Race to the Top for Education Reform

President Obama announces a proposed $1.3 billion investment in Race to the Top, a program to encourage innovation and excellence in education through competitive grants, at an event at Graham Road Elementary School in Falls Church, VA.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

January 19, 2010

Remarks by the President on Race to the Top at Graham Road Elementary School

Graham Road Elementary School, Falls Church, Virginia

10:25 A.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, everybody.  You guys look really cute in those chairs.  (Laughter.)
I am pleased to be joined today by my outstanding Education Secretary, Arne Duncan, at Graham Road Elementary School, one of Virginia's finest schools.  And here at Graham Road, they're using innovative approaches to provide effective teaching to all their students, and that's something that all of America's schools have to do.
As I said before, there are any number of actions we can take as a nation to enhance our competitiveness and secure a better future for our people, but few of them will make as much of a difference as improving the way we educate our sons and daughters.  Offering our children an outstanding education is one of our most fundamental -- perhaps our most fundamental obligation as a country.  And whether we meet that obligation not only reflects who we are as Americans, it will shape our future as a nation.  Countries that out-educate us today will out-compete us tomorrow, and I refuse to let that happen on my watch. 
Now, it's clear that doing the same old things will not get the job done for our kids -- or for America, or for our future.  So when I took office, I asked Arne Duncan to work with states and local school districts to take on business as usual in our education system, and that's how the Race to the Top competition was born last July.  It's a national competition among states to improve our schools.
Over the past few months, we've seen such a positive response that today I'm announcing our intention to make a major new investment -- more than $1.3 billion -- in this year's budget to continue the Race to the Top.  And this support will not only reaffirm our commitment to states engaged in serious reform, it will also expand the Race to the Top competition to include local school districts that are also committed to change.  So innovative districts like the one in Texas whose reform efforts are being stymied by state decision-makers will soon have the chance to earn funding to help them pursue those reforms.
After months of planning and preparation, the first round of Race to the Top applications is coming due today.  And it's a sign of how much states and schools believe this initiative will benefit them that we're expecting significantly more states to apply than will actually receive a grant.
And here's how Race to the Top works.  Last year, we set aside more than $4 billion to improve our schools -- one of the largest investments in reform in our nation's history.  But we didn't just hand this money out to states that wanted it; we challenged them to compete for it.  And it's the competitive nature of this initiative that we believe helps make it so effective.  We laid out a few key criteria and said if you meet these tests, we'll reward you by helping you reform your schools. 
First, we encouraged states to adopt more challenging standards that will actually prepare our kids for college and their careers.  We also encouraged schools to adopt better assessments -- not just one-size-fits-all approaches -- to measure what our kids know and what they're able to do.
Second, we urged schools and school districts to make sure we have excellent principals leading our schools and great teachers leading our classes by promoting rigorous plans to develop and evaluate teachers and principals and by rewarding their success.
Third, we urged states to use cutting-edge data systems to track a child's progress throughout their academic career, and to link that child's progress to their teachers so we know what's working and what's not working in the classroom.  Fourth, we encouraged states to show a stronger commitment to turning around some of their lowest-performing schools.
And even before states have received a single dime of taxpayer money, many of them have committed to instituting important reforms to better position themselves for a Race to the Top grant.  Forty-eight states have now joined a nationwide partnership to develop a common set of rigorous, career-ready standards in reading and math.  Wisconsin has enacted legislation permitting schools to link student achievement to the performance of teachers and principals.  In Illinois, Louisiana, Tennessee, California, we've seen changes in laws or policies to let public charter schools expand and succeed.  These are public schools with more independence that are formed by teachers, parents, and community members.
So by rewarding some of these states submitting applications today, by extending the Race to the Top for states, by launching a Race to the Top among school districts, and by applying the principles of Race to the Top to other federal programs, we'll build on this success.  We're going to raise the bar for all our students and take bigger steps towards closing the achievement gap that denies so many students, especially black and Latino students, a fair shot at their dreams.
We'll open up opportunity -- evenly and equitably -- across our education system.  We'll develop a culture of innovation and excellence in our public schools.  And we'll reward success, and replicate it across the country.  These are some of the principles that drive Race to the Top.  These are some of the principles that will drive my forthcoming budget.
These steps won't transform our education system overnight  -- not every school is going to be a Graham immediately.  But they will help put us on a path to raise the quality of American education, to prepare our children to succeed in their lives and their careers, and to secure America's success in the 21st century.  That's a goal my administration will be focused on achieving in the months and years to come.
Thanks very much, everybody.
END
10:31 A.M. EST

Credit CArd Protection

Does this go far enough to protect consumer against all the lunatic charges that credit card companies try to stick us with when they feel undermined. I do not know, but it is better than nothing......

 

New consumer protections for credit card users take effect today

February 22, 2010

Have you or someone you know experienced deceptive tactics from your credit card company?
Today, common sense reforms to the credit card industry will go into effect -- finally holding credit card companies accountable for their abusive practices.  The Credit CARD Act is part of our long-term plan to rebuild our economy in a way that works for middle-class families and rewards responsibility and hard work – not high-flying finance schemes.
The Credit Card Holders Bill of Rights, which this Congress passed last year, provides several new protections which will go into effect to, including:
Expanded consumer protections on rates, fees and limits

• No retroactive interest rate hikes:  If your credit card company increases your interest rate, the new rate applies only to new charges. As long as you pay on time, your original interest rate will apply for the previous balance.
• No interest rate increases for the first year: If you pay your bill on time, your credit card company can not increase your interest rate for the first 12 months after you open an account (unless you’ve agreed to an introductory or variable rate).
• Customers must opt-in to over-the-limit fees: Additionally, credit card companies can only charge over-the-limit fees once per billing cycle.
• Protections for consumers under 21 years old: If you are under 21, you will need to show you are able to make payments, or provide a co-signer, in order to open a credit card account.

Fair disclosure requirements

• 45 day notification of rate changes: Your credit card company must now provide you with 45 days of advance notice before increasing your interest rate on purchases going forward.
• Clear disclosure of your balance repayment schedule: Credit card bills must now include information on how long it would take to pay off your balance if you make only minimum payments. They must also show how much you would need to pay each month in order to pay off your balance in three years.

Changes to billing and payments

• Standard payment dates and times: Credit card companies must now mail or deliver your bill at least 21 days before your payment is due. Billing cut off times can not be earlier than 5 p.m., and you will have until the following business day if the due date is on a holiday or weekend.
• Payments over minimum now applied to highest interest rate balances: While some credit card companies used to apply payments to your lowest interest rate balance, issuers must now apply the payment to your highest interest-rate balance first.

Watch as Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, author of the bill, discusses the credit card reforms.
To learn more about these changes, as well as other smart practices for choosing and using a credit card, take a look at this credit card consumer guide produced by the Federal Reserve.

President Obama and VP Biden in the Oval Office

The Tarantino and the Senate

Senate sitting on 290 bills already passed by House; tension mounts

By J. Taylor Rushing - 02/23/10 06:00 AM ET

Exasperated House Democratic leaders have compiled a list showing that they have passed 290 bills that have stalled in the Senate.
The list is the latest sign that Democrats in the lower chamber are frustrated with their Senate counterparts.

 An aide to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) says the list is put together during each Congress, but that this year’s number is likely the largest ever. However, he said Pelosi blames GOP senators, not Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) or Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).

“The Speaker believes that the filibuster has its place, but clearly Senate Republicans are taking what was once a rare procedural move and abusing it to the detriment of progress for America’s working families,” said Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill.

But some House Democrats and their aides have shown no reticence in blaming Senate Democrats, who enjoyed a supermajority until Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) was sworn in earlier this month.
In January, House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) suggested the Senate was out of touch with Americans, and did not differentiate between the two parties.

“[Senators] tend to see themselves as a House of Lords and they don’t seem to understand that those of us that go out there every two years stay in touch with the American people,” Clyburn said in an interview with Fox News Radio. “We tend to respond to them a little better.”

Earlier this month in an MSNBC interview, House Democratic Caucus Chairman John Larson (Conn.) said, “There’s a host of things that we’ve passed already, and there needs to be action in the Senate, and people are tired of it,” adding that he was “glad the president cited the House” for making more progress than the Senate in his State of the Union address.

The list of stalled bills includes both major and minor legislation: healthcare reform; climate change; food safety; financial aid for the U.S. Postal Service; a job security act for wounded veterans; a Civil War battlefield preservation act; vision care for children; the naming of a federal courthouse in Iowa after former Rep. Jim Leach (R-Iowa); a National Historic Park named for President Jimmy Carter; a bill to improve absentee ballot voting; a bill to improve cybersecurity; and the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

Hammill said Pelosi’s office also compiled a second list in December of 90 pieces of legislation that have passed the House, more than 60 of them with at least 50 Republican votes.
“There’s a perception that the House is really partisan these days, but the actual numbers show otherwise,” Hammill said.

Reid, like Pelosi, blames Republicans for the legislative logjam. In a speech late Monday on the Senate floor, he took the GOP to task for opposing a job-growth bill pending before the chamber, and said Republicans are abusing the filibuster. “We had to file cloture some 70 times last year,” Reid said. “Seventy times. That’s remarkably bad. Let’s change that.”

This month, a group of Democratic aides and strategists told The Hill that the party risks losing its majorities if it doesn’t stop internal squabbling.

Simon Rosenberg, founder of the NDN and a former candidate for Democratic National Committee chairman, said congressional Democrats are “frustrated” but “need to look inward.”
“They have to find a way to work more effectively to do the people’s business. There’s going to have to be much tighter coordination on major legislation among the White House, Senate and House,” Rosenberg said.

The Tarantino

The 290 Bills That Have Been Passed by the House & Not Yet Acted Upon By the Senate, as of 2/12/10

By The Hill Staff - 02/22/10 08:45 PM ET

1) H.R. 12, Paycheck Fairness Act
2) H.R. 20, Melanie Blocker Stokes Mom’s Opportunity to Access Health, Education, Research, and Support for Postpartum Depression Act
3) H.R. 22, U.S. Postal Service Financial Relief Act
4) H.R. 23, Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act
5) H.R. 31, Lumbee Recognition Act
6) H.R. 35, Presidential Records Act Amendments
7) H.R. 36, Presidential Library Donation Reform Act
8) H.R. 44, Guam World War II Loyalty Recognition Act
9) H.R. 46, Family Self Sufficiency Act
10) H.R. 80, Captive Primate Safety Act
11) H.R. 81, Shark Conservation Act
12) H.R. 86, Regarding California Coastal National Monument
13) H.R. 118, Regarding Morristown National Historical Park
14) H.R. 129, Conveying Certain National Forest System Lands in Los Padres National Forest in California
15) H.R. 151, Daniel Webster Congressional Clerkship Act
16) H.R. 174, Establishing a national cemetery for veterans in the southern Colorado region
17) H.R. 310, HALE Scouts Act
18) H.R. 320, CJ’s Home Protection Act
19) H.R. 324, Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area Act
20) H.R. 325, Avra/Black Wash Reclamation and Riparian Restoration Project
21) H.R. 326, Cocopah Lands Act
22) H.R. 347, Congressional Gold Medal for 100th Infantry Battalion in World War II
23) H.R. 384, TARP Reform and Accountability Act
24) H.R. 388, Crane Conservation Act
25) H.R. 402, Naming William C. Tallent Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic
26) H.R. 403, Homes for Heroes Act
27) H.R. 409, Conveying Land to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway
28) H.R. 411, Great Cats and Rare Canids Act
29) H.r. 445, Heavy Duty Hybrid Vehicle Research, Development and Demonstration Act
30) H.R. 448, Elder Abuse Victims At
31) H.r. 466, Wounded Veteran Job Security Act
32) H.R. 469, Produced Water Utilization Act
33) H.R. 479, Wakefield Act
34) H.R. 509, Marine Turtle Conservation Reauthorization Act
35) H.R. 511, Terminating Certain Easements in Caseyville, Illinois
36) H.R. 515, Radioactive Import Deterrence Act
37) H.R. 548, Civil War Battlefield Preservation Act
38) H.R. 549, National Bombing Prevention Act
39) H.R. 553, Reducing Over-Classification Act
40) H.R. 554, National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act
41) H.R. 556, Southern Sea Otter Recovery and Research Act
42) H.R. 559, Fair, Accurate, Secure and Timely Redress Act
43) H.R. 577, Vision Care for Kids Act
44) H.R. 601, Box Elder Utah Land Conveyance Act
45) H.R. 603, Utah National Guard Readiness Act
46) H.R. 626, Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act
47) H.R. 628, Encouraging enhancement of expertise in patent cases among district judges
48) H.R. 631, Water Use Efficiency and Conservation Research Act
49) H.R. 632, Encouraging Silver Alert Plans
50) H.R. 637, South Orange County Recycled Water Enhancement Act
51) H.R. 685, United States Civil Rights Trail Special Resource Study Act
52) H.R. 689, Interchange administrative jurisdiction of certain federal lands between Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management
53) H.R. 714, Authorizing lease of certain lands in Virgin Islands National Park
54) H.R. 725, Indian Arts and Crafts Amendments Act
55) H.R. 729, Phylicia’s Law
56) H.R. 738, Death in Custody Reporting Act
57) H.R. 748, CAMPUS Safety Act
58) H.R. 749, Technical Amendment to Federal Election Campaign Act
59) H.R. 756, National Pain Care Policy Act
60) H.R. 762, Validating a final patent number
61) H.R. 780, Student Internet Safety Act
62) H.R. 842, Naming R. Jess Brown U.S. Courthouse in Jackson, Mississippi
63) H.R. 844, Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Amendments
64) H.R. 860, Coral Reef Conservation Act Reauthorization
65) H.R. 869, Naming Scott Reed Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Lexington, Kentucky
66) H.R. 885, Improved Financial and Commodity Markets Oversight and Accountability Act
67) H.R. 887, Naming James A. Leach U.S. Courthouse in Davenport, Iowa
68) H.R. 905, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve Boundary Modification Act
69) H.R. 908, Missing Alzheimer’s Disease Patient Alert Program Reauthorization
70) H.R. 911, Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act
71) H.R. 915, FAA Reauthorization Act
72) H.R. 934, Conveying certain submerged lands to Commonwealth of Mariana Islands
73) H.R. 940, Conveyance of certain National Forest System land in Louisiana
74) H.R. 957, Green Energy Education Act
75) H.R. 965, Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network Continuing Authorization Act
76) H.R. 985, Free Flow of Information Act
77) H.R. 1002, Pisgah National Forest Boundary Adjustment Act
78) H.R. 1018, Restore Our American Mustangs Act
79) H.R. 1029, Alien  Smuggling and Terrorism Prevention Act
80) H.R. 1043, Deafy Glade Land Exchange Act
81) H.R. 1044, Port Chicago Naval Magazine
82) H.R. 1053, Chesapeake Bay Accountability and Recovery Act
83) H.R. 1065, White Mountain Apache Tribe Water Rights Quantification Act
84) H.R. 1080, Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing Enforcement Act
85) H.R. 1084, CALM Act
86) H.R. 1088, Mandatory Veteran Specialist Training Act
87) H.R. 1089, Veterans Employment Rights Realignment Act
88) H.R. 1107, Relating to certain public contracts
89) H.R. 1110, PHONE Act
90) H.R. 1120, Central Texas Water Recycling Act
91) H.R. 1121, Blue Ridge Parkway and Town of Blowing Rock Land Exchange Act
92) H.R. 1129, Authorizing iron working training program for Native Americans
93) H.R. 1139, COPS Improvements Act
94) H.R. 1145, National Water Research and Development Initiative Act
95) H.R. 1147, Local Community Radio Act
96) H.R. 1148, Conducting a program in the maritime environment for the mobile biometric identification of suspected individuals to enhance border security
97) H.R. 1168, Veterans Retraining Act
98) H.R. 1170, New Assistive Technologies for Specially Adapted Housing
99) H.R. 1171, Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program Reauthorization
100) H.R. 1172, Requiring List on VA Website of Organizations Providing Scholarships for Veterans
101) H.R. 1178, Requiring a study on the use of Civil Air Patrol personnel and resources to support homeland security missions
102) H.R. 1211, Women Veterans Health Care Improvement Act
103) H.R. 1216, Naming Lance Corporal Matthew P. Pathenos Post Office in Chesterfield, Missouri
104) H.R. 1217, Naming Specialist Peter J. Navarro Post Office in Ballwin, Missouri
105) H.R. 1218, Naming Lance Corporal Drew W. Weaver Post Office in Saint Charles, Missouri
106) H.R. 1219, Lake Hodges Surface Water Improvement and Reclamation Act
107) H.R. 1242, Providing for additional monitoring and accountability of the TARP
108) H.R. 1246, Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act
109) H.R. 1253, Health Insurance Restrictions and Limitations Clarification Act
110) H.R. 1259, Dextromethorphan Distribution Act
111) H.R. 1262, Water Quality Investment Act
112) H.R. 1280, Modifying A Land Grant Issued by the Secretary of the Interior
113) H.R. 1287, Dorothy Buell Memorial Visitor Center Partnership Act
114) H.R. 1293, Disabled Veterans Home Improvement and Structural Alteration Grant Increase Act
115) H.R. 1319, Informed P2P User Act
116) H.R. 1323, Reducing Information Control Designations Act
117) H.R. 1327, Iran Sanctions Enabling Act
118) H.R. 1333, Regarding shipment of certain explosive materials to federally recognized Indian tribes
119) H.R. 1345, District of Columbia Hatch Act Reform
120) H.R. 1376, Waco Mammoth National Monument Establishment Act
121) H.R. 1380, Josh Miller HEARTS Act
122) H.R. 1385, Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act
123) H.R. 1393, Lower Rio Grande Valley Water Resources Conservation and Improvement Act
124) H.R. 1404, Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement (FLAME) Act
125) H.R. 1429, Stop AIDS in Prison Act
126) H.R. 1442, Providing for sale of federal government’s interest in 60 acres of land in Salt Lake City, Utah
127) H.R. 1454, Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp Act
128) H.R. 1471, Designating Jimmy Carter National Historic Site as a National Historical Park
129) H.R. 1511, Torture Victims Relief Reauthorization Act
130) H.R. 1517, Relating to certain U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees
131) H.R. 1580, Electronic Waste Research and Development Act
132) H.R. 1586, To impose an additional tax on bonuses received from certain TARP recipients
133) H.R. 1593, Adding a segment of Illabot Creek in State of Washington to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System
134) H.R. 1617, Department of Homeland Security Component Privacy Officer Act
135) H.R. 1622, R&D on Natural Gas Vehicles
136) H.R. 1641, Cascadia Marine Trail Study Act
137) H.R. 1662, Anthony DeJuan Boatwright Act
138) H.R. 1664, Regarding executive compensation practices of companies receiving TARP funds
139) H.R. l665, Coast Guard Acquisition Reform
140) H.R. 1672, Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative Reauthorization
141) H.R. 1674, National Consumer Cooperative Bank Act Amendments
142) H.R. 1675, Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act
143) H.R. 1676, PACT Act
144) H.R. 1679, House Reservists Pay Adjustment Act
145) H.R. 1694, Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Battlefield Protection Act
146) H.R. 1700, National Women’s History Museum Act
147) H.R. 1709, STEM Education Coordination Act
148) H.R. 1727, Managing Arson Through Criminal History (MATCH) Act
149) H.R. 1728, Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act
150) H.R. 1736, International Science and Technology Cooperation Act
151) H.R. 1741, Witness Security and Protection Grant Program Act
152) H.R. 1746, Pre-Disaster Mitigation Act
153) H.R. 1747, Great Lakes Icebreaker Replacement Act
154) H.R. 1771, Chesapeake Bay Science, Education and Ecosystem Enhancement Act
155) H.R. 1803, Veterans Business Center Act
156) H.R. 1804, Federal Retirement Reform Act
157) H.R. 1807, Educating Entrepreneurs through Today’s Technology Act
158) H.R. 1824, Best Buddies Empowerment for People with Intellectual Disabilities Act
159) H.R. 1834, Native American Business Development Enhancement Act
160) H.R. 1838, Amending Small Business Act to modify certain provisions regarding women’s business centers
161) H.R. 1839, To amend the Small Business Act to improve SCORE
162) H.R. 1842, Expanding Entrepreneurship Act
163) H.R. 1845, Small Business Development Centers Modernization Act
164) H.R. 1849, Medal of Honor Commemorative Coin Act
165) H.R. 1854, Modifying an environmental infrastructure project for Big Bear Lake, California
166) H.R. 1858, Providing for a boundary adjustment for Roosevelt National Forest in Colorado
167) H.R. 1933, A Child Is Missing Alert and Recovery Center Act
168) H.R. 1945, Tule River Tribe Water Development Act
169) H.R. 2020, Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Act
170) H.R. 2034, Rural Homeowners Protection Act
171) H.R. 2062, Migratory Bird Treaty Act Penalty and Enforcement Act
172) H.R. 2092, Kingman and Heritage Islands Act
173) H.R. 2093, Clean Coastal Environment and Public Health Act
174) H.R. 2097, Star-Spangled Banner Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Act
175) H.R. 2134, Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission Act
176) H.R. 2173, Naming Carl B. Smith Post Office in Island Falls, Maine
177) H.R. 2174, Naming Clyde Hichborn Post Office in Howland, Maine
178) H.R. 2182, Enhanced Oversight of State and Local Economic Recovery Act
179) H.R. 2187, 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act
180) H.R. 2188, Joint Ventures for Bird Habitat Conservation Act
181) H.R. 2200, Transportation Security Administration Authorization Act
182) H.R. 2221, Data Accountability and Trust Act
183) H.R. 2247, Congressional Review Act Improvement Act
184) H.R. 2265, Magna Water District Water Reuse and Groundwater Recharge Act
185) H.R. 2278, Directing President to submit a report to Congress a report on anti-American incitement to violence in the Middle East
186) H.R. 2330, Camp Hale Study Act
187) H.R. 2352, Job Creation Through Entrepreneurship Act
188) H.R. 2410, Foreign Relations Authorization Act, FY 2010 and FY 2011
189) H.R. 2423, Naming George P. Kazen Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Laredo, Texas
190) H.R. 2430, Directing the Secretary of Interior to continue stocking fish in certain lakes
191) H.R. 2442, Bay Area Regional Water Recycling Program Expansion
192) H.R. 2454, American Clean Energy and Security Act
193) H.R. 2489, National Land Remote Sensing Outreach Act
194) H.R. 2510, Absentee Ballot Track, Receive and Confirm Act
195) H.R. 2522, Regarding Calleguas Municipal Water District Recycling Project
196) H.R. 2529, Neighborhood Preservation Act
197) H.R. 2571, Nonadmitted and Reinsurance Reform Act
198) H.R. 2611, Authorizing the Securing the Cities Initiative of the Department of Homeland Security
199) H.R. 2623, Clarifying and expanding the definition of certain persons under the federal securities law
200) H.R. 2646, Government Accountability Office Improvement Act
201) H.R. 2651, Maritime Workforce Development Act
202) H.R. 2661, Court Security Act
203) H.R. 2664, Promoting Transparency in Financial Reporting Act
204) H.R. 2711, Special Agent Samuel Hicks Families of Fallen Heroes Act
205) H.R. 2728, William Orton Law Library Improvement and Modernization Act
206) H.R. 2729, Authorizing designation of National Environmental Research Parks
207) H.R. 2741, Regarding water recycling and reuse project in Hermiston, Oregon
208) H.R. 2749, Food Safety Enhancement Act
209) H.R. 2751, Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act
210) H.R. 2765, Prohibiting enforcement of foreign defamation judgments against the providers of interactive computer services
211) H.R. 2770, Veterans Nonprofit Research and Education Corporations Enhancement Act
212) H.R. 2781, Designating segment of Molalla River in Oregon as part of National Wild and Scenic Rivers System
213) H.R. 2802, Regarding the Adams Memorial Foundation
214) H.R. 2806, Adjusting border of Stephen Mather Wilderness and the North Cascades National Park
215) H.R. 2843, Architect of the Capitol Appointment Act
216) H.R. 2847, Jobs for Main Street Act
217) H.R. 2868, Chemical and Water Security Act
218) H.R. 2873, Enhanced SEC Enforcement Authority Act
219) H.R. 2947, Securities Law Technical Corrections Act
220) H.R. 2950, Regarding prepayment of contracts between U.S. and Uintah Water Conservancy District
221) H.R. 2971, Naming Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Post Office in Portland, Oregon
222) H.R. 2990, Disabled Military Retiree Relief Act
223) H.R. 3014, Small Business Health Information Technology Financing Act
224) H.R. 3029, Improving Efficiency of Gas Turbines
225) H.R. 3113, Upper Elk River Wild and Scenic Study Act
226) H.R. 3123, Regarding collapsed drainage tunnel in Leadville, Colorado
227) H.R. 3137, Regarding authority of U.S. Postal Service to accept donations as an additional source of funding for commemorative plaques
228) H.R. 3157, Naming Max J. Beilke Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic in Alexandria, Minnesota
229) H.R. 3165, Wind Energy Research and Development Act
230) H.R. 3175, Conveying to Miami-Dade County certain federally owned land in Florida
231) H.R. 3179, SIG TARP Small Business Awareness Act
232) H.R. 3193, Naming Alto Lee Adams, Sr., U.S. Courthouse in Fort Pierce, Florida
233) H.R. 3219, Veterans’ Insurance and Health Care Improvements Act
234) H.R. 3221, Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act
235) H.R. 3224, Building a vehicle maintenance building for Smithsonian Institution
236) H.R. 3237, Enacting certain laws relating to national and commercial space programs
237) H.R. 3246, Advanced Vehicle Technology Act
238) H.R. 3250, Naming Private First Class Garfield M. Langhorn Post Office in Riverhead, New York
239) H.R. 3254, Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act
240) H.R. 3269, Corporate and Financial Institution Compensation Fairness Act
241) H.R. 3276, American Medical Isotopes Production Act
242) H.R. 3305, Naming H. Dale Cook Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Tulsa, Oklahoma
243) H.R. 3330, Improved Oversight by Financial Inspectors General Act
244) H.R. 3342, Aamodt Litigation Settlement Act
245) H.R. 3360, Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act
246) H.R. 3371, Airline Safety and Pilot Training Improvement Act
247) H.R. 3388, Petersburg National Battlefield Boundary Modification Act
248) H.R. 3433, Regarding payment of non-federal share of costs of wetland conservation projects in Canada
249) H.R. 3476, Reauthorizing the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Citizen Advisory Commission
250) H.R. 3527, FHA Multifamily Loan Limit Adjustment Act
251) H.R. 3537, Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program Reauthorization Act
252) H.R. 3570, Satellite Home Viewer Reauthorization Act
253) H.R. 3585, Solar Technology Roadmap Act
254) H.R. 3598, Energy and Water Research Integration Act
255) H.R. 3603, Renaming the Ocmulgee National Monument
256) H.R. 3618, Clean Hull Act
257) H.R. 3619, Coast Guard Authorization Act
258) H.R. 3631, Medicare Premium Fairness Act
259) H.R. 3632, Federal Judiciary Administrative Improvements Act
260) H.R. 3634, Naming George Kell Post Office in Swifton, Arkansas
261) H.R. 3639, Expedited CARD Reform for Consumers Act
261) H.R. 3689, Extending legislative authority of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
262) H.R. 3714, Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act
263) H.R. 3726, Castle Nugent National Historic Site Establishment Act
264) H.R. 3737, Small Business Microlending Expansion Act
265) H.R. 3738, Small Business Early-Stage Investment Act
266) H.R. 3743, Small Business Disaster Readiness and Reform Act
267) H.R. 3759, BLM Contract Extension Act
268) H.R. 3763, Certain amendments to Fair Credit Reporting Act
269) H.R. 3791, Fire Grants Reauthorization Act
270) H.R. 3804, National Park Service Authorities and Corrections Act
271) H.R. 3854, Small Business Financing and Investment Act
272) H.R. 3892, Naming E.V. Wilkins Post Office in Roper, North Carolina
273) H.R. 3940, Facilitating public education programs in the non-self-governing territories of the United States
274) H.R. 3949, Veterans’ Small Business Assistance and Servicemembers Protection Act
275) H.R. 3951, Naming Roy Rondeno Sr. Post Office in New Orleans, Louisiana
276) H.R. 3961, Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act
277) H.R. 3963, Criminal Investigative Training Restoration Act
278) H.R. 3978, First Responder Anti-Terrorism Training Resources Act
279) H.R. 3980, Redundancy Elimination and Enhanced Performance for Preparedness Grants Act
280) H.R. 4017, Naming Ann Marie Blute Post Office in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts
281) H.R. 4061, Cybersecurity Enhancement Act
282) H.R. 4095, Naming Congresswoman Jan Meyers Post Office in Overland Park, Kansas
283) H.R. 4139, Naming Sergeant Matthew L. Ingram Post Office in Hickory, Mississippi
284) H.R. 4154, Permanent Estate Tax Relief for Families, Farmers and Small Businesses Act
285) H.R. 4173, Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act
286) H.R. 4194, Law Student Clinic Participation Act
287) H.R. 4213, Tax Extenders Act
288) H.R. 4474, Idaho Wilderness Water Facilities Act
289) H.R. 4495, Naming Jim Kolbe Post Office in Patagonia, Arizona
290) H.R.4532, Social Security Disability Applicant’s Access to Professional Representation Act

NASA Night Shuttle Landing

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Republican Alternative to Health Care Bill

 GOP Website

November 3, 2009 (8:35 p.m.)

Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H.R___________

Summary of Republican Alternative Health Care Plan updated 11/4/09


Is this the health care plan ththat the REpublicans have put forth for America. They state without adding to the crushing debt Washington has placed on our children and grandchildren. I would love to see how they might try and pull that off...

CBO finding on Republican Health Care Bill 11/04/09

CBO: Republican health plan would reduce premiums, cut deficit

By: Susan Ferrechio
Chief Congressional Correspondent
11/05/09 6:30 AM EST

The Congressional Budget Office Wednesday night released its cost analysis of the Republican health care plan and found that it would reduce health care premiums and cut the deficit by $68 billion over ten years.

The Republican plan does not call for a government insurance plan but rather attempts to reform the system by creating high-risk insurance pools, allowing people to purchase health insurance policies across state lines and instituting medical malpractice reforms.

"Not only does the GOP plan lower health care costs, but it also increases access to quality care, including for those with pre-existing conditions, at a price our country can afford," House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, said.

According to CBO, the GOP bill would indeed lower costs, particularly for small businesses that have trouble finding affordable health care policies for their employees. The report found rates would drop by seven to 10 percent for this group, and by five to eight percent for the individual market, where it can also be difficult to find affordable policies.

The GOP plan would have the smallest economic impact on the large group market that serves people working for large businesses that have access to the cheapest coverage. Those premiums would decline by zero to 3 percent, the CBO said.

The analysis shows the Republican plan would do little to expand coverage, which Democrats were quick to point out in a late night missive to reporters.

"Here's the Bottom line - Americans lose and Insurance companies win under the Republican plan," Pelosi spokesman Nadeam Elshami said.

The CBO found that under the Republican plan, insurance coverage would increase by about 3 million and that the percentage of insured non-elderly adults would remain at about 83 percent after ten years. The House bill would increase coverage to an additional 36 million people, raising the number of insured to 96 percent.

The CBO put the price tag for the GOP plan at $61 billion, a fraction of the $1.05 trillion cost estimate it gave to the House bill that lawmakers are set to vote on this weekend. And the CBO found that the Republican provision to reform medical malpractice liability would result in $41 billion in savings and increase revenues by $13 billion by reducing the cost of private health insurance plans.

Congressional Budget Office Thrashes Republican Health-Care Plan

Republicans are learning an unpleasant lesson this morning: The only thing worse than having no health-care reform plan is releasing a bad one, getting thrashed by CBO and making the House Democrats look good in comparison.
Late last night, the Congressional Budget Office released its initial analysis of the health-care reform plan that Republican Minority Leader John Boehner offered as a substitute to the Democratic legislation. CBO begins with the baseline estimate that 17 percent of legal, non-elderly residents won't have health-care insurance in 2010. In 2019, after 10 years of the Republican plan, CBO estimates that ...17 percent of legal, non-elderly residents won't have health-care insurance. The Republican alternative will have helped 3 million people secure coverage, which is barely keeping up with population growth. Compare that to the Democratic bill, which covers 36 million more people and cuts the uninsured population to 4 percent.
But maybe, you say, the Republican bill does a really good job cutting costs. According to CBO, the GOP's alternative will shave $68 billion off the deficit in the next 10 years. The Democrats, CBO says, will slice $104 billion off the deficit.
The Democratic bill, in other words, covers 12 times as many people and saves $36 billion more than the Republican plan. And amazingly, the Democratic bill has already been through three committees and a merger process. It's already been shown to interest groups and advocacy organizations and industry stakeholders. It's already made its compromises with reality. It's already been through the legislative sausage grinder. And yet it saves more money and covers more people than the blank-slate alternative proposed by John Boehner and the House Republicans. The Democrats, constrained by reality, produced a far better plan than Boehner, who was constrained solely by his political imagination and legislative skill.
This is a major embarrassment for the Republicans. It's one thing to keep your cards close to your chest. Republicans are in the minority, after all, and their plan stands no chance of passage. It's another to lay them out on the table and show everyone that you have no hand, and aren't even totally sure how to play the game. The Democratic plan isn't perfect, but in comparison, it's looking astonishingly good.
By Ezra Klein  |  November 5, 2009; 8:15 AM ET

White House will release its health bill at 10 a.m. Monday 

Putting Americans in Control of their Health Care

New web site for the President;s health care Plans

The White House will release its healthcare bill online at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow.
According to an email sent Sunday night to reporters, President Barack Obama will release his health reform plan after briefing reporters on it earlier Monday morning.
The legislation's release comes before a highly-anticipated bipartisan summit on Thursday that will bring House and Senate leaders from both parties to Blair House to try and hash out compromises on reform efforts.
The bill will include a number of reforms, including proposing the ability for the administration to block increases in insurance rates it considers excessive, according to a preliminary report of the bill's contents by the New York Times.

Obama Health Care Plan Drops Public Option

 

Despite the recent surge of support in the Senate for a government-run health insurance option, President Obama chose not to include one of the most popular elements of reform in the plan he is presenting to a bipartisan group of lawmakers Thursday.
The Obama plan explicitly bridges the differences between Senate and House legislation on issues both large and small, but on the public option -- which is included in the House bill, but not in the Senate's -- Obama is entirely silent.
Last week, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow that Obama would "absolutely" fight for a public option if Senate leadership decided to go for it. "[I]f it's part of the decision of leadership to move forward, absolutely," Sebelius said. "The president said from the outset he thought that was a great way to provide cost reduction and competition moving forward, but if that is not the choice of the majority moving forward, I think there are other ways to get there."
Since then, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said he would work with his colleagues to find the votes needed for it; Sen. Charles Schumer (N.Y.), the third ranking Democrat, pushed for it to be included; and Sen. Bob Menendez (N.J.), chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, joined in the call as well.
But neither that nor the public option's consistently strong appeal in public-opinion polls was enough to persuade Obama to get behind it.
Indeed, after months of watching Obama say generally that he supports the public option while doing little to see it implemented into law, backers of the idea were unsurprised it was left out of his final offer.
"We didn't expect one," said Darcy Burner, head of the Progressive Caucus Policy Foundation.

Health Care: How a Summit Can Work

My first view of the summit was that it was a bad idea; one in which the risks were disproportionately being taken by President Obama. But the general gridlock in the Congress, and particularly the polls that came out at the end of last week have changed my thinking.
Just to be clear, a deep skepticism continues to be a strong minor chord in how I think about summit meetings in general, and this one in particular. Summits work best when the conclusions are reached before the summit begins, and the role of the attendees is to put an approval stamp on them. Summits are terrible vehicles for the discussion of major open issues; and it is hard for me even to imagine how a televised summit can possibly work.
But... this reasoning is only correct if you think that the situation and position of the Administration is just fine and will stay that way. More melodramatically, if you think the country is in fine shape. If, however, you believe the situation is precarious, that some kind of change of strategy is essential, and on the minor question of the substance, even a start at real health care reform is unlikely without a game-changer -- then the situation looks different. That's where I think we are. I found two recent columns quite convincing. Ruth Marcus, writing in the Washington Post on Feb 10, argues that while the path to a summit may not have been particularly orderly, it may be that if the President is willing to "ladle some meat into the bowl" -- that is, by making a real move away from the current non-starting health care legislation on the Hill, he might actually move some Republican Senate votes. I think so also, and I think the recent polls suggest why.
In Friday's New York Times, David Brooks argued that "the original Obama project, the third Democratic wave (of domestic transformation), is dead." He then goes on to say that the Obama project that can still be successful ought to be to show that the nation is governable once again, and that people can reach across the aisle and come to real agreements. I don't think that the substantive Obama agenda is "dead," but I do think it can only happen with major modifications. I also think it can only happen if the President does indeed show that our nation is governable again. The only way the President can begin to restore trust on the part of the American people in government is to show that the system can produce something.
Finally, the newest polls say that while Obama remains somewhat below the 50% mark in terms of popularity, the Congress hits new lows by the day. Democrats are marginally more popular than Republicans but both sides in Congress are in trouble. Fewer than 10% of Americans believe that members of Congress deserve reelection. At the same time, President Obama is about 5 times more popular than the Congress. He is seen by Americans as less likely to favor special interests, and as someone who understands their needs and problems and has made more of an effort to be bipartisan. Congress really does have to show that it can do something, and its only available partner is President Obama, who is much more popular. This is particularly true for Republicans. Their barely disguised effort to take the president down by making sure nothing works may hurt Obama, but it will hurt the Republicans more.
This Summit could be productive. There remains a shot at real health care reform, and President Obama could come out of a productive summit in quite good shape. It all depends on what he has in mind, and how he plans to proceed. So lets look at that.
The White House has announced that it will put its own health care proposal on line a few days before the summit. I hope that proposal (1) steps away from the current bills in the House; (2) is clearly bipartisan in the sense of adopting some important proposals that some Republicans have put forward; (3) does not try a total all at one time transformation but rather proposes some actions for now and offers a roadmap for the future; and (4) shows a more balanced concern for costs of as well as increased access to health care. I think you can do all of this including adopting some key Republican proposals.
If I were writing the policy proposal, I would go in the following broad general directions.
(1) In terms of exchanges acting as a basic mechanism for long run cost control, we do not now have any general mechanism that permits and requires the cost conscious exercise of true choice by consumers. Most employees have their choices made by a human resource bureaucrat in their company. The remaining "market" is a small rump market which is balkanized between the states so there is no conceivable way it can function. Both the House and Senate bills put exchanges forward unenthusiastically; the bipartisan Wyden-Bennett bill had exchanges as its centerpiece; and it is a market mechanism the Republicans should love. Lets strengthen the exchanges, take away the antitrust exemption of insurance companies, but at the same time allow them to compete nationally.
(2) We need a major commitment to access to health care for all kids under 18, including pre-natal care; coupled with a road map for the future. I've written on this topic within the last week and will not repeat myself, but this has to be a direction that would be attractive for both parties. But at the same time lets make a move toward broader access, and fairness -- even if we can't afford to do everything now. Let's agree with the Republicans on medical savings accounts and provide a tax sheltered way for the self-employed to pay for health care. Some Republicans suggest providing federal money to states "to establish high-risk pools, for people with chronic illnesses who cannot find private insurance at an affordable price; I think the Summit should take this idea seriously.
(3) Tort Reform - This is a central cause for Republicans, President Obama has spoken favorably about it; it should be a central part of the Administration's proposals.
(4) We need to adopt the "cadillac" tax. The complete tax sheltering of all employer provided health insurance is bad policy: it is unfair, and it makes cost conscious individual choice impossible. I would rather turn the current exemption into a credit available to everyone but the tax is what is possible today.
My point is simple. As soon as you step away from the debate we have been mired in for a year that focuses entirely on the current House and Senate bills -- as soon as you allow other ideas to enter in -- a large number of feasible directions emerge that Republicans will have to think long and hard about before they turn on and oppose. I like the picture of President Obama presiding over a summit in which he has put forward a truly bipartisan proposal. I think he comes out of such a summit either with a health care direction that can work; or with the Republicans pushed into a corner they will have trouble getting out of.
There is just one problem with all of this I do not understand. Simultaneously, on a completely different track, in a universe far away, the House and Senate leadership is preparing to go forward with the existing Senate health care bill and with reconciliation legislation that will be jammed through the Senate. There is probably a level of political tactics here so deep, so subtle, so devious that ordinary humans will never understand it. But this would seem to me to blow up any chance that the summit could be successful.

Obama Calls Bipartisan Summit A Test Of Problem Solving

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama said Saturday the health care meeting he's holding next week with Democratic and Republican lawmakers will test their ability to solve not just this problem, but other problems, too.
Republicans said lawmakers must scrap current proposals and start over, lest the meeting turn into a charade.
"After debating this issue exhaustively for a year, let's move forward together," Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address. "Next week is our chance to finally reform our health insurance system so it works for families and small businesses. It's our chance to finally give Americans the peace of mind of knowing that they'll be able to have affordable coverage when they need it most."
A starting point for talks at Thursday's meeting at Blair House, across the street from the White House, is a yet-to-be-seen version of two health care bills passed separately by the Democratic-controlled House and Senate.
Speaking for Republicans in their weekly address, Michigan Rep. Dave Camp said people want Obama and the Democrats to "scrap their misguided plan of a government takeover of health care" and start over by taking a step-by-step approach.
"For those families and small businesses looking for a sign that Washington is ready to wake up and find common sense on this issue, next week's White House health care summit may not be it," said Camp, the top Republican on the Ways and Means Committee, one of several congressional panels that helped draft the House version of the overhaul bill.
He charged that the newest bill was being written in secret and said that "if the starting point for this summit is more of the same backroom deals and partisan bills, then this meeting will likely be a charade."
Obama said the session, to be televised by C-SPAN, will test whether the executive and legislative branches of government can work together. He said people are fed up with a partisan sourness that is causing gridlock.
"What's being tested here is not just our ability to solve this one problem, but our ability to solve any problem," Obama said.

We the People

The American people are smart enough to do this on their own. -- John Boehner, Ohio Republican Representative, when asked on Meet The Press if there should be federal government regulation over the purchase of health insurance across state lines.

Part of our 2010 Faux Revolution is the expulsion of ridiculously unsubstantiated nonsense like using the American People whenever someone is trying to make, prove or back up a point. There is no real American People, and if there were such an animal there is no way they would be willing or able to agree en masse on everything stated daily by debaters, lawmakers, executives, pundits, etc. It is a fantasy, which is a nice way of saying it is a blatant lie, and it must stop. In fact, all mention of any kind of "people" in solidarity must cease, especially when pitching ideology. The good of a group is never considered when ideologies are being thrown around. It is only good for the ideologues espousing their creed for an explicit segment of society. The rest is a steaming pile of bullshit.

There is one exception; as is the rule in every scientific postulation: The American People adore free stuff or want a lot of stuff, but not pay a lot for it. This, of course, is not particular to the American People, but Human Nature in general. "Free" is the most popular word in any language, but since we are built as a nation on the concept of Free, it comes with the territory. This is why populism is so popular among the American People. Give us more cops! More parks! More malls! More roads to get to the malls! Bring the mail! Protect the kids! Kill the bad guys abroad! Keep the banks honest! Taxes? Fuck that!
Then there is the Oedipal angle of the American People. Who did this terrible thing to us? Oh, it's us!
For instance, lately, the American People have come to their senses about institutions; suddenly they all suck. Government, Organized Religion, Banks, Military, almost all forms of systemic authority are under scrutiny. Ah, but who thought up these institutions? Who runs them? In most cases who chooses who runs them? And who supports their perpetuation? The American People do. Did I miss something? Are the Russians running our banking system? Who makes our laws and enacts them? Scandinavians or Americans? And are these people or pods of some kind?
Right now you're shouting, "Hey, I didn't vote for..." or " I did not choose...", but then aren't you also a member of the American People?
A-ha!
I love when American People in a position to opine while speechifying broach the distinction between the American People living on Main Street and the American People running Wall Street; as if only one such group is defined as the American People, which is apparently at odds with the thinking of the American People.
Another queer aspect of the American People quotient is its inability as a group to determine what is acceptable for the individual as opposed to the whole, and most importantly how individual conscience deals with society at large.
Two prime examples of this would be Abortion Rights and the Environment.
Several polls annually state a majority of the American People is against abortion as an act, the act of yanking a live healthy human fetus from an otherwise healthy female host. Yet, if faced with an individual case, say, your daughter is raped by a retarded, herpes-ravaged dope fiend at a Death Metal Concert, there is some leeway. Usually, in a bizarre twist many American People who do not want the government regulating their use of weaponry have no problem dictating the possession of actual living tissue inside fifty-one percent of the populace.
Oh, and although the American People are all for drilling for oil or wiping out forests to build Walmarts, it's not so cut and dry if it is taking place across the street. In both cases we have a "We're against it, but..." and a "We're all for it, but..." issues continuously presented as one solution to please the American People
Another excellent and more pressing illustration is the National Health Care issue. Like Social Security, Medicare, Education, and other mass government-run entitlements, there is at first an opposing yammer of "socialism" or "tyranny". Then, after it is instituted, whether it works or not, it's a Third Rail, an untouchable "right" of the American People. First the American People are against it, and then once they have it, the American People fight like rabid dogs to keep it. In most circles this would be called schizophrenic behavior, in more select ones, fucking hypocrisy.
Then there is the case of the American People not realizing who is among the counted, as in every possible Gay Rights issue known to us.
Right now there is a congressional hearing going on to determine if it is unlawful to deny members of the United States military, which is of course apprised of American People, their right to be openly gay.
This is spectacularly asinine in several fascinating ways, not the least of which being that whilst engaged in military service American People are no longer considered "civilian", and thus their normal everyday distinctions as woman or man, black or white, poor or privileged, etc, no longer apply. The idea of an army of one is an Army of One. This accounts for the similarity in haircuts and uniform, not to mention a singular code of decorum. The individual aspects of the American People are stripped from them, including determining the worth of a soldier by where he/she places his/her privates in any given act of coitus.
But that's nothing compared to the outrage of debating a government employee's individual rights while completely ignoring those of the American People who happen to also make up our homosexual citizenry. This is not only the proverbial "cart before the horse" as much as it is "the contents of the cart before the cart is even assembled". Never mind the goddamned horse.
So, okay, we're agreed? The American People do not want national health insurance just assuredly as the American People crave it. The American People include the entirety of the American People regardless of sexual or political preference. Therefore we conclude unequivocally to never dump the American People on the American People again.

Democrats and Health Care Reform

Weiner: 'This is a 51 vote plan, not a 60 vote plan'

By Eric Zimmermann - 02/22/10 01:50 PM ET

President Obama's new healthcare proposal will likely gain only Democratic support, and that's a good thing, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) said today.
"[T]his bill is a 51 vote plan and not a 60 vote plan – that is great news," Weiner said in a statement. "Democrats wasted a year bowing to the altar of Olympia Snowe, Joe Lieberman and Ben Nelson and it got us nowhere."
Weiner's comments suggest that Obama hopes to pass his plan using budget reconciliation, which would only require 51 votes. Democrats probably couldn't pass an entire piece of legislation using that tactic, but could use it to push through some of smaller modifications that Obama announced today.
Nevertheless, Weiner said he was disappointed Obama didn't include a public option or a broader, national insurance exchange.
"These concessions to Republicans are in the hopes of winning their support," Weiner said in a statement. "This will simply not happen. We need to stop bargaining against ourselves. Who are we making concessions to? Republicans have shown over and over again that they have no interest in real reform."

Obama Won't Drop Potential Use Of Reconciliation On Health Care

President Obama wants to keep the option of using reconciliation to pass health care reform despite calls from Republican lawmakers that he agree to drop the parliamentary maneuver as a "good faith" gesture" before their bipartisan health care summit.
White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs said on Tuesday that Republicans coming to the West Wing for the much-anticipated February 25 meeting would be better off arriving "without preconditions." Asked whether Obama would commit to not using reconciliation -- which would allow aspects of health care legislation to be considered in the Senate by an up-or-down vote -- Gibbs replied:

The president is not going to eliminate things based on preconditions. And if that's one of their preconditions, the president doesn't agree to limiting the way we are going to discuss this.

The day before, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) penned a letter to White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel expressing their reluctance to participate in the health care summit and asking that ground rules be set before talks begin. Among those rules: agreeing to not use reconciliation to make amendments to the Senate health care bill.
"Eliminating the possibility of reconciliation would represent an important show of good faith to Republicans and the American people," the two GOP leaders wrote.
Both Boehner and Cantor pushed for Obama to scrap the legislative language in its entirety and start the process over from scratch.
During a surprise appearance before the White House press corps, President Obama was asked whether he could live with bipartisanship by this definition. He could not.
"I am going to be starting from scratch in the sense that I will be open to any ideas that help promote these goals," he said. "What I will not do, what I don't think makes sense... will be another year of partisan wrangling around these issues, another six months, or eight months, or nine months worth of hearings in every single committee in the House and Senate in which there is a lot of posturing... Let's get the relevant parties together... My hope is we can find enough overlap that we can say, 'This is the right way to move forward," even if we don't get every single idea that I want."

Rep. Miller: Obama Won't Get Single GOP Vote Despite Bipartisan Outreach

A leading House Democrat predicted on Tuesday that not a single Republican lawmaker will end up supporting health care legislation despite President Obama's efforts at bipartisan outreach.
Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), who chairs the House Education Committee and played an integral role in crafting health care reform in his chamber, told the Huffington Post that he believes GOP leadership is trying to use the upcoming White House summit to effectively kill any prospects for legislative success. Pointing to requests by House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) that the president scrap the bills that have already passed the House and the Senate in favor of starting from scratch, the congressman remarked:
"It is fatal to this process and that is why they are proposing it. They are hoping that we will not be successful. The fact is, speaking for the House, each of us had very long markups. The Republicans fully participated. They offered amendments. Some amendments were accepted in different committees. They were offered a chance to have a substitute on the floor. They offered a substitute. The CBO told us that if we did it their way we would have ten million more uninsured people in this country at the end of ten years than we have today. That doesn't sound like an answer that meets the needs of the American public. And I think the president is being very generous. He is offering them an opportunity and we will see what happens from that."
Pressed as to whether he thought Obama would actually be successful in getting even one Republican vote for health care reform as a byproduct of bringing their voices and input into the process, Miller replied: "I'm not one who believes that that is the situation. But the president wants to make this effort and if it works, fine."
It seems fair to grant Miller the skepticism he brings to discussion of a bipartisan summit on health care reform. As the congressman notes, Republicans have long been part of the legislative process -- participating in the Gang of Six negotiations in the Senate, introducing and securing conservative amendments and successfully moving both chambers' bills away from the progressive pole. For that, Democrats earned a single GOP vote in the House -- Rep. Joseph Cao (R-La.), who has since said he will oppose the bill.
On Tuesday, President Obama told reporters, in a surprise appearance at the briefing room, that bipartisanship had to be a two-way street. Miller, like others in the House, is relaying the message that the White House should start mapping out different roads.
"[T]he idea that we would scrap the bill, the idea that we go back, basically they are asking for an expansion of the status quo health care system," he said. "This is a system that is crushing families, crushing business and crushing [the] economy, and the Republicans want to say, if we just do more of this everything will get better."
Dems Won't Commit To Having Final Bill For Health Care Summit

 

House Democratic leaders are refusing to commit to producing a final comprehensive piece of health care legislation to present at the much-anticipated bipartisan summit later this month.
In a conference call with reporters on Wednesday a quartet of prominent Democratic lawmakers said that progress was being made in discussions with Senate Democrats to find common ground between their two respective bills. But they refused repeated attempts to say that those negotiations will be finalized by the time the White House convenes congressional leadership on February 25.
"I don't know whether the president is going to put one particular piece of legislation on the table," said Rep. Chris Van Hollen, (D-Md.) chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "But as he has said both the House and Senate bills provide a way forward."
In the absence of a single bill to present at the summit, Democrats seem poised to offer a document of detailed principles. In addition to Van Hollen, Reps. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.) and Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) both noted on the call that there was substantial overlap between the Senate and House bills -- enough that leadership in each chamber will be comfortable with the party's presentation at the summit.
But not having a final draft presents obvious obstacles, none more dangerous than granting Republican critics a pass of sorts for not coming to the summit with a detailed plan of their own. After all, in the letter formally inviting congressional lawmakers to the Blair House summit, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel wrote that "we will post online the text of a proposed health insurance reform package," before the meeting. He then invited the GOP to do the same.
"It is the President's hope," Emanuel wrote, "that the Republican congressional leadership will also put forward their own comprehensive bill to achieve those goals and make it available online as well."
The Democrats refusal to commit to the White House suggestion indicated that the party remained hindered by internal disagreement over how to move forward with health care legislation and what that legislation should look like. Van Hollen said that the "House and Senate have come very close to reaching a final agreement in coordination with the White House."

GOP and Health C are Reform

Boehner: Obama Has 'Crippled The Credibility' Of Health Summit

Posted: 02-22-10 12:19 PM

digg

Read More: Boehner Summit, John Boehner, Obama Crippled, Obama Health Care, Obama Summit, Summit Health Care, Politics News

President Obama's latest appeal for bipartisanship appears to be eliciting the usual response.
Obama on Monday morning put forth his own health care reform plan, intending it to serve as an "opening bid" for Thursday's bipartisan summit meeting.
But House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) quickly released a statement charging that the new proposal seriously jeopardizes the entire bipartisan meeting because it is built off the bills already passed by Democrats in the Senate and the House.
"The President has crippled the credibility of this week's summit by proposing the same massive government takeover of health care based on a partisan bill the American people have already rejected. This new Democrats-only backroom deal doubles down on the same failed approach that will drive up premiums, destroy jobs, raise taxes, and slash Medicare benefits," Boehner said. "This week's summit clearly has all the makings of a Democratic infomercial for continuing on a partisan course that relies on more backroom deals and parliamentary tricks to circumvent the will of the American people and jam through a massive government takeover of health care."
Boehner's negative reaction is consistent with the Republican approach towards health-care reform legislation in particular, and Democratic lawmaking in general. The GOP has shown no interest in working constructively with Obama or the majority party, choosing instead to draw the reform process out in hopes of bleeding it to death.
Nevertheless, the GOP appears particularly desperate to delegitimize this week's summit. Obama made his own health care proposal public on Monday morning, giving participants three days to examine them before the meeting. Obama has asked that the summit be televised. And it's heavily rumored that he will add one or two Republican-backed measures to the legislation as a show of bipartisanship. All of these steps satisfy previous GOP demands.
Boehner can spin the summit as a set-up, and he and his colleagues can refuse to show up at the last minute. But even as he extends his hand for Republican support, Obama clearly isn't counting on any.

Through the use of reconciliation, a parliamentary procedure that precludes filibusters, the Senate could pass a bill with only Democratic support. "This package is designed to help us [use reconciliation] if the Republican Party decides to filibuster health care reform," Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer said on a Monday morning conference call with reporters. "That was certainly a factor that went in to how we put this proposal together."
 

Republicans Unlikely To Pull Out Of Health Summit, GOPers Say

After talking to a bunch of senior Republican aides and advisers on background, I can report that the chatter in GOP circles is that it’s unlikely that Republicans will pull out of the health care summit, despite GOP leadership hints to the contrary.
The basic view is that the President would have to say or do something dramatic and eye-popping that would give Republicans an unequivocal pretext for pulling out. GOPers doubt Obama will be clumsy enough to do this, given that the White House clearly wants the summit to happen for its own political purposes.
“I don’t see anybody pulling out at this point,” one senior GOP aide says. “You would have to have something serious to point to as a reason to pull out.”
Reps John Boehner and Eric Cantor sent a letter yesterday to the White House, laying out a number of conditions for Republican participation. The letter said that if Obama was unwilling to scrap the current health reform proposals and start over, Republicans “would rightly be reluctant to participate.”
But one senior GOP strategist who regularly advises the GOP Congressional leadership said this move was more about pressuring the White House to alter the conditions somewhat in the GOP’s favor, and putting responsibility for the optics of the event on the White House, than about any real threat to pull out.
“They put the ball squarely in the president’s court,” this strategist says. “But the anticipation is he’s going to do this in the right way.”
A senior GOP leadership aide involved in plotting party strategy added that Republicans were unlikely to pull out because it would make their own intransigence, rather than Obama’s efforts at a course correction, the story. “After a year of demonstrating a commitment to a partisan agenda it’s on the White House to prove otherwise,” this aide said. “We aren’t interested in doing their work for them.”
“We don’t make a habit out of turning down invitations from the President regardless of the merit of the exercise,” the aide continued. “Although we’re not excited about filming an infomercial for the President’s new `bipartisan’ PR campaign.”

GOP demands White House post health care proposal online, then attacks WH for doing exactly that

Here is one from the "negotiating in good faith" files.

On February 8th, Republican House leader John Beohner sent a letter to the White House, demanding that the White House post online any health care proposal it wished to discuss at the health care summit:

If the President intends to present any kind of legislative proposal at this discussion, will he make it available to members of Congress and the American people at least 72 hours beforehand?

So, four days later, the White House accepted this demand, and announced it would post a legislative proposal online more than 72 hours before the summit:

Since this meeting will be most productive if information is widely available before the meeting, we will post online the text of a proposed health insurance reform package.

So, naturally, the next day, Boehner attacked the White House for giving into his demand:

"A productive bipartisan discussion should begin with a clean sheet of paper," Boehner said in a statement.

I see.

GOP Launch Time Travel Machine to Disagree with Obama in Future

WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report) - In a plot twist worthy of the television series Lost, key congressional Republicans launched themselves in a state-of-the-art time machine today to complete an important mission: traveling to the future to disagree with President Barack Obama.
The self-styled "timestronauts," led by House Minority Leader John Boehner, traveled four days into the future to attend this Thursday's health care summit.
Returning safely to the present after their brief visit to the future, Rep. Boehner took issue with everything Mr. Obama will say on Thursday.
"My colleagues and I have traveled four days into the future and listened to everything the President will say," he told reporters at the Capitol. "And it all will suck."
Rep. Boehner said that the Republican time-travel machine was an unqualified success, and may have even broader applications going forward: "We hope someday to take this entire country back to the nineteenth century."
Minutes after Rep. Boehner's press conference, White House spokesperson Robert Gibbs blasted the GOP time-travel mission as "an insult to the spirit of bipartisanship and a gross misuse of time-travel technology."
Rep. Boehner offered this response: "Obviously, we already knew he was going to say that."