Posted by Tina
The big focus in Congress right now is healthcare. The promise to repeal Obamacare hangs in the balance. The parts of Obamacare that can be repealed through reconciliation, is being pressed hard by Paul Ryan through a replacement bill. Two “phases” will follow. Hair is burning and heels are digging in; it’s business as usual in Congress. We won’t know for months how this will finally be resolved. But that doesn’t mean gridlock with Republicans sitting on their hands. Our leaders in Congress have been getting stuff done. Much of it will give relief to America’s best job creators, small business:
In a mere six weeks, Trump and his Republican allies in Congress have rolled back 90 regulations, and they’re just getting started. … Small businesses get hit hardest because they lack legal departments and market clout to maneuver around the rules.
These changes may already be affecting the jobs market. In February US companies created 298,000 jobs beating expectations by 100,000. Trumps plans to build the wall and finish Keystone may have contributed to these gains. Construction jobs increased by 66,000 in February. The manufacturing sector sufferred greatly during the Obama years but added 32,000 jobs in February. Best news of all, the number of people losing jobs has declined dramatically. Today Trump is meeting with representatives of small banking to discover which regulations harm their ability to make loans to small businesses, a move that likely aligns with his promise of new jobs.
Congress is also unpacking and putting an end to corrupt practices. The Obama DOJ instituted a scheme wherein fines paid by corporations accused of wrongdoing were funneled to progressive activist groups. They should funnel into the treasury and be awarded to those harmed by the corrupt actions of the offender:
This week, Congress turned attention toward a continuing Obama Administration policy wherein the Justice Department (DOJ) incentivizes corporate payments to left-wing activist groups like La Raza. … A 2015 Wall Street Journal op-ed from Kimberly Strassel called the program “a scheme to undermine Congress’s spending authority by independently transferring dollars to President Obama’s political allies.”
At the border Trumps tough stance on illegal immigration has had a dramatic effect:
Illegal immigration across the southwest border plummeted in the weeks after President Trump took office, Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly announced Wednesday, calling the drop an early sign that Mr. Trump’s get-tough policies are working.
In addition to a drop in the number of illegal immigrants nabbed while attempting to cross, Mr. Kelly said, they have seen a dramatic spike in the rates charged by smugglers paid to sneak people into the U.S. …
… All told, 23,589 people were caught trying to enter without permission at the border in February. That was the lowest number for the month in years and a 40 percent drop from the 42,504 caught in January.
It’s easy to become discouraged in the atmosphere of competing headlines. But we should remember that the headlines rarely reflect all that is going on. I maintain we need at the very least a year before we can begin to judge the success and failures of our republican majority. The republicans are hard at work addressing much more than healthcare.
We are in good hands even if we do not accomplish every single thing my conservative heart desires. Over at Conservative Treehouse Sundance, referring back to 1991 video, points to the paradigm that stands firmly beneath our leaders feet:
What you will find in all of Donald Trump’s positions, is a paradigm shift he necessarily understands must take place in order to accomplish the long-term goals for the U.S. citizen/worker as it relates to “entitlements” or “structural benefits”.
All other politicians begin their policy proposals with a fundamentally divergent perception of the U.S. economy. They are working with, and retaining the outlook of, a U.S. economy based on “services”; a service-based economic model. Consequently their forecasted economic growth projections are based on ever-increasing foreign manufacturing dependency, and even more solidifying service-based economics.
While this economic path has been created by decades old U.S. policy, and is ultimately the only historical economic path now taught in school, Trump intends to change the course entirely.
Hang on to your hats, this is going to be a positive whirlind year despite the sluggish, argumentative health care media headlines. Even there the evidence points to Trump and Republicans working together to resolve differences.
Hat tip: some information above was gathered through an article in The American Thinker
This isn’t a healthcare bill, it’s a “tax cut for the rich” bill. It’s already been rejected by both the American Medical Association and the AARP.
The notion that a president who was inaugurated in January can take credit for jobs gains in February is hilarious. You are inadvertently praising Obama here.
How is it a “tax cut for the rich” bill?
The AMA and AARP have proven to be political organizations that swing Democrat nine times out of ten. The AARP is losing a lot of boomers to AMAC and other organizations that responded to the demand for an alternative.
See here for an article featuring seven alternative organizations.
Doctors don’t all participate in the AMA for the same reason. So these political rejections don’t mean much. People all across the nation voted and put the candidate that promised to repeal Obamacare in the White House. He’s behind this bill and working closely with Congress to get it passed. The elections was the endorsement that counts.
I disagree that Trump can’t “take credit” for the job gains. The mere promise of improved conditions removes stifling fears and creates enthusiasm about a brighter future. Businesses are free once again to take risks and begin hiring. This enthusiasm began in November after he won the election. and it continues because he has acted swiftly to remove impediments that are within his power to remove. He has already acted to improve conditions: 1. Removed regulations, 2, Met with investors and business sectors, 3. Removed obstacles for the Keystone Pipeline, 4. Ordered his department heads to restructure within government agencies and 5. Worked closely with Congress on healthcare and tax relief.
All of this activity has been seen by the public despite the lefts activism to disparage him, undermine his presidency, and generally act like a bunch of asses.
I know it’s a bit early for you in your career but anyone whose checked his retirement plan of late should also be pleased. The market is also responding to what your side of the aisle would call hope. What it really is is knowledge born of experience that when government gets out of the way good things happen. Sure the rich will make money but guess what? The middle class will come back, the college educated will have more opportunity, and the poor will be able to climb the ladder of success if they so desire.
The rich were the ONLY people that got richer under Obama. You didnlt complain about that. Why not?
Anyone can make promises, Tina. If businesses are optimistic about Trump because of his promises and as a result are hiring more, that is indeed a good thing. But I’m not going to start singing his praises until I see a connection between the jobs situation and his actual policies.
My other issue is that you talk as if we didn’t have five straight years of job growth under Obama. There hasn’t been a single month of net job losses since 2012, but I don’t see you giving him credit for that. These numbers are higher than what we saw throughout most of Obama’s tenure, but not by that much. You ignored and dismissed positive economic news under Obama but now are willing to credit this positive economic news to Trump after only a month. That’s not honest.
Re: “The notion that a president who was inaugurated in January can take credit for jobs gains in February is hilarious.”
Complete nonsense from a supercilious moron. There is nothing that keeps job markets (or any other market for that matter) from reacting quickly to changing conditions.
Beautifully succinct, thanks Pie!
“Best news of all, the number of people losing jobs has declined dramatically.”
And you are really going to credit the not-quite-two-month-old TA for this? You can be stupid, or insane … take your pick.
When we get to mid-terms, maybe then you can brag … but I wouldn’t get my hopes up.
See reply to your comrade above.
And by the way, as even Trump would tell you, the real credit goes to the job creating business sector…he gets credit for creating conditions for real business investment and growth in the economy.
In eight years the only thing that you had to brag about is the rich getting richer, something you tried denied through your silence.
Another supercilious moron who doesn’t know what the hell she is talking about. That’s Libby for you — ignorant and arrogant, a beautiful combination.
“Illegal immigration across the southwest border plummeted in the weeks after President Trump took office ….”
Yeah, after three people were shot, one killed, for being brown. That would discourage other brown people for making the trip, all right. But if you are proud of this, there is something deeply wrong with you.
Come mid-terms, we will see what kind of shape the tourism industry is in.
Same old racist crap.
There is something deeply wrong with you when the lives of those three people have meaning but people like Kate Steinle, who was murdered in broad daylight in a sanctuary city sheltering a convicted felon illegal caught and released five times, do not.
There is something deeply wrong with a person that discriminates based on race as you do.
Disturbingly wrong.
Denial is not an argument. Come mid-terms we WILL see what kind of shape the tourism industry is in.
So defend House bill, HR 1313, was approved by a House committee on Wednesday.
Would allow companies to require employees to undergo genetic testing or risk paying a penalty of thousands of dollars, and would let employers see that genetic and other health information.
The Corporate State is Democrat and republican. Civil Liberties are only for Corporations.
Amen. If this country (like every other developed economy) had universal healthcare, this kind of extortionate horseshit could not be. This is what the repeal of the ACA is about, the repression of us laborers.
But if the laborers are willing to stick it, what can be done?
The yokes on you Libs. As I wrote in rely to Dewey this is about preserving a section of Obamacare.
If there is “extortionate horseshit” in it the Democrats wrote it into the original law.
Have you been had?
Dewey I think it’s absurd to demand I defend a bill I’ve never seen. I don’t reside in your head! Get a grip man!
I will explain so this bill can be discussed, but in general you should know by now that I am in favor of small government, especially at the federal level. I was against the ACA for many reasons not the least of which was the intrusive nature of the law.
I realize that reading and comprehending anything that comes out of Congress is a major challenge but what you allege regarding HR 1313 is simply not true. See here for the text of the legislation being considered. The bill is being called “Preserving Employee Wellness Programs Act,” meaning that it is designed to ensure that a portion of Obamacare, that set up wellness programs within corporations that offer insurance, will remain as reforms are considered.
In terms of your accusation, two portions of the legislation are worth noting, bold highlighting is mine. First:
Second, and this is where you have decided to freak out:
As best as I can tell this section says that the acquisition of genetic information “shall not be considered an unlawful acquisition” as long as certain enumerated sections of law (which are listed) are met. It is designed so that protections for employees remain intact. Any information gathered would occur with the permission of the employee whose privacy is protected.
So, no, employers cannot indiscriminately gather personal information or “require employees to undergo genetic testing”
I hope that clears this up for you.