Obama Warns Congress He Will Act Alone To Help The Jobless: ‘I’ve Got A Pen And I’ve Got A Phone’

[Purveyor]

Source: Agence France-Presse

By Agence France-Presse
Tuesday, January 14, 2014 13:11 EST

President Barack Obama said Tuesday he was pleased Congress had passed a sweeping $1 trillion spending bill, but warned he would wield power alone if lawmakers blocked his policy plans.

The omnibus spending bill reached by negotiators from the Republican-led House of Representatives and the Democratic-run Senate funds the government until the end of the fiscal year in September, averting another government shutdown in the medium term.

--CLIP
Obama also called on Congress to act on his other priorities, including an extension of jobless insurance for the long-term unemployed and comprehensive immigration reform.

But White House hopes for an unblocking of the partisan gridlock snarling his second term look likely to be unfounded, a fact Obama appeared to recognize in his remarks, as he promised to wield the power of his office to mitigate the travails of the struggling middle class.

Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/01/14/obama-warns-congress-he-will-act-alone-to-help-the-jobless-ive-got-a-pen-and-ive-got-a-phone/

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Jobless Benefits Plan Set for Senate Vote With No Deal in Sight

By Kathleen Hunter January 14, 2014

The U.S. Senate plans to vote today on whether to advance a Democratic plan to restore emergency jobless benefits that expired Dec. 28 for 1.3 million Americans.

A dispute over how to cover the cost of the benefits and how long they should continue -- for three months or a year -- has stalled progress on the measure since last week. With no deal in sight, today’s vote may scuttle action on the bill.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said today he was frustrated that Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, hadn’t allowed votes on Republicans’ “common-sense proposals.”

“Ideally, we’d have spent the past week voting on those proposals,” said McConnell of Kentucky. “So there’s really no good reason for us to be in the position that we are now.”

MORE...

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-01-14/jobless-benefits-plan-set-for-senate-vote-with-no-deal-in-sight

[randome]

1. Okay, let Obama and the Democratic Party take the credit for helping people.

Never mind, GOP! We got this one!
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Everything is a satellite to some other thing.[/center][/font][hr]

[djean111]

2. Watching with total interest.

Hope he doesn't trade Chained CPI for it. Because that is a devil's deal.

[okaawhatever]

12. Not if it's the retirement specific chained CPI. That's one of the big fallacies being pushed by

many who aren't truly Democrats. Perhaps left leaning, but not familiar enough with the data to know what the media is trying to sell them. Obama has several times mentioned chained CPI, usually (I think) to bring awareness to seniors that the Republicans are trying to cut social security. It might also be that he's referring to retirement or elderly chained CPI which provides a greater adjustment, but one that is need specific, to seniors. His not being specific makes me wonder if he ever agreed to it if that's what he means.

[1000words]

3. He keeps that pen along side his comfortable walking shoes

Words are wind, Mr. President.

[Shivering Jemmy]

7. As are Internet postings

[tridim]

9. Mr. President has done everything he has said he would do.

Do you have a problem with that?

[ailsagirl]

33. and more!

[truth2power]

23. Nailed it. n/t

[840high]

43. Stop talking Mr. President - we want action.

[Epiphany4z]

4. lol republican

common-sense proposals...and my unicorn just walked in with big foot for lunch.

[Thor_MN]

34. Dammit, why are you eating BigFoot for lunch? There just aren't that many of them!!

They are endangered, but I don't get why people makes such a big deal about endangered feces. Hell that stuff is everywhere.

[Brigid]

40. Emily Latilla, is that you?

[Ranchemp.]

5. I love his tough talk, but I don't see how he can accomplish this w/o the Congress.

Any funding of any federal program has to be done by the Congress, the Pres. has no funding powers to my meager knowledge, the power of the purse is exclusively a power of the Congress.

[Kingofalldems]

8. Thanks for the concern and for the lesson.

[Ranchemp.]

11. IT'S MY BUDDY.

How are ya this fine morning?

And you're quite welcome for the lesson, ecstatic I could impart a bit of knowledge to help a fellow DU'er.

[jeff47]

13. Just means you have to be more creative

Let's say Congress authorized money for construction of a highway. The Executive branch can require the contractors for that project to hire long-term unemployed to perform the work.

[Ranchemp.]

14. Yes he can do that.

Question, can he shift money from funded programs to other programs?

[Iliyah]

16. How about tapping the GOP for gthe shutdown cost

of $24 billion.

[Ranchemp.]

17. That's a good idea,

but we all know that will never happen.
Could he, without the consent of Congress, shift funds from, say, the military to fund another program, like unemployment benefits?

[MyNameGoesHere]

29. Well Reagen got away with it

however it wasn't legal. In fact parts of it were criminal. So maybe he can or maybe he can't. However since he is a black president I am guessing the impeachment would be swift and harsh. If he were just a white Democratic president he may get away with it. Maybe.

[Thor_MN]

35. If the Republics want to do another shutdown, force them to fund it with tax increases

on the wealthy.

[jeff47]

19. Not really.

Can't take money from a Defense Department program and then spend it on HHS.

Might be able to do a little bit around the edges (Pentagon pays for vaccine development under the theory that future recruits will be more healthy), but there really isn't enough room for large-scale shifting.

[Ranchemp.]

20. That's too bad. eom

[JDPriestly]

18. But the power to grant contracts is the power of the executive.

The contracts have to be awarded fairly, but pressure can be applied in a subtle way for the good of the country, I should think.

[Amonester]

21. Well, He Can Mint A Platinum Coin...

... on.his.own ... and.save.starving.children.the.prolife.repukes.dont.care.about

And he's not looking for re-election...

[Ranchemp.]

24. Then I say,

Mr. President, damn the repigs and full speed ahead.

[Amonester]

27. Yep! Never underestimate the power of a good President!

When its getting awfully late to help the Republican-made victims.

Might not be by using a tricky coin, but he's got powers we don't know about (yet).

[Igel]

37. Why just one?

He could mint 20 of them. 30. 40. 50

Pay off the national debt and then have $33 trillion left over, thus increasing the budget by 10-fold.

Don't like spending $100 billion on a program? Spend a trillion!

Of course, you'd wind up buying about the same amount, but it's the power that counts.

[razorman]

46. I think you're right. I am a bit uneasy about the possibe overuse of the executive order.

For one thing, it sets a precedent. If President Obama uses it now, whenever Congress refuses to carry out its responsibilities, any future president can also do it. That will include the next Republican in the White House. I don't believe most of us would like it very much, then.

[Iliyah]

6. What a tryant dictator who rather help his fellow Americans

I can hear the RWers aka fake news! Oh the horror!

P.S. Thanks Pres O

[Brigid]

10. You tell 'em, Mr. President.

Now let's see you do it.

[JDPriestly]

15. I don't know what else the President can do, but it is a crying shame that Congress, especially

the House is failing to perform its constitutional role. The Republicans in the House are just a worthless bunch. They take no responsibility. They don't work with others. They are useless, and, ironically, after being elected on the premise that they would return to government under the Constitution, they have provided us with anything but government under the Constitution.

[Brigid]

22. These clowns need to pay a political price come November. . .

For their lack of action on . . . Well, anything. But it is far from certain whether or not the voters will exact that price.

[heaven05]

44. it's certain

that a large number of fox news informed voters will vote against their own best interests and return the majority of these RW clowns to Washington D.C. For sure.

[bluestateguy]

25. I don't know if Obama can do this or not

But let's just remember who is to blame here: the vast majority of Republicans who control the House and the filibusterers in the Senate.

It's their fault. Nobody else's.

[SCVDem]

26. I finally have an okay credit rating again.

Too bad I only have $25.00 to my name and will miss my payment.

That's the real conspiracy against the poor and unemployed.

[totodeinhere]

28. There are probably some things that he can do without Congress, but I don't

think he can unilaterally extend unemployment benefits. It take Congress to do that. And extending those benefits is the most urgent thing right now.

[olddad56]

30. I wouldn't want to be president during these times...

especially in aftermath of the idiot who destroyed this country. George W. Bush is a tough act to follow.

[Brigid]

41. Yeah,

It's like following a circus elephant in a parade.

[blkmusclmachine]

31. So, we're gonna get some ACTION this time? Good!

[Populist_Prole]

32. Ditch the TPP then. That should cause less to be unemployed n/t

[1StrongBlackMan]

45. Yes ...

Ditching a trade agreement that isn't will certainly affect the long termed unemployed.

[godevil10]

36. Have pen and phone but no money, sigh. n/t

[Cha]

38. President Obama on Extending the Unemployment Benefits.

[DCBob]

39. I suspected he might try this.

Even if its border line illegal... I doubt the Rethugs will try to make a case out of it. That will only further confirm they hate people in need.

[Hotler]

42. Don't talk about it, just do it. n/t