by Bill Scher | Jan 17, 2007 | Blog
The House is expected to pass legislation today that will cut some student loan rates in half, saving the average student $4,420 without costing taxpayers a dime. This is a critical first step in making college affordable for all students and working families. As the...
by Robert Borosage | Jan 16, 2007 | Blog
Robin Toner has front page analysis in the New York Times today on how Dems are seeking the "middle on social issues." Most of this is common sense. Dems will control agenda in House and use that to block votes on issues like gay marriage or partial birth abortion...
by Bill Scher | Jan 16, 2007 | Blog
Lots of blog discussion about the new Health Care for America plan announced last week by Jacob Hacker and the Economic Policy Institute. (Roger Hickey's post summing up the plan is here.) Tapped's Ezra Klein praises the simplicity: "...unlike the other [new] plans,...
by Bill Scher | Jan 16, 2007 | Blog
Last Thursday, when the Washington Post ran two pieces attacking the Democratic plan to empower Medicare to negotiate drug prices, I asked, "Is the Washington Post actively trying to thwart the First 100 Hours goal to empower Medicare to negotiate for lower drug...
by Bill Scher | Jan 12, 2007 | Blog, Minimum Wage
Senate Finance Chair Max Baucus is firmly establishing himself as the buzzkill of The First 100 Hours. After dirtying up a minimum wage bill with special interest tax breaks, now he's undermining Dem efforts to pass a bill requiring Medicare to negotiate for lower...
by Bill Scher | Jan 12, 2007 | Blog, Minimum Wage
Bill Scher blogs for Campaign for America's Future. This blog originally appeared in The Huffington Post. Yesterday was a great day for the American worker and the American economy, as the House passed a long overdue raise in the minimum wage to $7.25 an...
by Roger Hickey | Jan 11, 2007 | Blog
The great debate over how to fundamentally fix our broken health care system just got a lot more interesting. Today, the Economic Policy Institute released the Health Care for America plan – a simple yet sophisticated approach crafted by Jacob Hacker, author of “The...
by Bill Scher | Jan 11, 2007 | Blog
Is the Washington Post actively trying to thwart the First 100 Hours goal to empower Medicare to negotiate for lower drug prices? Today, the Post prints a one-two punch of misleading information. On the "news" side, we have particularly egregious piece broadly...
by Bill Scher | Jan 11, 2007 | Blog
In response to President Bush's stunning rejection of the people's will, Campaign for America's Future is joining our progressive allies today to form Americans Against Escalation in Iraq. Rallies are being held across the country today to oppose the continuation of...
by Bill Scher | Jan 11, 2007 | Blog, Minimum Wage
With the likelihood of competing minimum wage bills from the House and Senate, House Dems appear divided on how to proceed. CongressDaily AM reports: "...House Majority Leader [Steny] Hoyer said he would consider going with the Senate bill to avoid a conference...
by Bill Scher | Jan 10, 2007 | Blog, Minimum Wage
Minutes ago, the House approved increasing the hourly minimum wage to $7.25, over two years. The vote was strong, 315 to 116. Democratic support was unanimous. The GOP caucus was split, with 82 supporting and 116 opposing. Over in the Senate, CQ reports that Sen. Max...
by Bill Scher | Jan 10, 2007 | Blog, Minimum Wage
It's more than just Sen. Max Baucus looking to add business lobby favors to a minimum wage hike. According to Congressional Quarterly, Senate Dem leaders Richard Durbin and Chuck Schumer are opting to try to placate conservatives instead of standing up to them: "The...
by Bill Scher | Jan 10, 2007 | Blog
USA Today reports that the First 100 Hours battle for affordable prescription drugs may come down a few votes in the Senate: "While Democrats have the votes to pass the bill in the House, it faces a closer battle in the Senate. The Senate Finance Committee opens...
by Bill Scher | Jan 10, 2007 | Blog, Minimum Wage
Washington Post business columnist Steven Pearlstein takes the business lobby, and new Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus, to task today, setting the record straight about a minimum wage hike's impact on jobs. Pearlstein writes: ...both economic theory and...
by Bill Scher | Jan 9, 2007 | Blog, Minimum Wage
Tuesday afternoon, Speaker Nancy Pelosi held a conference call with bloggers about Iraq and the First 100 Hours Agenda. I asked her if the final minimum wage bill would be "clean" without any special interest provisions tacked on, or would it include tax giveaways for...
by Bill Scher | Jan 9, 2007 | Blog
We're starting to see more slanted media coverage as the battle over prescription drugs heats up. Part of the First 100 Hours Agenda is to give our government the power to negotiate drug prices on behalf of Medicare recipients, using the collective bargaining power to...
by Bill Scher | Jan 8, 2007 | Blog, Minimum Wage
This Wednesday, the House is expected pass a key piece of the First 100 Hours agenda -- a painfully overdue raise in the minimum hourly wage from $5.15 to $7.25. President Bush and the CEO lobby realize its political suicide to oppose the hike -- it's backed by 80% of...
by Bill Scher | Jan 8, 2007 | Blog
The first order of business in the House last week was to pass new House ethics rules, including new reporting requirements for congressional trips and earmarks. But these new reporting requirements will only be good tools to shine a spotlight on corruption if we know...
by Roger Hickey | Aug 1, 2006 | Blog
In 2005, President Bush promoted the privatization of Social Security as his top domestic priority. However, once the American people understood what he was proposing, they overwhelmingly rejected the idea. While open to modest reforms that would strengthen its...
