Here’s his statement: “The House and Senate have both passed bipartisan bills to require the President to quickly make a decision on whether to support thousands of U.S. manufacturing jobs through the Keystone XL pipeline, and to extend unemployment insurance, the temporary payroll tax cut and seniors’ access to medical care. There is no reason…
Category: Congress
Congress Cuts Winter Heating Aid For The Poor While Boosting The Defense Budget
Poverty in America is only getting worse, with data showing rising income inequality and the startling fact that half of all Americans are now either in poverty or considered low-income. Were it not for the government programs that comprise the social safety net, those numbers would be even worse. More than a quarter would live…
DeMint Blocks Confirmation Of El Salvador’s Ambassador Because She Condemned Homophobia
On June 28, Aponte penned an op-ed praising the Funes’ directive, writing, “No one should be subjected to aggression because of who he is or who he loves. Homophobia and brutal hostility are often based on lack of understanding about what it truly means to be gay or transgender. To avoid negative perceptions, we must…
Senate Votes To Let Military Detain Americans Indefinitely, White House Threatens Veto
“Congress is essentially authorizing the indefinite imprisonment of American citizens, without charge,” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein D-Calif., who offered another amendment — which has not yet gotten a vote — that she said would correct the problem. “We are not a nation that locks up its citizens without charge. “Backers of military detention of Americans…
Taking Attendance With Elizabeth Warren
Is consumer advocate and Harvard professor Elizabeth Warren the biggest rock star candidate in the 2012 Senate races? Judging by the turnout at her campaign events, the answer so far, is yes. Warren has been slammed by Republicans as the hand-picked candidate of the national Democrats and a carpetbagger from Oklahoma. But a glance at…
Senate Halts GOP Bid To Repeal ‘Net Neutrality’ Rules
Senate Democrats on Thursday turned back a Republican attempt to repeal federal rules designed to prevent Internet service providers from discriminating against those who send content and other services over their networks. Republicans argued that “net neutrality” rules announced by the Federal Communications Commission last December were another example of federal regulatory overreach that would…
Fox Still Doesn’t Know Public Sector Jobs Hit Harder In Recession
Fox again attacked Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) for noting that “it’s very clear that private-sector jobs have been doing just fine. It’s the public-sector jobs where we’ve lost huge numbers.” But Reid is right: Since the Recovery Act took effect, the private sector has gained more than 1.5 million jobs, while…
Stimulus-Hating GOP Rep. Frank Guinta Cuts Ribbon For Stimulus Project
With Recovery Act funding running out, that old TPM favorite — the anti-stimulus Republican who takes credit for stimulus funding in their district — is becoming somewhat of a rarity. But Rep. Frank Guinta (R-NH) kicked it old school on Thursday by cutting the ribbon on a new road that received millions from…
Citizens United Going Down? Democrats Introduce Constitutional Amendment To Overturn Ruling
The Supreme Court may treat corporations like people who can spend whatever they want on elections, but the American people dont have to accept it, said Democratic senators who proposed a constitutional amendment Tuesday to retake control of campaign spending.The amendment, introduced by Sen. Tom Udall D-N.M., doesnt directly address the justices legal…
Boehner rejects Democrats’ $3 trillion deficit reduction proposal to ‘supercommittee’
Democrats said Thursday they had put forward a good-faith offer that included legitimate savings against the swelling federal debt and included a package of more than $300 billion in stimulus for the sagging economy. “We’ve always said there are two important things—get the economy moving and have jobs and to have a balanced approach,” said…
Deficit-Cutting Supercommittee: ‘We’re Not There Yet’ : NPR
The 12-member supercommittee charged with finding at least $1.2 trillion in budget cuts next month met publicly for the first time in six weeks Wednesday — and agreed on little more than the fact that time is indeed growing short for them to approve a deal. Co-chairman Patty Murray, D-Wash., said a lot of hard…
Republicans in the House have averaged a vote every day to undermine the EPA
They have picked up the pace recently — just last week they voted to stop the EPAs efforts to limit mercury and other hazardous pollutants from cement plants, boilers and incinerators — and it appears their campaign will continue for the foreseeable future.Using the economy as cover, and repeating unfounded claims that “regulations…
US Pays 18 Percent of Israel’s Military Budget
Leave it to the Washington Post’s award-winning national security reporter, Walter Pincus, to put things in perspective. In a new column, Pincus points out a remarkable inequity: While the US faces a fiscal crisis and debates the need for defense cuts, it’s footing the bill for one-fifth of Israel’s military budget—even as that country…
ACLU Challenge To Small Piece Of Campaign Finance Law May Lead To A Slippery Slope
The ACLU case, brought on behalf of three individuals holding contracts with the government, targets a provision of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1972 (FECA) that banned individuals who have direct contracts with the federal government from contributing to candidates running for federal office. This ban excludes employees of corporations that hold contracts with…
Cenk Uygur: How To Regain Our Democracy
Now, you can never stop rich people from spending their own money on their political ideology. But that has happened throughout our history and we have survived that. What has changed in the last 30 years is the power of corporate money, which is nearly unlimited.Starting in 1978, the Supreme Court opened the spigot to…
Watch: Norquist says don’t raise taxes because Republicans spend too much
When asked why he wouldn’t accept ten dollars in cuts for every dollar in revenue, he points to Republicans who didn’t honor their agreements, spent too much, and raised taxes. He then goes on to talk about unicorns.
Cantor To Give Speech On Income Inequality And ‘How We Make Sure The People At The Top Stay There’
Cantor announced today that he will give an address on income disparity “and how Republicans believe the government could help fix it” on Friday. According to his aide, Cantor will specifically focus on how Washington can help “a single working mom…a small business owner..and how we make sure the people at the top stay there.”…
No GOP Senator Supports Bill to Protect Cloud E-Mail Privacy
Leahy’s bill would amend the Electronic Communications Privacy Act. Adopted when CompuServe was king, ECPA allows the government to acquire a suspect’s e-mail or other stored content from an internet service provider without showing probable cause that a crime was committed, as long as the content had been stored on a third-party server…
Poll: Americans Overwhelmingly Support First Piece Of Obama Jobs Plan To Prevent Teacher, Firefighter Layoffs
Last week, two Senate Democrats joined Senate Republicans to filubuster President Obama’s jobs plan, even though analysts have found that it could add 1.9 million jobs next year. Now, Democratic lawmakers have decided to introduce Obama’s plan piece-by-piece, beginning with Obama’s $35 billion aid package “to help state and local governments provide funding…
The jobs debate on Earth 2
“Republicans,” McCain said on Earth 2, “have a better idea than more tax cuts and government spending. The economy isn’t growing because households are buried under mortgage debt. So we propose to attack the problem at the source. On the advice of Harvard’s Martin Feldstein, we are introducing legislation that would empower the…