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LABOR, ECONOMY & THE CLIMATE - page 60

In First Major Action of 2015, House GOP Fails To Ram Through Wall Street Favor

The House of Representatives failed on Wednesday afternoon to ram through a bill that would further delay implementation of Dodd-Frank financial reform. Republicans attempted to pass the measure after suspending House rules–a procedure which denies members the right to amend or debate a bill, but requires two-thirds of the chamber’s support for it to advance. Only 276 Congresspeople voted in favor of the bill, while 146 opposed it. Prominent Democrats managed to marshal sufficient opposition to the maneuver, with Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chair Rep. Keith… Keep Reading

New Republican Congress Moves to Increase Deficit By Bailing Out Greedy Employers

In their first week in session, Republican House members will vote on legislation that exempts employers from having to provide healthcare to a number of their workers. While they have argued that the bill is based on smart economics, the Congressional Budget Office said it will add tens of billions of dollars to the national deficit. The bill, known as the Save American Workers Act, increases how many hours Americans have to work before they qualify or employer-sponsored health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care… Keep Reading

The White House Issues Timid Keystone Veto Threat, Opens Possibility of Backdoor Approval

The White House’s carefully-worded veto threat on Tuesday against pending legislation to greenlight construction of the Keystone XL pipeline could leave environmentalists concerned. When pressed if the White House’s veto is based on an objection to the project itself, Press Secretary Josh Earnest said the President will “withhold broader judgment” on the pipeline, but opposes Congress’ move to inject itself in deliberation. “The concern that we have right now is principally on the idea that this piece of legislation would undermine what has traditionally been,… Keep Reading

Winner of Expensive Senate Race: I Tell TV Journos Their Bosses Also Benefit From Campaign Donors

On the day he was sworn in, the winner of one of the most expensive Senate races in history described money in politics as “unfortunate,” and said he jokes with television journalists about them benefiting from campaign ad donations. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) made the remarks on Tuesday morning, during a taping of C-SPAN’s Washington Journal. “It is unfortunate that these costs continue to increase,” he said. “I have always teased some of the TV news anchors I have been interviewed with, [saying] I hope the… Keep Reading

While Some Lawmakers Are Sworn in Today, Others Can Officially Cash Out

The start of the 114th Congress means new members will be busy settling into their Capitol Hill offices. It also means a whole new batch of former lawmakers can cash out and settle on K Street. Officially, that is. Lobbying restrictions on more than 100 former lawmakers and staff expired this week, but a report released on Tuesday by the Sunlight Foundation and the Center for Responsive Politics shows that several former Hill staffers have jumped the gun and are already peddling influence around town.… Keep Reading

Miner Deaths Down in 2014; Government Holding Industrialists Accountable, Union Says

A drop in the number of nationwide mining deaths reported Tuesday can be attributed to increased regulatory enforcement, according to an industry labor union. United Mine Workers of America communications director Phil Smith said that the statistics reflect more robust federal oversight since 2010, when an explosion at the Upper Big Branch coal mine in West Virginia killed 29 workers. The Mine Safety and Health Administration, he said, “has really stepped up in enforcement of safety and health laws, and that’s demonstrated by these numbers.”… Keep Reading

Environmental Regulator Undermines Scientific Integrity, Says Watchdog

An agency that conducts environmental oversight on federally-owned land secretly relaxed standards used in policy-making, according to a non-profit watchdog. The Department of the Interior last week announced changes to its guidelines on scientific integrity without a review or public comment period. According to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility Director Jeff Ruch, the revisions mean that the department’s “use of science will remain politicized” Under the old rules, he told The Sentinel, “managers could be held to account for making alterations to technical documents for… Keep Reading

Weaker Student Outcomes “No More Likely” to Affect Federal College Accreditation

With American students having accumulated over $1 trillion in debt, tuition financing is a hotly debated issue. But even students who are lucky enough to receive taxpayer-funded help might be getting short shrift. In recent years, Department of Education accreditors have been more likely to cite money woes than academic shortcomings as a reason for sanctioning institutions of higher learning, according to a Government Accountability Office report published Monday. The investigation’s authors discovered “that from October 2009 through March 2014, schools with weaker student outcomes… Keep Reading

Airports Still Impervious to Privatization

From water treatment plants to trash collection services to highway management, big chunks of the nation’s infrastructure are being sold off to private companies hoping to spin a buck off of vital public utilities. But, according to a federal study, the nation’s airports have been resisting the profiteers, much to the benefit of consumers. Officials and corporate interests often tout airport privatization as a policy initiative that brings increased efficiency. But, in a report released publicly on Friday, the Government Accountability Office found those claims… Keep Reading

Senators Warn TPP is Trojan Horse for Wall Street Deregulation

Many details of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) are still cloaked in mystery, but a trio of Senators have learned enough about them to raise concerns that the trade deal could precipitate another financial meltdown. On Tuesday, Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sent a letter to US Trade Representative Michael Froman objecting to a number of such provisions being considered by his delegation. Most notably, the trio singled out clauses that would establish an international court that serves primarily… Keep Reading

Warren Zeroes in on Chamber of Commerce Following Defeat of Transparency Bill

A late night attempt to hold regulators and misbehaving financial companies more accountable was defeated in the US Senate on Tuesday, giving the Chamber of Commerce one last victory before the lights go out on the 113th Congress. Just before ten o’clock in the evening, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) moved to pass the Truth in Settlements Act – a bill, co-written with Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) that she introduced earlier this year. It unanimously passed out of committee in September. The transparency bill would require… Keep Reading

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