Bills for Evacuees

The federal government will not be charging Americans for evacuating them from Lebanon afterall. The State Department had earlier said people would have to sign vouchers to reimburse the US for the cost of getting them out of Lebanon.

That didn't sit well with Senators who put pressure on the administration to pick up the tab.

"A nation that can provide more than $300 billion for a war in Iraq can provide the money to get its people out of Lebanon," -- House Minority
Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), in a statement

The original plan had been to charge evacuees the same price it would have cost to take a helicopter or ship out of Lebanon. You'd think Washington would wise up and realize the Americans there had already paid the "fee" -- it's called "taxes." You know, the money we pay to have the government serve us. (CNN)