• Supporters admit international levy needs US support • Obama administration and Wall Street unenthusiastic Advocates of a Tobin tax on financial transactions accept that any international levy would need US support and an increasingly vocal coalition of Democrats in Washington is pressing a sceptical Obama administration to get on board. The fourth highest ranking Democrat in the House...
Actually, it isn't just Carl Levin who is standing up and saying that if Obama wants to escalate the war in Afghanistan he's going to have to figure out how to pay for it without charging our great, great grandchildren, Bush and Cheney having already bankrupt our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Keep in mind that each additional soldier in Afghanistan costs around $1 million, which...
If you've been following the Blue America PAC at all, you may already be aware that we've decided that we won't be endorsing any candidates for the House in 2010 unless they are genuinely enthusiastic about passing John Larson's Fair Elections Now Act ( HR 1826 ). We're not asking for some unenforceable pledge; we want nothing less than heartfelt enthusiasm. Right now Larson has 117 co-sponsors from...
USA: Dems Fight Over Funds Left From Bailout Congressional Democrats could be careening toward a head-on collision with the White House over $200 billion in leftover bailout money — money that Republicans think should simply be returned to taxpayers (hat tip: Black & Right ). The Treasury Department wants to use the money to pay down the deficit and keep a small rainy-day fund in case of...
Last week, in response to the 2009 elections and the November jobs report, Senate majority leader Harry Reid came up with the idea of passing a new jobs bill . Open Left was able to quickly confirm that the House was working on a package as well. The jobs bill is going to happen. The House will likely pass a bill in December, and the Senate will match in January or February after the health care bill...
Monkeys on a cupcake. John Larson (D-CT) wants some kind of jobs program. Hah. Barney Frank (D-CT) want more mortgage loans for people who can't pay them. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) sees plenty of places to spread around the remaining $200...
And sometimes it even brings several terrible ones. Today is one of these days. First, the Democrats are once again talking about a second stimulus , except this time they won't call it a stimulus (because the first one gave the word stimulus a bad name) but a "jobs legislation." I doubt it would make any difference to remind them that government spending can't create jobs ; that with government...
The House plans to have a jobs bill on the table before the end of the year . Top lawmakers are looking at a variety of options, including road construction, tax breaks and assistance to hard-pressed state governments which could create jobs but also worsen budget deficits in the short term, said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. "We're moving ahead at a pace that hopefully will allow us to do...
Last night I joined Richard Trumka, President of the AFL-CIO, and Robert Kuttner, the co-editor of the American Prospect, on a panel in front of the House Democratic Caucus. Each of us offered our thoughts about what a new economic strategy for America could look like. After our presentations, a passionate and intense discssion broke out about the struggle of every day people in America today. Several...
In the above video, World Focus Producer John Larson reports from Copenhagen, Denmark on how changing lifestyles, taxing energy and subsidizing alternative technologies have reduced the country's dependency on oil and created thousands of new job. In just over 30 years, Denmark has gone from being a net importer of energy to net exporter. Denmark had the political will to decide that on economy built...
US President Barack Obama waves as he walks out of the Caucus Room with House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn, US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Congressman John Larson, and other leaders after a meeting on health care reform on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, November 7, 2009. ( Getty )
WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 7: Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY) (L), House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC), House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Rep. John Larson (D-CT) and Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA) watch as President Barack Obama gives Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) a kiss after a caucus meeting on Capitol Hill November 7, 2009 in Washington, DC. US President Barack Obama spoke with members of...
Gee, ain’t this cute : But Pelosi’s patience has its limits, and she occasionally let her frustration show, publicly questioning the always-agreeable Earl Pomeroy about which way he would vote when the North Dakota Democrat questioned the inclusion of a controversial long-term care program. However, the speaker called Pomeroy a few days later to let him know that it looked like his top...
Producer John Larson reports from Copenhagen, Denmark on how changing lifestyles, taxing energy and subsidizing alternative technologies have reduced the country's dependency on oil and created thousands of new jobs.