Friday, November 15, 2013
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
House GOP to try to counter Senate debt limit plan
WASHINGTON (AP) — House GOP leaders unveiled their own plan Tuesday to counter an emerging Senate deal to reopen the government and forestall an economy-rattling default on U.S. obligations.
The House bill would repeal a new tax on medical devices and take away lawmakers' federal health care subsidies in addition to funding the government through Jan. 15 and giving Treasury the ability to borrow normally through Feb. 7.
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said Republicans plan to pass the measure later Tuesday. It could prove tricky because Democrats probably won't support it.
The House move comes after conservative lawmakers rebelled at the outlines of an emerging Senate plan by Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and GOP leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Those two hoped to seal an agreement on Tuesday, just two days before the Treasury Department says it will run out of borrowing capacity.
The emerging Senate measure would reopen the government through Jan. 15 and permit the Treasury to borrow normally until early to mid-February, easing dual crises that have sapped confidence in the economy and taken a sledgehammer to the GOP's poll numbers.
"The general framework is there" between Reid and McConnell, said Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn. He said conversations with the House were continuing and he thought it would be midday Tuesday at the earliest before a plan was finalized.
President Barack Obama telephoned McConnell on Monday to talk about the emerging deal, a McConnell aide said. Congressional leaders had been scheduled to meet with Obama at the White House on Monday, but the meeting was postponed to allow more time for negotiations.
On Wall Street, futures were mixed early Tuesday, with investors somewhat optimistic over a potential deal.
Sen. Mark Pryor, an Arkansas Democrat who was part of the bipartisan group known as the Gang of 12 which labored over the weekend to end the stalemate, said Tuesday he was "pretty confident" the Senate leadership and the White House would announce an agreement some time later in the day.
Speaking of the House, Pryor told CNN that "some Republicans are, quite honestly, they're acting childish about this. They almost want a shutdown. They almost want to see us break the debt ceiling."
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., also a part of the Gang of 12, told "CBS This Morning" she believes an agreement is near that "doesn't contain a lot of the partisan pills" that sank earlier proposals. She said it's urgent that national leaders find solutions to vexing issues so that the country doesn't "lurch from one financial crisis to another."
Many House conservatives were unhappy about the emerging framework, though it remained to be seen whether they would seek to change it.
"One of the things we want to test is just basic fairness," Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, chairman of the Republican Study Committee, an influential group of House conservatives, said on CNN Tuesday. He was asked how conservatives would respond to the plan taking shape in the Senate. "One of the things we don't want to see is just another patch," he said.
"We're willing to get the government open. We want to get the government open," Scalise said. "Hopefully they get something done that addresses the spending issue."
The developing plan is a far cry from the assault on "Obamacare" that tea party Republicans originally demanded as a condition for a short-term funding bill to keep the government fully operational. It lacks the budget cuts demanded by Republicans in exchange for increasing the government's $16.7 trillion borrowing cap.
..View gallery."
U.S. government shutdown
Senate Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., is surrounded by reporters after leaving the office …
Nor does the framework contain any of a secondary set of House GOP demands, like a one-year delay in the health law's mandate that individuals buy insurance. Instead, it appeared likely to tighten income verification requirements for individuals who qualify for Obamacare subsidies and may repeal a $63 fee that companies must pay for each person they cover under the big health care overhaul beginning in 2014.
Democratic and Republican aides described the outlines of the potential agreement on condition of anonymity because the discussions were ongoing.
But with GOP poll numbers plummeting and the country growing weary of a shutdown entering its third week, Senate Republicans in particular were eager to end the shutdown — and avoid an even greater crisis if the government were to default later this month.
Any legislation backed by both Reid and McConnell can be expected to sail through the Senate, though any individual senators could delay it.
But it's another story in the House, where it wasn't winning a lot of fans among conservatives.
Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, signaled that conservative members of the House were deeply skeptical. He said any bill had to have serious spending cuts for him to vote to raise the debt ceiling and said he thought Obama and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew had more flexibility than they had said publicly.
"No deal is better than a bad deal," Barton said.
Asked whether the emerging package contained any victories for Republicans, Rep. James Lankford, R-Okla., a member of the House GOP leadership, said, "Not that I've seen so far, no."
In addition to approving legislation to fund the government until late this year and avert a possible debt crisis later this week or month, the potential pact would set up broader budget negotiations between the GOP-controlled House and Democratic-led Senate. One goal of those talks would be to ease automatic spending cuts that began in March and could deepen in January, when about $20 billion in further cuts are set to slam the Pentagon.
Democrats were standing against a GOP-backed proposal to suspend a medical device tax that was enacted as part of the health care law.
Democrats also were seeking to preserve the Treasury Department's ability to use extraordinary accounting measures to buy additional time after the government reaches any extended debt ceiling. Such measures have permitted Treasury to avert a default for almost five months since the government officially hit the debt limit in mid-May, but wouldn't buy anywhere near that kind of time next year, experts said.
The House GOP plan would repeal the extraordinary measures, which would make the Feb 7 date a hard deadline to revisit the fight.
Some lawmakers are frustrated that defusing the immediate standoff simply sets up another fight next year.
"It's punting because no one, Democrats, Republicans wants to face up — and the American people — to the tough reality that we're in," said Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala. "It's all a temporary fix."
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Associated Press writers Donna Cassata, David Espo, Henry C. Jackson and Alan Fram contributed to this report.
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U.S. House Speaker Boehner and House Majority Whip Rep. McCarthy arrive for a Republican caucus meeting in Washington
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Friday, October 11, 2013
Tuesday, October 08, 2013
Flesh eating bacteria: Don’t panic but be aware.
There has been a lot of buzz lately about flesh eating bacteria in nearby waters. After hearing about a few deaths in Florida, people certainly have cause for concern. So, is it safe to go in the water? Probably.
Most healthy individuals will not contract it simply from being in the water. Still, an infection can be fatal so it’s important to know how to avoid one.
What is it? Vibrio vulnificus is a bacterium that typically lives in warm salt or brackish water.
Is this a huge or unusual outbreak? Not particularly. It happens to be making headlines this year. According to an article on USA Today: “The Florida Department of Health reports that the state averages 16 fatal cases from Vibrio vulnificus annually. Nationally, about 95 cases, 85 hospitalizations and 35 deaths occur each year, according to the department”
How is it contracted? People can become infected by consuming contaminated seafood or through the exposure of an open wound to contaminated water.
Who is at risk? People with compromised immune systems, especially those with chronic liver disease, are at the highest risk.
You can learn more about vibrio vulnificus on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
Tuesday, October 01, 2013
Friday, August 30, 2013
Singapore's retire for CPF!
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
my son
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Mellow Mushroom
kazu is cute
Monday, August 12, 2013
my friend, Ramesh
Friday, August 09, 2013
The Real Singapore
"People are complaining because they are powerless and they know the ones in power are not going to change the status quo either. When Singaporeans cannot afford to raise a family, retire and are virtually priced out by every rich foreigner millionaire offered free citizenship and Permanent Residency status here, isn’t it justified of unhappy Singaporeans to call Singapore pricey and not for the average folks? When letters of demands and litigation letters are sent to silence critics, isn’t it justified of unhappy Singaporeans like Leslie Chew calling the PAP of what it is? When foreigners came in such huge numbers taking jobs and diluting the number of Singaporeans, isn’t it justified of unhappy ?"
Wednesday, August 07, 2013
Singapore Mcdonald should do this! lol
Monday, August 05, 2013
my opinion about my job life in Singapore!~
Dear Singaporean friends,
Let me tell you a short true stories! In 2008, The America was bad economics, so I decided to move back to Singapore again. I worked at coffee bean, Wavehouse, and Mega Zip... I noticed Singaporean people love/had to work a lot of hours due to $$$ and others reasons too, and I don't really eat a lot of foods due to support my families! I looked at my 2008 photo at my house, and my weight was 55 kg and 135 pounds.My mind said, "oh, man!" I looked like a crap , but my body was muscle! lol My current weight is 70 Kg and 160 pounds. Honestly, I do praise to Deafies/HH Singaporeans people to DO work hard than I am.
HAPPY NATIONAL DAY PARADE! STATUE TO YOU! thanks
— in Singapore.
Frank Stewart God bless you ....
about an hour ago via mobile · Like..
Kara Valencia That's what I have been saying about Mexicans, they work harder than us Americans, we are the most spoiled, credit cards, materialist, loans, etc- we are the country where the poor becomes rich- food stamp, housing, child support, etc. can be sickening or some would view us 'blessed' the Mexicans work to the bone to provide only for food, roof over their heads, simple clothing to keep their bodies cool or warm, nothing more.
about an hour ago via mobile · Unlike · 3..
Tom Kiernan America is very fattening!;D
about an hour ago via mobile · Unlike · 2..
Jules Anna Lee On the disadvantage, we have to work hard hard hard just to earn $$$.. No work no $$$.. Sometimes like we don't even have time for ourselves..
But when we look at the positive side.. We work, get $$$.. Make family happy.. No $$$ also means no food to feed!! Coz everything here costs $$$.. Even those little things!
Heads up Kenichi Wright
about an hour ago via mobile · Unlike · 1..
Tommy Mueller Jr. Wow
59 minutes ago via mobile · Unlike · 1..
Terence Lew hugss
48 minutes ago · Unlike · 1..
Ruth Lim-Yeoh Cheer up, Korea Pal!
Monday, July 29, 2013
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Friday, June 21, 2013
Haze for one week in Singapore
This PSI thing is like a nightmare that refuses to go away. First dengue, and now the haze. When something as basic as health is threatened, survival becomes the only goal.
Needless to say, now is the best time for the leaders to show what they're capable of because this will speak more than the flowery speeches you're gonna dish out to us during future elections. Now is the time for employers to show they care more than the money the company is going to lose over this period.
People are already calling for a stop work order. But no, the Prime Minister decided we have to press on as one united country. Really, unity comes when we still have the strength and health to be united. Is our bottom line really all about money and productivity in a time like this?
What are the leaders doing for the people working on the streets? Nothing.
What are the leaders doing for our people other than calling on Indonesia to solve the crisis? Tell us to stay calm.
And what is Indonesia doing other than telling us not to lay blame?
How loud must we shout before our country's leaders can actually hear us?
But of course, this must be me behaving like a child eh?
Make no mistake though. We want the list of those responsible.
Like · · Share · 9 hours ago near Singapore, Singapore ·
by written deborah Choo
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Thursday, May 09, 2013
Jagannath Einhorn said this:
You have ears that able to hear, I don't..
You have eyes that able to see well, I don't..
You have a mouth that able to speak, I don't..
You have a car that able to drive, I don't..
You have a job that able to make $$, I don't..
You have a wife/gf in your home, I don't..
You have kid(s) who live with you, I don't..
You have a frigging nerve to call me a big head, EH! Now you take that back. Do not mess with your head till next time.
(DeafBlind Triple H accents) "Nobody can stop me cause I am that DAMN good!" (smirk! twirling stache...) :-{>
Sunday, April 07, 2013
my son
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