If there is one thing clear in recent weeks as Congress prepares to fold up and go home for the holidays, nothing is going to pass if the Republicans do not get there way on extending the Bush Tax Cuts for Billionaires. Today Senate Republicans blocked the the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. Zadroga was a New York police detective who “participated in the rescue efforts at ground zero” and then ”later developed breathing complications that were common...
Monthly Archives: December 2010
Elizabeth Edwards Succumbs to Cancer
Yesterday evening, I was saddened to hear the news that Elizabeth Edwards had exhausted all treatment options and was reported to have only a couple of weeks to live. Those of us who followed Elizabeth’s brave battle with cancer from the end of 2004 presidential election and onward, watched a woman battle not only for her life but her marriage as well. The first news I heard on the radio tonight as I drove home from work was that...
Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Kerry Delivers A Speech On U.S.-China Relations
Michael Crowley reported in TIME Magazine today that the WikiLeaks “flood of raw diplomatic cables may actually suit the purposes of one prominent foreign policy figure: John Kerry.” The cables are filled with references to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman’s active diplomacy around the world. And while Kerry naturally doesn’t come across as flawless (he was mistakenly optimistic about the prospects for moderation in Syria, for instance) they support the idea that Kerry has been an effective envoy for...
Capitol Idea: Why Republicans Should Relax and Learn to Love Unemployment Benefits
Until Monday’s compromise with the White House, Republicans stubbornly opposed any extension of benefits to keep the nation’s millions of unemployed keep their heads above water. Conservatives clearly are unmoved by appeals to basic decency to provide assistance to honest out-of-work Americans who are out looking for their next job. Don’t let anyone tell you that folks collecting unemployment insurance are just sitting home collecting a check. Recipients have to prove they are job-hunting as part of receiving benefits....
Chairman Kerry To Address U.S. – China Relations At The Center For American Progress
Head’s up to our loyal long-time readers: On Tuesday, December 7 at 4:00 p.m., Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry will speak at the Center for American Progress. His remarks, titled “U.S.-China Relations: A View from the U.S. Senate,” will discuss America’s response to the rise of China. Former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright will provide introductory remarks. You can watch Senator Kerry’s speech live here. I will try to follow up and post the text of Kerry’s...
Senate GOP’s Record Belies Its Claim To Jobs Mantle, Democrats Say
When they served notice last week that they would block any legislation not associated with the federal budget or taxes, Senate Republicans did so saying they wanted to focus the Senate on creating jobs for the American people. That claim, however, is belied by a record of opposing several bills brought up this year by Democrats that aimed to bolster the nation’s flagging employment rolls, according to a statement released by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s office. Led by...
Loss Of Unemployment Benefits Just The Start Of A Fraying of The Safety Net
A partisan standoff on Capitol Hill means that unemployment benefit checks will run out by the end of the month for 2 million out-of-work Americans. But if being deprived of such supplemental income isn’t enough of a fright, the nation’s jobless and others struggling with the economic downturn face the potential loss of further federal assistance programs, according to lawmakers and others in Washington. While Republicans continue to block final votes on an extension of unemployment insurance that began...
Analyst: A ‘Strategically Crafted’ Government Shutdown May Be In The Works
Conventional wisdom says congressional Republicans learned their lesson from initiating disasterous government shutdowns the last time they took control of Congress. Those budget showdowns, after all, only served to strengthen the bond between voters and the last Democratic president — helping set the stage for Bill Clinton’s landslide re-election. Not necessarily true, according to one senior analyst at a prestigious Washington think tank. Conservatives may well force the closure of much of the government, says Sarah Binder, senior fellow...
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