Critics of state and local government action on immigration fail to keep in mind one simple but critical point: The states have these rights. It is preposterous to take the position that, short of federal action or the commission of a crime, governors and mayors are constitutionally powerless to deal with illegal immigrants within their states and cities. The argument that state and local governments must incur enormous fiscal and societal costs, asserting that all aspects of immigration (legal or illegal) are entirely the purview of the federal government, is …
The Senate plays a vital role in the treaty-making process. The Senate is required to provide due diligence in the considerations of treaties. The Founding Fathers set a high procedural bar for ratification and entry into force of treaties, expecting that the Senate would serve as a quality control mechanism. Thus, they gave the Senate the power to amend the text of any treaty brought before it. This includes New START, a strategic nuclear arms control treaty with Russia. In addition, the Senate must adopt a resolution of ratification for …
Following passage of a one-thousand-page omnibus spending bill, the Senate reconvened to continue consideration of HR 3590, the Senate health bill. Middle Class Taxes. Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) offered an amendment to recommit the Senate health bill back to the Senate Finance Committee with instructions to protect Americans who make less than $250,000 from tax hikes in the bill. In effect, the Crapo amendment would reinforce President Obama’s high-profile promise that Americans making less than $250,000 would not face tax increases. In the Senate health bill, there are several provisions …
Debate continues on the Senate floor on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2009 (H.R.3590), and the focus continues to be on Medicare and Medicare Advantage. While proposing spending cuts in one program to create another, the Senate leadership is claiming that all of these Medicare cuts are possible without cutting benefits or services in current Medicare programs, such as Medicare Advantage and Home Health Care. Stabenow’s Medicare Advantage Amendment. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) proposed an amendment which would ensure that spending reductions to the Medicare Advantage program …
Earlier this morning the Senate Finance Committee, during its markup of the “Chairman’s Mark” of the America’s Healthy Future Act of 2009, voted down an amendment that would have helped ensure that Americans can keep their current coverage. The amendment offered by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) stated the following: “The implementation of Americas Healthy Future Act of 2009 shall be conditioned on the Secretary of Health and Human Services certifying to Congress that this legislation would not cause more than 1,000,000 Americans to lose the current coverage of their choice.” …
