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Obama, GOP talks leading back to deficit debate
Suddenly it’s about the deficits. As a deal moves toward ending the partial government shutdown, raising the nation’s line of credit, and abandoning the drive to upend the 3-year-old health care law, Washington’s attention is turning to spending and…
Feds urge White House to avoid chained CPI
A coalition of federal employee, retiree and veterans groups pressed the Obama administration on Wednesday to avoid changing the government’s formula for calculating cost-of-living increases for pensions and other benefits. “We’re all concerned about this [chained consumer price index] proposal,” Robert…
Poll: Just 25 Percent Think Their Own Congressman Deserves Reelection
Only one-quarter of Americans think that their own member of Congress should be reelected, according to a new HuffPost/YouGov poll. That’s a sharp departure from similar polls conducted before the government shutdown. In the new survey, 25 percent of respondents said they…
How bad would a U.S. default be?
If Congress does not act to extend the debt limit, the Treasury Department will only have its cash on hand — estimated to be about $30 billion — and whatever revenues it takes in each day. Because the government is running…
A rational fix for Social Security system
Rep. Rush Holt, D-N.J., is a smart man — quite literally a rocket scientist, as his supporters’ bumper stickers will attest. When Holt talks, people should listen, whether they agree or not. So it’s a bit ironic that one of his…
Entitlements may get cut, Dems fear
Liberal Democrats are growing increasingly worried that the fiscal showdown will lead President Obama to sacrifice sacred-cow programs such as Social Security in order to end the deadlock. Although Obama has been adamant he won’t negotiate on legislation to reopen the…
Who works and who doesn’t: the law behind the government shutdown
With the federal government shutdown in its second week, what functions remain in operation are becoming clear, even though the reasons behind them may not be. FBI agents and TSA security screeners are on the job, but park rangers are not.…
Senator accuses administration of using scare tactics on debt limit
A Republican senator is accusing the Obama administration of intentionally scaring the public and financial markets over the borrowing limit. Orrin Hatch of Utah made the charge at a hearing where Treasury Secretary Jack Lew urged Congress to raise that limit…
GOP Financial Terrorism Must End, Shutdown Must End, Social …
The latest offer from those I have called Banana Republicans would keep the government shut down and threaten again to default the nation and crash world markets in a few weeks unless Republicans get their way. This is financial terrorism,…
US Treasury secretary: Republicans underestimate debt ceiling danger
The Treasury secretary, Jack Lew, warned on Thursday that the continued brinksmanship over the debt limit risks unforeseen consequences in the financial markets that could in turn lead to the US running out of cash within days. As pressure mounted on Congress…