The US Congress has approved a bill which aims to make it possible for Americans to adopt orphaned North Korean children. The North Korea Refugee Adoption Act instructs the US State Department to devise a comprehensive strategy to facilitate the
By ALAN FRAMAssociated PressWASHINGTON Congress’ excruciating, extraordinary New Year’s Day approval of a compromise averting a prolonged tumble off the fiscal cliff hands President Barack Obama most of the tax boosts on the rich that he campaigned on. It also
It is 2013, and we went over the Fiscal Cliff long before midnight last night. The fact is that our economy does not rise and fall over the course of months or even a year. We went over the Fiscal
After a week’s vacation during which every day was spent waking at the crack of noon to ensure the TV was in good operating condition, I returned to work this morning only to discover that the elated celebratory mood the
By STEPHEN OHLEMACHERAssociated PressWASHINGTONWhile the tax package that Congress passed New Year’s Day will protect 99 percent of Americans from an income tax increase, most of them will still end up paying more federal taxes in 2013. That’s because the
House Speaker John Boehner killed a $60 billion package to provide relief to victims of Hurricane Sandy, a GOP leadership aide–likely from Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s office–told Politico late Tuesday. “Speaker Boehner made the decision not to proceed this Congress”
(AP) Political brinksmanship still threatens US economyBy PAUL WISEMAN and CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABERAP Economics WritersWASHINGTONAn emergency deal reached after weeks of rancorous negotiations will keep the U.S. from driving off the so-called fiscal cliff, but higher taxes and continued political
Tonight’s vote on the Senate-brokered deal to avert the “fiscal cliff” may set the stage for a Leadership challenge when the new Congress convenes at noon on Thursday. Almost two-thirds of the House GOP caucus voted against the Senate plan
Tonight, the House voted to accept the Senate amendments to House Resolution 8, setting in motion the enactment of the McConnell-Biden brokered deal to avert the “fiscal cliff.” The House will next hold a quick vote to pass the underlying
One of the lines that many progressives and TV talking heads are reiterating is that no one really wants to take away Americans’ guns. Senator Dianne Feinstein apparently missed that directive. She admitted as far back as 1995 that she
House Republicans may refuse to go along with the budget deal worked out last night by the Senate. Eric Cantor, the majority leader, said he won’t go along with the Senate after he met with other House Republicans. The miniscule
The “fiscal cliff” deal reached by the Senate and the White House on New Year’s Eve, and passed in legislative form by the Senate early New Year’s Day, includes many giveaways to special interests–including an extension of a perk enjoyed by
The Senate passed legislation meant to end the “fiscal cliff” crisis in the wee hours of the morning. And it seems Hollywood’s rigorous backing of President Barack Obama and his Democrat peers in the waning months of 2012 paid off.
The “fiscal cliff” fiasco has made it clear that President Barack Obama is entirely irrelevant to the everyday task of governing. He is not interested in it, and he is not good at it. He is great at campaigning and
(AP) Details of Senate bill averting ‘fiscal cliff’By The Associated PressHighlights of a bill approved Tuesday by the Senate aimed at averting wide tax increases and budget cuts scheduled to take effect in the new year. The measure would raise
(AP) Bill to avert fiscal cliff heads to HouseBy ANDREW TAYLORAssociated PressWASHINGTONLegislation to negate a fiscal cliff of across-the-board tax increases and sweeping spending cuts to the Pentagon and other government agencies is headed to the GOP-dominated House after bipartisan,
According to the Congressional Budget Office, the last-minute fiscal cliff deal reached by congressional leaders and President Barack Obama cuts only $15 billion in spending while increasing tax revenues by $620 billion–a 41:1 ratio of tax increases to spending cuts.
Here is a summary of where things stand on the “fiscal cliff,” with just minutes to spare before the midnight deadline, after which the Bush tax cuts will expire and massive automatic spending cuts are implemented. The White House–meaning Vice
As fiscal cliff negotiations continue, Senate Republicans are attempting to replace the sequester with a new program that would look like this: $1.2 trillion in cuts would kick in two months from now, minus $24 billion in revenue from the
If you’re not having as much fun as you expected this New Year’s Eve, take some comfort in the fact that the nation’s politicians are even more miserable. They just failed to avert the “fiscal cliff” of tax hikes and
Now that the House will not hold a vote tonight the laugher and clapping at Obama’s press conference and republicans reaction to it seem to be a main reason for the break down. Huffington Post: With hours remaining to avert
We often think of “heroes” as people who go above and beyond average expectations, who stand up to those who would cause us harm or destruction, who risk their own interests in order to save something they perceive to be
Numerous sources report that the House of Representatives will not be able to vote on any Senate deal to avoid the “fiscal cliff” before the midnight deadline tonight, even if the Senate were able to reach agreement, which it has
While the Washington Post reports this afternoon that Congress is considering pushing off all cuts under a new deal to avert the fiscal cliff, top Republicans say that is absolutely false. The sequester cuts will either go through now, as
This afternoon, in one of the more bizarre appearances of his presidency, Barack Obama gave a televised address to a room full of supporters on the “fiscal cliff.” He broke no news, but mocked Congress, and hinted at future tax
