MORNING MESSAGE
Republicans
have the majority in the House and Senate, and it is up to them to come forth
with a cohesive budget plan that they can pass. Here is a look at the (not)
governing majority’s factions as the budget battles begin – and why they might
not come to any agreement at all ... The status quo [faction] is the
anti-growth, anti-government austerity budgeting imposed by the “sequester.” ...
The second faction wants to raise military spending, but still choke the economy
with austerity. ... The third faction of Republicans wants to seriously gut
government, cut everything and supposedly balance the budget in ten years. This
is the 'destroy everything' faction ...
House GOP Goes First On Budget
House
GOP budget sticks with radical Ryan vision. NYT: “House Republicans on
Tuesday will unveil a proposed budget for 2016 that partly privatizes Medicare,
turns Medicaid into block grants to the states, repeals the Affordable Care Act
and reaches balance in 10 years, challenging Republicans in Congress to make
good on their promises to deeply cut federal spending … it will include
parliamentary language … aimed at allowing legislation to repeal the Affordable
Care Act to pass the Senate with a simple majority …”
House
budget jacks up military spending while slashing domestic spending. The
Hill: “The House GOP budget will propose raising the Pentagon’s war funding
account next year to about $90 billion, Budget Committee member Tom Cole
(R-Okla.) told reporters late Monday. ‘It’ll go up from this year and
considerably up from where the president’s budget is at,’… To account for that
increase, he explained, ‘There will be considerable offsets on the
non-discretionary side of the budget.'”
Senate
GOP budget to come Wednesday. The Hill: “Senate Budget Committee Chairman
Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) has hinted at maintaining sequestration levels in his
blueprint, something Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), chairman of the Senate Armed
Services Committee, has vowed to oppose … Both budgets are expected to bring the
federal budget into balance. But how long it will take remains an open question
…
“Sen.
Sanders outlines progressive vision for budget” reports USA Today: “One
amendment he plans to offer calls for a ‘significant’ increase in funding to
rebuild crumbling bridges, roads, airports and water systems … Other amendments
[would make] college more affordable and lower student interest rates
‘substantially.’ … [m]ake clear that Congress should not cut Social Security or
Medicare [and end] a variety of tax loopholes that allow corporations to avoid
paying taxes.”
Transportation
advocates spar with conservatives over gas tax. The Hill: “Conservative
groups have pushed lawmakers to eliminate the 18.4 cents-per-gallon federal gas
tax — used to raise money for transportation projects — to transfer
responsibility for the nation’s road and bridges to state governments. The
advocates said the proposals to eliminate the gas tax, which are referred to as
‘devolution,’ would weaken the nation’s infrastructure.”
Intra-Party Trade Tension
House
Dems chafe at classified WH briefing on TPP. The Hill: “Rep. Rosa DeLauro
(D-Conn.) told The Hill that the administration is being ‘needlessly secretive.’
‘Even now, when they are finally beginning to share details of the proposed deal
with members of Congress, they are denying us the ability to consult with our
staff or discuss details of the agreement with experts,’ DeLauro [said.] Rep.
Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) condemned the classified briefing. ‘Making it classified
further ensures that, even if we accidentally learn something, we cannot share
it.'”
Pressure
on Hillary Clinton to take a position on TPP and fast-track. The Hill:
“Clinton is expected to announce her entry into the presidential race as early
as next month, just as the Obama administration’s efforts on trade may pick up.
That will only increase the scrutiny of Clinton’s record on the issue. A top
labor official who opposes the deal also promised trade ‘is going to be an issue
for Secretary Clinton when she announces.'”
Bush, Walker Face Scrutiny
Bloomberg’s
Christopher Flavelle explores “Jeb Bush and Florida’s Medicaid Meltdown”:
“To appreciate what went wrong with Jeb Bush’s attempts to reform Florida’s
Medicaid program … look at the state’s dismal quality-of-care scores, or its
sharp drop in Medicaid spending, or a judge’s ruling from December that Florida
is failing low-income children … Too many plans, too much administration and
plenty of patient confusion, along with too little spending, have made Florida’s
Medicaid program a mess … This month, Bush told an audience in Iowa that
Obamacare should be replaced. In its place, he proposed the model he introduced
in Florida.”
Scott
Walker tries to have it both ways on ethanol. Bloomberg: “On a conference
call organized by the Tea Party Patriots, the Wisconsin governor and likely
Republican presidential candidate said he’s been unwavering in his view that
corn-based ethanol should eventually lose government protections and incentives
… At a March 7 agricultural summit in Iowa, however, Walker said he supports the
Renewable Fuel Standard, which sets the amount of renewable fuel that must be
blended into gas…”
Greece Faces Debt Payment Deadline
Greece
faces Friday debt payment. Bloomberg: “Unable to access bailout funding and
locked out of capital markets, the government will outline emergency plans to
parliament Tuesday to increase funding … European governments have said they
won’t disburse any more emergency loans unless the government in Athens
implements a set of economic overhauls agreed last month, including pension and
sales tax reform … The government’s plan includes eliminating fines on those who
submit overdue taxes by March 27 to encourage payment, [requiring] pension funds
and public entities to invest reserves held at the Bank of Greece in government
securities and repurchase agreements, and transfers 556 million euros from the
country’s bank recapitalization fund to the state. A vote on the measures is
scheduled for Wednesday.”
Bloomberg’s
Mark Gilbert predicts a euro exit: “It’s increasingly obvious that the
government’s election promises are incompatible with the economic demands of its
euro partners. Something’s got to give.”
Progressive
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