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Monday, May 10, 2010


The WonkLine: May 7, 2010

Welcome to The WonkLine, a daily 10 a.m. roundup of the latest news about health care, the economy, national security, immigration and climate policy. This is what we’re reading. Tell us what you found in the comments section below. You can also follow The Wonk Room on Twitter. The Wonk Room is blogging and tweeting live from the Gulf Coast.


Economy

The U.S. economy added 290,000 jobs in April, but because of discouraged workers reentering the workforce, the unemployment rate ticked up to 9.9 percent.
On a busy night for financial reform, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) agreed to tweak his amendment ordering an audit of the Federal Reserve, earning him the support of Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-CT), and the Kaufman-Brown amendment breaking up the biggest banks was voted down 33-61.
The LA Times uncovered a “well orchestrated campaign” by payday lenders to mislead borrowers into calling on their Senator to oppose the creation of a consumer protection agency.

Health Care

“A series of polls from the Quinnipiac University Polling Center, testing voter opinion on lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the new law,underscore the difficulties of the issue for both Democratic and Republican candidates.”
Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), chairman of the Energy and Commerce health subcommittee said “he would not commit to advancing legislation that requires providers, payers and vendors to publicly disclose the cost of their services.”
“More than 57 million nonelderly Americans—or about 1 in 5—have diagnosed pre-existing health conditions that could lead to a denial of health coverage in today’s insurance market, according to a new report from Families USA.”

Immigration

Gov. Jan Brewer rejected Sen. Charles Schumer’s (D-NY) request to delay implementation of the state’s controversial immigration law until Congress can pass comprehensive immigration reform.
The National Journal reports that “key GOP senators are throwing cold water on a push by Senate Democratic leaders to write a comprehensive immigration bill,” including Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) and Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN).
Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) an “faulted the president for suggesting on Wednesday that an immigration bill won’t be finished until 2011 at the earliest.”

Climate Change

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) reaffirmed his support for the climate bill before a room of environmentalists and Obama Administration officials Tuesday. “I’m in this to win,” he said.
Oil has begun washing ashore on Lousiana’s Chandeleur Islands, making them the first environmental victim of the BP spill. The islands encompass Breton National Wildlife Refuge and are considered ecological “treasures.”
Two hundred fifty-five members of the National Academy of Sciences signed a statement that they are “deeply disturbedby the recent escalation of political assaults on scientists in general and on climate scientists in particular.”



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