Congress Needs to Act Now On Tax Relief

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Bush era tax cuts, Business, Congress, Politics, politics as usual, Tax, United States, United States Congress

Image by Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com via Flickr

If Congress doesn’t get its act together and extend Bush-era tax cuts, people at all income levels will be hit with significant tax increases at the end of this year.  According to Fox News:

“A typical family of four with a household income of $50,000 a year would have to pay $2,900 more in taxes in 2011, according to a new analysis by Deloitte Tax LLP, a tax consulting firm. The same family making $100,000 a year would see its taxes rise by $4,500.”

via FOXNews.com – Expiring Tax Cuts Hit Taxpayers at Every Level.

Barton to BP: “I’m Sorry” You’re Kidding, Right?

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BP, Congress, Energy & Commerce Committee, Gulf oil disaster, Gulf oil spill, Halliburton, House, Joe Barton of Texas, Politics, politics as usual

Republican Joe Barton of Texas is ranking minority member of the House's Energy & Commerce Committee. A receiver of big oil money, he told BP's Tony Hayward, "I'm sorry."

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing but there he was, an elected Representative, apologizing to BP’s CEO Tony Hayward on the floor of the Congress of the United States!

“I’m sorry,” Representative Joe Barton, the Republican from Texas, said to Hayward who sat in front of the Energy & Commerce Committee as hearings got under way this morning.  Referring to the meeting yesterday with President Obama at the White House as “a shakedown,” Barton said he was “ashamed” for how Hayward and BP were treated “at the White House yesterday.”

What?

It’s unbelievable what big-oil money can do.  I know that Barton has received over $1 million from oil companies to fund his campaigns since 2000.  And I know that he has, because of that funding, always supported legislation favoring more drilling and less alternative resources.  But, that’s different, right?  Or it should be.

Taking money from big-oil and favoring legislation supporting them are politics as usual.  I’d like to see campaign finance reform but that’s for another day.

Right now, we’ve got the worst oil disaster in history on our hands, and it has not yet been stopped.  We don’t know what all the consequences will be or what the cost will be financially, environmentally, and to us as a people.

Politics as usual is one thing, but to let BP off the hook for their irresponsibility?  And to do it on the floor of Congress?

BP was warned by Halliburton and others in the industry not to continue with the well at the Deepwater Horizon facility before it exploded on April 20.  They chose to ignore all warnings even from within their own ranks.  They also chose to go cheap on their operations.

After yesterday’s meeting, BP’s Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg referred to American citizens of the Gulf region as “small people” and he said this right on the White House lawn!

And today Barton apologizes?!

Let’s hope that the residents of Texas’ 6th District, who are close to the Gulf region, realize that by his apology to BP, that Barton is looking at them as “small people” too, and that they vote him out in the Fall.

Stupak Says Dems “Want to Fund Abortions”

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abortion, America Live, Congress, Fox News, health care reform, healthcare, Megyn Kelly, Obama, ObamaCare, Stupak, Stupak Amendment, Waxman

Fox News is reporting that that Representative Bart Stupak (D – Michigan) says that he was told by another prominent Democrat in Congress that the current health care reform legislation will fund abortions with taxpayer money.

Stupak claims that Representative Henry Waxman (D – California) told him that Democrats “want” to  fund abortions.

“‘We want to pay for abortions,'” Stupak claims Waxman told him on audio being played on Fox.

Fox is also reporting that current legislation which Obama and leading Democrats are trying to ram into law will take a dollar out of everyone’s health insurance premiums and use that money to fund abortions; premiums which will be mandated by law for everyone to pay or else face fines and possible jail time.

Megyn Kelly, of America Live, is reporting that “one dollar” of every insurance premium will be applied to fund abortions.

Stupak leads a coalition of Democrats who are against any Federal funding of abortion.  The Stupak Amendment, which was erased by the Senate, had specific and clear language prohibiting abortion with Federal money.

The current legislation under consideration by the House is the Senate bill which was passed on Christmas Eve of last year; this bill has no specific language outlawing taxpayer-funded abortion.

President Stalls Trip in Push for H.C.

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Congress, health care, health care reform, healthcare, House, Nancy Pelosi, Obama, Obama Care, ObamaCare, Politics, White House

FOXNews.com – Obama Delays Trip to Indonesia to Work on Health Care.

President Obama will delay his trip to Indonesia and Australia for several days in order to push passage of his controversial healthcare reform bill.

The White House announcement this morning is a result of increasing pressure on them to force the plus-2,000-page Senate version through the House even though it is meeting with increasing resistance from the public and members of Congress.

Obama’s schedule change  comes one day after Speaker Pelosi told reporters that the House would not make President Obama’s deadline of next Thursday to bring the bill to the floor for a vote.

Republicans’ Criticism of Healthcare Bill Pretentious

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Congress, Democrats, government, government and politics, government-run healthcare, health care, health care reform, Obama Care, Politics, Republicans, Senate

Even though the Democrats’ attempts to reform health care is wrought with problems, the Republicans’ bashing of the Democrats and the proposed legislation has more of an air of hypocrisy than sincerity and appears more pretentious than real.

There is no argument that the health reform that many of us voted for is turning out to be a watered-down mess.  Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) stripped the public option from the bill that would have competed against the insurance industry powerhouses.  And the bill has now morphed into a 2,700-plus page monster with questionable additions to benefit the states of key Senators to secure votes.

But the Republicans bang the same old tired drum that “their plan” was not heard or listened to by “the majority” and that they were not not given an opportunity to participate in reform.

Really?

What were you Republicans doing for at least six years during the Bush Administration? Remember, you were the majority then and you had a friendly White House, so why didn’t you do something then?

This health care crisis isn’t anything new.  Costs have been steadily rising and it has been known since the 1990’s that the American health care system was heading for trouble.

The Republicans are now vying for votes and favor after a disastrous performance.  They are posturing to appear that they have ideas to cure health care.  But why didn’t they legislate their ideas into law when they had the majority and a willing President with Bush?

The Democrats aren’t above criticism; their caving into one or two Senators by stripping key parts of the legislation along with back room deals is not going to sit well with voters in the coming elections.  But, they are, at least, trying to achieve a start at reform which could be improved over time.

I would accept the Republicans’ objections more if they had at least made an attempt when they were in power.

It’s Time For Obama to Step Up For Real Healthcare Reform

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Congress, government, government and politics, health care, health care reform, healthcare, Obama, Politics, Senator Ted Kennedy, single-payer health-care, universal healthcare, Washington

It was the dream of Senator Ted Kennedy that every American have qualilty health care.  And it’s no secret that Kennedy put his faith behind Barack Obama to get it done (remember that Kennedy “passed the torch” to Obama during the 2008 Democratic Convention).

Now, with the passing of Senator Kennedy, President Obama must step up to the plate to get healthcare reform done.  To do this, he’s going to have to unite Democrats by using his leadership to honor the life-long dream of Kennedy.

The only way to really to provide healthcare for every American is with a single payer system.  Democrats must get together to stand up to the myths and propaganda created by healthcare industry lobbyists.  They must also be ready to stand up to Republicans especially in the Senate (let them filibuster and make a spectacle of themselves in front of the nation if necessary!).

The United States is the only modern developed nation in the world that doesn’t provide healthcare for its citizens through a single payer system.  The reason we don’t is because too many of our lawmakers are intimidated by big-money healthcare industry interests.  If the Dems compromise on this issue by dumping the public option or by requiring all Americans to buy a private insurance plan (or be penablized through taxes), the American people will become the pawns of these big-money interests who will be forever more enriched at our expense.

With President Obama’s leadership and Democratic majority in both Houses of Congress, Americans can free themselves of healthcare lobbyists who are only interested in bottom line profit if – and only if – President Obama leads the way and the Democrats stand united, tough, and strong.

House bill HR 676 and its Senate equivalent S 703 will provide quality healthcare for all of us.  By clicking the links you can read these bills for yourself (online or download the pdf).  For those who want to keep their private insurance, they can opt out of these plans (similar to people who send their kids to private school and opt out of universal education).

Read this for more information:  Hudson Reporter – Support single payer health care.

The Associated Press: ‘Clunkers’ rebates look likely for another month

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CARS, Cash for Clunkers, Congress, government, government and politics, Nevada, Politics, Reid, Senate, Washington

Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Senate Majority Leader, told his colleagues that, unless they wanted to miss some of their August vacation, they better get moving on extending the “Cash for Clunkers” program.  According to the AP, it looks like his push is working (see link below).  The Senate is scheduled to leave this Friday.

The House, before leaving for their recess, already approved $2 billion more to extend the popular program which gives qualified buyers up to $4,500 for their gas-guzzling trade-in.

Even though people like Glenn Beck call these trade-in’s, which get less than 18 MPG, “perfectly good cars,” the “Clunkers” program is not only getting older inefficient vehicles off the road, it is also spurring the economy!

The Associated Press: ‘Clunkers’ rebates look likely for another month.

Possible “Deal” on Health Care Even Though Obama’s Doc Predicts Failure

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CNN, Congress, government, government and politics, government-run healthcare, health care reform, Huffington Post, Obama, Politics

CNN is reporting that the House leadership has reached a compromise “deal” with fiscally conservative blue dog Democrats on health care reform, even though they agree that there will be no final vote on the measure “until Fall,” according to CNN.

The House is trying to achieve some modicum of success on the controversial health care measure before they leave for recess next week and face their voters at home.  Meanwhile President Obama continues his town-hall meeting tour in his attempt to put people at ease about the legislation which, if passed, could cost taxpayers $2 trillion or more inside a decade.

At the same time, the president’s personal physician is saying that the current legislation will fail.  Dr. David Scheiner, who was Obama’s personal physician for more than two decades, predicts that the legislation “is bound for failure,” according to Sam Stein of The Huffington Post.  Obama’s doctor is a fan of a single-payer health care system which would end private health insurance and make the government the sole payer for all health care.  His criticism, according to the Huff Post article, cites Obama’s “pragmatism” to the political reality that Americans with private health care would be unwilling to give up their policies in favor of government-run health-care.

Links to Huff Post article:

Obama’s Doctor: President’s Vision For Health Care Bound To Fail

Read the current legislation for yourself:

1. House Energy & Commerce Committee Legislation:  http://energycommerce.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1687&catid=156&Itemid=55

2. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions:  http://help.senate.gov/

More Info on health-care reform legislation:

1. Kaiser Family Foundation Info:  http://www.kff.org/

2. White House, President’s remarks to AARP:  http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-in-AARP-Tele-Town-Hall-on-Health-Care-Reform/

3. Wall Street Journal Q & A:  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203609204574318132550338334.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Technorati Tags: Obama,CNN,Obama’s doctor,health-care,health-care reform,politics,government,Huffington Post,

Michigan Republican Wants Congressional Resolution to Force Obama to Apologize to Cop

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Cambridge Police controversy, Congress, Crowley, Gates, Gates arrest, McCotter, Michigan, Obama

Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R - Livonia, Michigan)

As if Congress didn’t have more important things to do, Michigan Congressman Thaddeus McCotter (R) will introduce a resolution “to retract his earlier remarks and apologize” for statements made about the officer involved last week in the arrest of a Harvard professor, according the Detroit Free Press.

Sergeant James Crowley of the Cambridge Police Department arrested Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., after responding to a call of suspected burglary.  Gates had lost his house keys and was breaking into his own home.  The charges of disorderly conduct were later dropped.  President Obama, last week during his news conference, spoke out about the Gates’ arrest saying that police “acted studpidly.”

Obama later tuned back his wording but did not apologize.

McCotter wants a resolution which will force Obama to take back his words “for having unfairly impugned and prejudged his professional conduct,” according the Detroit Free Press article.

Link:  McCotter to urge Obama to apologize to cop over remarks about Gates’ arrest | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press.

CBO Director “Invited” To White House Meeting By Obama

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CBO, CBO Director Douglas Elmendorf, Congress, Congressional Budget Office, government, government and politics, government-run healthcare, health care, healthcare, Obama, Politics, Washington, White House

White House South Facade

Everyone knows that an invitation to the White House by the President is more than an invitation.

Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Elmendorf says that President Obama “invited” him to the White House on Monday to discuss the agency’s “views about…health reform,” according to the Director’s official blog.

Last week’s report by the CBO in a letter to the co-chairs of the Senate Committee on the Budget said that “rising costs for health care will cause federal spending to grow much faster than the economy” and it warned that Obama’s health reform, in its current form, would become “an unsustainable path.”

The CBO is an independent agency which is charged with providing Congress with the nitty-gritty, the economic impact, of government spending.  As a result of the CBO’s assessment of the current health-care legislation, many in Washington, including some Democrats, are now questioning the reform bill which could run into the trillions within a decade.

Director Elmendorf didn’t give much detail in his blog about what was covered in his meeting with Obama, Administration advisors, and others at the White House but he did say that the event didn’t go to his head.  “Of course, the setting of the conversation and the nature of the participants do not affect CBO’s analysis of health reform legislation,” Elmendorf said in his blog.  Saying that he essentially reiterated to the president the same information which he provided to Congress, Elmendorf said that he “will continue to work with Members of Congress and their staffs, on both sides of the aisle, to provide cost estimates and other information as health reform legislation is considered.”