MORNING MESSAGE
Beyond Resistance: The Story of 2016
Democrats
can’t "resist" Republicans unless they reset themselves as a movement-based
party, with new ideas and new faces. That’s how Sanders mobilized a generation.
It’s why he is, by some measures, the most popular politician in America.
Resistance is important, but to “resist” is only negative. Bernie’s call for
“political revolution” is affirmative, evoking a world we can bring into
being.
House Gropes Toward Health Care Strategy
House
Republicans say they will replace Obamacare with “universal access.” NYT:
“‘Our goal here is to make sure that everybody can buy coverage or find coverage
if they choose to,’ a House leadership aide told journalists … the date that
[Obamacare] provisions would actually disappear would be delayed, allowing a
transition period as short as two years or as long as three or four years … By
giving people the choice to buy insurance, Republicans could end up dangerously
skewing the health insurance market, Obama administration officials and
insurance executives say. Sick people are more likely to sign up, they say, and
there may not be enough healthy people paying premiums to cover the costs for
those who are less healthy … The aide declined on Thursday to say if Republicans
would seek an immediate halt to the cost-sharing subsidy payments.”
No
GOP decision on when to scrap individual mandate. The Hill: “Congressional
Republicans have not yet said whether they intend to scrap the mandate right
away, but the bill they unsuccessfully pushed last year — and are now using as a
blueprint for 2017 — abolished the mandate immediately … immediate repeal of the
mandate could have severe repercussions … more healthy people are likely to go
without health coverage, leaving mostly sick people enrolled in ObamaCare. If
that happened, premiums could rise substantially.”
BORDER TAX PLAN ComPLICATES TAX REFORM
Proposed
“border tax adjustment” riles importing retailers. Salon: “The proposal is
part of the House Ways and Means Committee’s blueprint for the tax overhaul …
Though technically not an import tariff, the so-called border tax adjustment
prevents companies from writing off import costs on their taxable income,
effectively raising their tax bills … To import-reliant businesses, the border
tax adjustment is a poison pill, and bigger companies are preparing for war to
ensure President-elect Donald Trump and his Republican allies in Congress know
just how much they hate this idea.”
WSJ
offers reasons why tax reform may not clear Congress: “While House
Republicans seem unified around their blueprint, senators have barely discussed
it. They might balk at pieces of the House plan, namely the border adjustment
and estimates showing the bulk of the benefits going to the top 1% of households
… other issues will clog the calendar and drain post-election political capital,
including a Supreme Court nominee, Cabinet appointments, appropriations and the
federal debt limit … The taxpayers and industries that benefit today won’t give
up their advantages so easily, and the losers in any plan will be loud.”
TRUMP CONFLICTS CONTINUE
Eric
Trump Foundation sells access to Ivanka. NYT: “Ozan M. Ozkural, a
London-based investment manager, found a creative way to gain one-on-one access
to the new first family: He bid nearly $60,000 to have a cup of coffee with
Ivanka Trump for a charity event she was hosting. Mr. Ozkural [wants] to gain
insight into topics like President-elect Donald J. Trump’s possible future
dealings with Turkey and other nations where Mr. Ozkural invests … The money was
to go to a foundation led by Ms. Trump’s brother Eric … In a brief telephone
interview about the auction, Eric Trump … said that he was trying to navigate
the ‘new world’ he is in since his father’s win.”
Incoming
National Security Advisor has “deep ties to defense contractors” reports
Bloomberg: “Just last week, [Michael Flynn] was re-elected to a paid
position on the board of a surveillance drone company with Department of Defense
contracts … while taking part in the classified briefings for Trump last August,
he revamped his consulting company — Flynn Intel Group, or FIG — by adding one
senior executive whose firm does extensive cybersecurity work for government
agencies and another who was soliciting defense department aviation
contracts.”
BREAKFAST SIDES
Tom
Perez formally joins DNC race. The Hill: “…Perez said on a conference call
with state Democratic chairmen[,] ‘I believe that at no point in my life has the
Democratic chair been this important. We need strong progressive leadership that
can deliver results. I’m a proud progressive and have been getting stuff done my
entire career.’ Perez promised to return to the DNC’s ’50 state strategy,’ … on
Wednesday night, [Rep. Keith Ellison] swiped at Perez for supporting the
Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.”
North
Carolina Republicans aim to strip incoming Democratic governor of power. The
Atlantic: “About 20 demonstrators as well as one journalist were arrested
amid demonstrations against what liberal groups are describing as a ‘legislative
coup.’ … ‘If I believe that laws passed by the legislature hurt working families
and are unconstitutional, they will see me in court,’ said [Gov.-elect Roy]
Cooper … The state house passed a bill that will reduce the number of jobs
appointed to the governor from 1,500 to 300, make Cabinet picks subject to state
senate approval, and withdraw the governor’s ability to make appointments to
University of North Carolina system boards of trustees and the state school
board. (In effect, that will convert many of the political appointments made by
outgoing Governor Pat McCrory, a Republican, into permanent jobs.)”
States
and cities prepare to tackle climate without Trump. NYT; “In last month’s
election, Seattle, Los Angeles and Columbus, Ohio, voted to expand mass transit.
Portland, Ore. … began a new municipal waste program a few years ago, resulting
in higher recycling and composting rates … Miami Beach is raising roadbeds and
building flood walls … [CA Gov. Jerry Brown] scoffed at reports that some Trump
transition officials wanted to eliminate the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration’s system of earth-observing satellites. ‘If Trump turns off the
satellites,’ he said, ‘California will launch its own damn satellite.'”
Obama
holds press conference at 2:15 PM ET today reports Reuters.
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