March 3, 2010 3:53 pm
Breitbart (AP), “Time to act on health care, Obama declares”
by Alan Fram
President Barack Obama urged Congress Wednesday to vote “up or down” on sweeping health care legislation in the next few weeks, endorsing a plan that denies Senate Republicans the right to kill the bill by stalling with a filibuster.
“I don’t see how another year of negotiations would help. Moreover, the insurance companies aren’t starting over,” Obama said, rejecting Republican calls to begin anew on an effort to remake the health care system.
The president made his appeal as Democratic leaders in Congress surveyed their rank and file for the votes needed to pass legislation by majority vote—invoking rules that deny Senate Republicans the right to block it through endless stalling debate. Obama specifically endorsed that approach.
Breitbart (AP) article continues here.
February 23, 2010 2:04 pm
Breitbart (AP), “Cheney tests showed evidence of mild heart attack”
An aide to Dick Cheney says tests on the former vice president showed “evidence of a mild heart attack.”
Cheney was admitted to a Washington hospital on Monday after experiencing chest pains.
Aide Peter Long issued a statement Tuesday saying lab tests at George Washington University Hospital found “evidence of a mild heart attack.” Long said the 69-year-old Cheney underwent a stress test and a heart procedure.
He said Cheney was feeling good and was expected to be released from the hospital before the end of the week.
Cheney has a history of heart problems. The newly diagnosed heart attack is his fifth since age 37.
Breitbart (AP) article continues here.
February 9, 2010 9:25 pm
Breitbart, “GOP blocks Obama labor board nominee”
by Sam Hananel
Senate Republicans have succeeded in blocking President Barack Obama’s choice of a union lawyer for the National Labor Relations Board.
The 52-33 vote to move forward with the nomination of Craig Becker fell short of the 60 needed to overcome a GOP filibuster.
Republicans have held up Becker’s confirmation for months. They say Becker would push an aggressive union agenda at the agency that referees labor disputes between unions and management.
Breitbart article continues here.
February 8, 2010 8:19 pm
Breitbart (AFP), “Iran anniversary ‘punch’ will stun West: Khamenei”
Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Monday that Iran is set to deliver a “punch” that will stun world powers during this week’s 31st anniversary of the Islamic revolution.
“The Iranian nation, with its unity and God’s grace, will punch the arrogance (Western powers) on the 22nd of Bahman (February 11) in a way that will leave them stunned,” Khamenei, who is also Iran’s commander-in-chief, told a gathering of air force personnel.
The country’s top cleric was marking the occasion when Iran’s air force gave its support to revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, a key event which led to the toppling of the US-backed shah on February 11, 1979.
His comments came as Iran said it would begin to produce higher enriched uranium from Tuesday, in defiance of Western powers trying to ensure the country’s nuclear drive is peaceful.
Breitbart (AFP) article continues here.
February 1, 2010 10:47 pm
Breitbart (AP), “Obama budget would impose host of tax increases”
by Stephen Ohlemacher
While President Barack Obama is proposing to cut some taxes for companies that hire workers, his budget would raise a host of other taxes on businesses and wealthy individuals.
Obama’s budget would extend his signature Making Work Pay tax credit—$400 for individuals, $800 for a couple filing jointly—through 2011. The administration released the budget Monday.
But it would also impose nearly $1 trillion in higher taxes on couples making more than $250,000 and individuals making more than $200,000 by not renewing Bush-era tax cuts for them. Obama would extend tax cuts enacted under former President George W. Bush for families and individuals making less.
Obama revived numerous proposals for business tax increases that didn’t fare well in Congress last year, including a scaled-down plan to increase taxes on U.S. companies with major overseas operations, and plans to increase taxes on oil and gas companies.
Breitbart (AP) article continues here.
February 1, 2010 10:47 pm
Breitbart (AP), “Obama unveils 2011 budget with $3.83T in spending”
by Martin Crutsinger
President Barack Obama unveiled a multitrillion-dollar spending plan Monday, pledging an intensified effort to combat high unemployment and asking Congress to quickly approve new job-creation efforts that would boost the deficit to a record-breaking $1.56 trillion.
Obama’s new budget blueprint preaches the need to make tough choices to restrain run-away deficits, but not before attacking what the administration sees as the more immediate challenge of lifting the country out of a deep recession that has cost 7.2 million jobs over the past two years.
The result is a budget plan that would give the country trillion-dollar-plus deficits for three consecutive years. Obama’s new budget projects a spending increase of 5.7 percent for the current budget year and forecasts that spending would rise another 3 percent in 2011 to $3.83 trillion.
“Until America is back at work, my administration will not rest and this recovery will not be finished,” Obama declared in his budget message.
Breitbart (AP) article continues here.
January 28, 2010 4:02 pm
Breitbart (AP), “Senate permits gov’t to borrow an additional $1.9T”
by Andrew Taylor
The Democratic-controlled Senate has muscled through a plan to allow the government to go a whopping $1.9 trillion deeper in debt.
The party-line 60-40 vote was successful only because Republican Sen.-elect Scott Brown has yet to be seated. Sixty votes were required to approve the increase. The measure would lift the debt ceiling to $14.3 trillion. That’s about $45,000 for every American.
Democrats had to scramble to approve the plan, which means they won’t have to vote on another increase until after the midterm elections this fall. To win the votes of moderate Democrats, President Barack Obama promised to appoint a special task force to come up with a plan to reduce the deficit. The House must still vote on the measure before it’s sent to Obama for his signature.
Breitbart (AP) article continues here.
January 25, 2010 10:08 pm
Breitbart (AFP), “White House stands firm on Bernanke”
The White House stood firm on the renomination of Ben Bernanke Monday, saying a second term for the Federal Reserve chief was vital to demonstrating stability in the US financial system.
“Chairman Bernanke helped the president and the economic team steer through some very turbulent times and rough waters,” White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.
“I believe that it sends a signal to greater and overall stability to have his nomination approved without political games. And that’s what we expect will happen later this week.”
Breitbart (AFP) article continues here.
January 21, 2010 3:44 pm
Breitbart (AP), “Pelosi: House lacks votes to OK Senate health bill”
by Alan Fram
Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that she lacks the votes to quickly move the Senate’s sweeping health overhaul bill through the House, a potentially devastating blow to President Barack Obama’s signature issue.
Pelosi, D-Calif., made the comment to reporters after House Democrats held a closed-door meeting at which participants vented frustration with the Senate’s massive version of the legislation.
Her concession meant there was little hope for a White House-backed plan to quickly push the Senate-approved health bill through the House, followed by a separate measure making changes sought by House members, such as easing the Senate’s tax on higher-cost health plans. Such an approach would be “problematic,” she said.
Breitbart (AP) article continues here.
