MORNING MESSAGE
The
case for ending the federal budget spending caps known as the “sequester” has
just gotten a whole lot stronger. It’s all about jobs. At the request of Sen.
Bernie Sanders, who is currently running as a Democratic presidential candidate,
the Congressional Budget Office this week released a letter that said that if
these spending caps were eliminated, the economy would be able to add as many as
1.4 million additional jobs in 2016 and 2017 ... Lifting the sequester caps,
which constrains the ability of the federal government to make common-sense
spending decisions to support economic growth, create more jobs and lay a
foundation for future prosperity, should be a core campaign issue.
Hillary's Hybrid Student Loan Plan
Hillary
Clinton’s student loan draws from Democratic and Republican sources. The
Atlantic’s Tyler Bishop: “Clinton’s plan includes much of [Sen. Elizabeth]
Warren’s refinancing proposal … [Sen. Lamar Alexander’s] plan would have
streamlined the application, helped families understand the loan process, and
decreased the bewildering array of options for repaying student loans. Clinton’s
plan pursues much the same set of goals … her campaign has put together a plan
tailored to appeal to a variety of audiences, and designed not just for the
campaign trail, but also for a legislative push.”
Gov.
John Kasich latest to try compassionate conservatism. NYT: “In an echo of
the religious-based defense he has made of his Medicaid expansion … Kasich said,
‘I think conservatism is about giving everybody a chance, demanding personal
responsibility, but allowing people to pursue their God-given purpose …
Hopefully in the course of all this, I’ll be able to change some of the thinking
about what it means to be a conservative.'”
Gov.
Scott Walker approves taxpayer funds for basketball stadium. NYT: “Gov.
Scott Walker of Wisconsin approved $250 million in public financing for a new
arena for the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team on Wednesday, a deal exposing him
to charges of corporate welfare as he seeks the Republican nomination as a
fiscal conservative.”
Trump v. China
Democratic
Rep. Debbie Dingell praises Trump on China. The Hill: “‘Countries like China
that cheat and don’t play by the rules hurt good paying American jobs …,’
Dingell said in a statement. ‘I am pleased Mr. Trump made this point loudly and
clearly when he visited Michigan,’ … On a campaign stop in Michigan on Tuesday,
Trump said the Chinese are ‘just destroying us.’ ‘They keep devaluing their
currency until they get it right,’ he said.”
Did
China spark a currency war? NYT’s Neil Irwin: “…if the sell-off continues
the way it did Wednesday, the blowback to China’s actions and talk of ‘currency
wars’ will only get louder, and the voices of praise for its move toward
liberalization softer.”
Breakfast Sides
Justice
Dept. appeals AIG ruling. NYT: “The ruling in June involved a lawsuit by the
former chief executive ofA.I.G., Maurice R. Greenberg, who charged that the
government overstepped its bounds during the bailout in 2008, imposing unduly
harsh terms … In June, Judge Thomas C. Wheeler [said the] Federal Reserve had
indeed crossed the line [but] awarded no damages … The federal government [is]
worried could set a dangerous precedent by declaring the Fed’s actions
illegal.”
WH
warns conservative states on defunding Planned Parenthood. The Hill: “The
Obama administration has warned Louisiana and Alabama that they could be
violating federal law by cutting off Planned Parenthood from their states’
Medicaid programs … federal law says Medicaid beneficiaries may obtain services
from any qualified provider and that cutting Planned Parenthood out of the
program restricts that choice.”
Progressive
Breakfast is a daily morning email highlighting news stories of interest to
activists. Progressive Breakfast is a project of the Campaign for America's
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