Obama Seeks Power To Force Congressional Votes On Spending Cuts
The Obama administration is proposing a new attempt at something resembling the line-item veto. The Associated Press explains: “The legislation would award Obama and his successors the ability to take two months or more to scrutinize spending bills that have already been signed into law for pork barrel projects and other dubious programs. He could then send Congress a package of spending cuts for a mandatory up-or-down vote on whether to accept or reject them.”
Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama will receive his daily briefing at 10 a.m. ET, and meet at 10:30 a.m. ET with senior advisers. At 11:15 a.m. ET, he will host award-winning small business owners from around the country, and deliver remarks on business jobs proposals. At 12:05 p.m. ET, he will address the Senate Republican Caucus. At 2 p.m. ET, he will meet with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano. He will depart the White House at 2:55 p.m. ET, and depart from Andrews Air Force Base at 3:15 p.m. ET, arriving at 8:35 p.m. ET in San Francisco. He will deliver remarks at a 9 p.m. ET fundraiser for Sen. Barbara Boxer and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, as well as delivering remarks at another fundraiser for Boxer and the DSCC at 9:30 p.m. ET, and he will attend a 10:50 p.m. ET reception for Boxer and the DSCC.
Biden’s Day Ahead
Vice President Biden will meet at 9:30 a.m. ET with Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD). He will meet at 11:15 a.m. ET with United States Forces-Iraq Commanding General Ray Odierno. AT 1:30 p.m. ET, he will hold a conference call with mayors from across the country to discuss stimulus implementation. At 2:15 p.m. ET, he will meet with Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor. He will meet at 4:30 p.m. ET with Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT). In the evening, the Vice President and his wife Dr. Jill Biden will host wounded warriors and their families for a barbecue at the Naval Observatory.
Obama: Small Business Plan ‘Shouldn’t Be An Issue Of Big Government Versus Small Government’
At his White House event on small business today, President Obama will push for approval of his $30 billion small business lending package. “This shouldn’t be a partisan issue. This shouldn’t be an issue of big government versus small government,” Obama will say, according to prepared remarks, also adding: “This is an issue of putting our government on the side of the small business owners who create most of the jobs in this country.”
Hillary Clinton: North Korea A ‘Shared Responsibility’ For U.S. And China
Speaking in China, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that the Americans and Chinese would have to work together to deal with North Korea. “No one is more concerned about peace and stability in this region as the Chinese,” she said, also adding: “We know this is a shared responsibility and in the days ahead we will work with the international community and our Chinese colleagues to fashion an effective, appropriate response.”
Dems Don’t Fear Memorial Day Recess
Roll Call reports: “With a few job-creation measures and a major overhaul of financial regulations under their belts, Congressional Democrats are feeling bullish about heading home Friday for the weeklong Memorial Day recess, but Republicans say those accomplishments are putting little dent in the thing that will really determine the majority’s electoral fortunes in November — the lagging economy. Democrats have been touting the facts that the economy grew by 3.2 percent in the first four months of the year and that almost half a million jobs were created since December. But despite those modest gains, the unemployment rate has changed very little and is still hovering around 10 percent, and about half of the jobless in America are in the ranks of the long-term unemployed.”
House GOP Feels Heat On Financial Reform
The Hill reports: “House Republicans who voted en masse against the financial reform bill in December may have a tougher time holding ranks after four Senate Republicans supported the measure last week. Democrats have amped up the pressure on the GOP, sensing a winning political issue in an election-year environment that has turned sharply against Wall Street.”
