Trump says tax cuts could offset 10% tariffs, eyes entitlements
Source: Reuters
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Donald Trump laid out some of his financial priorities on Monday and defended his planned 10% across-the-board tariffs, saying any resulting price increase for families could be offset by tax cuts and calling for his 2017 tax cuts to be extended.
The Republican U.S. presidential candidate, speaking in an interview on CNBC, also called for action on popular U.S. entitlement programs, including cuts, and indicated he was not likely to curb use of cryptocurrencies.
Asked about concerns over increased political polarization on the nation's financial stability, Trump said he was concerned about Fitch's 2023 downgrade but dismissed the credit rating downgrade's ties to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Trump's comments are his first extended remarks on his economic plans since he became the party's likely nominee following last week's "Super Tuesday" primary elections, setting up a rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden in November.
House Republicans will pass Ukraine aid after backing down on border demand
Source: UK Independent
11 hours ago
House Republican leadership appears to be officially backing down from their demand for lawmakers to address border security before any further aid was passed to support Ukraine in its war against a Russian invasion.
The news was made on Thursday at the House Republican retreat, with Speaker Mike Johnson telling reporters that bills to further fund both Ukraine’s defence and Israel’s military effort against Hamas would be brought up separately in the coming weeks. There was no indication that Republicans would continue baulking at the idea of passing either of them without first striking some kind of deal on immigration reform or border security that could pass both chambers of Congress.
In December of last year, Mr Johnson had made that demand explicit, telling the White House in a letter: “[S]upplemental Ukraine funding is dependent upon enactment of transformative change to our nation’s border security laws”.
But legislation that would have at least made an effort at reaching that “transformative change” died in the Senate after House Republicans made clear that the bill, a bipartisan compromise hammered out by negotiators from both parties with GOP leader Mitch McConnell’s blessing, was dead on arrival in the lower chamber. The legislation would have allowed President Joe Biden to shut down the US asylum intake system were daily illegal border crossings to pass a certain threshold. Donald Trump’s demand for Republicans to kill the bill to prevent his opponent from scoring a political victory in an election year is widely credited with much of the GOP opposition in the House.
Supreme Court examines whether government can combat disinformation online
Source: NPR
March 18, 2024 5:00 AM ET
In a major case testing the role of the First Amendment in the internet age, the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday hears arguments focused on the federal government's ability to combat what it sees as false, misleading or dangerous information online.
Last September, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the most conservative federal appeals court in the U.S., issued a broad ruling that barred key government officials from contacts with social media companies.
Among the personnel targeted in the order were officials at the White House, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Office of the Surgeon General, the FBI and an important cybersecurity agency.
The appeals court said that individuals at those agencies likely violated the First Amendment by seeking to coerce social media platforms into moderating or changing their content about COVID-19, foreign interference in elections and even Hunter Biden's laptop. The Supreme Court has put that ruling on hold while it examines the tricky issues in the case.
Congress announces a deal to avoid a shutdown, resolving homeland security dispute
WASHINGTON — Congressional leaders and President Joe Biden announced a deal Tuesday morning to fund the government ahead of a weekend deadline, breaking an impasse regarding money for the Department of Homeland Security, which had held up talks.
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., announced the DHS deal in a statement, saying it will allow Congress to finish funding the government for the remainder of the fiscal year, which ends in September. “House and Senate committees have begun drafting bill text to be prepared for release and consideration by the full House and Senate as soon as possible,” he said.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., echoed news of the agreement, saying both chambers are now “in the process of finalizing text and reports for Congress to closely review and consider ASAP.”
The Biden administration finalized the toughest-ever limits on planet-warming emissions from passenger cars and light trucks Wednesday, in a controversial bid to accelerate the nation’s halting transition to electric vehicles.
The Environmental Protection Agency rule — President Biden’s most far-reaching climate regulation yet — would require automakers to ramp up sales of electric vehicles while slashing carbon emissions from gasoline-powered models, which account for about one-fifth of America’s contribution to global warming.
But unlike last year’s proposed rule, automakers would not need to dramatically boost electric vehicle (EV) sales until after 2030. The delayed timeline reflects an election-year concession to labor unions, a key Democratic constituency that has raised concerns about a rapid shift to EVs.
In another change from the proposal, automakers could comply by boosting sales of plug-in hybrid vehicles in addition to all-electric vehicles. Plug-in hybrids have recently proved more popular with U.S. consumers, in part because of concerns about a lack of public charging infrastructure.
"Work until you drop dead"; House GOP plan takes axe to Social Security, healthcare and civil rights
Alternet.org
March 21, 2024
The Republican Study Committee has released it's proposed 2025 budget which would take an axe to major elements of the social safety net, healthcare system, and civil rights, while affecting nearly every American, either now, or in the future.
Calling it "Fiscal Sanity to Save America," the budget proposal from the far-right MAGA-affiliated group of about 170 House Republicans would effectively create a national abortion ban and ban on in-vitro fertilization (IVF) by creating legal protections for human embryos starting at "the moment of fertilization."
It mentions the word "abortion" 77 times.
Wisconsin Republican to Leave Congress Next Month, Shrinking Narrow GOP House Majority by Regina Zilbermints
March 22 , 2024
Introduction:
(The Hill) Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) announced Friday he would resign from Congress before his term is up, shrinking the GOP’s already razor-thin majority in the House.
Gallagher, a four-term lawmaker who is considered a rising star within the GOP, announced last month he would not seek reelection. But Friday, he said he would leave the House on April 19.
“I’ve worked closely with House Republican leadership on this timeline and look forward to seeing Speaker Johnson appoint a new chair to carry out the important mission of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party,” he said in a statement.
(Roll Call) After Gallagher’s resignation takes effect, Republicans will be down to 217 members in the 435-member House, likely until special elections are held in California and Ohio later this year to fill seats that were previously held by Republicans. There’s also …(a) special election in New York next month which Democrats are projected to win.
Under Wisconsin state law, the vacancy in Wisconsin’s 8th District will not be filled until after the general election in November.
Edit:
(Axios) Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) noted that Gallagher timed his resignation to ensure his seat would go unfilled until November: "Another sharp rebuke to the chaos-and-cannibalism caucus of Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene."
