Senate Jobless Aid Bill Hits House Roadblock
"Bipartisan Bill to Extend Jobless Aid Divides Republicans" reports National Journal: "House Speaker John Boehner and the Republican architect of a Senate bill to extend benefits up to June are clashing over a letter from an interest group representing state workforce agencies that says the bill would cause delays in restarting payments to eligible beneficiaries. 'It is extremely disappointing that, no matter what solution is reached, there is some excuse to deny these much-needed benefits,' Republican Sen. Dean Heller of Nevada said ..."
Boehner's excuses are "ridiculous" says TNR's Danny Vinik: "...it's not clear why Boehner wouldn't simply try to amend the bill, in order to address what would seem to be a fixable problem. Boehner also complained that the bill didn't include any policies to create jobs—when, in fact, the Congressional Budget Office has found that extending unemployment insurance boosts demand and creates jobs."
"States outflank GOP on food stamp cuts" reports The Hill: "Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) is accusing several states of 'cheating' by increasing their home heating aid to recipients of food stamps in a bid to circumvent cuts to federal funding. The states, which are mostly in the northeast and led by Democrats, say they are merely protecting needy citizens in a way that is well within the law .. The actions by the states to go around the cuts may not trim the budget savings, at least in the short term."
WH Aims To Solve Natural Gas Methane Problem
WH aims to solve methane leakage problem with natural gas. W. Post: "[John] Podesta and Obama's top science adviser, John Holdren, said they continue to see natural gas production and use as a way to curb the nation's carbon output. Holdren said the industry's methane emissions were 'big enough' to be a target for reductions, but not large enough to nullify 'the advantages of natural gas over goal in electricity generation' as well as the potential of gas to replace oil in the transport sector."
Podesta rejects push from some enviros to halt natural gas development. WSJ: "His comments came in response to questions about a letter that 17 environmental groups sent to Mr. Obama on Tuesday urging him to oppose the exports of natural gas to other countries. 'With all due respect to my friends in the environmental community, if they expect us to turn off the lights and go home, that’s an impractical suggestion,' he said ... The Tuesday letter was organized in part by the Sierra Club and 350.org, two groups integral in the fight against Keystone XL pipeline, who are opposed to an export facility in Maryland."
Lapsed wind power tax credit may return. Bloomberg: "Dozens of tax breaks that lapsed Dec. 31 would be revived in a plan to be presented soon by the new chairman of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee. The committee probably will hold a vote during the week of March 31 ... Wyden’s proposal probably will exclude or refine some of the 55 expired breaks, the aide said, with a goal to produce a bipartisan bill ... House Republicans have said they won’t consider a short-term extension of the breaks."
Breakfast Sides
Obama to discuss improving women's economic opportunities today. NYT: "Mr. Obama will use an address at Valencia College in Orlando to emphasize his administration’s efforts to give more women access to higher education and to promote equality in the workplace..."
Nebraska rejects Medicaid expansion under Obamacare. W. Post: "Nebraska legislators spent the past year crafting a conservative version of Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion that they hoped would gain support in a pretty red state. But after a failed vote in the state legislature Wednesday, the Medicaid expansion is officially dead in Nebraska this year."
