After an intense week of stimulus debate and another cabinet headache for Barack Obama, the Capitol Steps bring some much-needed levity. This week they look at the man who backed out of his bid to be in the cabinet last week. This week’s selection is ‘Hang Down your Head, Tom Daschle’ and our guest is Steps star Elaina Newport.
For the second time in the stimulus debate, every House Republican voted against the Democratic plan. Why was the revised bill still not acceptable? Did President Obama really work in good faith to reach common ground with the Republicans? What do Republicans see as clear examples of agenda-driven pork projects masked as economic stimulus? And will states hit hardest by the recession benefit from this plan? We ask Michigan Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, a member of the House Republican leadership.
Is the amended stimulus bill any more appealing for House Republicans? Why do they believe this bill can’t be fixed? What is their alternative? Are they optimistic about the tax relief included in the plan? What lessons from California’s financial mess should be applied to our national economy? And how real is the threat of major inflation? We ask California Rep. Tom McClintock.
Tzipi Livni and Benjamin Netanyahu finished in a virtual tie in Tuesday’s Israeli elections. Will Livni become the next prime minister because her party secured one more seat than Netanyahu’s? Or will Netanyahu return to power because he can actually build a majority coalition? How would Netanyahu address Hamas and the Middle East peace process? How would his ascendance impact U.S.-Israeli relations? We ask Josh Goodman, director of research at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.
Is the stimulus package really going to stimulate the economy or are Americans more worried about the pork in the legislation? How have Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter’s re-election chances been damaged by him breaking ranks and voting with the Democrats? How shocking is the withdrawal of Sen, Judd Gregg as the next Commerce Secretary? And what thoughts come to mind on the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth? We ask John Gizzi, political editor at Human Events.
Supporters of the economic stimulus plan say the billions in spending and targeted tax breaks will create anywhere from two to four million jobs. But the compromise legislation fails to force employers helped by the plan to verify that their workers are in this country legally and truly eligible for these jobs. So how many American jobs could end up in the hands of illegals? Why did the Senate plan trump the House plan on this issue? Will we see an end to the effective e-verify plan altogether? And will there also be an extensive immigration reform movement this year? We ask Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies.
We have Wednesday’s top news in an extended newscast…What kind of compromise have Democratic members of the House and Senate reached? What is the total price tag and what got cut to bring the number down? What are the moderate Republican senators who crossed the aisle saying in defense of their actions? What are Republicans saying in explaining their ongoing opposition to the stimulus plan? What is the Obama administration saying in defense of Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner after his roll-out of the new bailout plans was greeted with a massive drop on Wall Street Tuesday? What were lawmakers and corporate executives saying Wednesday as the CEOs were grilled on Capitol Hill? What comes next in Israel now that the two leading candidates for prime minister finished in a virtual tie? And what happened on Wall Street today? We have all the answers as we bring you all the biggest stories for Wednesday, February 11, 2009.
House and Senate negotiators have hammered out the essentials of a compromise stimulus bill totaling $789 billion. Should taxpayers be enthused about the lower price tag? What got cut in order to bring the total down? Who are the greatest beneficiaries of this plan? And what would a real stimulus plan look like? We ask Phil Kerpen, director of policy at Americans for Prosperity.
Since 1996, welfare reforms have brought millions back into the workforce. But with an economic downturn, Congress is poised to send billions of dollars to the states in order to cover the cost of many programs – including welfare. But how might the provisions in this bill actually reward states for adding names to the welfare rolls? How strong have the reform laws been over the past 13 years? And what would be a smarter way to allocate funds when it comes to welfare? We ask Steve Malanga, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute.
One of the provisions inside the massive economic stimulus plan calls for the modernizing and computerizing of America’s health care records. It also calls for the creation of a technology coordinator for the health care industry. Bringing our medical information into the 21st century sounds like a good idea, so why could that be a very dangerous thing? What power would we unwittingly be giving to government? And what kind of decisions could government bureaucrats end up making about your medical care? We ask James Robbins, senior editorial writer for The Washington Times.
