Reid Puts Off Senate Business — But Dems Still On Hand
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has delayed efforts to pass a jobs bill this week, due to the snowstorm shutting down Washington. However, Reid still expects to have Democratic Senators on hand to work on the bill — because they can’t go home. “You certainly aren’t probably going to be able to leave if you wanted to with the storms being such as they are,” said Reid.
Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama will meet at 11:45 a.m. ET with a group of African-American leaders, to discuss the economy and jobs. The expected attendees include: Dr. Dorothy I. Height, Chairwoman, National Council of Negro Women; Benjamin T. Jealous, President, NAACP; former New Orleans Mayor Marc H. Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League; and Rev. Al Sharpton, President and Founder, National Action Network.
AP: Government Takeover Of Health Care Already A Reality
An Associated Press analysis finds that amidst all the political attacks about a “government takeover of health care,” that outcome is already occurring through the existing programs: “For the first time, government programs will account for more than half of U.S. health care spending by 2012, and that share will keep creeping upward, according to federal actuaries. Federal and state government programs now cover an estimated 42 percent of health care costs. That is likely to reach 52 percent before the end of the decade. So after all the months of wrangling about the public option for health care coverage, it turns out not to be optional in the current system.”
Pelosi: Democrats Will ‘Definitely’ Retain Majority
In an interview with Roll Call, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said that the Democrats will “definitely” retain their majority in the House of Representatives. “We will not be taken by surprise,” said Pelosi. “I am not yielding one grain of sand. My responsibility is to protect and preserve my incumbents and that’s what I intend to do… I’m fighting for every seat.”
Michelle Obama: ‘We Don’t Have A Choice,’ Health Care Legislation Has To Pass
In an interview on Larry King Live, First Lady Michelle Obama discussed the need for health care legislation. “We don’t have a choice,” said Mrs. Obama. “When we look at these statistics, we’re spending billions of dollars on preventable diseases, and new health care legislation could go a long way to improving prevention, first and foremost.”
Weather Could Cost A Half-Billion Dollars From Government Shutdowns
The Hill reports that the severe snow in Washington could cost taxpayers a half-billion dollars by the end of the week: “The closing of federal offices costs $100 million a day in lost productivity and opportunity costs, according to the Office of Personnel Management. That’s $200 million and counting after OPM closed federal agencies on Monday and Tuesday. Tele-working could cure the problem, but a relatively small portion of federal workers have tele-working agreements in place.”
Coakley Seeking Reelection As Massachusetts Attorney General
Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, who recently lost as the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in a special election that cost Democrats their 60-seat supermajority, has announced that she is running for reelection as attorney general. “Thank you again for all that you have done and I am asking for your support in this race,” Coakley writes. “I look forward to seeing you out on the campaign trail.”
