Last week, the Obama administration went on the offensive against against Republicans, as the president argued for making middle class tax cuts permanent but arguing for higher taxes on the top wage earners. So what political calculation is behind this strategy? How much is complicated by some Democrats calling for all the tax cuts to be made permanent? How do Democrats define ‘rich’ and determine how much those people ought to pay in taxes? What will actually happen in Congress and how will this fight impact the midterm elections? We ask Michael Lewan, former chief of staff to Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman.
Archives for September 13, 2010
Massive Obama Power Grab
Without any consent from Congress, President Obama issued an executive order giving the federal government the power to regulate coastal waters – which includes the Great Lakes, all major rivers and their tributaries in addition to nearby oceans. So how will this impact most of us? How will this give the government the power to control most of America’s major industries? And how did this happen without any approval from Congress? We ask Bonner Cohen of the National Center for Public Policy Research.
Paying the Tab for Illegals
A new study released by the Federation for American Immigration Reform, American taxpayers pay $113 billion per year to cover the cost of education, health care and other social services used (but not paid for) by illegal immigrants. But which levels of government bear the largest burdens and what is the cost to the typical American taxpayer? How high is the cost in border states? And is there any effective and plausible way to solve this problem? We discuss it all with Texas Rep. Ted Poe, a member of the House Judiciary Committee and its immigration subcommittee.