Rep. Webster's agenda could force changes in House

U.S. Rep. Daniel Webster's bid to become the next House speaker may fail, but his crusade seeking more power for rank-and-file members could influence how the eventual winner rules the chamber, experts say.
Webster, 66, R-Fla., is running a dark-horse campaign trying to force changes to House rules. He also wants to give greater priority to the massive, divisive bills such as the budgets, rather than allowing them to become political chess pieces at the end of each session.


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Republicans pass budgets in both House and Senate, trim $5.1 trillion in spending

Remember when a disagreement between Republicans on the budget was “cataclysmic” for GOP claims to governance? Democrats last passed a normal budget resolution six years ago, but Republicans went all of seven days before both chambers finally passed budget resolutions. Our long national nightmare, at least as envisioned by Politico, is over: The Senate passed a Republican-authored budget plan early on Friday that seeks $5.1 trillion in domestic spending cuts over 10 years while boosting military funding. The 52-46 vote on the non-binding budget resolution put Congress on a path to complete its first full budget in six years. It came at the end of a marathon 18-hour session that saw approval of dozens of amendments ranging from Iran sanctions to carbon emissions and immigration policies.

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Conservative Revolt Splits House GOP Group

House conservatives are plotting a mass exodus from the Republican Study Committee as soon as next week over simmering dissatisfaction with the group's direction.

The members have been talking for weeks, and they met Monday night to formalize their plans to institutionalize a competing, invitation-only organization that they see as a real conservative caucus that can push Speaker John Boehner rightward. Once a bastion for the conservative movement, the RSC has strayed too far from its original mission and been co-opted by the same party leaders it is meant to exert pressure upon, the members believe.

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Democrats' Midterm Blues

At the end of 2013, the Washington Post’s electoral number-crunchers calculated that the Democrats had a 1 percent chance to win back the House of Representatives. Barely into 2014, that already seems pretty optimistic. In the last week, several Democratic representatives saw the writing on the wall and voted with their feet — or with their seat — and announced they will be retiring.  One reason for that: The Obama administration is poised to give an incredible gift to the Republican party.

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80 House members: Shutdown better than ObamaCare

More than a third of House Republicans urged their leader Thursday to trigger a government shutdown rather than fund the implementation of the health care overhaul they call "ObamaCare." 

A letter from 80 Republicans asked Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, to resist any spending bills that would accommodate the new health care law, which is nearing a critical stage of signing up millions of Americans for health coverage.

Because it's virtually certain that President Obama and the Democratic-controlled Senate would reject such demands, leaders of both parties say the standoff likely would result in a partial shutdown of the federal government, similar to those that occurred in 1995 and 1996.

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House and Senate Republicans highlight plan for Oregon jobs

BUILDING A BETTER OREGON - With more than 236,286 Oregonians looking for work, House and Senate Republicans presented a ten point plan to create lasting and local jobs Tuesday. While Oregon's unemployment rate is the highest in over 25 years, House and Senate Republicans have been pushing proposals to create and sustain jobs for the past two months. ∴ "While the mortgage, grocery and heating bills continue to pile up, jobs are becoming Oregon's newest endangered species," said Senate Republican Leader Ted Ferrioli (R-John Day). "These proposals are built on the idea that when we empower small businesses and give families extra breathing room in their budgets, they make decisions that are best for them and best for the economy."

House and Senate Republicans spoke about four of the proposals in detail:

1. Reduce income tax withholding tables by 4.2% to immediately put $100 million back into Oregonian's paychecks and create 2,500 jobs, without costing government a penny.
2. Implement the Main Street Incentive Program to encourage home and business owners to engage in capital improvement projects. Creates more than 5,000 jobs.
3. Provide matching funds for public and private airports to improve facilities through a Flight Plan for Local Jobs. The improved facilities will create economic development opportunities for local communities. Using $7.7 million, more than $128 million can be leveraged. The plan would create 2,214 jobs.
4. Reconnect to the federal tax code so Oregonians receiving unemployment benefits won't be taxed. This would give unemployed Oregonians an additional $15 million to help make ends meet.
   

Senator Brian Boquist (R-Dallas) stressed the needs of working and unemployed Oregonians.

"Oregonians are hurting as they face reduced hours and record unemployment," said Boquist. "Every extra dollar in the average Oregonians' paycheck helps pay for winter coats, school books, the heat bill or rent."

Infrastructure investment is a key to long term job growth, according to Senator Chris Telfer (R-Bend).

"These projects are planned and ready to go, all they need is the seed money," said Telfer. "This is a small investment for a big return both now, in construction jobs, and into the future when the finished projects will bring tremendous economic benefit to communities all around the state."

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