House Republicans return to Washington today to vote on a two-month payroll tax extension. If news reports are correct, the bill is likely to fail, leaving in doubt how lawmakers will resolve their differences before the year draws to a close. These year-end squabbles are now routine business in the nation’s capital. At issue in this case is the short-term extension of the payroll tax rate through February. “I believe that two months is just kicking the can down the road. The American people are tired of that. Frankly, I’m tired …
Citizens across America will have a powerful tool to hold their elected leaders accountable come January. The House of Representatives today adopted new standards that increase transparency and improve access to legislative data. All of the information will be publicly available in a searchable format on one website. “With the adoption of these standards, for the first time, all House bills, resolutions and legislative documents will be available in XML in one centralized location,” said House Administration Chairman Dan Lungren (R-CA). “Providing easy access to legislative information increases constituent feedback and ultimately …
Republican leaders this week unveiled a new mobile app that helps Americans follow the action of the House of Representatives from the palm of their hand. The app is available on the iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, and Android phone and tablet. The app, called WhipCast, is the first government app to be simultaneously released on all three major mobile platforms. The project was spearheaded by House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who stars in the promotional video. “Prior Congresses wrote and passed legislation in the dark of the night,” wrote Brian …
House Armed Services Chairman Buck McKeon (R-CA) is a man on a mission. He’s making the rounds on Capitol Hill to convince his colleagues, particularly those on the 12-member Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, that they should avoid cutting defense spending. McKeon has a point — and it’s one that is backed up by Heritage calculations from Congressional Budget Office data. This chart reveals that even if defense spending was eliminated entirely, entitlements would continue to fuel the debt crisis. Making reforms to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid is …
Catching you up on clips, commentary and news of the day. Sign up for the daily email update from Scribe The Great $16 Muffin Myth – Kevin Drum, Mother Jones Global Meltdown: Investors Are Dumping Nearly Everything – Patti Domm, CNBC US walks out as Iran delivers anti-US speech – Edith M. Lederer, Associated Press Boehner: ‘There’s no threat of a government shutdown’ – Nicholas Ballasy, The Daily Caller Bill Clinton: Obama’s Approach to the Deficit is ‘A Little Confusing’ – Real Clear Politics Census: Recession takes big toll on …
The President has publicly stated his intent to roll out a new expensive stimulus plan this fall. That plan is expected to contain hundreds of billions in new debt obligations to you, the taxpayer. Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) has a better idea. He wrote a letter today to President Obama that identifies an effective means to stimulate growth. Reduce regulations that are a hidden tax on all Americans and killing private enterprise. Reducing the regulatory burden on the economy will spur economic growth. Speaker Boehner writes in …
Republican presidential candidates are gearing up for the first Iowa presidential debate tonight. FOX News and The Washington Examiner are presenting the debate, which will take place at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. The event leads into Saturday’s Iowa Republican Party Ames Straw Poll, which can be a pivotal moment for campaigns. The Hill reports many Republicans who plan to attend Saturday’s straw poll are still undecided on their candidate, which is highly unusual this close to the event. That makes this evening’s debate even more important. After backing out of …
Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) repeatedly criticized Democrats last year for voting on legislation that members didn’t have time to read. “Read the Bill” language was even included in the GOP’s Pledge to America to ensure lawmakers would have adequate notice to review legislation. “Neither members of Congress or the public were given time to read the trillion-dollar stimulus before it passed. Nobody read the cap-and-trade bill. Nobody read the budget. And yet Democrats approved them anyway,” Boehner said in a video last year. “Every major bill should be posted online and …
Lawmakers in both houses of Congress are moving quickly to vote on the latest debt-limit deal — a plan agreed to Sunday night by President Obama and congressional leaders. Republicans and Democrats negotiating the agreement hailed it last night, but conservatives are less than impressed by the plan. Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), our guest on this weekend’s Scribecast, has even threatened a filibuster. The deal hikes the debt ceiling by $2 trillion while cutting spending at an insufficient level. The plan also features a so-called “super committee” that has the …
Lawmakers are still scrambling to agree on a debt deal. The newly rewritten plan by Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) is expected to be voted on by the House. The newly rewritten bill has more savings than what the Congressional Budget Office originally projected. Numerous conservatives have voiced concerns about Boehner’s bill. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) doesn’t take no for an answer. The liberal congressman was arrested for a second time Tuesday during a demonstration outside the White House. Gutierrez was with about 1,000 other Latino activists at an immigration reform protest. After …
