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31 Mar 2011 11:10

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Politics: Biden: Republicans and Democrats nearing deal in budget talks

  • $33 billion in cuts in the latest, tentative budget proposal source
  • » Still not a sure thing: Joe Biden, who has been negotiating a budget with the Republicans, says that he and Republicans are now “working off the same number” in their talks. However, John Boehner’s spokesman made it clear that “there is no deal until everything is settled.” If this budget passes, the cuts will fall drastically short of the $100 billion Republicans pledged to cut during last November’s elections. If it doesn’t, a government shutdown will become a near-certainty.
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Mar 2011 23:56

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Politics: More GOP union-busting fun, this time at the federal level

  • goal Continuing full-steam ahead with their party’s attack on worker’s unions, House Republicans will vote on legislation making it more difficult for rail and aviation workers to unionize.
  • obstacle The White House, via the Office of Management in Budget, released a statement today threatening—though not explicitly pledging—to veto any bill that contained such changes. source
  • » What’s being proposed: The provision, which comes in the form of an amendment to the FAA reauthorization bill, would affect the way votes are tallied when rail or aviation workers decide whether or not to unionize. Under the proposed amendment, no-shows and abstentions would count as “no” votes (that is, votes against unionization; if anyone can explain the intellectual justification behind such a policy, we’re all ears). But not only does the bill face a possible presidential veto; there’s also doubt as to whether House leadership even has the votes to pass it. We’ll keep you posted as to how this plays out after tomorrow’s vote.
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Mar 2011 15:32

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Politics: Tea Party leader blasts Boehner

  • Charlie Sheen still makes more sense than John Boehner, because at least Charlie Sheen is winning.
  • Tea Party Nation founder Judson Phillips • Expressing dissatisfaction with the Speaker of the House. A topical comparison, sure, but is it really accurate to say that Charlie Sheen is “winning?” source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Mar 2011 20:17

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Politics, U.S.: Congress continues working the budget layaway circuit

  • two number of weeks the government gave itself to figure out a budget plan by putting one on layaway
  • zero number of spending resolutions that passed both chambers of Congress in that two-week period
  • three number of weeks the government will likely put a new budget on layaway to prevent a shutdown source
  • » Oh yeah: The next temporary deal could include restrictions that limit how and when the budget can be used – such as, for example, no money spent on the new health care law. Hrm.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

01 Mar 2011 20:32

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U.S.: Quick hits: John Boehner’s temporary cutting plan passes the House

  • $4 billion to put the government on layway for a couple of weeks
  • 335-91 the vote to pass the temporary extension in the House
  • yes most Democrats went with John Boehner’s plan to buy more time
  • no Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi didn’t vote for or against the bill source
  • » Oh yeah, fun fact: During the shutdown crisis, Congress and Obama may not get paid, thanks to a bill that the Senate unanimously passed today. At least that has bipartisan support.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

01 Mar 2011 13:50

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Politics: Republican response to Obama’s individual mandate deal tepid

  • It always seems these symbolic offerings, ostensibly designed to appease Republicans, end up with a catch. Here, it’s that to apply for a waiver, states must first set up systems that mimic the very federal law they are running away from. Gee, thanks.
  • Brendan Buck, spokesman for Speaker John Boehner • Commenting on President Obama’s proposal to allow states to opt-out of the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate, provided that the state demonstrates they have an alternate plan that will maintain similar coverage rates without raising the deficit. His chagrin is curious, because what he’s really complaining about seems to be the very nature of political compromise (and it’s a bit snarky for a spokesman). Considering the individual mandate was a keystone of the original legislation, this proposal seems at bare minimum like a compromise in which both sides get what they claim they want. The argument against the “federal system,” too, is generally that it’s federal, which many Republicans call unconstitutional. So why the hand-wringing over a state-run alternative? source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Feb 2011 21:32

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Politics: Will John Boehner’s “put the budget on layaway” plan stick?

  • issue Obama and the GOP are at a stalemate with the budget, and there’s a real danger the government might shut down later this week. Great.
  • stopgap As a way to prevent that from happening, House Speaker John Boehner came up with an offer to put the government on layaway for two weeks.
  • problem The sticking point? Obama wants a full month. Boehner may not be willing to put the budget on layaway for nearly that long. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

27 Feb 2011 20:02

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World: Is John Boehner backing off government shutdown stance entirely?

  • Americans want the government to stay open, and they want it to spend less money. We don’t need to shut down the government to accomplish that. We just need to do what the American people are asking of us.
  • John Boehner (in expected statements) • Discussing the next steps his party plans to help encourage spending cuts. Note that he appears to be backing away from the idea of a government shutdown. Perhaps hard-line stances are proving a little too, uh, risky for the GOP right now?  source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

27 Feb 2011 11:47

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Politics: Government shutdown: Will 2011’s GOP ploy be like 1995?

  • If Gingrich couldn’t control his hard-line freshman class of 73 members in 1995 — he jokingly referred to them then as ‘a third party’ — it’s hard to imagine how the kinder, gentler Boehner will control his 87 freshmen, many of them lacking government or legislative experience, let alone the gene for compromise.
  • New York Times columnist Frank Rich • Offering the assessment of why the GOP should avoid playing the government shutdown game. It’s something that Rich says a number of GOPers are trying to argue doesn’t match the political playing field of 1995, where a defiant Newt Gingrich overplayed his hand too much and caused much embarrassment for the Republican party in the process. However, Gingrich doesn’t remember it that way, strangely enough. In a Washington Post column, he claims that he, on the other hand, plowed the way for much larger cuts in the ensuing years. Nice revisionist history, Newt. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Feb 2011 21:35

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Politics: John Boehner’s shutdown-avoiding plan: Layaway. Really.

  • Give it up for John Boehner for figuring out a way to avoid a shutdown … apparently. The House Speaker, who just a week ago pushed through all sorts of crazy stuff that has little chance of passing, has conjured up a plan to keep the government moving. And it’s kinda what you might do if there’s a coat you really like from a place like Burlington Coat Factory, but you can’t really afford it right now. Some details of the apparent deal coming down the line:
  • 2 more weeks to figure out this whole shutdown-threatening budget mess
  • $4 billion in budget savings would have to be made as part of the deal over that two-week period
  • $2 billion more in cuts would have to be found for each additional week they’re at the bargaining table source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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