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waysandmeansdems uploaded a new video
(1 month ago)
Host Chris Cillizza: If the deal isn't done by year's end, 160 million A...
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Host Chris Cillizza: If the deal isn't done by year's end, 160 million Americans are going to lose about $40 in each paycheck. Still, there's no concrete sign that House leaders are about to cave. So is there anything Democrats can do, other than wait it out? Democratic Congressman Sandy Levin of Michigan joins us. He's the Ranking Member on the Ways and Means Committee. We've heard the President, we've heard Mitch McConnell, is there any pressure that Senate or House Democrats can exert in this debate, or do you have to sit on your hands and wait to see what happens?
Rep. Sandy Levin: The last thing we're doing is sitting on our hands. We're speaking out. I was at home yesterday and talked about this issue. You know, I was reading a story from Michigan about a Michigan vet, a Marine veteran who has been looking for work, who has had just odd jobs since '08, and he ended up afterwards saying he has to move out of his apartment. He said, "It's really touch-and-go." And the Republicans in the House are out of touch, and we're speaking up, and insisting that we come back here and pass the bipartisan bill that passed the Senate. For the lives of people, it's inexcusable, and we're speaking out on that.
Host Chris Cillizza: Congressman, I want to ask you, the main pushback from House Republicans is that two months doesn't provide any certainty for small business people. Lots and lots of small business people in Michigan, it's a state where the economy continues to struggle. Why do you not buy that argument?
Rep. Sandy Levin: Because the greatest uncertainty is what the House Republicans are creating. Whether we'll have a payroll tax cut after January 1 and whether unemployment insurance will continue for over a million people, just in January alone. That's the major uncertainty. Look, the IRS has said that the two-month period, the two-month extension, while it's not easy, is workable. What we need to do is pass the two-month extension and come back here and work on a one-year extension. As you reported, McConnell, the leader in the Senate, has just now spoken out. So who's left? The House Republicans who are just in this rigid ideological position, out of touch when this Marine said, "It's real touch and go." And that's true in terms of the payroll tax for people who need that decrease and for a million plus people who are going to lose their unemployment benefits. That's about $300 a week on the average.
Host Chris Cillizza: Congressman, House Republicans, as we mentioned, are not showing any signs yet of backing down on this. If they do not back down, will House Democrats, Senate Democrats in the White House, hold the line? Will they insist that the two-month extension is it? That that is the compromise?
Rep. Sandy Levin: The Senate bill needs to be passed. The House Republicans need to get off the dime. By the way, it's not only bad for millions of Americans, it's bad for the economy that we don't do this. The Republicans in the House have to come to their senses. They need to act. Period.
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waysandmeansdems uploaded a new video
(1 month ago)
A message from Rep. Sander Levin (D-MI) on the urgent need to extend fed...
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A message from Rep. Sander Levin (D-MI) on the urgent need to extend federal unemployment insurance programs, which begin to expire Dec. 31. Millions will lose their coverage without action before the end of the year.
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waysandmeansdems uploaded a new video
(1 month ago)
http://democrats....
"One month ago, Mr. Brady, Mr. Levin and I were...
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http://democrats....
"One month ago, Mr. Brady, Mr. Levin and I were in Honolulu, Hawaii talking to TPP country officials. In our meetings, I was struck by the urgency that so many representatives of other countries had for a strong agreement. I think we all see big potential in the TPP.
"The Asia Pacific countries account for 40 percent of the global population and, together, generated 56 percent of global GDP in 2010. Indeed, my home state, Washington, exports nearly 70 percent of its total exports to markets in the Asia-Pacific region.
"But we have to do things right if we are to unlock the potential of TPP. We have to ensure that TPP lives up to its billing as a '21st century' agreement.
"This is all the more important because, as President Obama said in Honolulu last month, 'the TPP has the potential to be a model not only for the Asia Pacific but for future trade agreements.'
"So, what does it mean to be a '21st century' agreement?
"To me, it means an agreement that can help create American jobs and promote American values. TPP must tackle the range of real world barriers to competition. This means not just tariffs and non-tariff barriers, but also things like unfair competition from state-owned enterprises.
"In June, every Democratic Member of the Ways and Means committee signed a letter to President Obama identifying State Owned Enterprises as 'one of the greatest of . . . the 21st century challenges faced by U.S. businesses and workers' and urging robust SOE disciplines in TPP. Ensuring that SOEs compete on an even playing field with private actors has to be a critical component of any TPP agreement.
"This is all the more important when there are countries like Japan that are seeking entry into TPP. Japan is notorious for the range of methods its uses to close its markets to foreign competition.
"This includes special benefits for SOEs such as Japan Post, as well as a host of tariff and non-tariff measures in sectors ranging from agriculture to autos to pharmaceuticals. USTR has just initiated a comment period to help in deciding whether Japan should be allowed at the negotiating table.
"Some are skeptical that Japan will really open its markets; skeptics think Japan will continue to use creative methods to keep out foreign goods and services while taking advantage of other countries' TPP trade concessions.
"That is clearly an unacceptable situation. We need to make sure we do not end up there if we do agree to Japan's participation.
"We also need to look carefully at the 'rules of origin' that determine which products will be getting duty-free treatment and create rules that help keep the maximum benefit of the FTA -- and thus the greatest number of jobs -- in the TPP region.
"We also need to incorporate and, where appropriate, build on the so-called May 10 Agreement. That Congressional-Executive agreement reflected state-of-the-art thinking on a range of critical issues, including labor, environment, and intellectual property.
"May 10 has to be the basis for the TPP and all other FTAs moving forward.
"Speaking as a physician with experience in less developed countries, I think we got it right in the May 10 agreement on IPR access to medicines.
"We crafted language that ensured protection for innovation but also ensured that life-saving generics would be available in developing countries at the exact same time that they become available in the United States.
"That is consistent with core American values. Lives are at stake. Poor people in poor countries shouldn't have to die because they don't have the affordable medicines we have here.
"I've been very disappointed by USTR's move away from this policy. I think this reported change would be deeply flawed. Hopefully, USTR can address the issue in its testimony today.
"The expectations are high for this agreement, as are the stakes.
"And I think we can overcome them, but we have a lot of work ahead of us. I look forward to working with the Administration and with our Republican colleagues to get there."
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waysandmeansdems uploaded a new video
(2 months ago)
http://democrats....
WASHINGTON -- Ways and Means Committee Ranking Membe...
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http://democrats....
WASHINGTON -- Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-MI) made the following statement on the House floor today in opposition to the Republican year-end extension package:
"There are fewer than three weeks until the New Year and yet here they go again: Republicans are seeking a path of confrontation instead of collaboration. If Republicans were serious, truly serious about trying to come together on behalf of American families, they would have reached out to Democrats. They've done nothing of the sort. They have made a sham out of bipartisanship.
"Instead, they've once again targeted millions of seniors and middle class families for cuts without asking essentially anything of millionaires and billionaires. They have singled out Medicare premium increases that permanently increase seniors' costs by $31 billion. The bill also, when you look at it carefully, spends $300 million on a special interest provision that helps a handful of specialty hospitals while cutting billions from community hospitals.
"They've targeted the unemployed, slashing 40 weeks of unemployment insurance, impacting millions of families still struggling under the weight of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. Twenty-two jurisdictions with the highest unemployment rates would be hit the hardest: Alabama, California, Connecticut, DC, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington. The result would be that in state that Mr. Camp and I come from -- Michigan -- the bill would cut unemployment insurance to 46 weeks.
"And what do they ask of the wealthiest Americans? Basically nothing. Not even after the wealthiest 1 percent saw their incomes nearly triple in the last three decades while salaries for middle class families barely budged.
"There are more than four unemployed Americans for every job opening. Never on record in our nation's history have there been so many unemployed Americans out of work for so long. There is nothing normal about this recession. One gentleman from my district -- Phil of Clinton Township -- put it this way: 'I am by no means unintelligent. I am by no means lazy. And I am by no means giving up.'
"The unemployed are not people who can ante up $10,000 bets or spend lavishly on jewelry at Tiffany's. These are families scraping by on less than $300 a week, trying to keep food on the table, a roof over their head, and clothes on their backs and the backs of their children as they look for work.
"Republicans are out of touch with the families of America. I hope after today's exercise -- that is going nowhere in the Senate and which the President opposes -- House Republicans will get serious about addressing very pressing end-of-year issues on behalf of the American people."
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waysandmeansdems uploaded a new video
(2 months ago)
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