Sen. Johanns Wants Repeal Of Health Care Paper-Work Provision By August Break

By Alexa Gitler- Talk Radio News Service

Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) told reporters Wednesday that he hopes to bring an amendment to the floor that would repeal a provision in the health care reform law requiring businesses to file a 1099 tax form if they spend more than $600 per year through an individual vendor.

“It could be for something as trivial as paying the phone bill,” he said. “Can you imagine how many 1099s Verizon will have to deal with?”

Johanns noted that he hopes the amendment will pass prior to the August recess.

With the new provision in effect, it is expected to impact over 40 million businesses all over the country including approximately 26 million sole proprietorships.

“In addition to the filing requirements and charges that businesses will pay, they will also have to pay for a tracking fee,” said Johanns.

Johanns explained that the health care bill went through congress so quickly and had so many components that little things like this provision were missed.

“I can’t imagine that a Senator could go back home in August and tell their constituents that he or she voted against this amendment when it is so critical for small businesses all over the country,” Johanns said.

Added Johanns, “This is the priority of Republican Senate leadership to try and get this passed.”
 

TARP Yields Positive Results, Transparency Issues Linger

By Alexa Gitler - Talk Radio News Service

After the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) issued its seventh quarterly report to Congress Wednesday, Special Inspector General of TARP Neil Barofsky and Elizabeth Warren, Chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel, said that, although the program has yielded some positive results, there are still lingering concerns. 

“This quarter has definitively demonstrated that proactive law enforcement efforts can play a vital role in protecting taxpayers’ interests,” Barofsky said.

However the key issue that the committee wanted to focus on was the necessity for transparency and accountability, especially when addressing the challenges still facing the financial system and the economy.

“Under the TARP program, the Treasury put money into 707 banks, fewer than 10% of the small banks have managed to repay their TARP obligations, their problems are substantial,” Warren said. “Small banks face serious difficulties with the coming wave of commercial real estate loans and [they] do not have the same access to the capital that larger banks have.”

Barofsky said the lack of transparency being shown by the Department of Treasury is another issue that is concerning.

“I think that transparency is not for transparency sake, it makes the programs better and it makes them more credible,” he said. “By not documenting conversations or having formal negotiations it hurts the credibility of its programs in ways that are entirely unnecessary.” 

Warren and Barofsky agreed that, under the TARP program, numerous strides at re-stabilizing the U.S. economy have yielded extremely positive results and in the future, hopefully with some realignment and accountability, the economy will be back on track. 

Former Interior Secretaries Offer Gulf Coast Advice, Oppose Drilling Moratorium

By Alexa Gitler - Talk Radio News Service

Former Interior Secretaries Gale Norton and Dirk Kempthorne told the House Energy and Commerce Committee that they strongly oppose a proposed temporary morartorium on drilling.

Both officials were appointed under the direction of the Bush administration and although neither has previously dealt with a disaster or an oil spill to the magnitude of the Deepwater Horizon, they each gave recommendations based on their past experiences on how the current Interior Secretary Ken Salazar should move forward and act.

“I hope Congress will follow the process that has served us so well and study what caused the accident and then adopt new or additional procedures, standards, laws and regulations, if needed on that basis,” Norton said. 

When asked whether or not the Obama Administration’s policy of a proposed temporary moratorium on drilling was a step in the right direction, they both expressed extreme opposition towards that notion.

“The gulf coast is being devastated, the result if a permanent moratorium is put in place you will further cause a disruption of the economy to the gulf coast states, when really they need to have a recovery,” said Kempthorne. 

Kempthorne, as a former governor, also stressed the importance of Congress and the Obama administration to work closely with the governors of the gulf coast states because they are known to be proven leaders and extremely passionate about their states and citizens. 

Venus Williams Visits D.C., Promotes New Book

By Alexa Gitler - Talk Radio News Service

Tennis superstar Venus Williams was at the National Press Club Wednesday promoting her new book Come To Win that was recently released in June. Williams, who is in Washington to play Martina Hingis Wednesday for her team, the Washington Kastles, said tennis helped shape the person she is today.

“Sports prepare you for a life full of successful moment sand some moments of failure,” Williams said. “It has taught me to set goals and write them down so you can see them with your own eyes, which is something my father taught me from the beginning.”

Williams, recognized as the first African-American woman to win a major tennis championship, is also a key advocate for womens equality in sports. Despite years of protest, in 2005 the French Open and Wimbledon still refused to pay women’s and men’s players equally through all rounds.

Williams said she met with officials from both tournaments that year and argued that female athletes should be paid as much as males. Under enormous pressure, Wimbledon announced in 2007 that it would award equal prize money to all competitors in all rounds. Coincidentally, Venus became the first woman to benefit from Wimbledon’s big change in 2007 when she was awarded the same amount as Roger Federer. 

“I hope that my legacy will not only be remembered for the championships I won, but remembered for equal pay and large steps that women’s rights took that day,” said Williams.


Gen. Petraeus: July 2011 Deadline Not Cut And Dry

By Alexa Gitler - Talk Radio News Service

Army General David H. Petraeus told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee met Tuesday that the July 2011 deadline for troop withdrawal from Afghanistan will take time and won’t happen overnight.

The Army General was appointed by President Barack Obama to become the Commander of the NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Commander of the United States Forces in Afghanistan. Petraeus previously served as Commander of the United States Central Command in Iraq where he was responsible for the training, equipping, and mentoring of Iraq’s growing army and police. 

Although there was overwhelming bipartisan support for Petraeus’ nomination, concerns heightened among several committee members over the July 2011 reduction of military presence in Afghanistan and how the General would handle guidelines set by the Obama administration. 

“I support the policy of the President,” Petraeus said. “July 2011 is not a date when we will be rapidly withdrawing out forces and switching off the lights and closing the door behind us.” 

Petraeus addressed the growing concerns of the committee on how smoothly the transition from policies such as the Rules of Engagement would be implemented under new leadership. The Rules of Engagement, which require strict reviews of requests for the use of air power in the field and set strict protocols on when and how soldiers can use deadly force, were drawn up by Gen. Stanley McChrystal to limit the number of civilian casualties that have been infuriating Afghans and has been one of the Taliban’s best recruiting tools.

“I would continue McChrystal’s emphasis on reducing loss of civilian life in the course of operations,” Petraeus said. “It is critical to reduce civilian casualties but some leaders may be too restrictive in how the rules and directives are applied.” 

Petraeus assured the committee that he was ready and willing to step in if confirmed.

“There are currently nearly 140,000 coalition troopers and over 235,000 Afghan security force members engaged in hard work,” he said. “If I am confirmed by the Senate, it will be a great privilege to soldier with them in the hard work that is so worth doing in that country.”