Tag Archives: Republican

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Getting the facts straight on regulation

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 a Bloomberg News analysis found that the Obama administration has passed fewer regulations than George W. Bush had at this point in his presidency — and on top of that, they’ve come at far lower costs to the economy than the annual high mark for regulatory costs set by the first President Bush, or regulatory costs in President Reagan‘s last year for that matter.

It’s funny, because a favorite theme from Republicans these days is that the President is passing an exorbitant number of regulations at crippling costs. John Boehner has said it’s “misguided” for the President to be “imposing so many new rules with such enormous costs.” Rep. Eric Cantor has said President Obama should “reevaluate his position on regulations.”

This news kind of makes all those claims about “job-crushing government regulations” seem like what they are: political talking points with no basis in the truth.

Let’s take a quick look at what this administration has actually done regulation-wise:

— President Obama has taken huge steps to reduce regulatory burdens and costs, and to make regulations more transparent. He signed a landmark executive order requiring agencies to develop tools to cut ineffective, burdensome regulations; issued a memorandum directing agencies to provide taxpayers with easy, comprehensive access to regulatory information; and has, for the first time ever, required those agencies to actually engage with the folks who would be affected by a potential regulation before they propose it.

— This administration has made it a priority to do away with the burdens of unnecessary regulations. So far during this administration’s tenure, tens of millions of hours of regulation-related paperwork have been eliminated, saving businesses hundreds of millions in related costs. And the President initiated a plan to roll back hundreds of burdensome, unnecessary regulations – all told, this overhaul will save businesses more than $10 billion in the next five years. An example of one of the regulations getting cut? An EPA regulation defining milk as an “oil.” This change is going to save the dairy industry $1.4 billion in the next decade.

— The regulations that the President has put in place have filled gaps, closed loopholes, and protected taxpayers. Wall Street reform closed the regulatory gaps that allowed banks to grow “too big to fail” in the first place. And it puts consumer protections in place to make sure financial institutions can’t continue the deceptive and abusive practices of the past — shifting interest rates, unfair late fees, and other hidden charges.

Here’s what it comes down to: This administration is in favor of smart regulations that protect middle-class families and consumers, and against burdensome ones that don’t do anything but waste time and taxpayers’ money.

And this campaign is committed to spreading the truth — not baseless attacks. So help us do just that: Get the word out about how wrong Republicans are on the President’s regulatory record.

Share this article on Twitter: http://my.barackobama.com/Bloomberg-Analysis-TW

Or, just forward this email.

Thanks,

Jen

Jen O’Malley Dillon
Deputy Campaign Manager
Obama for America

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Enough is Enough … Nancy Pelosi


Enough is enough.

 The clock is ticking toward the Super Committee’s November 23rd deadline. Republicans are insisting on eliminating the Medicare guarantee while cutting taxes for millionaires and refusing to include a robust jobs plan. That’s not fair.

WWW.DCCC.ORG

 Democrats remain hopeful that we’ll get a deal and will continue to advocate for a big, bold, and balanced plan to reduce the deficit and create jobs.

 With just 25 seats standing between us and a new Democratic Majority, let’s seize this moment and show the world Democrats are strong and united.

That’s why we’ve set a goal of raising $500,000 from grassroots Democrats before the critical Federal Election Commission deadline on November 30th to hold these Tea Party Republicans accountable. Will you stand with us?

Please contribute $3 or more right now to ensure Democrats have a powerful showing in the first important deadline since the One Year Out to the election mark.

WWW.DCCC.ORG

 Thank you,

 Nancy Pelosi

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AFL – CIO


  
It looks like every single Republicanon the Super Committee is ready to sell out working families.If even a single Super Committee Democrat goes along with the Republican plan to cut Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security benefits while cutting tax rates for the richest Americans, it will pass.Sign our petition urging all six Super Committee Democrats to stand together and protect the future of working people in America—the 99%.
   

Republicans on the so-called Super Committee have proposed cutting hundreds of billions of dollars in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits that America’s working families depend on—while keeping Bush’s tax rates for the richest Americans, including the top 1%. This is Robin Hood in reverse—class warfare against working America on behalf of the top 1%.

And it’s deficit hypocrisy, too. You can’t use budget deficits as an excuse to cut middle-class benefits one minute and the next minute propose making the deficit worse by lowering tax rates for rich people. After all, the Bush tax cuts are the No. 1 reason projected deficits are so high over the next 10 years.

If we want to bring down the federal deficit, we have to start by letting the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy expire on schedule. Haven’t Republicans noticed that Americans are fed up with politicians who constantly cater to the demands of the 1%? This is the same kind of tone-deaf overreaching that voters in Ohio overwhelmingly rejected last week.

Sign our petition: Urge Democrats on the Super Committee to reject the proposal to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid for the 99% and make the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy permanent.

The debt reduction Super Committee that’s considering these cuts is no ordinary congressional committee. It is empowered by law to propose legislation that cannot be amended and can be rammed through Congress quickly, with minimal debate.

And since it looks like every single Republican on the Super Committee is ready to sell out working families, we need every single Super Committee Democrat to stand strong and protect Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

That’s why it’s urgent that you sign our petition—we need a unanimous working families vote from all six Super Committee Democrats. Add your name now.

Working families are counting on all six Democrats—Sens. Patty Murray, John Kerry and Max Baucus, and Reps. Chris Van Hollen, James Clyburn and Xavier Becerra—to stand with the 99% of Americans who are demanding change. It’s shameful that Republicans on this committee are united in representing America’s wealthiest 1% instead of their constituents. Let’s hope these six Democrats stand together and prove that Congress is capable of standing up for the rest of us.

In Solidarity,

Richard Trumka
President, AFL-CIO
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TGIF &some News …and locked out of twitter


just another rant

Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that the Supreme Court will hear the HCR Affordable Health Care Law during the Presidential Election Campaign2012. The Supreme Court will have the responsibility of deciding if HCR merits or meets the constitutionality rules policies and procedures under what we all hope to be based on the favorable outcomes from the lower courts, compassion of what the new law will provide, healthy debate yet unbiased opinions with a strong use of the facts . Unfortunately, the big news is not that more people have an opportunity to be covered, people under 26 can be covered under parents insurance, or that the awful rule about pre-conditions will be no more least we forget HCR is also a JOBs bill. The fact that HCR enrollment will increase by 30million, which is a whole lot more people to serve and all those who do, will be cashing in as well as employing many more Americans. The fact is more Teapublicans, which includes Washington State’s AG McKenna; who happens to be running for Governor other current Governors some in the midst of recall efforts and Teapublican leaders of Congress are still challenging HCR. Though reports and or polls from MSM state most Americans do not want HCR they, if given the details of HCR like it.  The poeple in Massachuetts did not like their Universal Health Care at first but after awhile 80% did and do not want to repeals theirs.  The fact is …the law is so similar to the Massachusetts because then Governor Romney‘s staff helped formulate it. While Romney and his fellow Teapublicans keep stating they want to repeal health care reform even after three years of debate, stalling, and refusal to cooperate; the hcr Bill passed and is the new law of the land. It is not lost on most … well, now anyway, that Teapublicans will do and say just about anything to set themselves apart from the President of the US; even as offensive as it is they continue to push forward on the McConnell mission which is to make President Obama a one term President. I have to say as a voter the first Mission is to get America back on track though McConnell has tunnel vision gotta hope it all backfires with a sudden burst of Sanity Please just like in 2008 when we all faced the idea of a Palin/McCain in the White House. The current group of Teapublicans running for President of the US of A are far from being qualified almost amusing though scary considering what they say they have to offer. If you have been watching and or listening to the crap coming from Teapublican lawmakers in Congress it is obvious Party and Profit over People is a pledge they took and little room for compromise. The facts regarding HCR have been twisted turned and avoided by most Teapublicans and unfortunately, some of my fellow Americans believe the noise coming from the right, frankly, Teapublicans would rather fight moving into the 21st Century while attempting to bring the President down than help others and our economy by bringing down the cost of health care/insurance. The problem we have was not created by the current President yet these Corporatists are still trying to convince their supporters that big government equals the sitting President. It is with great sadness that there are so many of our fellow Americans drinking the kook-aid because the best example of big government was during the house of Bush and the lack of regulation which really means the people hired to do their jobs …did not. The economy slipped into a ditch created by the spending that Bush did and if anyone is willing to listen… the facts the truth is a close as your nose. Then President43 did not pay for the 2wars President Obama has to draw down or those bush tax bonus $$ and left an incredible deficit hole that has yet to be fixed; while it is true that the solution was to throw money at it and most economists believe it had to be done. There was not only a problem with how much money to throw but like all legislation on the Hill since President Obama took office and most if not all efforts were blocked, changed, scaled down or nasty amendments attached to great bills that no one could vote for in good consciousness. The idea that we keep the status quo is to say nothing needs to be changed but what better time is it than now to improve upon a system that has long been broken. If not now when and what better group than Democrats to fix the problems… because Republicans are proving on a daily basis that not only are they fiscally irresponsible they also practice overt class warfare, exclusion and some might say the current words are laced with hate and or racism …

Other News …

Lawmakers Look at Drilling in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

NASA Leaders Testify on Future of Human Space Exploration

President Obama Addresses Australian Parliament

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi Weekly Legislative Briefing

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) Weekly Legislative Briefing

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a message from rep. Raul M. Grijalva


You know just how hard things are right now, but the Super Committee either doesn’t understand — or just doesn’t care.

Today, as co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), I held a hearing today with some of the country’s top economists to talk about the importance of job creation and protecting our social safety net. We invited the members of the deficit reduction “Super Committee” — but none of them showed up.

Rather than asking the 1% to pay their fair share, the Super Committee is going after the vital programs that make America strong — these cuts would have a drastic impact on the health and financial security of far too many Americans.

Join me and my friends at Democracy for America in telling them we will stand strong — no cuts to Medicare and Medicaid benefits. http://act.democracyforamerica.com/go/1323?akid=1506.1480546.9jy123&t=1

Over the past several months, I have offered constructive recommendations for deficit reduction while stressing the need to put Americans back to work — there are real solutions to our debt crisis that don’t hurt the 99%.

Congress’s top priority must be job creation. The Super Committee should be listening to the working people of this nation who reject proposed austerity measures.

They should be asking the 1% to pay their fair share.

In this economic crisis, the last thing we should be talking about is slashing the program that provides health coverage for our seniors and the most vulnerable.

We must leave Medicare and Medicaid benefits off the table.

Let’s send a message so loud the Super Committee can’t ignore it — join me and almost 100,000 Democracy for America Members to say — no cuts to Medicare and Medicaid benefits.

It’s time to focus on fair solutions. Together we can stand up for the 99%.       http://act.democracyforamerica.com/go/1323?akid=1506.1480546.9jy123&t=2

Peace,

– Raúl

Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva
 Co-Chair, Congressional Progressive Caucus