Political Trough: Sequester Timelines in Montana

Aaron Flint posted on March 08, 2013 12:41 :: 1526 Views

Once again, I’ve reached that moment in the week where there is so much information that I want to share with you, and frankly have no more time to break it all down- so here’s the latest “Political Trough.”

Mark Levin explains how the Republican leadership is ramming through a Continuing Resolution that funds the government for 6 months and it includes funding for Obamacare. The House rules committee has also voted to not allow for any amendments on the CR.

So far, the CR, the legislation that will keep the government funded through March 27, is progressing with minimal drama, with both sides trying to avoid a shutdown. Democrats have mostly abandoned efforts to completely undo the sequester through the bill. Republicans have left out the kind of language that would delight the base but meet a quick end in the Senate.

But some conservative leaders are fuming that Republicans, particularly in the House where the GOP controls the chamber, didn’t at least trying to attach language to eliminate Obamacare through the legislation.

A Republican leadership aide countered that funding national security priorities through the CR is in line with conservative priorities.

The Hill: Cruz: Spending bill must defund Obama healthcare law

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said Wednesday that he will object to a government spending bill if it does not cut off funds for President Obama’s signature healthcare law.

House Republicans’ continuing resolution does not propose defunding the healthcare law, even though the House has voted more than 30 times to repeal or defund parts of the law.

Some Republicans have tossed around the idea of delaying the healthcare law as a way to save money — its most expensive provision, new subsidies to help people buy private insurance — kicks in next year.

 

POLITICO PRO:  House CR denies funds for ACA programs

By Paige Winfield Cunningham  3/6/13 2:03 PM

House Republicans’ spending plan up for vote Wednesday would chip at the health care law by withholding funds from several federal agencies charged with setting the law in motion.

Besides denying HHS $949 million it had requested, which would help pay for the federal insurance exchanges, the continuing resolution also leaves out extra funding to put the law’s tax provisions in place. The Internal Revenue Service had requested an extra $360.6 million.

In addition, CMS wouldn’t get a requested increase of $29 million, or 5 percent, for Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control — a joint DOJ and HHS program that has sniffed out a record amount of Medicare and Medicaid fraud over the past few years.

Medicaid expansion is touted by proponents of Obamacare as a “no-brainer.” Even the Billings Gazette Editorial Board issued a statement of support calling the expansion “an offer too good to refuse.”  What liberal proponents abstain from mentioning is that Montana will face tremendous costs that exceed savings when the federal match rate is lowered after the first three years. From there, state costs continue to climb, dwarfing any projected savings Montana would accumulate.

Under Baucus authored Obamacare, it is illogical to think Montana would be able to cut uncompensated care funding. That’s because any state payment cuts would have to be implemented stacked on top of Obamacare’s tremendous federal payment cuts. Obamacare slashes federal Medicaid funding by $18.1 billion and Medicare DSH funding by $22.1 billion over the years 2014–2020.

Many Republican governors who said they plan to take Medicaid money under President Obama’s health care law now find they’re facing a revolt within their own state parties, where GOP legislatures are none-too-eager to approve signing up for what they call “Obamacare.”

In Arizona, Gov. Jan Brewer held a rally with doctors and nurses on Tuesday to try to build support ahead of a showdown with the Republican-dominated Legislature.

Many Republican governors who said they plan to take Medicaid money under President Obama’s health care law now find they’re facing a revolt within their own state parties, where GOP legislatures are none-too-eager to approve signing up for what they call “Obamacare.”

In Arizona, Gov. Jan Brewer held a rally with doctors and nurses on Tuesday to try to build support ahead of a showdown with the Republican-dominated Legislature.

Environmental groups filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against the owners of Montana’s massive Colstrip coal-fired power plant, seeking to force the installation of more pollution controls at the decades-old facility.

David Hoffman with PPL Montana, which operates the plant on behalf of its six owners, said the changes generally were needed to maintain the 2,000-megawatt plant or meet government mandates, and as such do not qualify as modifications.

 Sequester timelines for Montana.   Jenn Rowell has this for The Great Falls Tribune:

In Montana, 831 Air Force civilians could be affected under the military’s current plan to furlough civilian employees for up to the 22 days for the remainder of the fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30.
That figure includes 538 at Malmstrom Air Force Base and 286 at the Montana Air National Guard.

Phase two is currently under way. Sequestration was triggered March 1 and furlough exceptions by military leaders were due to the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Approved furlough exceptions will be communicated to defense officials March 15. Furlough proposal notices will be distributed to employees from March 21 to 25 and the employee reply period runs from March 28 to April 1. Employees have seven days from when the proposal was served to respond.

 

While about 60 percent of Americans support across-the-board government spending cuts, the opposite is true when it comes to cuts to military spending, according to a Washington Post/ABC News poll released Wednesday.

The national poll of 1,017 adults conducted from Feb. 27 – March 3 found that 61 percent supported a 5 percent overall reduction in spending, while just 33 percent opposed it. An 8 percent reduction in military spending, on the other hand, was met with 60 percent opposition, compared to 34 percent that supported it

Midway through the 63rd Legislative Session, a rift within the GOP Senate is moving beyond rhetoric and into voting records, with hints of a coalition forming between Democrats and Republicans outside of caucus leadership.

Sen. Bruce Tutvedt, a Kalispell Republican and chair of the Senate tax committee, says his caucus’ leaders have failed to “craft a clear message of leadership that the caucus can agree on or that is informed,” while espousing a far-right agenda out of touch with Montana’s needs.

Essmann reiterated his stance that Republicans throughout the caucus have diverse opinions but agree on broad conservative values of reduced government and “tax policies that favor growth.” He also said members of the caucus who supported Peterson in the election have approached him to say they appreciate the job he’s doing as president.

Expect the left to start criticizing the UN now too… 

A United Nations-based drug agency urged the United States government on Tuesday to challenge the legalization of marijuana for recreational use in Colorado and Washington, saying the state laws violate international drug treaties.

A United Nations-based drug agency urged the United States government on Tuesday to challenge the legalization of marijuana for recreational use in Colorado and Washington, saying the state laws violate international drug treaties.

The International Narcotics Control Board made its appeal in an annual drug report. It called on Washington, D.C., to act to “ensure full compliance with the international drug control treaties on its entire territory.”

by Mark Wicks

Why would farmers sell this tightly held land that they have lived on for generations? It’s very simple; the state didn’t just overpay, they threw money at the deal like a 90-year-old billionaire trying to seduce a 21-year-old Playboy bunny.

I hope that hunters who are upset by these closures take the time to look into what Fish, Wildlife and Parks has been doing with their license fees. FWP needs to learn it works for the people of Montana and our tax dollars are not a slush fund for the governor to play with.

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