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501 Days and Counting: House GOP Inaction on VAWA

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Leader's Press Shop

501 days ago House Republicans let the Violence Against Women Act expire. 501 days.

The Senate is poised to pass a bipartisan VAWA bill today. So where are House Republicans? From BuzzFeed:

House Speaker John Boehner has not mentioned the Violence Against Women Act since last summer — even as reauthorization of the expired law has stalled at the hands of House Republicans. [2/6]

The House Democrats’ VAWA reauthorization bill currently has 194 Democratic cosponsors and zero Republican cosponsors. And why exactly is the House GOP Leadership blocking the way? From the New York Times:

“Let’s just talk politics here,” said Representative Tom Cole, Republican of Oklahoma, who has been leading negotiations to end the impasse. “This will have passed the Senate. The president’s for it. And we’re holding up a domestic violence bill that should be routine because you don’t want to help Native women who are the most vulnerable over a philosophical point?” …

Mr. Cole, whose state has one of the largest Indian populations in the country…said some of his colleagues seem to “fear Indians are going to take out 500 years of mistreatment on us through this.”

“It’s that kind of fear, veiled in constitutional theories,” he said. [2/10]

Some Republican members are finally urging their Leadership to bring the VAWA reauthorization bill to the floor, but, so far, Speaker Boehner and Majority Leader Cantor refuse to do so.

This bill deserves a vote on the floor. The time is now.

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New Congress, Same GOP: Republicans Still Obstructing VAWA

Posted on January 29, 2013 by Leader's Press Shop

The GOP-led 112th Congress failed to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, a previously non-partisan, non-ideological tool used by law enforcement and government officials to combat domestic violence. Thus far, the GOP-led 113th Congress has refused to send a signal to women that they intend to change course:

487: The number of days since House Republicans let the Violence Against Women Act expire in 2011.

11: The H.R. bill number for the Violence Against Women Act of 2013 – introduced by Congresswoman Gwen Moore and Congressman John Conyers and cosponsored by 156 Democrats in the House.

5: The number of Senate Republicans who have signed on as cosponsors to S. 47, the bipartisan Violence Against Women Act slated for a vote in the Senate next week.

0: The number of House Republicans who have signed on as cosponsors to H.R. 11.

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On House Floor Today: GOP Tees Up Next Manufactured Crisis

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Leader's Press Shop

Despite plenty of rhetoric from House Republicans on providing the American people certainty—the GOP will act today to do just the opposite.  House Republicans are offering a short-term gimmick that will only lead to another one of their trademark manufactured crises.

While Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell seems to now realize that is now way no govern:

“It’s time to stop governing by crisis and stop-gap measure.” [1/18/13]

It’s something to which Speaker John Boehner once paid lip service:

“Our economy won’t grow as long as we continue to trip it up with short-term gimmicks from Washington.” [Washington Economic Club, 5/9/2011]

“…Washington has kicked the can down the road, kicked the can down the road, kicked the can down the road, and the American people think we’re crazy.” [Wall Street Journal, 5/15/12]

As did Leader Eric Cantor:

“’…I don’t see how multiple votes on a debt ceiling increase can help get us to where we want to go,’ the Virginia Republican told reporters. ‘It is my preference that we do this thing one time…. Putting off tough decisions is not what people want in this town.’” [Politico, 6/22/11]

And Chairman Dave Camp:

“House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.) also shot down a short-term increase. ‘It doesn’t give you certainty,’ Camp said. ‘Ideally you’d like to get that settled and not have it continually a hanging-over issue.’” [The Hill, 6/22/11]

So perhaps the House GOP should take a cue from their esteemed President Ronald Reagan…

“The full consequences of a default – or even the serious prospect of default – by the United States are impossible to predict and awesome to contemplate. Denigration of the full faith and credit of the United States would have substantial effects on the domestic financial markets and the value of the dollar in exchange markets. The Nation can ill afford to allow such a result. The risks, the costs, the disruptions, and the incalculable damage lead me to but one conclusion: the Senate must pass this legislation before the Congress adjourns.” [1983]

“Unfortunately, Congress consistently brings the government to the edge of default before facing its responsibility. This brinkmanship threatens the holders of government bonds and those who rely on Social Security and veterans benefits. Interest rates would skyrocket, instability would occur in financial markets, and the federal deficit would soar. The United States has a special responsibility to itself and the world to meet its obligations. It means we have a well-earned reputation for reliability and credibility — two things that set us apart from much of the world.” [1986]

…and stop the brinksmanship now.  We must rid our country from the threat of default in a bipartisan way that provides much-needed certainty to our economy, protects Medicare, and strengthens the middle class.

 

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House GOP Leadership’s ‘Knife in Back’ to Hurricane Sandy Victims

Posted on January 2, 2013 by Leader's Press Shop

Turning their backs on the communities ravaged by Hurricane Sandy, last night the House Republican leadership made an unconscionable decision to adjourn the 112th Congress without allowing a vote on the Sandy relief bill.  Despite strong, bipartisan action in the Senate, the House GOP leadership is ignoring pleas of families and small businesses trying to rebuild—and their representatives:

GOP Rep. Peter King:  “The conduct of the Republican leadership was disgraceful; it was indefensible; and it was immoral…We have a moral obligation—as Republicans, as Democrats, as Americans; I spoke to Governor Christie, Governor Cuomo, we’ve been in constant contact with Mayor Bloomberg.  We cannot believe that this cruel knife in the back was delivered to our region…Don’t walk out in the dark of night and ignore us.” [House Floor, 1/2]

With the National Flood Insurance Fund set to run out of funds as soon as January 7th, a look at the numbers shows the consequences of this choice are dire:

5 to 12: Number of days estimated until the National Flood Insurance Fund exhausts its borrowing authority

139,394: Number of Sandy-related claims to date for FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Fund

12,166: Number of those claims closed

$9.7 billion: Amount of new borrowing authority provided in Senate-passed supplemental

More numbers you need to know about this dereliction of duty:

2: Hurricane Sandy’s ranking as the second most costly natural disaster in American history, only behind Hurricane Katrina

 

65: Days since Sandy came ashore New York and New Jersey

10: Days after Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana that Congress passed over $62 billion in aid

 

$60.4 billion: Amount of disaster relief that overwhelmingly passed in the Senate for the victims of Hurricane Sandy

$0: Amount of aid House Republican Leaders passed for Hurricane Sandy victims

 

17.5 million: People who were directly affected by Hurricane Sandy

651,000: Homes damaged or destroyed in New York and New Jersey

463,000: Small businesses that were impacted in New York and New Jersey

 

$4: Amount taxpayers save in future damage for each dollar in mitigation spent now

Breezy Point

Photo Credit: AP

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Promise Made, Promise Kept On Middle Class Tax Cuts

Posted on January 2, 2013 by Faiz Shakir

Late on New Year’s night, the House voted in a bipartisan manner to pass tax relief for middle class Americans and help grow the economy. House Democrats and the President kept their promise to protect 98 percent of families and 97 percent of small businesses from any income tax increase. The bill, for the first time in 20 years, achieves significant new revenue — approximately $620 billion — by asking the wealthiest to pay their fair share.

The legislation could not have passed without the support of Leader Pelosi and 171 other House Democrats who voted for it. Here are a few of the highlights of that bill, according to a White House fact sheet:

• Permanent extension of the middle class tax cuts
• Most progressive income tax code in decades
• Extension of Emergency Unemployment Insurance benefits for 2 million people
• Extension of renewable energy incentives, the Research & Experimentation tax credit and the Production Tax Credit
• Restores the 39.6 percent rate for high-income households, as in the 1990s
• Capital gains rates for high-income households return to Clinton-era levels
• Reduced tax benefits for households making over $250,000 (for singles) and $300,000 (for couples)
• Raises tax rates on the wealthiest estates
• Extends tax cuts for 25 million working families and students
• Ensures seniors’ continued access to their doctors by blocking a scheduled 27 percent cut in Medicare physician payments
• Extends the farm bill through the end of the fiscal year, averting a sharp rise in milk prices at the beginning of 2013

Leader Pelosi hailed the passage of the bill as a “victory for the middle class” and also “for the President and Vice President who campaigned on protecting the middle class – and kept their promise to the American people.” She added, “With the passage of this measure, we strengthen the principle that we must have equal parts revenue and spending cuts as we work to reduce our deficit.” Watch her floor speech here:

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House Democrats File Discharge Petition To Force Vote On Middle Class Tax Cuts

Posted on December 4, 2012 by Faiz Shakir

Moments ago, Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN) filed a discharge petition to bring up the Middle Class Tax Cut legislation.

Because Speaker Boehner and House Republicans have thus far refused to bring up the legislation for a vote, Democrats are organizing a petition to force them to do so.

You can track the members of Congress who sign the petition HERE.

Republicans have insisted on holding middle class tax cuts hostage to tax breaks for the wealthy few. On July 25, the Senate-passed legislation to ensure taxes would not go up on middle class families. It has been 132 days since the Senate passed this bill, and there are only 28 days until these middle class tax cuts expire. If Congress does not take action, an average family of four would face a $2,200 tax increase.

Leader Pelosi said on the House floor, “We only need a couple dozen Republicans to sign the discharge petition. Each one of them holds the key to a $2000 tax cut for the middle class. Either sign the petition, urge the Speaker to bring the bill to the floor, or explain to your constituents why you do not want them to have this $2000 tax break.”

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Washington Post Fact-Check Calls Boehner’s Small Business Tax Claim ‘Incorrect’

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Leader's Press Shop

As he continues his campaign to protect the wealthiest from paying their fair share in taxes, Speaker Boehner repeatedly references a small business mantra that simply isn’t true:

“The problem with raising tax rates on the wealthiest Americans is that more than half of them, are small business owners.” [11/9]

“Raising taxes on the so-called top 2 percent — half of those taxpayers are small business owners who pay their taxes through their personal income tax filing every year.” [11/28]

Today, the Washington Post thoroughly debunks Speaker Boehner’s “misfire” on the small business impact of the wealthiest paying their fair share:

The result, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation, is that only 3 percent of all “small businesses” paying taxes would be affected by Obama’s plan to lift marginal tax rates on families making more than $250,000 and individuals making more than $200,000. (See page 25 of the JCT report.)

By any measure, Boehner’s statement last week was incorrect. Only a relatively small percentage of small-business owners would be affected by a tax increase…

There is a huge difference between reporting half of all small-business owners and half of all small-business income. Boehner needs to be much more careful in how he makes his case against higher tax rates. [12/3/12]

The Post’s Glenn Kessler awards the Speaker “3 Pinocchios” and concludes, “By any measure, Boehner’s statement last week was incorrect.”

While Congress and the Obama Administration work on a balanced agreement that will create jobs, grow the economy, and reduce the deficit, we can vote now in the House on the middle class tax cuts in order to give families and small businesses peace of mind and certainty during this holiday season.  If Republicans don’t schedule a vote on the middle tax cuts, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi has said she will lead a discharge petition to force them to do so.

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Republicans Break From Leadership To Support Middle Class Tax Cuts Bill

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Faiz Shakir

Last updated: Wednesday, December 5, 4:58 pm

In July, the Senate voted to pass a bill that would extend middle-class tax cuts and allow the tax benefits for the wealthiest 2 percent to expire. The House has refused to allow a vote on that bill. As Leader Pelosi said at the time, “Make no mistake: with the Senate’s action, House Republicans are the only roadblocks standing between the middle class and a tax cut bill that the President will sign.”

Following the successful re-election of the President, and strong gains by Democrats in the House and in the Senate, the public sent the clear and unambiguous message that they are in favor of increasing rates on the wealthy to help reduce the deficit and grow our economy.

Now, some members of the House Republican caucus are breaking ranks and supporting the Democratic position:

Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK):

“[H]e made the case that Republicans would strengthen their position by joining hands with President Barack Obama now to give most taxpayers what he calls ‘an early Christmas present’ of ensuring their taxes don’t go up on Jan. 1. … ‘I think we ought to take the 98 percent deal right now.’”

Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-CA):

“I have to say that if you’re going to sign me up with a camp, I like what Tom Cole has to say. … Tom presented a very thoughtful, articulate position.”

Rep. Robert Dold (R-IL):

“Tom Cole is talking about passing the ones that are out there so there could be more certainty, and I think that would be a positive step,” he said. “Let’s make sure we aren’t raising the taxes on the vast majority first.”

Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC):

“[He would] be willing to pass the Senate bill to ensure 98 percent of taxpayers don’t get hit with a hike. ‘I would probably vote for it at that point,’ Jones said.”

Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX):

Separately, Representative Kay Granger of Texas is endorsing Oklahoma Republican Tom Cole’s call to extend all tax cuts for middle-class earners as “just the right thing to do.”

In addition, Rep. Charlie Bass (R-NH) indicated he’d be supportive of a middle class tax cuts bill. “No question, if we go over the fiscal cliff and Congress allowed it to happen because we would not let taxes go up on the top 2 percent, that is not a battle we are likely to win,” he said. Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) said, “I wouldn’t have a problem with letting those tax rates [on the wealthiest] go up,” provided they are coupled with spending cuts.

Moreover, “another senior Republican lawmaker, who asked not to be identified, told Reuters” that the Senate bill could pass his chamber if it got to the floor. Rep. Tim Scott (R-SC) said the same thing.

On Monday, Dec. 3rd, ABC’s Jon Karl reported that two senior Republican members told him they were pondering a plan to allow the middle-class tax cuts bill to pass.

As Leader Pelosi said, “this should be not be a cliffhanger.” We need a House vote on the middle class tax cuts now.

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New Poll: Americans Call for Wealthiest to Pay Fair Share

Posted on November 28, 2012 by Leader's Press Shop

As Democrats work towards a balanced agreement that will create jobs and grow the economy to reduce the debt, a new Washington Post-ABC News poll released this morning shows that a majority of Americans believe that agreement should ensure the wealthiest pay their fair share.

 60 percent of Americans support increasing taxes on incomes over 250 thousand dollars a year when addressing the fiscal cliff.  [Washington Post, 11/28]

And while Democrats and Republicans continue discussions on a bipartisan, balanced approach, we must provide certainty to families during this holiday season by extending the middle class tax cut immediately.  The drumbeat for action is growing louder, with Republican Congressman Tom Cole yesterday making it clear where he stands:

 “I think we ought to take the 98 percent deal right now,” [Congressman Cole] said of freezing income tax rates for all but the top 2 percent of earners. [Politico, 11/27]

We call on Republican leaders to join him—and today protect jobs by sending the middle class tax cut, already approved by the Senate, to the President’s desk.

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4 Key Charts On Today’s Jobs Report

Posted on November 2, 2012 by Faiz Shakir

The Department of Labor announced today that our nation’s economy added 171,000 jobs in October. 184,000 jobs were added in the private sector alone. Indeed, the private sector has shown steady growth:

private

This Bureau of Labor Statistics chart shows we’re on the right path:

path

As Steve Benen of the Maddow Blog points out, the unemployment rate has steadily ticked down over the course of President Obama’s first term:

maddow

As the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities notes, the challenge of this current economic recovery has been greater than recent recessions. We have been digging ourselves out of a deeper hole:

cbpp

As Leader Pelosi said this morning, “Today’s jobs report is a clear sign that our economy continues to move in the right direction, but we have more work to do to strengthen the middle class. The month President Obama took office, our economy lost 800,000 jobs; now, we have seen 32 straight months of private sector growth. We must keep moving forward.”

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