Obama Annoyed By Senate Failure To Extend Tax Cuts

President Obama released the following statement in response to the Senate voting to reject a pair of bills aimed at preserving a payroll tax holiday for businesses and their employees:

“Tonight, Senate Republicans chose to raise taxes on nearly 160 million hardworking Americans because they refused to ask a few hundred thousand millionaires and billionaires to pay their fair share.  They voted against a bill that would have not only extended the $1,000 tax cut for a typical family, but expanded that tax cut to put an extra $1,500 in their pockets next year, and given nearly six million small business owners new incentives to expand and hire.  That is unacceptable.  It makes absolutely no sense to raise taxes on the middle class at a time when so many are still trying to get back on their feet.”

“Now is not the time to put the economy and the security of the middle class at risk. Now is the time to rebuild an economy where hard work and responsibility pay off, and everybody has a chance to succeed.  Now is the time to put country before party and work together on behalf of the American people.  And I will continue to urge Congress to stop playing politics with the security of millions of American families and small business owners and get this done.”

Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac CEOs Grilled Over Questionable Spending

By Lisa Kellman

The heads of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac testified before a frustrated House panel Thursday.

Edward DeMarco, the acting director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Charles Haldeman, the CEO of Freddie Mac, and Michael Williams, the CEO of Fannie Mae were asked by the House Financial Services Committee to justify some of their spending decisions, including spending around $74,000 for dinners during a conference.

Chairman Randy Neugebaur (R-T.X.) voiced his concern with many of the spending decisions made by the CEOs and forced Williams to admit his company had no written spending plan.

“We do believe we are being good stewards with money” defended Williams in response.

Executive pay also came into question. Halderman and Williams justified paying their second highest paid employees between $2.8 and $3.5 million, saying that top professionals in their line of work must be payed that kind of money to make the necessary risky decisions.

“Do you understand the outrage the American people feel…It’s impossible to understand why an individual, working for an industry such as yours, has to make that kind of money, remarked ranking member Rep. Michael Capuano (D-Mass.).

Senate Panel Votes To Expand U.S. Marshals Aid In Sex Offender Investigations

By Adrianna McGinley

The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved two bills Thursday expanding U.S. Marshals Service authority to investigate cases concerning sex offenders and missing children.

The “Strengthening Investigations of Sex Offenders and Missing Children Act of 2011” introduced by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) gives U.S. Marshals immediate authority to aid local law enforcement with such investigations.

“When a child is abducted and later killed, three out of four times it’s in the first three hours,” Whitehouse said. “Time is of the essence when there is a child abduction…this bill would simply clarify that the U.S. Marshals has the capability … to cooperate with local law enforcement and to help in those investigations.”

Whitehouse said the U.S. Marshals’ access to national resources will add invaluable information to these cases.

The “Finding Fugitive Sex Offenders Act of 2011” introduced by Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) would allow U.S Marshals to issue subpoenas to obtain third party records that would help track unregistered sex offenders and missing children.

“Marshals need to respond rapidly to child abduction type cases,” Sessions said. “This would allow the Marshal Service to have that simple administrative subpoena power that other agencies have for this horrendous type crime.”

Occupy DC Plans To Crash Dem Party

Occupy DC is planning to crash a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee fundraising reception Thursday evening.

“This elitist event is indicative of how the Democrats represent a major part of our government’s failure to represent 99% of its citizenry,” a statement from the movement reads. “The party is part and parcel of a government in which about half of Congressional members and most major presidential candidates are 1%ers — a government of the 1%, by the 1% and for the 1%.”

The statement notes that the reception is charging $5,000-$75,000 per plate.

The direct action comes as Occupy DC enters its second month.

Poll: Americans Blame Congressional Inaction For Poor Economy

By Tim Young

According to a new poll from the centrist organization No Labels, 94 percent of Americans say that Congress’ inaction, including the failure of the Super Committee, is harming the economy.

“Nine out of 10 citizens blame Congress for the most pressing problems Americans are facing,” said No Labels Co-Founder Bill Galston. “We saw from the failure of the Super Committee that gridlock and hyper-partisanship have utterly impeded Congress’ ability to carry out its responsibilities to the American people.”

Of the 800 registered voters that took the survey, 85 percent support reforms that would quickly reform gridlock and the hyper-partisanship of Congress, which has been witnessed through not only the Super Committee, but in statements from both House and Senate leadership on both sides of the aisle.

28 percent of those surveyed prefer conventional campaign finance reform and two out of three of the survey takers were willing to call in to their congressman in support of a rule reform package.

The No Labels poll was an online survey of 800 registered voters, with a +/- 3.5 percent margin of error.