Republicans Struggle To Craft Budget
Republican leaders pull back from ambitious balanced budget goal. Politico: "The House and Senate Budget Committees won’t roll out their tax and spending plans until next week. But all indications are the savings target for reconciliation won’t come close to the trillions needed to reach balance by 2025."
GOP hawks demand reserve fund to avoid military cuts in budget. The Hill: "The 'deficit-neutral reserve fund' could provide relief for the Pentagon and domestic programs from budget ceilings known as sequestration, even if the GOP budget blueprint released next week keeps those ceilings in place. Without the fund, several Senate Republicans say they won’t back their party’s budget ... Some opponents of the sequester, however, say even the fund won’t be enough to win their support. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has described the fund as a gimmick and said Thursday he won’t vote for a budget unless the spending ceilings are adjusted."
O'Malley Looks Ready To Run
Sen. Sanders seems hesitant about running for president, says Politico: "Bernie Sanders hasn’t made any big hires for a potential presidential run. He doesn’t have the money he needs for a campaign and isn’t sure he can raise it ... [He] had earlier said he’d decide this month whether to run for the White House, but now says he might push back that deadline [because] budget negotiations will take up a large chunk of his time ..."
But former Gov. Martin O'Malley sharpens his pitch to Salon.com: " I think the reinstitution of Glass Steagall is something that a lot of people believe as a practical matter is something we should do ... One of the big questions that this campaign will seek to answer is how we reward productive investment rather than stock buybacks ... We [should expand Social Security] because right now we’re facing a looming retirement crisis in our country ..."
Dean Backs Chuy
Howard Dean endorses Chuy Garcia to replace Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Bloomberg: "'...García is running a similar people-powered campaign in Chicago and that’s why I am proud to announce that I am endorsing him as the progressive choice to be Chicago’s next mayor.' ... Perhaps even more worrisome for Emanuel than having his old rival make his support of Garcia official, the third-place finisher in the race, Willie Wilson, also threw his support behind the challenger Thursday."
But Rahm leads in Chicago Tribune poll. Politico: "The poll shows Emanuel leading ... Garcia, 51 percent to 37 percent ... Emanuel is buoyed by continued gains among African-American voters ... Garcia has made little headway in his attempts to unite African Americans and Hispanics behind his candidacy..."
Breakfast Sides
Road builders lobby opposes repatriation scheme to fund highway bill. The Hill: "The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) issued a proposal Thursday to nearly double the gas tax. If lawmakers find that politically untenable Pete Ruane, the group’s president, offered a potential deal sweetener. 'If our national leaders think they need to use budget gimmicks ... then use those devices to provide a $90 tax rebate to middle and lower income tax filers ... Just using repatriation as a one-time, short-term patch for Highway Trust Fund investments does not address or resolve the trust fund’s underlying revenue stream problem.'"
Progressive groups slam "progressive" pro-TPP operation. Buzzfeed: "There’s something weird about the [Progressive Coalition for American Jobs]: No one in the Washington, D.C., progressive community seems to have ever heard of them before ... 'It’s insulting,' said Candice Johnson, spokesperson for the Communications Workers of America, one of the many unions organized against TPP. 'You put progressive in your name and that’s going to convince people?' ... [PCAJ's Lynda] Tran didn’t answer questions about who funds the group or who the coalition’s members are."
