Each morning, Bill Scher and Terrance Heath serve up what progressives need to affect change on the kitchen-table issues families face: jobs, health care, green energy, financial reform, affordable education and retirement security.
White House Health Care Proposal By Sunday?
CQ reports that the White House may put health care bill on the table soon, as starting point for Feb. 25 summit: "The White House is preparing to release what it hopes will be the final version of health care overhaul legislation as early as Feb. 21, according to a lobbyist who has spoken to officials involved. 'That’s going to be the White House version of the deal between House and Senate leaders on what they think the bill should look like,' said John Rother, director of policy for the AARP..."
The Hill reports House and Senate Dems are "very close" to an agreement, quoting Rep. Chris Van Hollen: "... an agreement on how to advance the stalled initiative would be a major breakthrough for Democrats ... Having a complete Democrats-only deal in place, however, would rile Republicans who are already complaining that Obama's meeting will be just for show."
Bloomberg reports, maybe not: "Democrats in Congress are still reconciling differences between versions of health legislation passed last year by the House and Senate. House Democrats ... said that though the two chambers are close to an agreement, they may not have a united plan by next week. 'I don’t know whether the president is going to put one particular piece of legislation on the table,' Representative Chris Van Hollen of Maryland told reporters."
Senators warming up to reconciliation path to modify Senate bill. The Plum Line: "'We’re getting closer,' the Senate aide says of reconciliation, adding that the leadership is more likely to pursue that course if the summit doesn’t yield any kind of compromise with Republicans, as expected. 'People want to get rid of health care. They want it off the agenda. The simplest answer is that reconciliation may be the most expedient way to do it.'"
Sen. Mike Enzi first GOPer to formally accept summit invite. The Plum Line: "Enzi’s decision to make it official that he’s attending, however, could up the pressure on other Republican leaders to state unequivocally that they’ll be there."
Politico reports 11 Senators have signed on to new public option push: "Sens. Al Franken, Roland Burris, Bernie Sanders, Pat Leahy, John Kerry, Sheldon Whitehouse and Dianne Feinstein Wednesday joined Sens. Michael Bennet, Kirsten Gillibrand, Jeff Merkley and Sherrod Brown in the letter sent to Reid, according to a list kept by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee ... Still, its inclusion in a reconciliation bill is a long shot, as many Senate Democrats are loath to debate the controversial issue again."
WH to intensify attacks on insurance companies for attempted rate hikes under status quo. W. Post: "Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has scheduled a late-morning news conference, at which she is to cite half a dozen examples, from Maine to Washington state, in which insurers have in the past year sought large premium increases on people who buy coverage individually. In all but one case, according to a report to be released by HHS, state insurance regulators rejected all or part of the requested increases."
"Screw-the-sick" is the underlying premise of GOP health care ideas, according to Slate's Timothy Noah:: "Health reforms favored by Republicans tend to accelerate the market's natural tendency to segregate healthy people from sick people, thereby lowering insurance premiums for the healthy majority while raising them sky-high for the sick minority."
Tax on high-premium plans would most affect non-union workers. W. Post: "...at least 80 percent of the workers whose plans would be subject to the tax in 2019 would be in nonunion jobs, according to [a UC-Berkeley] analysis..."
Bipartisan Jobs Summit?
House GOP asks for televised jobs summit. Speaker Pelosi noncommittal. W. Post: "...House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) penned a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) Thursday, asking 'that you follow this precedent and agree to participate in an open meeting focused on job creation and economic growth between leaders of both parties in the House.' ... Pelosi spokesman Nadeam Elshami said: 'In her most recent meeting with Leader Boehner earlier this month, the Speaker raised the subject of jobs but did not receive a positive response. The Speaker welcomes the change in the Republican leadership and looks forward to a productive discussion on promoting jobs and economic recovery.'"
EARLIER OurFuture.org's Robert Borosage called for a jobs summit: "...if you are going to have a show at the White House, why not have it on jobs? Republicans oppose any jobs measures also, other than the time-tested and failed staple of more tax cuts for the wealthy and the corporations ... why not show and tell on jobs—and reveal who is on what side?"
WH still pushing for additional action on jobs far beyond what's pending in Congress. W. Post: "...the administration is both talking specifics and contemplating ideas that go beyond what's envisioned in Congress. The administration has penciled $267 billion -- about one-third the size of last year's stimulus -- into its proposed budget to support job creation, and a top presidential adviser has described action on that scale as 'absolutely critical.' ... the White House called for $167 billion to extend tax cuts and spending in the original stimulus package ... additional aid for cash-strapped state governments; extension of unemployment benefits through much of this year; and an additional $250 lump-sum 'economic recovery' payment to Social Security recipients..."
Parts of jobs agenda may not be subject to PAYGO rules, ensuring stimulative effect. The Hill: "Democratic leaders said extensions of unemployment insurance and COBRA healthcare benefits should be emergency spending that isn’t subject to the pay-as-you-go statute, which requires new non-discretionary spending to be offset with spending cuts or tax increases."
Governors have little ability to create jobs in recession. W. Post: "...more than 30 governors [used] a statewide address in recent weeks to vow that tax credits and other measures would entice employers to begin widespread hiring ... '... these things cost money. And given the fiscal situations they are in, there's not a lot they can do in terms of job creation,' said Raymond C. Scheppach, executive director of the National Governors Association. He added that he has been surprised by governors' boisterous assertions."
Arianna Huffington lays out what can be accomplished on jobs without bipartisanship: "...direct aid to local and state governments ... public service jobs ... Incentivize Green jobs ... Rebuild the nation's infrastructure ... The chasm America has fallen into cannot be crossed with bipartisan baby steps."
AlterNet's Zach Carter notes Sen. Reid can't get bipartisan support for a tiny jobs bill: "From a political perspective, I still don't understand why Reid and Obama don't just make the Republicans filibuster a serious package at least once ... With the public strongly backing a jobs bill, Reid could force the Republicans to actually filibuster it and create a huge public relations disaster for conservatives..."
Washington Monthly's Steve Benen notes that GOPers are subtly conceding the stimulus has created jobs. "[Media Matters'] Matt Finkelstein explained ... 'By shifting the focus to "net jobs," [GOP Rep. Mike] Pence is effectively conceding that the Recovery Act did create jobs...' This also suggests that Republican officials are starting to worry, at least a slittle, that the economy might be improving far more than they'd like."
The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder schools fellow journos on the success of the stimulus: "The stimulus packaged did what it was originally intended to do: it injected hundreds of billions of dollars worth of demand into an economy that was teetering on the brink of collapse. It did so slowly by our modern newscycle standards but incredibly rapidly by the standards of Washington. Moving so quickly, it acquired an inevitable trail of flotsam and jetsam; some waste here, some seeming boondoggles there. By and large, though, and to a remarkable degree, the money went where it was intended to go. Unlike TARP, it didn't go to Wall Street. No bailouts here. Main Street got funding ... Reporters shouldn't cover this question as if the effectiveness of the stimulus is the issue. It's just not."
WH Debt Commission Announcement Expected Today
McClatchy sets low expectations for any commission consensus: "Today Republicans aren't responsible for either branch of government, and they aren't inclined to compromise, especially now that they expect big gains in November's elections."
Sen. Mitch McConnell suggests he won't boycott commission. Lexington Herald-Leader: "McConnell said he will recommend three senators to be on the commission, but he wouldn't name those picks."
Fed May Be Denied New Reg Powers
NYT reports WH may concede position on granting Fed "systemic risk" authority: "The Senate and the Obama administration are nearing agreement on forming a council of regulators, led by the Treasury secretary, to identify systemic risk to the nation’s financial system, officials said Wednesday ... The effect would be to diminish the authority of the Federal Reserve, whose regulation of banks has been criticized for failing to head off the problems. Though some in the Fed continue to push for the central bank to be the overseer of systemic risk, the chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, is willing to go along with a Treasury-led council."
WH mortgage relief plan gains traction. LAT: "The number of mortgages with permanently lowered monthly payments under the Obama administration's foreclosure prevention program increased dramatically in January. In all, the number went up to 116,297, with an additional 76,482 modifications approved and awaiting acceptance by the borrower ... The data represent a major improvement over the 66,465 permanent modifications at the end of December ... critics have said the program has yet to have a major effect on foreclosures, which Moody's Economy.com projects will total 2.4 million this year."
Critics of mortgage program call for expansion. W. Post: "...the administration is facing demands to expand the program to help more unemployed borrowers, or to lower the loan balance of underwater borrowers -- those who owe more than their home is worth."
Obama and Students vs. Bayh and Banks
NYT reports on latest broadside from Ed Sec Duncan: "The Obama administration on Wednesday sought to bolster support for its plan to overhaul student lending, attacking banks that oppose it for enjoying 'a free ride from taxpayers for too long.'"
CQ reports Duncan believes reform still possible this year: "'We have real confidence in the Senate leadership that this will pass,' Duncan said in a conference call with reporters ... The difficulties of mustering 60 votes to overcome a filibuster threat and move the overhaul through the chamber left senior Democrats mulling the use of budget reconciliation rules, which would require only a simple majority vote. But they have put off a decision while considering whether to use the same procedure to advance a proposed health care overhaul."
Sen. Evan Bayh doesn't need an election campaign to back the bank lobby over students. Politico "...Bayh is throwing a wrench in the works of a signature administration initiative, expressing reservations about the plan for the government to eliminate private-sector middlemen and make student loans directly ... 'I ... have concerns about the short-term impact reform efforts could have on employment in Indiana,' Bayh wrote in a letter to [Sen. Tom Harkin.] 'I will not support any proposal that does not strike the right balance.' ... Sallie Mae, a large employer in the Indiana communities of Muncie and Fishers has cast the bill locally as a threat to Indiana jobs..."
Duncan responds to jobs claim. NYT: "Mr. Duncan disputed the assertion that jobs would decline, saying that private companies would receive larger, competitive contracts to service the loans."
Graham Pushes For New Concession in Climate Bill
Latest climate compromise from Sen. Lindsey Graham: include nukes and "clean" coal in renewable energy standards. The Hill: "Graham has written draft legislation that would require utilities to supply escalating amounts of electricity from “clean” sources, beginning at 13 percent in 2012 and reaching 25 percent in 2025 and 50 percent in 2050. 'Clean' power includes renewable sources like wind, solar and biomass. Power from coal plants that trap and sequester carbon dioxide and new nuclear plants would also count under the plan ... Kerry and Lieberman have Graham's draft bill but have not agreed to its inclusion in the broader legislation the trio is trying to craft..."
Chamber of Commerce files lawsuit to stop EPA from protecting climate. Mother Jones' Kate Sheppard: "Rather than attacking the underlying science behind the EPA's decision, the Chamber says it's focusing on whether it's appropriate for the EPA to regulate emissions under the Clean Air Act ... the EPA issued the endangerment finding in response to a specific directive from the Supreme Court in 2007..."
McCain, facing primary challenge, now lying about his past support for carbon cap. Climate Progress: "...a local Arizona conservative talk radio host told McCain that '80 percent' of global warming science 'is based on fraud and misinformation.' Despite having previously refuted such nonsense publicly, McCain again remained silent. Pandering to the far right, the Arizona senator later said he 'never' supported capping carbon emissions ... In fact, McCain has actually co-sponsored cap-and-trade legislation."
NYT edit board backs Obama on nuclear power: "We know that many environmentalists want Mr. Obama to put all of his chips on energy efficiency and renewable fuels, like wind and solar power. But nuclear power, which generates far fewer greenhouse gases than ordinary fossil fuels, should be part of the energy mix as this country and others move toward a less-carbon-intensive world."
Bayh Fallout
W. Post E. J. Dionne debunks Bayh, lays blame at moderates for gridlock: "What's false is that there is no room for moderation. The fact is that the legislative outcomes on both the stimulus and health care were driven by moderates ... Senate moderates made [the stimulus] less effective by shrinking its size and including irrelevancies ... On health care, months of delay in a futile quest for Republican support got the Democrats the worst of all worlds."
Evan Bayh speaks up about how the filibuster broke the Senate, though he's not staying around to fix it. Ezra Klein: "It took him a day or two, but Evan Bayh has finally begun saying why Washington doesn't work, rather than just complaining that it doesn't. Here he is saying that the filibuster should be 55 votes rather than 60, and fewer nominees should require Senate confirmation."
Everyone Hates Corporate Campaign Cash (Except Washington Conservatives>
New W. Post poll finds widespread disgust for Supreme Court ruling, support for reform: "Eight in 10 respondents said they opposed a Supreme Court ruling last month that allows unfettered political spending by corporations, with 65 percent 'strongly' opposed. Nearly as many backed congressional action to curb the ruling, with 72 percent in favor of reinstating limits."
CPAC Convenes Today, Stays Classy
The annual CPAC conference, opening today, will feature a piñata of Speaker Pelosi and a punching bag bearing the visage of Sen. Reid. The Guardian's Michael Tomasky sees progress. "Well, at least it occurred to someone that having men whack that pinata might not make for good video. Y'see, times have changed."
Tea Party speaker wants to hang Sen. Patty Murray. Nathan Empsall at MyDD quotes: "How many of you have watched the movie Lonesome Dove? ... What happened to Jake when he ran with the wrong crowd? ... He got hung. And that's what I want to do with Patty Murray."
TPM flags a CNN poll suggesting the Tea Party movement is mostly male, rich, and well-educated: "Sixty-six percent of the tea party activists reported an income higher than $50,000 per year. Among the overall sample in the poll, that figure was 42%."
