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Senate Advances Budget Deal, Clearing Way For Final Passage
The United States Senate advanced a budget compromise Tuesday that provides modest relief to across-the-board spending cuts and prevents another shutdown of the federal government in January. The upper chamber voted 67-33 on cloture, thus meeting the 60-vote threshold to begin…
Social Security begins processing survivor benefits for same-sex spouses
The Social Security Administration (SSA) said Monday it has begun processing, and paying, some survivor’s benefits for married, same-sex couples. Carolyn Colvin, acting commissioner of Social Security, said the agency is processing “some widow’s and widower’s claims by surviving members of same-sex marriages…
The young must remember they’re destined to get old
The largest problem the young have is they have no idea one day they will become old. I know this because there was a time not so long ago I was young. I had a full head of hair, my weight…
Federal workers’ pensions targeted in budget deal
Top lawmakers have found easy prey in their hunt for savings for Congress’ budget deal: Federal workers’ retirement programs, which are notably generous compared to the norm in private industry. Most federal civilian employees hired beginning in January will contribute 4.4…
Budget Deal May Signal Era of Tiny Achievements
People hoping for a government that works better can’t decide whether to cheer or lament a bipartisan budget bill that legislative leaders call a breakthrough even as they acknowledge it does little. In an era of low expectations, House passage of…
Ryan And Murray See Budget Accord As Foundation For Future Deals
Senate Budget Committee chair Sen Patty Murray, D- Wash., and her House counterpart Rep. Paul Ryan, R- Wisc., gave a vigorous defense Sunday of the budget agreement which they announced last week. They said the accord showed that serious legislating is…
Another View: How not to think about the pension crisis
The latest news out of Detroit isn’t good. To get its fresh start, this once great but now bankrupt city is going to stick it to municipal employees and retirees. City retirees there haven’t enjoyed exactly lavish pensions, but what they…
Exceptionalism: Words or actions?
With some fanfare, a proposed federal budget deal was tossed into the public arena last week, and like all compromises, it had good and bad in it for both sides. Republicans liked that there were no tax increases and Democrats…
Retirement Planner: When rising health care costs hit home
With my 97-year-old father in a nursing home, I find myself getting a lot of valuable, firsthand experience with the nation’s health care delivery system — especially the costs. The other day, I received a bill for ambulance service incurred back…
Budget deal may signal era of tiny achievements
People hoping for a government that works better can’t decide whether to cheer or lament a bipartisan budget bill that legislative leaders call a breakthrough even as they acknowledge it does little. In an era of low expectations, House passage of…