Tag Archives : Build House

Biden’s student loans plan shrouded in mystery

President Biden’s next move on student loans has been a mystery, with the White House not communicating with advocates and instead keeping stakeholders in the dark while the president decides whether to forgive student loans on a large scale. Biden has said forgiving $10,000 in debt per borrower is on the table but keeps delaying making a final decision. Now, with the student loan pause ending next month and the midterm elections just a few months away, borrowers are unclear about what to expect. 

“We have seen a shift in the desire from the White House to meet with advocates. If you’re not willing to meet with us at this point, you have to, at the very least, meet with borrowers,” said Natalia Abrams, president and founder of the Student Debt Crisis Center (SDCC). 

The SDCC organized a petition this month to urge Biden to meet with borrowers before he makes a decision on cancellation. The petition, which has garnered more than 100,000 signatures, notes that it’s been more than a year since borrowers met with Education Secretary Miguel Cardona on the issue. 

“We have been pushing to meet with the White House to discuss again why borrowers need to meet with the White House and have been met with a less than friendly, or neutral, response,” Abrams added. 

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday that Biden will make a decision on student loan payments but that she would “let him speak.” 

Biden in April extended a pandemic moratorium on federal student loan payments and interest accrual until Aug. 31. Biden told reporters last week that “the end of August” is his timeline for making a decision. 

That follows more than a year of the president saying he will make a decision on student loans, amid pressure from progressives and advocates for a big portion of student loans to be forgiven, ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 to total cancellation. 

“I think it’s really important for the administration to directly hear from those who are most impacted by the weight that student debt has on their lives,” said Wisdom Cole, national director of the NAACP Youth and College Division. 

“When the administration hears the stories from borrowers, from folks who are teachers, from folks who work in various labor forces, folks who worked on the front line during this pandemic, they will hear how the more cancellation that they do, the better they are able to set up a future for — not just for some borrowers but for all borrowers and all Americans,” he added. 

The lack of communication with advocates became evident this spring, following the president extending the freeze. Groups say that the administration, since then, has kept them in the dark. 

One advocate said that the White House and Vice President Harris’s office have “totally ignored” requests for meetings and have “ghosted” them. Meanwhile, they said they were “pawned off to other people” when they asked the Department of Education for a meeting with Cardona. 

Another described the White House as “disinterested with taking a meeting” and “reluctant to meet with advocates.” 

“Canceling student debt should be an easy win, and instead Biden is in danger of turning it into a massive failure mere weeks before midterm elections in which the future of democracy is at stake. Now is the time to go big and bold,” said Thomas Gokey, organizer with the Debt Collective. 

He also argued that Biden needs to be meeting with borrowers before he makes his decision. 

“The White House is playing with fire and risking everything. It is unforgivable political malpractice. The president should meet with student debtors, and quick,” he said. 

Other White House officials have been mum when asked for updates on student loans, including top economic adviser Brian Deese, who on Tuesday said he didn’t have anything new to share. The White House didn’t respond to a request for comment on the lack of communication with activists on student loans. 

Lawmakers, meanwhile, have had some engagement with the president during his decisionmaking process on student debt. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) met with Biden in May to push for forgiveness. 

Borrowers are feeling discouraged and like their life is in limbo while they wait for news from the White House on student loans, advocates relayed from conversations with borrowers. 

“Over the last three months, we’ve been playing this back-and-forth of whether there is going to be an announcement or not an announcement, and now that we are coming up on the deadline of payments turning back on, we need to see strong policy and an increase in the amount of debt the president needs to cancel,” said Cole of the NAACP, which has advocated for a minimum of $50,000 in forgiveness. 

An Education Department spokesperson told The Hill this week that the administration is still assessing whether to extend the payment pause but that borrowers will be communicated with “directly” about the end of the freeze. The statement follows reporting that student loan servicing contractors have been told to not send billing statements. 

Biden supported canceling at least $10,000 of federal student loan debt during his 2020 presidential campaign. In April, Biden said that a decision would be made “in the next couple of weeks.” 

Advocates argue that the White House keeps other activists in the loop on other issues like, for example, gun violence prevention. There is also a growing uncertainly over who is making decisions related to debt cancellation, while the White House has named point people for other issues like domestic policy adviser Susan Rice for gun control. 

“What other aides and experts in the room is the president trusting with this decision? That has become less clear over time,” said Cody Hounanian, executive director at the SDCC. 

Activists, though, were encouraged by Biden’s decision in June to cancel billions in student debt for former Corinthian College students, which raised pressure on the White House to offer more extensive relief. Now, they await a final decision. 

“People are anxious, voters are anxious, and the president owns a base of anxiety about payments that impacts people,” Cole said. “His own base, the base of voters who elected him into office, is anxious now, and we’re waiting on a decision.”

Source: TEST FEED1

GOP lawmakers are cheering on Pelosi when it comes to Taiwan

Lawmakers in both parties are cheering on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) as she plows ahead with a planned visit to Taiwan in the face of opposition not only from Beijing, but also from her allies in the Biden administration. 

Pelosi is typically a toxic figure in Republican circles, where her unapologetic brand of liberal politics has stirred resentment throughout the two decades that she’s led House Democrats. 

But her fierce and enduring opposition to China’s history of human rights abuses has led even some of her toughest GOP critics to rally behind her as she confronts Beijing — and the White House — over her proposed visit to Taiwan during the summer recess. 

The explosive trip, which was confirmed only Wednesday by other lawmakers who were invited to join, has forged an assembly of odd alliances, pitting Pelosi against her Democratic allies in the administration while prompting a host of conservative Republicans — typically no fan of the Speaker — to rush to her defense in the name of advancing democracy and human rights. 

“As someone who disagrees with Speaker Pelosi on most every policy issue, on this area, she actually does have a track record — going back to Tiananmen — of criticizing the Chinese Communist Party for their human rights abuses. And so I think it would be in keeping with that track record — and very useful for American diplomacy and foreign policy — for the Speaker of the House to go to Taiwan,” said Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.). 

“Now, it’s more imperative than ever that she doesn’t back down.” 

Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio), chairman of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, echoed that message, warning that U.S. officials should not “cower” to the wishes of Beijing. 

“I hope she stands up to the pressure that she’s going to get, and is already getting, from President Biden and the administration. I think it’s important that we show solidarity with our ally Taiwan,” he said. “So I commend her for making the decision to go. I hope she sticks to her guns.” 

The trip, if it comes to pass, would hardly be the first to Taiwan for members of Congress; a prominent Senate delegation was there in April. But no one as high-profile as Pelosi has ventured to the self-governing island since 1997. 

Pelosi had reportedly planned to travel to Taiwan in April but had to cancel when she tested positive for COVID-19.  That put Chinese officials on alert, issuing warnings of dire, if unspecified, repercussions. 

Those warnings have increased, as the Speaker’s trip could come as early as August. 

“If the U.S. side insists on making the visit and challenges China’s red line, it will be met with resolute countermeasures,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Wednesday. “The U.S. must assume full responsibility for any serious consequence arising thereof.” 

President Biden, while not confirming the Speaker’s travel, said last week that the U.S. military “thinks it’s not a good idea right now” for Pelosi to visit Taiwan. 

Bonnie Glaser, director of the Asia Program at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, said she would not be surprised if Beijing sent military aircraft inside of Taiwan’s territorial airspace, but added that if aircraft flew over Taiwan, it “would be absolutely unprecedented.” 

“And if they seek to interfere with her landing in Taiwan, that could be potentially very dangerous,” she added. 

The Pentagon is reportedly making plans to increase military protection for the Speaker in the region, such as using fighter jets, ships, surveillance and other military systems to “provide overlapping rings of protection for her flight to Taiwan” or her time on the ground, The Associated Press reported.  

The firestorm is unlike any surrounding a congressional excursion in recent memory, and it’s adding to already dangerously strained relations between the U.S. and China. The two superpowers are in conflict on nearly every issue from the economy and environment to global security, in particular Beijing’s support for Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. 

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill say that’s only more reason Pelosi can’t back down. 

“It would send a clear message that we’re not going to cower to bullies, just like we have to stand up to Russia,” said Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), a member of the House Intelligence Committee. “The whole world is watching as to what the United States does in the battle of freedom versus dictatorship.” 

Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, acknowledged the very “awkward and difficult” position of having Pelosi at odds with Biden’s Pentagon. Still, Smith said he believes the Speaker of the House should have freedom of travel around the world and that canceling the trip would be kowtowing to Beijing. 

“There is nothing combative about the Speaker going to visit Taiwan. Members of Congress go to Taiwan all the time, and have for decades. And I’m just worried about letting China decide what’s provocative,” he said. 

“I mean, if China says, ‘We’re going to freak out and lose our minds,’ on the one hand you go, ‘Well, that’s ridiculous.’ On the other hand, you’ve got to worry about China freaking out and losing their minds. But again, my position would be to tell China: ‘Chill.’ ” 

Democratic and Republican lawmakers are pushing for the U.S. to firmly state its policy toward Taiwan in the face of an increasingly aggressive China, which claims sovereignty over the self-governing island. 

Sens. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) introduced legislation last month aimed at overhauling U.S. policy toward Taiwan, committing billions of dollars to its military defense capabilities and elevating its diplomatic presence globally. 

The effort is part of a growing call among lawmakers to more firmly support Taiwan as a flashpoint for combating China’s authoritarianism and a front line for defending democracies in the Indo-Pacific. 

Beijing strictly opposes efforts by any country that appears to establish bilateral ties with Taipei. 

White House national security spokesman John Kirby would not confirm the Speaker’s travel, saying in a briefing with reporters on Tuesday that Pelosi “makes her own decisions.” 

But he added that the National Security Council works closely with Pelosi’s staff “to make sure she has all the context, all the information, all the facts she needs to make all the best decisions about her travel.” 

U.S. officials have warned that China is preparing itself to invade Taiwan, even as it seeks to use economic and diplomatic coercion to bring the democratically governed island under Beijing’s control.

Biden is expected to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday evening, the fifth call between the two leaders, and Biden is expected to address “tensions over Taiwan,” among other issues, Kirby said, emphasizing the call had been planned far in advance. 

“There’s going to be a lot of topics for them to discuss. … This is one of the most consequential bilateral relationships in the world today, in one of the most important parts of the world today,” he said. 

Glaser, of the German Marshall Fund, said the call presents an opportunity for Biden and Xi to discuss Beijing’s response to Pelosi’s expected travel. 

“I doubt that Xi Jinping would ask President Biden to stop Pelosi from going because then, of course, if he does not do it, then, again, he looks weak, like he didn’t get what he wanted, what he asked for,” Glaser said. 

“This phone call will just be one of the several factors that will determine how China responds, and it could be a very aggressive response.”

Source: TEST FEED1

Biden allies say enthusiasm gap fueled by lack of engagement, ‘personal touch’

Allies to President Biden are voicing frustration about the political operation inside the White House as the midterm elections draw closer and the president readies for a possible reelection bid.  

The allies say the lack of a “personal touch” from Biden has left them underwhelmed, with calls going unanswered, simple requests lacking a reply and little — if any — proactive outreach from staff inside the White House.  

“The most important thing is people just want to feel engaged,” said a longtime Biden ally, one of a dozen sources interviewed by The Hill who say Biden needs to do more to build support for the party and for his own political prospects to successfully run for reelection. They argue the problems are exacerbating an enthusiasm gap between the two parties that could hurt Democrats in the midterms and beyond.  

The ally pointed to the success of the political operation inside the Clinton White House in making sure that members of Congress, donors, key figures in trade organizations and leaders of outside groups were all included in conversations and occasionally invited to the White House.  

“One of the things the Clintons did really well was make sure people were taken care of,” the ally added. “They need to do better … so, in March of next year, when [the Biden team] announce a reelection campaign and they start making calls to donors and political types, people are excited to take those calls.”  

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the outreach problems, because some of the larger traditional events that cater to those in the president’s orbit — including his inauguration, holiday parties and state dinners — haven’t been held. White House aides have sought to hold some of the events, including the Easter Egg Roll earlier this year, and have vowed to bring back other functions in the coming months.  

Democratic strategist Jim Manley and other political observers said they were sympathetic to the logistics around the pandemic. Still, with Biden’s approval ratings averaging around 38 percent, they say, the White House needs to do better. 

“Given the president’s approval rating, I’d think they’d be working in overdrive to conduct outreach to as many surrogates as possible,” Manley said. “As far as I can tell, it’s not happening.”  

“A lot of those surrogates are being left on the sidelines,” he added.  

Biden’s problems aren’t limited to his general low approval ratings, either. Various polls over the summer also show a majority of Democrats don’t want him to be their party’s nominee in 2024.  

The White House has sought to remedy some of its political woes. Anita Dunn, the political veteran who served as a senior adviser during Biden’s presidential campaign and during the early months of the presidency, returned to the White House in May to advance Biden’s communications and policy strategy.  

And much of the political apparatus has been managed by trusted hands Steve Ricchetti, Biden’s longtime adviser, and Jen O’Malley Dillon, who ran Biden’s general election campaign in 2020.  

Still, one longtime Biden aide acknowledged a persistent bottleneck of sorts in decisionmaking as aides in the Office of Political Strategy and Outreach handle a flurry of requests.  

“They can’t do anything because everything is run through Ricchetti and Anita,” the longtime aide said. “They have little authority to make decisions. 

The backlog of unanswered calls and emails can be so trying at times that allies reach out to outside advisers and other allies for help.  

“I’ve gotten calls from multiple people who can’t get their calls returned,” the longtime aide added. “It’s symptomatic of how the Biden team is run. It’s very top heavy. You can’t get a yes or a no. … ‘Are you going to do this trip or not?’ … They have donors they’ve known for years who don’t get calls returned.”  

“They’re not getting answers in a timely manner,” the longtime aide added. “They’re not engaging with the DNC [Democratic National Committee] in a timely manner or any other outside groups trying to help the president.”

“At the end of the day, you have to give these people you gave these jobs to the authority to make decisions,” the adviser said. “You have to empower these people.”  

In an interview with Puck News earlier this month, Greg Schultz, who served as Biden’s campaign manager during the Democratic primary in 2020 and also served as the president’s top political aide in the lead-up to the race, said Biden could benefit from better outreach to lawmakers.  

“He’s got a lot of friends out there,” Schultz said. “A great group of those House members who he campaigned for in 2016 and 2018, many of whom might lose their seats in the midterms. Those members are celebrating the progress they have made, often bipartisanly, whether it’s bipartisan support for Ukraine, the bipartisan infrastructure package, sometimes bipartisan support of a Supreme Court nominee.”

“When Biden is doing policy and politics, the stronger coordination he could have with those candidates and those caucuses, the stronger for everyone,” Schultz added.   

Former President Obama was also criticized by Democrats for a lack of political outreach and engagement with lawmakers in the early years of his presidency. Subsequently, he was also blamed for ignoring the party apparatus and focusing on his own outside organizations.  

But for Biden, who has had relationships on and off Capitol Hill, his allies have expected more.  

“He knows a lot of people, he has a lot of friends,” said one longtime Democratic National Committee member. “But they need to be better at nurturing those relationships.  

“This isn’t about rich people with bruised egos,” the member said. “I just don’t think there’s any engagement. We need that engagement now. There’s such a need for ground support right now.”

One Democratic operative suggested that the administration is only reaching out to groups and individuals who were on Team Biden from the beginning.  

“I’ve talked to dozens of operatives and activists who were on other campaigns in the primary and have not yet been invited to the White House or gotten a call from the White House,” the operative said. “This is particularly a problem with groups that are truly lagging, like Latinos, young folks and progressives.”  

But even staunch Biden supporters say they feel kept out of the loop.  

Asked what the White House could improve in the coming months, the longtime aide replied, “Just be responsive. Even if the answer is no, be responsive.

“And it wouldn’t hurt to be a little proactive, too.”

Source: TEST FEED1

Biden investing $401M for high-speed internet for 31K rural residents, businesses

The Biden administration will invest $401 million to provide access to high-speed internet for 31,000 rural residents and businesses in 11 states, including Nevada, Arkansas, and Idaho, the White House announced on Thursday.

There will be 20 projects in these states, which also includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota and Texas. The Department of Agriculture plans on making additional investments for rural high-speech internet later this summer.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for us over the course of the next several months to roll out a billion dollars in investment in connecting people to a better and more modern future,” Agriculture Sec. Tom Vilsack told reporters.

The funding includes a $27.1 million grant for Uprise LLC in Pershing County, Nevada to launch a network to connect 4,884 people, 130 businesses, 22 farms, and seven public schools to high-speed internet.

“This is a game changer for so many of our rural communities and our underserved communities in our cities,” Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) told reporters. 

The funding also includes a $10.6 million loan to the Midvale Telephone Company to connect 455 people, 39 businesses and 69 farms to high-speed internet in Elmore, Blaine, Custer and Boise counties in Idaho, and in Gila, Graham, Pinal, Cochise and Pima counties in Arizona. 

The loan will serve people in socially vulnerable communities in Pinal County in Arizona and Elmore County in Idaho, according to the White House.

Additionally, it will give a $12 million grant to the Arkansas Telephone Company Inc., to connect 986 people, 10 businesses and 145 farms to high-speed internet in Searcy and Van Buren counties.

To be eligible for the funding, the ReConnect Program through the Department of Agriculture requires applicants to serve an area where high-speed internet service speeds are lower than 100 megabits per second.

Source: TEST FEED1

Pelosi's husband sells off up to $5 million worth of chipmaker stock ahead of semiconductor bill vote

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) husband sold up to $5 million worth of chipmaker Nvidia shares as the House prepares to vote on a bill focusing on the domestic chip manufacturing industry. 

Pelosi completed a period transaction report signed on Tuesday that indicated that her husband, Paul Pelosi, sold 25,000 shares of Nvidia at an average price of $165.05 with a total loss of $341,365.

In total, the shares are worth between $1 and $5 million.

A separate filing signed by the House Speaker earlier this month indicated that Paul Pelosi had exercised call options last month to purchase 20,000 shares of the chipmaker at a strike price of $100. 

The latest regulatory filing came one day before the Senate passed legislation in 64-33 vote to provide $280 billion to bolster the American semiconductor industry as the nation grappled with a chip shortage, which was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Asked about her husband’s decision to sell his shares given the timing of the House’s vote on the chips bill, Pelosi spokesperson Drew Hammill told The Hill in a statement, “Mr. Pelosi bought options to buy stock in this company more than a year ago and exercised them on June 17, 2022.”

“As always, he does not discuss these matters with the Speaker until trades have been made and required disclosures must be prepared and filed. Mr. Pelosi decided to sell the shares at a loss rather than allow the misinformation in the press regarding this trade to continue,” he added.

Pelosi’s trading has been under previous scrutiny, including from Republican lawmakers like Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.). 

The Missouri Republican sent a letter to Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chair Gary Peters (D-Mich.) last week regarding considering having members of Congress and their spouses banned from insider stock trading and cited Pelosi’s purchase of the Nvidia stock.

“It has been more than six months since members of this Committee proposed measures to put an end to inappropriate financial transactions. Despite these efforts, Speaker Pelosi and her husband remain undeterred from cashing in,” he wrote in his letter.

During a news conference earlier this month, Pelosi claimed that her husband does not make sales or purchase stock based on information she had.

Source: TEST FEED1

Whip-lash: House GOP moves to oppose CHIPS-Plus bill in rebuke to Manchin deal

House Republican leadership is urging members of its conference to vote against a bill to bolster the domestic chip manufacturing industry and fund scientific research, a reversal from its position earlier in the day which comes hours after Senate Democrats struck a deal on a multi-billion dollar reconciliation package.

In a memo to all House GOP offices Wednesday night, leadership recommended that Republican lawmakers vote against the CHIPS-Plus Act, which passed the Senate in a bipartisan vote earlier in the day.

The announcement came shortly after Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) announced a $369 billion deal on a climate, taxes and health package following months of intra-party negotiations — an agreement that appears to be driving House GOP’s opposition to the CHIPS-Plus bill.

“This legislation comes to the House precisely as Senate Democrats have allegedly struck a deal on their partisan reconciliation bill, pairing up a tone-deaf agenda that on one hand gives billions away in corporate handouts, and on the other hand undoes historic tax cuts implemented by Republicans,” Senate Minority Whip Steve Scalise’s (R-La.) office wrote in the memo.

“The partisan Democrat agenda has given us record inflation, and now they are poised to send our country into a crushing recession,” the office added.

Republicans also expressed concerns about the bill’s impact on the deficit and inflation.

In late June, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) threatened to tank the domestic semiconductor bill if Democrats went forward with a reconciliation package, which members of the caucus had been negotiating for months.

Earlier this month, Manchin said he would not support climate spending in a reconciliation package, signaling to many that the highly sought-out legislation had a small chance of crossing the finish line before the November midterm elections.

McConnell ultimately voted for the semiconductor bill on Wednesday, which passed in a bipartisan 64-33 vote. Soon after passage, however, Manchin said he struck a deal with Schumer on a slimmed-down reconciliation package, which the two Democrats later announced in a joint statement.

“After many months of negotiations, we have finalized legislative text that will invest approximately $300 billion in deficit reduction and $369.75 billion in energy security and climate change programs over the next ten years,” Schumer and Manchin wrote in a statement. “The investments will be fully paid for by closing tax loopholes on wealthy individuals and corporations.”

Members of GOP leadership did not immediately say they would whip against the bill when asked in the Capitol after Manchin’s announcement on Wednesday. A GOP leadership aide told The Hill earlier that the House Republican caucus was not whipping against the legislation.

Scalise and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), however, had already voiced their opposition to the measure.

But it quickly became clear that news of the reconciliation package would be an impediment to the semiconductor bill attracting bipartisan support.

 Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.) urged his colleagues to vote against the bill.

“In light of this deal, whether Republican Members support CHIPS or not (I don’t), we must ALL vote no. Passing CHIPS will pave the way for the radical Build Back Broke plan. The time to fight is now,” he wrote on Twitter.

Scalise’s office ultimately revealed the whip memo just after 9 p.m.

The reconciliation deal may influence the votes of House GOP members still deciding how to vote for the legislation. Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) said Wednesday evening that he was evaluating the bill, but that the Manchin bill was “a strike” against it.

When asked Wednesday if Democrats have enough votes to pass the semiconductor bill alone if Republicans were to oppose the measure, House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) told The Hill, “I hope so.”

Al Weaver contributed.

Source: TEST FEED1

GOP senators block bill expanding care for veterans exposed to toxins

Republican lawmakers blocked passage of a bill in the U.S. Senate Wednesday that expands healthcare coverage for military veterans who were exposed to toxins and burn pits during their service.

All Democrats and eight Republicans voted for the Sgt. 1st Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act, but the 55 yes votes fell short of the 60 needed to end a filibuster in the Senate. Three Senators did not vote.

The PACT Act, which the House passed earlier this month, would enable additional healthcare coverage for more than three million veterans who were exposed to toxic burn pits and Vietnam-era veterans exposed to the deadly herbicide Agent Orange.

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Penn.) said on the Senate floor that he didn’t support the bill because it would create $400 billion in unrelated spending, which he called a “budgetary gimmick.”

“My concern about this bill has nothing to do with the purpose of the bill,” Toomey said. “This budgetary gimmick is so unrelated to the actual veterans issue that has to do with burn pits, that it’s not even in the House version of this bill.”

Although Toomey urged his colleagues to immediately fix the issue, Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) accused Toomey of “having a problem” with supporting the country’s veterans.

“If you have the guts to send somebody to war, then you better have the guts to take care of them when they get home,” Tester said. ‘If we don’t take care of our veterans when they come home, they’re going to say, ‘Why should I ever sign the dotted line. Because the promises I made and the promises the country made, only half that deal is being respected.'”

The House passed the PACT Act by a 342-88 vote on July 13, about a month after the Senate passed the bill by a vote of 84-14.

The Senate had to retake the bill up on Wednesday because the House passed some minor changes in its version.

The legislation adds 23 toxic and burn pit exposure conditions to the Department of Veterans Affairs database, while expanding care for post-9/11 veterans who were exposed to the burn pits.

The burn pits were used for the combustion of medical waste, human waste and other waste needed for disposal. Exposures to those toxins can lead to asthma, rhinitis and cancer.

It also opens up care for veterans in the Vietnam-war era who were exposed to Agent Orange in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Guam, American Samoa and Johnston Atoll.

Existing coverage for veterans exposed to toxins forces them to prove they got their illness or malady during their time in service and take additional steps that ultimately limits their coverage.

While Toomey said he supported the bill, he argued lawmakers should work to curb wasteful spending amid high inflation.

“We’ve been spending money like no one’s ever imagined,” Toomey said. “I would stress there’s a very easy path to a very big vote in favor of this bill [but] let’s fix this problem.”

Source: TEST FEED1

Yang's Forward party merges with groups led by former GOP officials

Former Democratic New York City mayoral candidate and presidential candidate Andrew Yang has joined forces with former Republicans, Democrats and independents on the Forward Party, Yang announced Wednesday.

The political party, initially formed in October, is now a merger of three organizations: Yang’s Forward Party, the Renew America Movement, consisting of former Republicans led by former Trump White House official Miles Taylor, and the Serve America Movement, made up of Democrats, independents and Republicans, and founded by former Rep. David Jolly (R-Fla.)

Forward Party leaders are billing it as the biggest third party in the country, saying it will reject political extremes and pursue common ground. 

“Not Left. Not Right. Forward,” reads a slogan on the party’s website.

Yang, who left the Democratic party in October, echoed similar sentiments in his own announcement.

“I knew the country needed a new kind of party to help realign our politics and reverse the polarization that is tearing our country apart,” he wrote.

In a Wednesday op-ed in The Washington Post, Yang, Jolly and former Gov. (R-N.J.) Christine Todd Whitman said Forward will unite Americans.

“The United States badly needs a new political party — one that reflects the moderate, common-sense majority,” they wrote.

According to Yang’s announcement, the Forward Party is currently on the ballot in several states.

The Hill has reached out to Yang and the Forward Party for comment.

Source: TEST FEED1

McConnell warns Democratic tax deal will 'kill many thousands of American jobs'

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) slammed Senate Democrats for reaching a deal Wednesday to reform the tax code, warning it would “hammer workers and kill many thousands of American jobs.”   

He issued his statement in response to a deal announced by Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) that would raise $451 billion in tax revenue by setting a 15 percent corporate minimum tax, beefing up IRS enforcement of tax compliance, and closing the carried interest loophole on asset managers.  

“Democrats have already crushed American families with historic inflation. Now they want to pile on giant tax hikes that will hammer workers and kill many thousands of American jobs,” McConnell tweeted. “First they kill your family’s budget. Now they want to kill your job too.”  

McConnell was one of several Republicans to condemn the deal.  

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), the ranking member of the Budget Committee, took aim at Manchin and declared the deal made “no sense.”  

“I can’t believe that Sen. Manchin is agreeing to a massive tax increase in the name of climate change when our economy is in a recession,” he said.  

“This Democratic power grab through reconciliation will make every economic problem in America worse,” he added, referring to the budget process by which Democrats can pass the bill with a simple-majority vote, circumventing a filibuster.  

Sen. John Cornyn’s (R-Texas) office said Manchin “flip-flopped” on passing a major tax reform bill under the budget reconciliation process.  

“Senate Democrats can change the name of Build Back Broke as many times as they want, it won’t be any less devastating to American families and small businesses,” he said, using the GOP moniker for Biden’s spending plan. “Raising taxes on job creators, crushing energy producers with new regulations, and stifling innovators looking for new cures will only make this recession worse, not better.” 

The GOP senators issued their statements a few hours after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said he does not think the U.S. economy is currently in a recession.  

“The reason is there are too many areas of the economy that are performing too well,” he said at a press conference.  

The Schumer-Manchin deal, dubbed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, would raise $739 billion in revenue.  

In addition to the tax provisions, it would raise $288 billion from empowering Medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug prices. 

It would spend $369 billion on energy security and climate change programs and $64 billion to extend Affordable Care Act health insurance subsidies for three years through 2025.  

It would allocate more than $300 billion to reducing the deficit.  

President Biden highlighted the impact on the deficit in a statement Wednesday afternoon.  

“This bill will reduce the deficit beyond the record setting $1.7 trillion in deficit reduction we have already achieved this year, which will help fight inflation as well,” Biden said in a statement.  

The deficit has fallen this year as spending on COVID-relief programs has fallen. 

Source: TEST FEED1

Schumer, Manchin agree on billions of dollars for electric vehicles, solar panels and other clean-energy priorities

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) have agreed to spend billions of dollars to accelerate the production of electric vehicles, solar panels, wind turbines and to provide other incentives to bolster the clean-energy economy.  

Schumer announced the details of a $369 billion energy-and-climate deal Wednesday, which Democrats plan to include in a budget reconciliation package scheduled for the floor next week.  

Lawmakers estimate it will reduce U.S. carbon emissions by roughly 40 percent by 2030, putting the nation closer to meeting President Biden’s pledge of reducing carbon emissions by 50 percent by 2030, compared to 2005 levels.   

“By a wide margin, this legislation will be the greatest pro-climate legislation that has ever been passed by Congress. This legislation fights the climate crisis with the urgency the situation demands and puts the U.S. on a path to roughly 40 percent emissions reductions by 2030, all while creating new good-paying jobs in the near and long-term,” Schumer said in a statement.  

He said the package is now under review by the Senate parliamentarian and expects the Senate to vote on it next week.  

It would also allocate $300 billion to reducing the federal deficit and extend expiring health care subsidies under the Affordable Care Act at a cost of $64 billion over three years.  

The package is entirely paid for by $451 billion in tax proposals, including the establishment of a 15-percent corporate minimum tax, beefing up IRS enforcement of tax law and closing the carried interest loophole for money managers.  

An additional $288 billion would come from empowering Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices.  

“I thank Senator Manchin for his willingness to engage and his commitment to reaching an agreement that can earn the support of all 50 Senate Democrats,” Schumer said.  

The energy and climate change provisions are spread across a broad bill aimed at lowering consumer energy costs, boosting manufacturing of clean energy technology and reducing carbon emissions throughout the economy.  

The highlights include $4,000 consumer tax credits for lower- and middle-income Americans to buy used clean vehicles and up to a $7,500 tax credit to buy new clean vehicles, as well as a $1 billion grant program to make affordable housing more energy efficient.  

The bill would offer $9 billion in consumer home energy rebate programs and 10 years of tax credits to make homes more energy efficient and use clean energy.  

It would provide tax credits to encourage the manufacture of solar panels and wind turbines, $10 billion in investment tax credit to incentivize clean technology manufacturing centers, and $2 billion in grants to retool existing auto manufacturing facilities to produce clean vehicles.  

The agreement calls for tax credits for clean sources of electricity and energy storage and $40 billion for grant and loan programs for states and public utilities to transition away from fossil fuels. 

The tax chapter of the bill would tighten requirements for an estimated 200 large corporations that use loopholes in the tax code to pay an effective tax rate below 15 percent.    

The IRS would receive $46 billion to beef up its enforcement operations and $25 billion for operations support along with $4.8 billion for modernization.  

The legislation puts emphasis on directing new climate spending into lower-income and minority communities by including over $60 billion in “environmental justice priorities,” such as $3 billion for a block-grant program aimed at disadvantaged communities.  

It would also fund $3 billion worth of grants to “reconnect communities divided by existing infrastructure barriers,” according to a summary of the proposal. This provision is aimed at what some critics call “racist highway design” that was intended to divide Black and White neighborhoods.  

Another $3 billion would go to address air pollution at ports by purchasing and installing “zero-emission” equipment and $1 billion would go toward purchasing school and transit buses and garbage trucks that emit less pollution.  

Source: TEST FEED1