Hispanic Lawmaker Condemns Cain’s Electric Fence Joke

Presidential hopeful Herman Cain’s comment about installing an electric fence on the U.S.-Mexico border has drawn the ire of the chairman of the Hispanic Congressional Caucus.

“Words have consequences, both in shaping ideas and inspiring actions,” Rep. Charles Gonzales (D-Texas) said in a statement Monday. “Mr. Cain’s words show a lack of understanding of the immigration issues our country is facing and a staggering lack of sensitivity.”

While campaigning over the weekend, Cain remarked that the U.S. should use an electrified, barbed wire fence to kill anybody attempting to enter the country illegally. When confronted over the remarks during an interview on NBC Sunday, Cain dismissed the comments as a joke.

However, Gonzales finds little comfort in Cain’s justification.

“I see nothing funny about killing other human beings,” Gonzales said. “Leave the comic routines to the professional comedians.”

Hoyer: GOP Must Put Currency Bill On The Floor

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) called on House Republicans to allow a vote on a bill aimed at cracking down on China’s devaluation of its Yuan.

The bill, which the Washington Post reported allows U.S. monetary agencies to lean on China and other nations to allow their currencies to appreciate, was passed by the Senate earlier this week.

During a press conference on Friday, Hoyer said the bill would help “American businesses…compete against anyone anywhere.”

The House is scheduled to be off next week, but Hoyer urged GOP leaders to immediately take up the bill when lawmakers return to Washington.

Senate Republicans Offer Conservative Jobs Plan

By Janie Amaya 

Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) joined together Thursday to present what they are calling the Jobs Through Growth Act, a Republican alternative to the President’s jobs plan. 

The bill focuses on spending, tax and regulation reform by which it hopes to limit Washington’s ability to raise taxes to pay for spending.

“We Republicans understand that it’s a growing, dynamic private sector that creates quality jobs for the long term and real prosperity in America, not government spending,” McCain said.

The bill would reduce the top corporate tax rate to no more than 25 percent and states that under a reformed territorial system of corporate taxation, the bill would create a permanent incentive for companies repatriating foreign earnings to the U.S. economy.  

It would also introduce a simplified tax system aimed at helping Americans keep more money in the hands of consumers, small businesses and job-creators.

The three Republicans also say that repealing and replacing Obamacare will remove over $550 billion in new taxes, over $300 billion in higher health care costs, and $2,100 in increased family insurance premiums from employers and workers, according to the bill summary. 

While the official cost of the Jobs Through Growth Act remains unknown, the Senators hope to demonstrate that Republicans indeed have a plan. 

Click here for a summary of The Jobs Through Growth Act. 

Republican Duo Unveils Budget Reform Bill

Sens. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) introduced legislation Wednesday aimed at ending a series of so-called budget “gimmicks.”

The nine-point plan, called the Honest Budget Act, would force the Senate to pass a budget resolution — something the upper chamber has not done in over two years — before it can move on appropriations bills. It would require a supermajority of Senators to approve “emergency” spending, which is not subject to offsets in other areas of the budget, and it would subject a greater percentage of the federal workforce to the two-year mandatory pay-freeze instituted by the Obama administration.

It would also end the practice of counting canceled spending as savings, unless the unused funds are actually returned to the Treasury instead of being issued elsewhere.

In a statement, the pair said that the bill would “confront the culture of fiscal manipulation that is bleeding our country of future prosperity.”

Click here to read more…

Today In Congress

The House today will take up two measures designed to cut spending and roll back federal regulation.

The first, H.R. 1343, would return unused funds made available for broadband investment through President Obama’s stimulus law to the U.S. Treasury. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Charlie Bass (R-N.H.), who sits on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

The second measure, the Cement Sector Regulatory Relief Act of 2011, would delay the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to issue air quality standards for cement manufacturing facilities. The bill is sponsored by Rep. John Sullivan (R-Okla.) and has a host of GOP co-sponsors.

Across the Capitol, the Senate will be resuming consideration of the Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Act of 2011. The bill is aimed at giving America’s monetary policymakers greater ability to scrutinize foreign currencies. China, in particular, has faced widespread criticism that it has enjoyed an unfair trade advantage due to its Yuan being undervalued.