Budget Battles
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Dems Debate Smaller Unemployment Checks
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Now It's the Senate's Turn on Stimulus
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Democrats Scramble to Save $15 Minimum Wage
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The US Is About to Get a New Top Tax Break
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150 Top Business Leaders Back Biden's Covid Plan
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Fed's Powell Warns Congress on the Economy
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Two Key Senators Say No to Biden’s Budget Office Pick
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USPS, Census, Small Business Loans on ‘High Risk’ List: GAO
By Michael RaineyThe U.S. Postal Service, the Census Bureau and the Small Business Administration face serious challenges that need to be addressed by Congress and executive leadership, according to the latest “ High...
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Billions Wasted on Buildings and Vehicles in Afghanistan: Watchdog
By Michael RaineyThe federal watchdog monitoring U.S construction projects in Afghanistan has documented enormous waste in the war-torn country over the last decade and a half, including U.S.-financed hospitals that...
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Senate Democrats Still Debating Key Elements of Covid Rescue Plan
Democrats remain divided over some elements of the $1.9 trillion Covid relief plan, with centrists including Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire looking to cut back...
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How Much Aid Do State and Local Governments Really Need?
The $350 billion in state and local aid included in Democrats’ $1.9 trillion Covid relief package is proving to be another point of contention, even among Democrats. Several Democratic senators have...
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Stimulus Update: Senate Democrats Look to Overcome Divisions
Democrats’ sprint to pass a $1.9 trillion Covid relief package ahead of the March 14 expiration of enhanced unemployment benefits is more akin to a relay race. The House of Representatives, as...
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House Set to Pass Covid Relief Bill as Dems Scramble to Save $15 Minimum Wage
By Michael RaineyThe House is set to pass a $1.9 trillion Covid relief package late Friday, sending the legislation to the Senate for further consideration and almost certain revision. The bill includes a...
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About That $1 Trillion in Unspent Covid Relief Money
By Michael RaineySome critics of President Biden’s $1.9 trillion relief bill charge that it is too generous, citing among other things the hundreds of billions of dollars that remain unspent from earlier relief...
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The Next Phase in the Stimulus Fight
The House is set to vote on Democrats’ $1.9 trillion Covid rescue plan on Friday, sending the package to the Senate, where it is expected to pass — likely with some revisions, and with zero...
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Tanden Votes Postponed in Latest Sign of Trouble for Biden’s Budget Nominee
Two Senate committees abruptly delayed planned votes Wednesday on Neera Tanden’s imperiled nomination to head the Office of Management and Budget, underscoring the difficulty President Biden’s pick...
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More Than 150 Top Business Leaders Back Biden's Covid Plan
As Democrats press ahead with plans to pass a $1.9 trillion Covid relief package by a process that would bypass the need for Republican support, more than 150 CEOs of large American companies are...
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Fed’s Powell Warns Recovery Has a Long Way to Go
By Michael RaineyAlthough Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is a Republican and was appointed by former President Donald Trump, he is proving to be an important ally for Democrats as they push ahead on another...
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House Budget Committee Advances Biden’s $1.9 Trillion Relief Plan
The House Budget Committee voted Monday to advance a $1.9 trillion Covid relief package, setting up the massive legislation for a full floor vote later this week. The 19-16 committee vote saw one...
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Biden’s Pick for Budget Chief Runs Into More Opposition
The confirmation math just got even more complicated for President Biden’s pick to be his budget director. Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Mitt Romney (R-UT) both said Monday that they will oppose...
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Yellen Defends Biden Stimulus Plan
By Michael RaineyCovid-19 is still driving the economy, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Monday, and the federal government needs to spend what it takes to blunt the effects on the population while bringing the...
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Treasury Tweaks PPP Loan Rules to Focus on Smaller Businesses
By Michael RaineyThe Treasury Department said Monday that it will alter the rules for the Paycheck Protection Program to get more aid to small businesses. For a two-week period starting Wednesday, the program will...