sequestration

Obama Rallies Democrats, Scorns GOP Fiscal Plans

Posted on 02/8/2013 by | General News | Comments

Bulletin Today | PoliticsBy Jim Kuhnhenn of The Associated Press LEESBURG, Va. (AP) — Assertive even as he preached humility, President Barack Obama vowed to confront Republicans on the budget deficit and urged Democrats on Thursday to stick with him on guns and immigration. He scorned a GOP plan to avoid imminent across-the-board spending cuts, declaring flatly “we’re on the right side of this argument.” In an address meant to motivate House Democrats during their annual retreat, Obama cast his overarching agenda as …

GOP Lawmakers See Automatic Cuts as Leverage on Medicare

Posted on 01/30/2013 by | General News | Comments

Bulletin Today | PoliticsBy Andrew Taylor of The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Driven by frustration over deficits and debt, Republican conservatives are pushing a politically risky move to permit painfully large automatic spending cuts to strike the Pentagon and domestic programs alike in an effort to force Democrats into making concessions on the budget. It’s a remarkable turnabout from last year, when GOP leaders were among the loudest voices warning of dire consequences for the military and the economy if more than …

Congress Charts New Collision Course Over Deficit

Posted on 01/24/2013 by | General News | Comments

Bulletin Today | PoliticsBy Charles Babington of The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation’s sharp disagreements over taxes and spending are on a re-routed collision course, as Senate Democrats launch a plan that includes new taxes and House Republicans vow to speed up their plan to balance the federal budget with spending cuts alone. The Republicans’ new approach would require even deeper cuts in social programs than they pushed last year. Liberals denounced those earlier plans as severe and unfair, and they …

More Fiscal Battles Loom Despite Deal

Posted on 01/2/2013 by | General News | Comments

Bulletin Today | PoliticsBy Tom Raum of The Associated Press Financial markets around the world are celebrating the climactic New Year’s agreement to avert scheduled tax increases and budget cuts in the United States. But the party could be a short one. While Congress’ action ended a stubborn stalemate and prevented the nation from going over a “fiscal cliff” and possibly tumbling back into recession, the terms of the bipartisan pact helped erect an even larger fiscal precipice. The deal, which President Barack …

Cliff Averted: Congress Staves Off Tax Hikes

Posted on 01/2/2013 by | General News | Comments

Bulletin Today | PoliticsBy Alan Fram and David Espo of The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Past its own New Year’s deadline, a weary Congress sent President Barack Obama legislation to avoid a national “fiscal cliff” of middle class tax increases and spending cuts late Tuesday night in the culmination of a struggle that strained America’s divided government to the limit. The bill’s passage on a bipartisan 257-167 vote in the House sealed a hard-won political triumph for the president less than two …

‘Fiscal Cliff’ Talks Vexing Official Washington

Posted on 12/13/2012 by | General News | Comments

Bulletin Today | PoliticsBy Andrew Taylor of The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Five weeks after President Barack Obama won re-election and gained more leverage to make GOP conservatives bend on taxes, the new balance of power is proving vexing for both sides. Republicans still aren’t budging on Obama’s demands for higher tax rates on upper bracket earners, despite the president’s convincing election victory and opinion polls showing support for the idea. Democrats in turn are now resisting steps, such as raising the …

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »