MORNING MESSAGE

Robert Borosage

Dueling Visions: The CPC People’s Budget vs. the Budget for the 1%

The Congressional Progressive Caucus unveiled its fiscal 2016 “People’s Budget: A Raise For America” one day after House Republicans released their “A Balanced Budget for a Stronger America” proposal. The CPC touted a $1.9 trillion investment in America’s future and over 8 million new jobs. The House Republicans bragged about cutting $5 trillion over 10 years. The sharp contrast between the two reflect stark differences in values and ideology – and a basic choice of whether government will serve the many or the few.

Senate budget to be released today, will largely track House version. McClatchy:“…a GOP aide said the Senate proposal would resemble the House plan in three ways. Both generally would balance the budget at the end of a decade, the aide said, and both would build in flexibility to increase military spending. They also envision the use of an arcane budget tool called reconciliation to make it easier to repeal the Affordable Care Act over Democratic objections.”

But Senate plan won’t spell out Medicare changes. Bloomberg:“The Senate will avoid the House’s plan on Medicare … With the federal deficit easing and entitlement cuts unpopular with voters, Republicans worry that such an approach would damage them politically in 2016 … ‘Let’s face it, these solutions will not be popular,’ [said] Senator Ron Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican whose seat is up in 2016…”

House GOP splits over defense spending, imperiling budget. Politico:“House Republicans who back a bigger defense budget are revolting against their leaders’ new proposal to use a separate war fund to add additional money to Pentagon coffers … Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio … vowed Tuesday to vote against the budget resolution and predicted many of the 69 House Republicans who joined him last month in signing a letter seeking a defense budget boost would do the same … a portion of the new war funding would be dependent on finding savings elsewhere in the federal budget [that may] never actually materialize …”

And Medicare “doc fix”. The Hill:“Some hard-liners in the GOP conference on Tuesday said they were infuriated to learn that Boehner had been talking for weeks with Democratic leaders about a plan to eliminate the automatic cuts to Medicare providers … The criticism doesn’t end with conservatives. Some liberal Democrats, as well as the AARP, are taking issue with the plan because it asks some seniors to pay more under Medicare.”

Permanent solution elusive, House may opt for temporary extension of highway trust fund. The Hill:“‘States have already notified the federal government that they will be delaying or postponing or canceling projects,’ [Rep. Peter] DeFazio [said]. ‘I expect the number of canceled or delayed projects will only grow over the coming weeks if we don’t have a short-term bill.’ … State and local transportation officials … told lawmakers Tuesday that another patch now would make it harder for them to plan long-range construction projects.”

Obama Ready To Fight GOP Budget

Obama to campaign against GOP budget in Cleveland today. The Hill:“Obama will deliver a speech at the City Club of Cleveland outlining a different approach, arguing that increased spending on domestic programs is needed to ensure that middle-class Americans see the benefits of economic growth … Obama [will] tout his budget’s emphasis on creating manufacturing jobs … The president’s $4 trillion budget plan includes a $350 million request to launch seven new manufacturing institutes next year … The House Republicans’ plan would slash $5.5 trillion in spending over the next decade…”

Rich get more tax breaks. NYT:“According to an analysis of $340 billion in tax subsidies for housing, education, retirement and savings in 2013, the top 1 percent received about $95 billion, more than the $90 billion received by the bottom 80 percent combined, said the Corporation for Enterprise Development…”

Breakfast Sides

“Rahm Emanuel’s Housing Agency Sitting On Hundreds Of Millions Of Dollars With Massive Waitlist” scoops HuffPost:“Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s housing agency has been pulling hundreds of millions of dollars from a fund earmarked for its affordable housing program and using the money instead to boost its pension, purchase government debt and build up a staggering cash reserve. … The Chicago Housing Authority’s waitlist tops 280,000 … Some 15,000 families on the list are homeless.”

Obama quietly pursues global climate deal. Politico:“What he’s seeking out of the December U.N. climate talks in Paris would create the broadest, farthest-reaching deal in history, reworking environmental regulations for governments and corporations around the world and creating a framework for global green policy for decades. Republicans in Congress, sensing what he’s up to, are already saying no. And Obama’s already preparing to sign on without them.”

SEC chief backs rule on brokers to put clients first. NYT:“Registered investment advisers already fall under that higher bar, while brokers follow a looser ‘suitability’ standard that requires them only to mind customers’ needs and appetite for financial risk … The Obama administration backed a similar initiative by the Labor Department to create a higher standard for brokers who oversee retirement investments. A new standard from the commission would carry more weight, however, since it would encompass all brokers…”

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House Budget: Not On Our Side

03/18/2015 Nativegrl77

By CAP Action War Room

This Year’s House Republican Budget Is The Ryan Budget All Over Again

Not too long ago, conservatives started to talk a little bit about how inequality was a major problem for our country. They even spoke about reforming government spending to help lower- and middle-income families, not just the wealthiest, get ahead. Well, when it comes to doing more than talking the talk, but also walking the walk, they have failed. Today, House Republicans released their budget, revealing their true priorities: help the wealthy few, not you.

Budgets are about both our values and our theory of how to grow the economy. On values, conservatives have shown that what they value is to balance the budget on the backs of the middle class, instead of working to help millions of middle class Americans and extend a hand to the millions more in poverty. On growing the economy, conservatives are going back to the same trickle-down playbook of giving tax breaks for the wealthy few who need them the least.

In their efforts to cut the deficit, the House GOP budget goes after seniors, the middle class and our students. Not only that, they are gambling with our economy by putting at risk real progress happening in communities across the country and working to make future progress more difficult to achieve. Here are just a few of the things that it does:

The Republican budget proposes devastating cuts to Medicaid and food stamps by creating a block grant system. Instead of providing support for working families when they need it most, conservatives are increasing barriers for families trying to climb into the middle class.
Cuts proposed to education funding in the Republican budget would hit the poorest children and most vulnerable communities hardest, including severe cuts for program like Head Start and Special Education funding. Instead of making education accessible, Republicans are cutting off opportunity for many young Americans and hurting our long-term economic growth.
Republicans are again using their budgets as another attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act and take away health care coverage from millions Americans who now have access to quality care through the ACA. A new Obama administration report released just yesterday found that more than 16 million Americans have coverage as a result of the ACA — the largest expansion of health coverage in four decades — but Republicans will vote again to take it away.
If there is one big winner in this budget, it is the wealthy. The House budget keeps a number of tax favors for the wealthy, including some for private jet owners and hedge fund managers. Their budget also keeps billions of dollars in tax credits for big oil companies.

We have included some graphics to share on social media so you can let everyone know how the House budget is #NotOnOurSide:

BOTTOM LINE: What we decide to spend money on shows what we value as a society. By privileging corporate welfare over families, the House budget shows that, despite protestations to the contrary, conservatives will continue to stand in the way of an economy that works for everyone, and favor the wealthy few.

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Matthew Wrote, and the President Responded:

03/18/2015 Nativegrl77

The President has always made it a habit to read 10 letters from the American public a day. Matthew was one of these letter-writers, and he got a response.

A varsity basketball player from South Central Los Angeles, Matthew and his teammates noticed that neighboring schools had far more school supplies, nicer buildings, and even technology such as iPads in classrooms. Matthew asked the President to give all students a chance to succeed — promising that he and his peers would do their part in school.

The President wrote back, letting Matthew know that his generation deserves an education system that lets them dream as big as they can, and told him he’s fighting for the necessary investments every day.

Read both letters and learn how President Obama is working to help all of America’s students succeed.

The First Lady’s Travel Journal: A Journey That Began Decades Ago

The First Lady departs the White House today en route to Japan and Cambodia for a week-long trip centered around her new Let Girls Learn initiative. For the First Lady, this visit is part of a journey that began decades ago — a journey focused on education, equality, and empowerment. Join the First Lady’s trip by using social media and learn more about how Let Girls Learn will help the 62 million girls worldwide who are not in school.

Voices from across the country — and from across the aisle — have expressed support for President Obama’s trade deal. His trade proposal gives us the greatest opportunity to level the playing field for American businesses and their employees, ensures the rights of workers around the world, protects endangered species and the environment, preserves a free and open Internet, and would hold our trading partners accountable.

On Friday, President Obama traveled to Gilbert, AZ to pay a surprise visit to the new home of Sergeant First Class Cory Remsburg. This was the final stop in the President’s day-long trip, which began with a visit to the Phoenix VA medical facility and a roundtable discussion to hear about the progress we’ve made to improve the VA’s ability to serve our veterans.

READ MORE

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Paid Family Leave is Getting Closer in NY, but We Need Your Help!

03/18/2015 Nativegrl77

Paid Family Leave is Getting Closer in NY, but We Need Your Help!

For less than the cost of a cup of coffee a week, New Yorkers could receive paid family leave

Dear Friend:

Spring is finally in the air in New York, and with it, we hope, some long overdue change for New York families.

After years of inaction, Republican and Democratic leaders are both talking about paid family leave in New York. And it’s not just talk. Later today, the State Assembly is expected to once again pass a paid family leave bill that ABB helped to draft. In the State Senate, Republican leaders have included paid family leave in their budget proposal and plan to hold a hearing on the issue next week.

Despite this momentum, Governor Cuomo recently said that he doesn’t think Albany has the “appetite” for paid family leave. But New Yorkers across the state are proving him wrong! Women leaders in New York State (including ABB’s Co-Presidents, Sherry and Dina) and across the country sent powerful letters to the Governor in support of paid family leave. And more than 12,000 New Yorkers have signed our petition to Governor Cuomo. Here’s what they are saying:

Katelyn from Ronkonkoma wrote, “I just had a baby and now I’m back at work. I had to use all of my sick days to pay our bills during my ‘maternity leave’ so now if my son or I get sick, I can’t stay home or I will lose a day’s pay. I also need to save them up for the next time I have a baby.”
And Jamie from Brooklyn wrote, “This would come in handy for me as I type. Have been in Florida for the past 3 weeks to be with my severely ill father who is in critical care. Not getting paid for 3 weeks + having sick father in ICU = unbearably tragic.”

The media is starting to take notice. Karen Benites, an ABB legal hotline caller, was featured in the New York Times yesterday, showing just how hungry New Yorkers are for the right to stay home with a new child or seriously ill loved one.

You can help! Please take 2 minutes to sign and share our paid family leave petition. Together, we can make this spring a bountiful one for New York’s families.

Thanks for all that you do.

The ABB Team,
Sherry, Dina, Phoebe, Jared, Elizabeth, Risha, Morenike, Rachel, Jake, Molly & Lynn

P.S. In more Albany action, the first of several Women’s Equality Act proposals is getting a vote in the Assembly this week! We continue to advocate for these provisions, specifically those that outlaw family status discrimination in employment, require reasonable accommodation for pregnant workers, and demand equal pay for equal work.

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Nick Zamora via Change.org

03/18/2015 Nativegrl77

I was a Boy Scout for eight years before my moms were told they were no longer welcome because they’re gay. Please help end the Boy Scouts’ ban on gay adults like my moms.