Tag: budget

House GOP hates Biden’s budget — but is still hunting for its own formula

[ad_1]

Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.), a former GOP budget chief, summarized the goals for his party by saying that Republicans should write “a ‘Hippocratic’ budget, that does no harm to our majority,” but one that also stays “responsible enough” to force a reckoning over spending.
Womack also warned, accurately, of the political risks in a budget that reaches too far:
“That likely becomes the next 30-second television ad against you.”
The lack of cohesive GOP vision so far is an ominous sign as McCarthy and his team wade knee-deep into talks on their own budget, which — along with Biden’s blueprint — raise the curtain for this year’s multiple high-stakes spending dramas in Washington. And there’s already tangible proof of House Republicans’ struggle, as their timetable for a budget release slips later into the spring, following Biden’s own budget delay.
Republicans and Democrats alike are most worried about the brewing fight over the nation’s debt limit, which could get ugly as a new speaker navigates one of the House’s narrowest majorities in decades with the U.S. credit rating hanging in the balance. And while the GOP’s budget resolution is unlikely to contain an exact prescription to resolve the debt limit, it would still be the first real movement in Biden and Republicans’ long-frozen discussion on where to go next.
House Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington predicted his panel’s blueprint would take “at least” 30 more days to finish, while also stressing there’s “no timeline” for a release. But Arrington said he’s confident he can navigate both the narrow margin of his own panel and, more critically, on the floor. Even in his committee, Republicans can lose just two votes.
“We’re working on it,” Arrington (R-Texas) said. “218 is absolutely doable, but it’s going to take some work.”
Privately, some senior Republicans are digging up their budgetary playbook from 2011 — steered by then-House budget chief Paul Ryan — as a kind of model for future action.

Specifically, they’re discussing the party’s 2011 bill, known as “cut, cap and balance”, which that year’s GOP-led House passed amid Congress’ famously fractious Obama-era “fiscal cliff” debate. That bill, which included more than $1 trillion in cuts and capped federal spending to a set percent of the U.S. gross domestic product, never became law.
Still, GOP leaders saw it as a critical marker in talks with the Democratic-controlled Senate and White House that ultimately led to a massive 10-year spending cap deal.
“We’ll figure out something we can all vote for,” one GOP lawmaker familiar with the discussions said of the path forward for the House budget, requesting anonymity to speak candidly. “No way the Senate will take it up, but it’ll force them to respond.”
As for the GOP budget itself, Republicans are looking to a more recent era: the Trump one. Former President Donald Trump’s former budget chief, Russ Vought, has been advising Republicans in both chambers as they plot fiscal strategy.
Any conversation about specifics, though, is likely still weeks away. Instead, much of the early discussions have centered on where exactly to propose cuts. McCarthy himself has led the talks, which include top GOP lawmakers from various factions of the party, in a group he calls his “five families” — an apparent reference to “The Godfather.”
(Some Republicans are working on their own plan: the bipartisan House Problem Solvers Caucus will meet Friday on the issue of the debt limit, a venue for its 64 members can begin to pitch their own ideas to resolve the looming stalemate.)
And while many conservatives had plenty to complain about in Biden’s budget, few were willing to suggest where the GOP might look for their own cuts. Asked about his preferred way to slash domestic spending, Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) instead trashed Biden’s budget for its lack of fiscal trims.
“I think the real question that’s on my mind — he can’t identify any savings whatsoever? No savings?” Roy said. When asked how much further the cuts should go, he said: “I don’t have a specific number for it. But we’ve got to do real work.”
“We’re working on it. When we come out with our list, I’ll let you know,” added Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.), another conservative who fought for fiscal austerity during McCarthy’s speaker race this year.
Clyde, who is also a House appropriator, stressed the importance of bringing spending down to fiscal year 2022 levels — a key part of McCarthy’s deal to secure the top gavel earlier this year. But the Georgian acknowledged that another conservative demand, balancing the budget over a decade, could take a little longer: “I think we should work toward that.”
Some, though, had ideas on where to cut. “The woke, the Green New Deal, some of the military green programs, reallocations, the Covid dollars that we will reclaim,” said Freedom Caucus member Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), another original McCarthy dissenter during the speaker race. “This is gonna be the most transparent budget that’s been put out in a long time.”
Any cuts to the Pentagon budget, however, won’t be an easy sell across the GOP conference.
“People need to realize the DoD budget hasn’t been keeping pace with the other federal budgets. So that shouldn’t be the first place we go to look for [cuts],” said Rep. Mike Garcia (R-Calif.), a former Navy pilot who sits on the House spending panel. “I’ve been pushing for military pay increases and taking care of our troops.”
Still, the California Republican predicted that the GOP’s budget panel would ultimately come up with a blueprint that can get consensus: “I think, eventually, we will get there. There may be an emotional event, but we have no choice, so we’ve got to get there.”
And some Republicans vowed that their colleagues would ultimately get behind a blueprint even if it doesn’t tick every one of their boxes, because unity is more important than squabbling over a symbolic document.
“I think most members understand that budgets are aspirational,” said Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-N.D.), who leads the GOP’s centrist Main Street Caucus.
Caitlin Emma, Olivia Beavers and Jennifer Scholtes contributed to this report.
[ad_2]
#House #GOP #hates #Bidens #budget #hunting #formula
( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

March 10, 2023
15 budget asks that are actually Biden’s reelection pitch

[ad_1]

The proposal touts trillions of dollars in spending and policies enacted on Biden’s watch, building on passage of the $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid package and bipartisan infrastructure bill, plus Democrats’ signature tax, climate and health law.
Here are 15 ways the president’s fiscal 2024 budget request frames his electoral pitch:
China hawk
Under tremendous pressure to appear tough on Beijing, the president is trying to deepen ties with other nations in the Indo-Pacific to outcompete China on trade.
Details: To build up trade alliances with Indo-Pacific countries, Biden’s budget calls for $2 billion to secure supply chains and boost economic competitiveness, $2 billion for hard infrastructure and $2 billion to aid projects the U.S. International Development Finance Corp supports.
Reality check: Biden has bipartisan support for deeper economic engagement in the Indo-Pacific. But the Republican-controlled House will rebuff many funding requests, and many will oppose proposals to invest billions of federal dollars overseas.
— Steven Overly
Robinhood taxman
Biden is calling for tax increases on the wealthy and big business, along with tax cuts for low- and average-income people, recycling unfulfilled ideas from last year’s budget. He’s also proposing a significant cash infusion to fuel an IRS goal to crack down on tax cheats, doubling down on a Democratic message that giving the agency more money is ultimately a “deficit-reducing” measure.
Details: Biden proposes scrapping tax breaks for oil and gas production, a change the White House predicts would drive $31 billion in new revenue over the next decade. The White House is also floating a new 25 percent minimum tax on those whose net worth exceeds $100 million, as well as an increase in the corporate tax rate from 21 percent to 28 percent.

In the flavor of tax breaks, Biden is seeking to expand the Child Tax Credit again, after the popular pandemic-era increase expired at the end of 2021.
The president requests more than $14 billion for the IRS, a 15 percent increase, including nearly $650 million to improve the taxpayer experience and outreach to low-income communities.
Reality check: Tax reform definitely isn’t the bipartisan olive branch of the 118th Congress. House Republicans will reject tax increases outright.
— Benjamin Guggenheim, Brian Faler and Kelsey Tamborrino
Amtrak Joe, the bridge builder
“Anytime I see a train door open, I head for it,” the president likes to say. And Biden isn’t going to miss an opportunity to use his budget to remind voters that he signed bills that are now funding new roads, bridges and train tunnels, as he leans into the “Amtrak Joe” nickname.
Details: Seeking to build on the bipartisan infrastructure law, Biden’s budget calls for about a 7 percent increase in funding for the Department of Transportation. He’s also calling for the hiring of more air traffic controllers and extra cash for the reporting system that helps railroad employees flag unsafe behavior without the fear of reprisal.
Reality check: While transportation funding is likely to be tight under a Republican-run House, lawmakers might be willing to approve higher funding for rail safety in the wake of the derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.
— Alex Daugherty
Climate defender
The president’s plan repeats his old promise to quadruple climate aid to poor countries by 2024. Leaders of nations most vulnerable to the effects of climate change have long complained that rich countries, who emit more greenhouse gases, have shirked responsibility for climate challenges.
Details: To fulfill that commitment, the U.S. would have to surpass $11 billion in international climate spending each year.
Reality check: House Republicans are not big fans of increasing global climate assistance, putting a damper on any legislative prospects.
— Zack Colman
Deficit reducer
The budget aims to cut $3 trillion from the deficit over a decade.
Details: Biden would hack away at the federal budget gap through a combination of tax hikes and health savings, including a new 25 percent tax on wealthy Americans and an increase in the corporate tax rate from 21 percent to 28 percent.
Reality check: The president’s shift to deficit reduction comes as Republicans rail against the party-line spending packages passed by Democrats during his first two years in office, arguing that the legislation left the country in a worse fiscal state and drove record-high inflation. But even if there’s bipartisan appetite to chip away at the deficit, Republicans will never accept the tax increases pitched by Biden’s fiscal 2024 blueprint.
— Caitlin Emma
Defense budget booster
Biden is asking Congress to fund the largest Defense Department budget in history, requesting $842 billion for the Pentagon, a $26 billion or 3.2 percent increase.
Details: The budget would bolster U.S. military forces in the Pacific to counter China’s aggression, as well as continue support for Ukraine’s war against Russia and bringing the country’s nuclear arsenal up to date.
Biden’s plan includes $9.1 billion for the Pentagon’s Pacific Deterrence Initiative, $6 billion for Ukraine, NATO and other European partners, and nearly $38 billion to maintain the nuclear deterrent. It includes an average 5.2 percent pay raise for service members and Defense Department civilian workers, the largest in decades.
Reality check: The fiscal 2024 request stresses the administration’s dedication to countering China and maintaining support for Ukraine.
But it will almost certainly be rejected by leaders on Capitol Hill, particularly Republicans who have pushed Biden to seek military budgets that outpace inflation to keep up with China’s military modernization.
Congress has already given the Pentagon billions of additional dollars in the last two years that Biden didn’t seek. This fiscal year’s $858 billion national defense budget, for example, is $45 billion more than Biden requested after lawmakers rallied around a significant bipartisan spending hike.
— Lara Seligman and Connor O’Brien
Medicare savior
Biden’s plan would extend the life of Medicare by at least 25 years.
Details: The fiscal 2024 request would increase Medicare taxes on Americans making more than $400,000, close a loophole that has shielded some from paying that levy and allow Medicare to negotiate more prescription drug prices, pouring about $200 billion in savings into the program.
Reality check: GOP leaders on the Hill and former President Donald Trump have promised to preserve Medicare and Social Security, while some fiscal conservatives argue that entitlement cuts should be considered in a debt ceiling standoff this year. Any effort to overhaul the programs, however, amounts to a massive bipartisan lift in Congress that lawmakers aren’t close to achieving.
— Caitlin Emma
Affordable-housing creator
Amid rising mortgage rates and an ongoing affordable housing shortage, Biden calls in his budget for a combination of tax perks and federal cash to boost housing supply.
Details: His plan includes $51 billion in increased tax incentives to spur construction and funding for new project-based rental assistance contracts.
Reality check: There’s bipartisan support for increasing the tax benefits, including the low-income housing credit and a new “neighborhood homes” credit.
Support could also grow for plans to use $10 billion to reward state and local governments that ease zoning rules and other barriers to construction. But there’s less bipartisan momentum behind a proposal to steer $10 billion to a program to help cover down payments for first-generation homeowners.
— Katy O’Donnell
Elections protector
The administration wants $5 billion in new election assistance cash for states, doled out over the course of 10 years.
Details: The funding would start with an infusion of $1.6 billion in 2024, with an additional $375 million each year after that. The money would flow through the Election Assistance Commission, a small federal agency set up in the aftermath of the 2000 presidential election to spearhead election modernization efforts.
Reality check: Congress, even under Democratic control, hasn’t fulfilled Biden’s election funding requests in previous budgets. Case in point, his fiscal 2023 budget asked for $10 billion over 10 years, a request that didn’t come to fruition. Republicans on key committees in the House have also said they believe election funding should be doled out on an as-needed basis.
— Zach Montellaro
Workingman’s friend
Biden is re-upping his asks for paid family and medical leave, plus other employee protections, fashioning himself as a working-families advocate.
Details: The budget seeks up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave, and urges Congress to guarantee that employers offer a minimum of seven sick days that workers could use throughout the year without penalty. It also calls for $430 million in increased funding for the Labor Department’s worker protection branches, as part of a $1.5 billion overall boost.
Reality check: Paid leave was left by the wayside during Democrat’s party-line spending deal, in part due to opposition from centrist Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Republicans. And there is little chance GOP leaders in the House will agree to lavish money on the Labor Department to launch more employer probes.
— Nick Niedzwiadek
STEM job-creator
Trying to magnify a legislative win he already notched last year, Biden’s budget calls for a buildup of the country’s science and tech apparatus. That includes billions of dollars more for programs created under the law he signed last summer to claw back a larger share of the global chip manufacturing market from Asia.
Details: Biden is seeking an extra $6.5 billion to that end, including a $1.8 billion boost for the National Science Foundation. New cash would also be used to wrangle investments in science and emerging technologies, in part through a budget boost for a new National Science Foundation effort to coordinate dollars from the business world with public research and development money.
Reality check: While leaders in both parties are keen on supercharging federal science and tech programs in a bid to outcompete China, it’s not clear that Republicans will want to shell out significantly more money for research or advanced manufacturing projects.
— Brendan Bordelon and John Hendel
No C-suite ally
Biden’s budget calls for quadrupling a tax on Wall Street share buybacks, a request that will strengthen his bonafides among his party’s most liberal voters. Progressive icons Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) have both decried the stock-buyback tactic as an example of public companies prioritizing shareholders over investments in their workforces or communities.
Details: The White House is framing the proposed 4 percent tax as a way to push companies to direct funds toward expansion rather than well-heeled foreign shareholders. But buybacks also benefit major institutional investors in the U.S., including public pensions and retirement systems.
Reality check: The 1 percent levy on buybacks that Biden signed into law as part of Democrat’s climate and health care law last year has done little to dissuade public companies from repurchasing their shares on the open market. And Biden’s buyback plan has little chance of surviving the Republican-led House, having already elicited opposition from the likes of Warren Buffet, who recently called the rejection of buybacks the work of “an economic illiterate or a silver-tongued demagogue.”
— Sam Sutton
Advocate for low-income families
The president is calling on Congress to allow SNAP benefits, formerly known as food stamps, for more people, including those who have been in jail, and to hike funding for the WIC program that helps parents buy baby formula and other food.
Details: Biden’s budget seeks to broaden eligibility rules for the SNAP program and let people receive the benefits for longer. He proposes $6.3 billion for the WIC program, a 5 percent increase.
Reality check: Republican lawmakers want cuts to the food stamp program and are also eager to enforce work requirements that have been waived during the pandemic.
— Garrett Downs
Education booster
Biden’s budget re-ups two big-ticket education proposals he trumpeted on the campaign trail the first time around — universal pre-K and free community college, both broadly popular ideas among Democratic voters.
Details: The plans call for major new federal spending. Expanding preschool for three- and four-year-olds would cost $200 billion over the next decade. Free community college would be about $90 billion over that timeframe.
Reality check: Democrats failed to enact those plans during Biden’s first two years in office, despite controlling both chambers of Congress. Now Republicans control the House, and the proposals are non-starters as the new majority pushes to cut federal spending.
— Michael Stratford
Health cost cutter
Biden wants an extra $15 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services, amounting to a more than 11 percent increase for the agency, while building on efforts to lower the cost of prescription drugs, expand health care access and advance his cancer “moonshot.”
Details: The budget includes $150 billion over a decade for Medicaid home- and community-based services, $20 billion for pandemic preparedness, nearly $20 billion for mental health and $10.9 billion for global health.
The proposal also includes additional cash for long-term care improvements, maternal health, telehealth and family planning.
Notably, Biden didn’t ask for significant new Covid funding, a reminder of the administration’s plan to wind down its emergency pandemic response in the coming months amid congressional Republican resistance to providing more money.
Reality check: GOP leaders aren’t feeling especially charitable to help enact big health spending increases after Democrats secured significant investments through Biden’s $1.9 trillion Covid aid bill during his first year in office and the party’s health, tax and climate legislation last year.
— Daniel Payne
[ad_2]
#budget #asks #Bidens #reelection #pitch
( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

March 10, 2023
Biden sticks it to Republicans with his budget proposal

[ad_1]
“The things I’m proposing not only lift the burden off of families in America,” he said after taking the stage to chants of “four more” years. “It’s all going to generate economic growth.”
Speaking to union members at a trade school, Biden framed his proposal as a direct challenge to House Republicans advocating for deep spending cuts amid a looming standoff over lifting the nation’s borrowing limit.
“I’m ready to meet with the speaker any time — tomorrow, if he has his budget,” he said, referring to Speaker Kevin McCarthy. “Lay it down, tell me what you want to do. I’ll show you what I want to do.”
Overall, the White House budget seeks more than $688 billion in non-defense funding for the fiscal year that will kick off in October. Biden is calling for a lesser increase for the military and national security programs, requesting about $886 billion for those efforts, about a 3 percent boost.
White House officials and Democratic lawmakers have emphasized Biden’s plan to reduce the deficit largely through higher taxes on the wealthy, given Republican vows to unveil a proposal — which they’ve still not revealed — that would balance the budget within 10 years. House GOP leaders have said they’d do it without touching popular programs like Medicare and Social Security, which make up the bulk of federal spending. But they have not ruled out other benefit cuts, like placing new restrictions on federal food assistance and the Medicaid health program for low-income Americans.
“They want to cut taxes for the wealthy and large corporations, and take away the power we just gave Medicare to lower drug prices,” Biden said. “If they say they want to cut the deficit but their plans would explode the deficit, how are they going to make the math work? What are they going to cut?”
House Budget Chair Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) said Wednesday night that Republicans have “no timeline” for introducing that plan, and that they’re committed to studying Biden’s proposal, which “will take weeks.”
“We are making good progress on our budget resolution,” Arrington told POLITICO.

Until Republicans release their own plan, Biden indicated Thursday he was happy to fill the void. He warned that the GOP would seek to roll back provisions aimed at lowering drug prices and advancing clean energy, while slashing taxes on the rich.
At one point he reminisced about his testy back-and-forth with Republicans during the State of the Union and boasted he’d successfully gotten the GOP to promise they wouldn’t touch Medicare or Social Security.
“They’re all on camera, I’m counting on them keeping their word,” Biden said. “But just in case they don’t, I’m here.”
Biden also used his nearly hourlong speech to tick off a list of his administration’s accomplishments, meandering at times through detailed descriptions of investments in infrastructure and semiconductor manufacturing that are likely to underpin his case for reelection.
“We’ve got work to do,” he said. “But we made a lot of progress in the first two years.”
The release of Biden’s budget proposal marks the start of what’s likely to be a lengthy bout with Republicans over the nation’s economic direction, including showdowns later this year over the debt ceiling and government funding.
Senate Democrats remain undecided on whether to introduce their own budget, arguing that the onus is on House Republicans to detail their preferred cuts.
“I think we’re going to want the caucus to take a good, hard look at the president’s budget and see if there’s any reason to recommend anything different,” Senate Budget Chair Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) said earlier this week.
“The ball is … in the Republicans’ court on that because they’re the ones threatening the economic security of the country with the debt limit antics,” Whitehouse said.
As Republicans wrestle over how to approach entitlements, Biden’s proposed budget aims to extend Medicare’s life by at least 25 years by upping the tax rate on the program for Americans making more than $400,000. It also would close a loophole that has shielded some wealthy business owners and high earners from paying that tax.
The budget would also allow Medicare to negotiate the cost of more prescription drugs, funneling about $200 billion in savings into the program.
Biden’s plan doesn’t offer a similar fix for Social Security, noting that the administration “looks forward to working with the Congress” to ensure “that high-income individuals pay their fair share,” ostensibly by expanding payroll taxes on the wealthy, although Biden hasn’t officially embraced that idea. The budget would provide a $1.4 billion boost, or 10 percent increase, for the Social Security Administration.
Pennsylvania Rep. Brendan Boyle, the top Democrat on the Budget Committee, said Republicans’ “biggest opponent … is not any Democrat. The biggest opponent they have is math.”
“Everything else that the federal government does would have to be completely zeroed out and eliminated for them to balance the budget and not touch Social Security, Medicare, defense and veterans,” he said in an interview.
Biden’s third budget is a sharp departure from his first, when he proposed trillions of dollars to buoy the faltering economy amid the pandemic. Now, facing a divided Congress for the remainder of his first term, Biden said he’s looking to build on the major spending legislation that defined his first two years in office — like Democrats’ signature climate, health and tax bill and the bipartisan infrastructure package.
Biden also cast his budget as focused on shoring up the country’s economic stability, vowing at one point to “whip” inflation and lower Americans’ everyday costs.
“It’s not just going to save people’s lives and save people’s money,” he said of his proposal to expand Medicare’s drug negotiation powers. “It’s going to save the government. It’s going to reduce the deficit.”
For the Pentagon, the president is calling for $842 billion, a $26 billion or roughly 3 percent hike. The White House is also asking Congress to provide another $121 billion to fund medical programs for veterans, about a 2 percent increase over current spending.
Meanwhile, Republicans are zeroing in on Biden’s proposed funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which is a 1 percent decrease compared to current levels, given the constant pressures of increased immigration levels at the border. A GOP aide said the president’s budget “fails to adequately fund the Department of Homeland Security.”
“As the agency with lead responsibility for protecting our nation’s borders, transportation systems and cyber security, this is an unacceptable proposal,” the aide said.
With government funding set to expire in just over six months, lawmakers are already talking about approving military spending levels that go far higher than Biden’s ask. Even when Democrats controlled both the House and Senate during the president’s first two years in office, Congress backed tens of billions of dollars in additional defense funding above the White House’s request.
Selling his policy ideas as a way to drive massive deficit reduction, Biden aims to shave off $3 trillion from the federal budget gap, proposing a new 25 percent tax on billionaires, an increase in the corporate tax rate from 21 percent to 28 percent and a quadrupling of the 1 percent tax on stock buybacks that took effect earlier this year.
Democratic leaders also lauded Biden’s proposed restoration of the expanded Child Tax Credit ushered in by the $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid package that Congress passed during his first year in office. That popular credit expired at the end of 2021, amid resistance from Republicans and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.).
Biden’s fiscal 2024 proposal would also fund a federal-state partnership aimed at expanding free preschool, provide national paid leave and invest $500 million in a new grant program aimed at providing free community college.
Jennifer Scholtes, Burgess Everett and Hailey Fuchs contributed to this report.
[ad_2]
#Biden #sticks #Republicans #budget #proposal
( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

March 9, 2023
The latest sign the White House Covid operations are winding down? Its proposed budget

[ad_1]

The budget may also leave out the administration’s prior request for new funding to jumpstart research aimed at developing the next generation of Covid vaccines and therapeutics. Health officials are currently discussing whether there’s existing money that can be reallocated toward the project.
The White House’s Office of Management and Budget declined to comment, and the people familiar with the matter cautioned that the details of the budget proposal were not finalized and could still change.
Even if the White House renewed its funding request, it would have faced a highly uncertain path forward. House Republicans have pledged to scale back the government’s Covid response, and even among Democratic lawmakers there’s little enthusiasm for continuing to fund the effort.
But the waning focus on Covid still represents a notable shift for an administration that once believed its success in ending the pandemic would define Biden’s presidency. The White House in its first months prioritized spending hundreds of billions of dollars to distribute vaccines, develop new treatments and bolster the nation’s public health apparatus.
Biden also made Covid a centerpiece of his first two budget proposals. He argued it was critical to fund government programs capable of responding swiftly to Covid and any future pandemic threats.
And top White House officials spent much of last year pleading with Congress to allocate as much as $22.5 billion toward its ongoing pandemic operations, warning that the dwindling funding risked crippling its ability to combat dangerous new variants.
But those requests were stonewalled by Republicans skeptical of the need for additional Covid funding. The extended stalemate forced the White House to pare back its ambitions and accelerate preparations to shift responsibility for purchasing and distributing vaccines and treatments to the private sector later this year. The administration is now unlikely to need additional money to buy more shots and therapies, with officials calculating they should have enough on hand to meet demand until it hands the job off to private insurers.
A White House budget proposal is traditionally viewed as little more than a presidential wish list. But last year’s Covid funding fight has left officials convinced there is little appetite on either side of the aisle in Congress for continuing to make the pandemic response a top federal priority, the people familiar with the matter said — even against the persistent backdrop of more than 2,000 Covid deaths a week.

The White House is instead expected to use its budget to highlight a series of proposals designed to build out other health programs, in an effort to sharpen Biden’s contrast with House Republicans he’s accused of wanting to gut major parts of the nation’s safety net.
The administration earlier this week detailed a plan to extend Medicare’s solvency by raising taxes on people making more than $400,000 and expanding the program’s new authority to negotiate the price of certain drugs.
Biden is also likely to renew his call for making enhanced Obamacare subsidies permanent, two people familiar with the matter said, as well as for implementing a policy that would extend health coverage to low-income Americans in states that have refused to expand Medicaid.
[ad_2]
#latest #sign #White #House #Covid #operations #winding #proposed #budget
( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

March 9, 2023
China hikes defence budget

[ad_1]
Beijing: China on Sunday hiked its defence budget by 7.2 per cent, marginally higher than last year, to 1.55 trillion yuan (about USD 224 billion), marking the eighth consecutive year of increase in its military spending.
China last year pegged its defence budget at 1.45 trillion yuan, a 7.1 per cent increase. This year the defence spending is increased to 1.55 trillion yuan.
However, in view of the appreciation of the dollar against the yuan, this year’s defence spending of China totalled about USD 224 billion compared to last year’s USD 230 billion.
This is the eighth consecutive year that China has announced a single-digit percentage point increase in its military budget.
In his work report presented to the opening session of the National People’s Congress (NPC) – the country’s rubber-stamp parliament – outgoing Premier Li Keqiang called for the armed forces to boost combat preparedness.
China’s armed forces, with a focus on the goals for the centenary of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in 2027, should work to carry out military operations, boost combat preparedness and enhance military capabilities so as to accomplish the tasks entrusted to them by the CPC (Chinese Communist Party ) and the people, Li said.
The armed forces should intensify military training and preparedness across the board, develop new military strategic guidance, devote greater energy to training under combat conditions, and make well-coordinated efforts to strengthen military work in all directions and domains, Li said.
China is the second biggest spender on defence next to the US whose defence budget for 2023 totalled USD 816 billion.

From India’s point of view, however, China’s defence budget continued to be over three times higher. India’s defence budget for 2023-24 amounted to Rs 5.94 lakh crore (about USD 72.6 billion).
Aided by increasing defence budgets, the two-million-strong PLA, the world’s largest military, is increasingly getting powerful and assertive with the ever-expanding military modernisation of its Army, Navy and Air Force.
The Chinese military is headed by President Xi Jinping, who is the Chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission, the overall high command of the PLA.
Xi, 69, the only Chinese leader to have been elected for an unprecedented third term five-year term by the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) in October last year, also heads the party besides the Presidency.
Under his leadership, the Chinese military has embarked on a massive military modernisation with a goal to be on par with the US armed forces in the next few years.
The Chinese Navy, the fast-expanding arm of the Chinese military, has now three aircraft carriers while its Air Force continued to be modernised with a vast variety of military jets including stealth jet fighters.
Ahead of the NPC session, its spokesman Wang Chao on Saturday defended China’s steady increases in annual defence budgets saying that the country’s defence spending as a share of the GDP was lower than the world average.
China has been ramping up its defence expenditure as it vied with the US for global influence.
Wang said the increase in the defence budget is needed to meet the complex security challenges for China to fulfil its responsibilities as a major country.
China’s military modernisation will not be a threat to any country but a positive force safeguarding regional stability and world peace, he said.
[ad_2]
#China #hikes #defence #budget
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 5, 2023
Thrill on a budget: Adventure activities in Hyderabad under Rs 300
[ad_1]
Hyderabad offers way more than its stunning tourist spots and lip-smacking food. It is also a hub for adventure enthusiasts seeking an adrenaline rush. Along with iconic landmarks like the Golconda Fort and Charminar, the city offers a diverse range of thrilling activities. Each of the sport guarantees to pump up your adrenaline and are sure to leave you with an unforgettable experience.
The thrill of engaging in adventure activities is always unparalleled, and when you can enjoy these experiences at a reasonable price, the excitement is even greater. Agree? And, the feeling of achieving something that was once considered out of reach due to cost barriers is truly fulfilling. You just muster the courage to do it, the rest will tell you where you can have fun at cheaper rates.
In this write-up, we will tell you about one of the best places in Hyderabad where you can experience various adventurous activities without burning a hole in your pocket and at very affordable rates.
The Cliffin Adventure Park in Injapur near LB Nagar Hyderabad is one of the best places to visit to experience adventure activities at cheaper rates. You can enjoy Zip-lining, sky-cycling, rope-climbing, wall-climbing, rappelling or abseiling etc, here.
So, are you ready to visit this place where there is an abundance of adrenaline, If yes, then keep scrolling as below is the price list of all activities you can do here.
- Wall Climbing Rs 199
- Archery Rs 99
- Rope climbing Rs 50
- Sky Cycling Rs 300
- Ziplining Rs 300
The price for the entry pass is Rs 1,150 if you want to play all the games and do adventure activities inside the park. The park opens at 9 am everyday (Except Weekends) and closes at 6 pm while on weekends it opens at 7 am and gates are closed at 6:30 pm.
Check out the reels shared by various bloggers from the place.
[ad_2]
#Thrill #budget #Adventure #activities #Hyderabad

( With inputs from www.siasat.com )
March 1, 2023
Sisodia’s arrest: Delhi govt’s budget preparation likely to be affected, say sources

[ad_1]
New Delhi: The preparation of the Delhi government’s budget for the next financial year is likely to be affected following the arrest of Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who also holds the finance portfolio, sources said on Monday.
The finance department is still in the process of finalising the budgetary allocations.
“Various departments have sent their budget estimates, revenue utilised this year. The budget is not yet finalised. The allocations to various departments are still being finalised,” an official said.
There were plans to present the budget around the second week of March but it might be pushed to the third or fourth week. However, it has to be presented before April 1, when the new financial year starts.
Before Sisodia’s questioning by the CBI in the excise policy case, the deputy chief minister held a series of budget-related meetings, with Revenue Minister Kailash Gahlot also being a part of them.
Sources in the Aam Aadmi Party said Gahlot may present the Delhi government budget this time.
“As there was a possibility that the deputy chief minister may be arrested by the CBI, Gahlot was attending budget-related meetings for the last few days. Gahlot is likely to present the 2023-24 budget. It is scheduled to be presented next month. If Sisodia gets bail, he will present the budget but if he doesn’t, Gahlot might do it,” an AAP functionary told PTI.
Sisodia was originally summoned by the CBI last Sunday but he sought deferment of his questioning citing the ongoing Budget exercise, following which, the CBI had asked him to appear on February 26.

He was arrested on Monday and remanded to five-day CBI custody the next day.
The Arvind Kejriwal government is staring at a possible crisis with the CBI arresting Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia who holds as many as 18 of the total 33 departments, including education, finance and home.
The arrest of Sisodia comes after that of Satyendar Jain, Delhi’s the then health minister, in June last year. Both have led what the Aam Aadmi Party describes as the successful transformation of Delhi’s education and health services, contributing to the party’s popularity and continued electoral success.
Their absence leaves Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal with no heavyweight lieutenant to implement his governance agenda in Delhi.
[ad_2]
#Sisodias #arrest #Delhi #govts #budget #preparation #affected #sources
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 27, 2023
555 billion dirhams, the “Central” budget, to the highest level in its history, by the end of 2022

[ad_1]
The balance sheet of the UAE Central Bank touched 555 billion dirhams last December, to record the highest level in its history, according to the latest statistics of the Central Bank.
The Central Bank stated that the bank’s balance sheet increased on a monthly basis by 8.1%, to reach 554.99 billion dirhams at the end of last December, compared to 513.61 billion dirhams in November 2022.
And the balance sheet of the Central Bank increased on an annual basis by 6.4%, or the equivalent of 33.4 billion dirhams, compared to about 521.54 billion dirhams in December 2021.
According to statistics, the Central Bank’s budget was distributed on the assets side by 279.25 billion dirhams for cash and bank balances last December, in addition to investments saved to maturity by about 180.44 billion dirhams, 63.43 billion dirhams for deposits, 5.55 billion dirhams for loans and advances, and 26. 32 billion dirhams for other assets.
While the balance sheet was distributed on the liabilities and capital side by 236.66 billion dirhams for current accounts and deposit accounts, and about 164.75 billion dirhams for certificates of deposit and cash bills, 120.01 billion dirhams for issued cash papers and coins, 13.35 billion dirhams for capital and reserves, and 20.22 billion dirhams for other liabilities.
#billion #dirhams #Central #budget #highest #level #history
[ad_2]
#billion #dirhams #Central #budget #highest #level #history
( With inputs from : pledgetimes.com )

February 27, 2023
Jharkhand assembly’s budget session to begin on Monday

[ad_1]
Ranchi: The budget session of the Jharkhand assembly will begin on Monday, officials said.
There will be 17 working days in the session, which will conclude on March 24. The government will table its budget for the financial year 2023-24 on March 3, they said.
The session will start with the address of Governor CP Radhakrishnan.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Sunday chaired a meeting of the ruling coalition, which also comprises the Congress and RJD besides his JMM, to decide the floor strategy.
“Various issues were discussed at the meeting. We want the House to function smoothly. Opposition and ruling bench members should use the opportunity to discuss issues concerning the people. Reply to all questions of the opposition will be given,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Alamgir Alam said.
The BJP said its MLAs will meet on Monday to decide its strategy.
“Questions will be raised in the House on issues such as corruption, deteriorating law and order situation and the recruitment policies,” BJP chief whip Biranchi Narayan told PTI.
The government is expected to introduce some important bills during the session, including that on the recruitment policy.

Subscribe us on
[ad_2]
#Jharkhand #assemblys #budget #session #Monday
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 26, 2023
Haryana Budget: CM announced multiple schemes for development of Gurugram

[ad_1]
Gurugram: Multiple schemes were announced for Gurugram in Haryana Budget presented by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday.
The Chief Minister while presenting the budget for the financial year 2023-24 said that the Gurugram Metro project has been approved by the Public Investment Board and the construction of Gurugram Metro will start this year as soon as the final approval of the Union Cabinet is received.
Similarly, a proposal was also made to start new metro links for Gurugram city in the coming financial year. Khattar announced the commencement of work on the metro link from Rejangla Chowk to IGI Airport in Delhi, Southern Peripheral Road (SPT) to Global City, Panchgaon via Manesar.
He also announced the construction of a 700-bed state-of-the-art multi-speciality district hospital in Gurugram which is under construction.
It was informed in the budget that the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has given in-principle approval for setting up a new dispensary at Pataudi. For this project, land has been provided to ESIC for a new 500-bed hospital in Manesar.
In the budget, Khattar made announcements for the expansion of public transport services in Gurugram. A multi-modal bus port will be built in Gurugram and a city interchange terminal will be set up.
Along with this, city bus services will be expanded in Gurugram and Manesar. Khattar further noted that 26 acres of land have been made available for the proposed Helihub in Gurugram.
The opening of two new state-of-the-art Veterinary Pet Clinics in Faridabad and Gurugram was announced by the Chief Minister during the budget speech. Model district-level e-libraries with digital content and maximum facilities will be opened in six districts of the state including Gurugram.

Regarding the Jungle Safari to be built in Gurugram and Nuh district, the Chief Minister said that the country’s largest Aravalli Park will be developed in partnership with the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Central Zoo Authority.
Terming the budget 2023 growth-oriented, the Gurugram industry welcomed it.
“The vision of the Chief Minister towards industries is commendable. A budget provision of Rs 1442 crore has been made for industries that will help the industry recover from the covid-induced challenges,” Deepak Mini from the Federation of Indian Industry said.
“The mantra adopted in the budget for the upliftment of Haryana reflects the Chief Minister’s vision of a prosperous Haryana. The increase in allocation for industries, the announcement of the Kaushal Mitra Fellowship for the skill development of the youth, as well as the announcement of setting up a venture fund in collaboration with banks and financial institutions to set up new startups are commendable steps,” K.K. Gandhi, President Industrial Development Association, Sector 37 said.
“In the budget, the Chief Minister’s vision touches every section of the state which includes transportation, education, skill development programmes and infrastructures which is commendable,” Kamal Yadav, BJP State Executive Member said.
[ad_2]
#Haryana #Budget #announced #multiple #schemes #development #Gurugram
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 23, 2023