Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) makes a comparison between preventative care and wellness provisions in the Senate and House health care bills during a press conference Wednesday. He said that the Senate does more for preventative care. (0:19)
The race to replace 35th District Delegate and Democratic Attorney General candidate Steve Shannon is within a 2-point margin – or at least it was two weeks ago, according to polls conducted for Republican candidate Jim Hyland.
Hyland’s margin, described by his campaign manager Kevin Conroy as “within the margin of error,” reflects a tightening of the race since a July benchmark poll, when pollsters Barry Zeplowitz and Bill Lee of TelOpinion Research indicated in a confidential memo posted on Hyland’s website that Hyland held a 7-point lead 43 percent to 36 percent lead, with 21 percent undecided. The memo did not indicate the size of the sample or whether “likely voter” filters were used.
Read more at Collins on Politics
By Celia Canon- Talk Radio News Service
House Republicans gathered on Tuesday to denounce the inclusion of publicly funded abortions in the proposed health care reform.
“If the President is serious about passing true health care reform… [he] needs to step up, clarify his position about whether he wants abortion to be included in his health care reform,” said Rep. Mary Fallin (R-Ok.)
The proposed health care reform legislation requires every American to have the right to benefit from a minimum health care coverage, which may include abortion unless Congress makes abortion a statutory exception.
Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Penn.) warned that “The issue here is clear – abortion is not explicitly excluded, it is implicitly included. The stakes are high and the implications incredibly far reaching.”
GOP leaders claim that allowing abortion to be funded by taxpayers may legitimize the procedure, which in turn could lead to an increase in abortion rates.
Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) noted the disrespect shown to pro-life Americans who, through this legislation, would indirectly fund abortion through taxation.
“Millions and millions of American women have profound moral qualms about the killing of unborn children by abortion, putting these American women in a position that violates their deeply held beliefs on abortion… [The legislation] will trespass their rights to refrain from funding an industry that they find to be destructive to our nation’s social and moral fabric,” Foxx said.
“Abortion, except in rare circumstances, is not heath care,” noted Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.)
By Courtney Ann Jackson-Talk Radio News Service
The acceleration of President Obama’s pay-as-you-go initiative, a method that would require Congress to use current revenues for capital items instead of borrowing funds by issuing bonds, and health care reform are important steps in turning the economy around, according to U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). Pelosi and other legislators met with the President earlier this week as he announced the details of the PAYGO initiative.
The U.S. operated under the PAYGO method throughout the 1990’s. Pelosi credited it for leading to the balanced budgets and eventual surplus of the Clinton administration.
“Democrats are coming together around this concept. For many years it has been the central organizing purpose of the blue dogs: fiscal discipline, fiscal responsibility…But I want you to know that there are initiatives from all sectors of our caucus which support pay as you go,” said Pelosi today during a press conference.
Pelosi said she was enthusiastic about “accelerating the (PAYGO) discussion” as a tool to improve the economy and initiate healthcare reform in the U.S.
The Speaker touched upon what kind of healthcare model Congress will pursue.
“It should be administratively self-sufficient. It should be a real competitor with the private sector and not have an unfair advantage. When you say the words public option and that is the term of art we will be using, you have to say right next to it: level playing field.”
She said Congress will soon consider legislation on the supplemental appropriations bill for Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and pandemic flu. The House will also consider legislation to give the Food and Drug Administration legal authority to regulate how cigarettes and other tobacco products are produced and distributed. Committee work will be focused on the pillars of the President’s agenda which were in the budget. They include: health care, education, energy, reducing the deficit, lowering taxes, creating jobs, and turning the economy around.
By Jonathan Bronstein, Talk Radio News Service
Jonathan Bronstein interviews aviation passenger rights advocate Kate Hanni about the the Passenger Bill of Rights legislation being debated on the floor of the House of Representatives today. She is quite disappointed that the legislation does not have a maximum amount of time that airlines can leave passengers on the tarmac before bringing them back to a terminal.
Additionally, she discusses her recent testimony in front of the House Rules Committee, the amount of support that this Bill of Rights has in Congress, and future reforms that she hopes will be implemented. (10:18)
The President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai arrives at the U.S. Capitol for a meeting with the bipartisan leadership of the House of Representatives.
By Michael Ruhl, University of New Mexico – Talk Radio News Service
>House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) called congressional voting cards “the most dangerous credit card in the history of the world”, because then enable Congress and the president to engage in reckless spending. This was not Boehner’s first criticism of Obama, but his statement came on the 101st day of the Obama Administration, a time which Boehner has criticized as being pock marked with excessive borrowing, reckless spending and a massive growth in government.
Boehner said that Democrat’s “record on spending and debt is staggering, but our economy is growing weaker, and it’s not going to get any better by growing the size of the government here in Washington.”
Boehner believes that the Democratically controlled Congress has enabled and contributed to the recklessness, and thinks it is up to the Republicans to put a stop to it. Republicans must be “the party of better solutions” if they are going to stand up to the Democrats in Congress, Boehner said, adding that he hopes Democrats will be committed to a bipartisan policy approach..
Citing the elections of 2008, Boehner said “out brand has been tarnished”, but to help the party serve the American people, Republicans must stand up to the Obama Administration when disagreements arise, and to offer alternative solutions.
Leader Boehner applauded President Obama on his strategy towards Afghanistan and Iraq, but showed concern at Obama’s greater national security policy.
“The big question continues to be: what is the Administration’s overarching plan to fight terrorism? Judging from their recent decision to release 30 terrorist detainees with no plan on where to put them, it continues to beg the question,” referring to Obama’s closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention center without knowing where the detainees will be sent.
By Kayleigh Harvey – Talk Radio News Service
Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, answered questions for almost four-hours on foreign policy priorities in the Obama administration in a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing today.
Upon entering Clinton was met with protest signs from Code Pink asking the State Department to begin talks with the Palestinian government even if it did include Hamas, as they were democratically elected to their positions. One protester held a sign which read, “It is called the ‘state’ not ‘hate’ department.”
During the hearing Clinton made it clear that talks between the Obama administration and Hamas. She said, “The President’s policy…is very clear, we will not deal with, nor in any way fund, a Palestinian government that includes Hamas unless and until Hamas has renounced violence, recognized Israel and agreed to follow the previous obligations of the Palestinian authority. That is our policy, but we want to leave open the door so that can happen.”
This was Clinton’s first appearance to the House since her confirmation hearings earlier this year. In her opening statement she spoke of the progress she had made nearly 100-days into her new role. Clinton reiterated the Presidents goals in Afghanistan and and Pakistan and stated the administrations “core goal to disrupt, dismantle and defeat Al Qaeda, to prevent their return to safe havens in Afghanistan or Pakistan.”
On Iran Clinton said, “We are deploying new approaches to the threat posed by Iran, and we are doing so with our eyes wide open and with no illusions. We no the imperative of preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons after years, during which the United States basically sat on the sidelines, we are now a full partner in the P5+1 talks.”
Before taking questions Clinton told the committee, “We are in this together. We have to row in the same direction for the benefit of our country and our children.”
From the Republican side, Clinton was asked multiple questions on her thoughts relating to abortion around the world. Congressman Christopher Smith (R-N.J.) led the talk by asking whether “the Obama administration would be seeking in any way to weaken or over-turn pro-life laws and policies in African and Latin American countries either directly or through multilateral organizations.” Clinton told the committee, “It is my strongly held view that you are entitled to advocate and everyone who agrees with you should be free to do so anywhere in the world and so are we. We happen to think that family planning is an important part of women’s health and reproductive health includes access to abortion, that I believe should be safe, legal and rare.”
Clinton told the committee that during her time as First Lady helped create the campaign against teen pregnancy which saw the rate of teen pregnancy decrease. She said, “I am sad to report that after an administration of 8-years that undone so much of the good work, the rate of teenage pregnancy is going up”. To which she received applaud from members of the public listening at the hearing.
Congressman Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.) continued on the topic of abortion stating, “I don’t believe we should use American foreign policy to export abortion.” He feared it would “undermine” foreign relations with other countries. Congressman Bob Inglis (R-S.C.) also asked about abortion, asking Clinton her views on forced abortion in China. To which Clinton repeated her stance as First Lady stating this was “absolutely unacceptable.”
The hearing also saw clear partisan disagreement from the members on President Obama’s handshake with President of Venezuela Hugo Chavez. Congressman Mike Pence (R-Ind.) said he was “not amused” by these pictures and called Chavez a “Catro wannabe in the region”. Congresswoman Shelley Berkely (D-Nev.) addressed Pence’s during her statement, stating, “as an American I would have been mortified if our President had done anything other than what he did.” Addressing this argument Clinton said, “
Another area of partisan division lay in the decision to investigate some detainee tactics used during the Bush administration. Clinton repeated Obama stating, “No-one will be prosecuted who acted within the four corners of the legal advice that was given, following that advice to perform that function, that, that person believed was legal. However those who formulated those opinions and gave those orders should be reviewed and the President has referred that to the Attorney General.”
Asked by Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) whether they she would be in favor of releasing documents that Dick Cheney has requested be released. Clinton responded, “It won’t surprise you that I don’t consider him a particularly reliable source of information.”
Clinton also answered questions relating to safety on the Mexican border, human rights in Cuba, terrorism, and Africa and Iraq amongst other top political issues. –
By Kayleigh Harvey – Talk Radio News Service
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appeared before the House Foreign Affairs Committee today to discuss the foreign policy priorities for the Obama administration. Congressman Bob Inglis (R-S.C.) asked Cinton about abortion asking her views on forced abortion in China. To which Clinton repeated her stance as First Lady stating this was “absolutely unacceptable.”
By Kayleigh Harvey – Talk Radio News Service
At a House Judiciary Subcommittee hearing on “Consumer Debt: Are Credit Cards Bankrupting Americans?” Adam Levitin from Georgetown University Law Center said, “There is nothing particularly surprising about high credit card debt correlating with bankruptcy. People who are in bankruptcy have debt. What is important to note is that debt, dollar for dollar, credit card debt has a much higher correlation with bankruptcy than any other type of debt.”
