Radio America Online News Bureau

What was the debate like over the massive Obama budget in the House Budget Committee?  Are Democrats right that the huge projected deficits should be blamed on President Bush?  Which provisions in this budget concern Republicans most?  What message do Senate Democrats send by threatening no debate on the budget?  We ask New Jersey Rep. Scott Garrett, a member of the House Budget and Financial Services Committees.  We also get his reaction to Obama’s orders to the auto industry and the U.S. leading the charge in donating $1.1 trillion to the International Monetary Fund and World Bank at the G-20 Summit.

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How much revenue is the Obama administration hoping to raise by taxing the carbon emissions of energy producers and other industries?  How much of an increase will that mean in your energy bills every year?  What impact will it have on manufacturing jobs?  And what rhetoric should we be ready for when this legislation comes up for debate?  We ask Dan Kish, Senior Vice President for Policy at the Institute for Energy Research.

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How will America react to the U.S. joining the other G-20 nations in shelling out $1.1 trillion to help developing nations through the World Bank and International Monetary Fund?  How big of a setback is it for Obama that the leaders did not find consensus on stimulus spending?  What is the main message expressed by President Obama’s budget priorities?  Do Republicans really have a better fiscal vision?  How should we read the photo finish in the special House race in New York and the Justice Department dropping its case against former Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens?  We ask John Gizzi, political editor at Human Events.

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On Thursday, House Democrats will pass President Obama’s $3.6 trillion budget blueprint for Fiscal Year 2010.  Included is more than $600 billion for reforming the nation’s health care system?  What kind of health care changes would require that kind of spending?  How much more spending would we see when millions opt for government-sponsored care as opposed to the privately insured?  And how would access to care be affected?  We ask Grace-Marie Turner, President of the Galen Institute.

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We have Wednesday’s top news… What are Republicans touting as budget priorities in their alternative to the massive Obama plan?  What is the White House reaction?  What help is the government promising for Michigan as the auto industry struggles to stay alive?  What does Obama want to achieve at the G-20 summit in London?  What are the latest sales figures from Chrysler and Ford?  What happened on Wall Street Wednesday?  Why is the Justice Department dropping the case against former Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens?  And just how close is the race to fill the vacant House seat in New York?  We have the answers as we bring you the biggest stories for Wednesday, April1, 2009.

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How is the new Republican budget alternative different than the Democratic plan expected to pass on Thursday?  How much less would Congress be spending?  How would your tax bill be different?  How would our energy policy look?  Should anything this huge be passed with minimal or no floor debate?  What would be the impact of the Obama budget?  How much could your energy bills rise?  And what are constituents telling their members of Congress?  We ask Mississippi Rep. Gregg Harper, a member of the House Budget Committee.

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Why do Democrats see the Republican budget alternative as unrealistic?  Why do they see cutting taxes as the wrong economic approach?  How do they respond to the accusation they are redistributing wealth?  Are Republicans right that Obama’s energy plan would mean much higher energy costs or is there a Democratic plan to solve that problem?  What would long-term spending and tax policy from the Democrats mean for your health care and your tax rates?  We ask Larry Haas, former spokesman for the Office of Management and Budget in the Clinton administration.

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The head of the Taliban in Pakistan says a major terrorist attack is headed to the Washington.  Why would he say that now?  Is it a concern or just extremist bluster?  What’s the best way to make sure such an attack does not succeed?  We ask Clifford May, president of The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.  We also get his thoughts on new Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing to deal with the Iranian nuclear threat if the U.S. doesn’t show results soon.

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President Obama and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown are doing their best to get the leaders of other industrialized nations to adopt their stimulus spending strategy.  Why are they urging this approach on the rest of the international community?  Will the rest of the world salute and obey or resist the diplomatic offensive?  What is the reaction in Britain to Brown’s effort to spend the UK out of a recession?  Do people take his side or the side of the British member of the European Parliament, who scolded the prime minister last week?  When will the British people weigh in at the ballot box?  And how are the British reacting to the diplomatic stumbles over the Obama administration’s gifts for Brown and Queen Elizabeth?  We ask Jonathan Clarke, a former British diplomat and senior fellow at the Carnegie Council.

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We have Tuesday’s top news…What is ahead for President Obama at the G-20 summit in London?  What is the latest forecast for the global economy?  What significant change happened in Iraq today?  What is Hillary Clinton saying about the upcoming missile test in North Korea?  What is the new CEO at General Motors saying about the marching orders received from the government on Monday?  Which GM brand is on it’s way out?  What did the markets do on Tuesday?  And what are the latest numbers on housing prices?  We have the answers as we bring you the biggest stories for Tuesday, March 31, 2009.

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