As introduced on March 4
Letter to the Honorable Paul Ryan
CBO Director Doug Elmendorf’s Presentation to the National Association for Business Economics
Tag Archives: United States
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Devastating Cuts Take Hold
Devastating, painful, and, above all, avoidable spending cuts went into effect Friday evening after sequestration became official. Instead of agreeing to a balanced replacement that includes targeted spending cuts and new revenues from closing tax loopholes used by the wealthiest Americans and special interests, Republicans are instead forcing these damaging cuts on the country.
Here’s a look at 32 of the dumbest and most devastating cuts.
Health care
- $20 million cut from the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Programs
- $10 million cut from the World Trade Center Health Program Fund
- $168 million cut from Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
- $75 million cut from the Aging and Disability Services Programs
Housing
- $199 million cut from public housing
- $96 million cut from Homeless Assistance Grants
- $17 million cut from Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS
- $19 million cut from Housing for the Elderly
- $175 million cut from Low Income Home Energy Assistance
Disaster and Emergency
- $928 million cut from FEMA’s disaster relief money
- $6 million cut from Emergency Food and Shelter
- $70 million cut from the Agricultural Disaster Relief Fund at USDA
- $61 million cut from the Hazardous Substance Superfund at EPA
- $125 million cut from the Wildland Fire Management
- $53 million cut from Salaries and Expenses at the Food Safety and Inspection Service
Obamacare
- $13 million cut from the Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan Program (Co-ops)
- $57 million cut from the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control
- $51 million cut from the Prevention and Public Health Fund
- $27 million cut from the State Grants and Demonstrations
- $44 million cut from the Affordable Insurance Exchange Grants program
Education
- $633 million cut from the Department of Education’s Special Education programs
- $184 million cut from Rehabilitation Services and Disability Research
- $71 million cut from administration at the Office of Federal Student Aid
- $116 million cut from Higher Education
- $86 million cut from Student Financial Assistance
Immigration
- $512 million cut from Customs and Border Protection
- $17 million cut from Automation Modernization, Customs and Border Protection
- $20 million cut from Border Security Fencing, Infrastructure, and Technology
Security
- $79 million cut from Embassy Security, Construction, and Maintenance
- $604 million cut from National Nuclear Security Administration
- $232 million cut from the Federal Aviation Administration
- $394 million cut from Defense Environmental Cleanup
BOTTOM LINE: The worst impacts of the cuts won’t happen overnight, but they will happen. Rather than compromise, Republicans instead appear ready to stand by and watch as our economy and millions of Americans are hurt by these irresponsible and devastating cuts. Their reckless behavior got us into this mess in 2011 and now it’s time for them to come back to the table and help get us out of it before the worst impacts of these indiscriminate cuts happen.
Evening Brief: Important Stories That You Might’ve Missed
The GOP’s top donor admits that his company probably bribed foreign officials.
Jeb Bush flip-flops on a path to earned citizenship.
Theatrical slut shaming: Daily Caller goes after Ashley Judd for nude scenes.
Mitt Romney is not done proving why he’s not president. And Ann Romney isn’t over it yet.
Can a leading climate denier win in a swing state?
GOP congressman opposed Violence Against Women Act because it protected too many people.
The Associated Press laments the plight of the very wealthy.
Business-friendly Swiss vote for major restrictions on executive compensation.
Corporate profits have risen almost twenty times faster than worker wages since 2008.
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White House Women’s Update: Happy Women’s History Month
Friends-
We hope this message finds you well. Happy Women’s History Month! Today marks the beginning of a month dedicated to honoring the women who have made our country great and the moments that have defined this nation.
Thursday was a great day for women across the country with the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) passing in the House of Representatives, following the Senate’s passage of the same bill. Also this week, the Department of Labor announced the rescission of “Compensation Standards” and “Voluntary Guidelines.”
Today marks the beginning of a month dedicated to honoring the women who have made our country great and the moments that have defined this nation. You can find the President’s Women’s History Month Proclamation here.
Best wishes,
The White House Council on Women & Girls
President Obama Holds a Press Conference to Address the Sequester
President Obama held a press conference this morning after meeting with Congressional leaders to talk about his plans to move the country forward in light of the severe budget cuts that will start to take effect today.
These cuts, which are known as the sequester, will hurt our economy and cost us jobs, the President said. And as Americans all across the country work hard to keep our economic recovery going, arbitrary cuts to services and investments that businesses and workers depend on makes that far more difficult. As the President said:
“None of this is necessary. It’s happening because of a choice that Republicans in Congress have made. They’ve allowed these cuts to happen because they refuse to budge on closing a single wasteful loophole to help reduce the deficit. As recently as yesterday, they decided to protect special interest tax breaks for the well-off and well-connected, and they think that that’s apparently more important than protecting our military or middle-class families from the pain of these cuts.”
Read the President’s complete remarks here.
Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Passed by Congress
On Thursday there was exciting news for women across the country with the reauthorization of Violence Against Women Act passing in the House of Representatives. This bill, which the Senate has already passed, supports the reduction of domestic violence and the improved treatment of rape victims, extending these protections to members of the Native American and LGBT communities.
The President and Vice-President both released statements praising the bill’s importance for the country. Here is the President’s complete statement:
“I was pleased to see the House of Representatives come together and vote to reauthorize and strengthen the Violence Against Women Act. Over more than two decades, this law has saved countless lives and transformed the way we treat victims of abuse. Today’s vote will go even further by continuing to reduce domestic violence, improving how we treat victims of rape, and extending protections to Native American women and members of the LGBT community. The bill also reauthorizes the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, providing critical support for both international and domestic victims of trafficking and helping ensure traffickers are brought to justice. I want to thank leaders from both parties – especially Leader Pelosi, Congresswoman Gwen Moore and Senator Leahy – for everything they’ve done to make this happen. Renewing this bill is an important step towards making sure no one in America is forced to live in fear, and I look forward to signing it into law as soon as it hits my desk.”
US Labor Department Rescinds Restrictions On Investigating Pay Discrimination
This week, the U.S. Department of Labor announced exciting news for women and all Americans. The Department is resending two documents, commonly known as the “Compensation Standards” and “Voluntary Guidelines,” that have dictated how pay discrimination can be investigated. This change will enable to Department of Labor to identify and remedy more forms of pay discrimination.
“Today, we are lifting arbitrary barriers that have prevented our investigators from finding and combating illegal pay discrimination,” said Patricia A. Shiu, a member of the President’s National Equal Pay Task Force.
The Department of Labor also plans to release new guidance for employers that will explain the procedures, analysis and protocols that will now be used in conducting compensation discrimination investigations.
“A strong American middle class hinges on ensuring equal pay,” said acting Secretary of Labor Seth D. Harris. “As President Obama has made clear, everyone – including the wives, mothers, sisters and daughters among us – must be paid fairly and without discrimination. These new standards will strengthen our ability to ensure that women and men are fully protected under our nation’s laws.”
The new approach will enable investigators to better examine practices and available evidence to uncover discrimination.
Read the complete News Release here.
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– Debarment Rulemaking
A public hearing on proposed rules for debarment of vendors is set for 8 a.m. March 18.
The hearing will be held in the presentation room of the 1500 Jefferson Street building in Olympia. Directions and parking information is available here.
To submit comments on the proposed rules, use the online form. The deadline for submitting comments is March 17, 2013.
A new state law (Chapter 39.26 RCW) that changes how the state conducts procurement and contracting took effect Jan. 1, 2013. All state procurements and contracts are governed by the new law. As part of this, Enterprise Services is required to establish a debarment process by rule.
More information about the debarment rule-making process is available here.
If you are interested in following or participating in this rule-making activity, please send an email to rules@des.wa.gov and include “debarment rules interested party” in the subject line. You will be added to the rulemaking mailng list and receive future notifications and updates.
What: Public hearing on proposed rules for debarment of vendors
When: 8 a.m., March 18
Where: Presentation room, 1500 Jefferson Street building in Olympia
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The Sequester presser
Starting today, our government will need to grapple with a set of arbitrary budget cuts that will hurt the economy, make life harder for middle-class families, and threaten our national security. That’s what Washington means when it talks about the sequester.
Not everyone will feel the consequences of these cuts immediately, but if sequestration is allowed to continue, it will make life more difficult for Americans all across the country. That’s a fact that no one disputes.
And the reason we are here is because some members of Congress have made a choice to prioritize these cuts over closing tax loopholes for the wealthy. But there is still time for them to make a different choice and undo this manufactured crisis.
Today, President Obama discussed this situation and answered questions from the press. “This is not a win for anybody,” he said. “This is a loss for the American people.”
Help us make sure your friends and neighbors know what’s at stake. Share this video of President Obama on Facebook or Twitter — or even just forward this email to your friends.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/sequester-briefing
PS — We put a page together that outlines President Obama’s solution for resolving the sequester, explains what these cuts will mean for communities across the country, and asks you to share your story. Check it out: WH.gov/Sequester.
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