional vote of disapproval.
Critics say the deal will em- power Iran economically to in- crease its support of militant groups in the region.
President Obama Rejects Florida Gov.
U.S. job growth slowed in August, but the unemploy- ment rate dropped to a near 7- 1/2-year low and wages accelerated, keeping alive prospects of a Federal Reserve interest rate hike later this month.
Nonfarm payrolls increased 173,000 last month after an upwardly revised gain of 245,000 in July, the Labor De- partment said on Friday. Au- gust's gain was the smallest in five months as the factory sec- tor lost the most jobs since July 2013.
Rick Scott's Request For Disaster
People browse booths at a military veterans' job fair
The jobs count, however, may have been tarnished by a sta- tistical fluke that has often led to sharp upward revisions to payroll figures for August after initial weak readings.
President Barack Obama
is expected to reject Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s request for a disaster declaration for Tampa Bay’s August flooding on the basis that the damage to the region was not enough to be beyond the capabilities of the state and local govern- ments, according to Congres- sional sources.
A federal disaster declara- tion would have triggered hun- dreds of thousands of dollars in federal grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover unin- sured-property losses, and other help for individuals and business owners affected by the storms.
But the Federal Emergency Management Agency officials, who advise the president on disaster declarations, are ex- pected to say the damage from the storms that saturated the area from July 25 to Aug. 3 was not of such severity and mag- nitude that state and local offi- cials cannot handle it on their own – a standard phrase used in past disaster declaration de- nials.
It’s not the first time the Obama administration has rejected Scott’s pleas for dis- aster assistance. Three times in 2012, FEMA rejected Scott’s initial request for federal assis- tance for two hurricanes and a flooding incident near Pen- sacola. Later, Scott’s request for help for damage sustained in South Florida from Hurri- cane Isaac was approved after an appeal showed more con- firmed damage.
But don’t think Pres. Obama has it out for Scott, who earlier this year sued the Obama administration over federal health care funding. Pres. Obama has also ap- proved three other disaster declarations since 2011, most recently in May 2014 for severe storms and flooding that be- sieged the Pensacola area.
While denial of disaster dec- larations is rare, it is not un- heard of. Earlier this year, the President rejected a disaster declaration for Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, a Republi- can, because of the effect of bird flu on the state’s farming community. It’s not just Re- publican governors getting re- jections. Last year, Obama
GOV. RICK SCOTT
initially denied disaster decla- rations from Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie, a Democrat, after it was hit by tropical storm Iselle, but later de- clared one. Similarly, Pres. Obama rejected a request from Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, for public assistance after wild fires rav- aged central Washington.
From 2004 to 2011, govern- ment records show 86 percent of disaster requests made by governors were approved. About 14 percent where re- jected, according to the U.S. General Accounting Office.
On Wednesday, FEMA ad- ministrator Craig Fugate, Florida’s former disaster chief, told U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Safety Harbor, that the state could still use other unused federal community block grant funding to help with the situa- tion without the need for more funding. It’s a point Bilirakis has relayed back to Scott, ac- cording to staff for Bilirakis.
Scott requested a federal disaster declaration on August 25, three weeks after the bulk of the rains that flooded the Tampa Bay area had subsided. Scott said the delay was due to making a thorough assessment of the damage in the 5 hardest hit counties.
Scott requested a federal disaster declaration for Pasco, Pinellas and Hillsborough, plus Taylor and Dixie counties further north after rains pounded the region from July 25 to Aug. 3.
Nearly 1,100 homes were damaged by the storms, ac- cording to state damage as- sessments. More than 600 of those were in Pasco County, which suffered major damage to at least 100 homes. County and state money to deal with the recovery has helped, but county leaders have said they need more aid.
Declaration For Tampa Bay Flooding
Pres. Obama Locks In Votes To Secure Iran Nuclear Deal
President Barack Obama clinched enough sup- port in Congress to all but en- sure he can implement a landmark nuclear accord with Iran, but opposition at home and global turbulence could in- ject volatility into coming votes on Capitol Hill.
Nearly two months after in- ternational diplomats struck an agreement limiting Iran’s nu- clear activities, the White House secured the backing of 34 senators in the Democratic caucus—the minimum needed to guarantee the deal can ad- vance despite deep reserva- tions in Congress, especially among Republicans.
Wednesday’s endorsement of the agreement by Sen. Bar- bara Mikulski (D., Md.) means that even if Congress passes a resolution aimed at undercutting the deal later this month, Mr. Obama has the votes in the Senate to sustain a
PRESIDENT OBAMA
promised veto. The administra- tion could now focus on win- ning enough Senate votes to avoid a veto fight altogether. Opposition from Republicans and some Democrats, divided public opinion over the deal and unpredictable dynamics in the Middle East could raise fresh hurdles over the next two weeks as lawmakers debate and vote on the historic accord.
5 Chinese Warships Spotted
Off Alaska Coast During
President Obama's Visit
Five Chinese navy ships have been spotted in the Bering Sea, off the Alaska coast, coinciding with Presi- dent Obama’s visit to the state, a senior defense official con- firmed to Fox News.
Navy Commander Bill Urban, a Pentagon spokesman, said Wednesday the sighting marked the first time ships from the People's Liberation Army Navy were seen in the Bering Sea.
"We respect the freedom of all nations to operate military vessels in international waters in accordance with interna- tional law," Urban said.
There are three surface war- fare ships, one amphibious as- sault ship and one supply vessel. The Wall Street Journal was first to report the sighting.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters on Wednesday that the De-
fense Department "positively identified a number of Chinese naval vessels in that region, but based on their analysis, they have not detected any sort of threat or threatening activi- ties."
The U.S. military reportedly has been aware of the ships and tracking their movements for days as they moved through international waters. Earnest said the intent of the ships' presence "is still un- clear” while speaking aboard Air Force One as Obama flew near the Bering Sea.
PAGE 6 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2015