Politics

Congress Links

By Sunlight Foundation & Participatory Politics Foundation

The CBO issues a report on the Bush-era tax cuts, Sen. Lindsey Graham forms a new opinion on Afghanistan, and more in today’s Congress links.

• The Congressional Budget Office says that a short-term extension of the Bush tax cuts would boost GDP 0.6 to 1.7 percentage points and reduce the unemployment rate by 0.3 to 0.8 percent, but that extending them for too long would create 'daunting long-term fiscal challenges' and 'reduce long-term economic growth". (The Hill)
• On the topic of tax policy, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell asks “when did it all of a sudden become something that we, quote, ‘pay for?’” (Washington Post)
• House Democrats will be pushing their small-business agenda this week. (The Hill)
• After a trip to Afghanistan, Sen. Lindsey Graham [R-SC] says he thinks some U.S. troops could begin withdrawing next July. (Senatus)
• The Obama administration is rewriting medical privacy rules, after criticism from Congress members of both parties, as well as consumer groups. (The NY Times)
• Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin [D-IL] voices his support for the Islamic community center in Lower Manhattan, saying its opponents are trying “to divide America with fear and hate over this issue” (The Hill). Rep. Eric Cantor [R-VA] says its builders are “insensitive” and “not interested in healing” (Politico).

Pictured at right: Doug Elmendorf, Director of CBO, via our outta-sight data partners Daylife. This post by OC Research Assistant Hilary Worden. Questions, commens? writeus at opencongress d0000000t org.

Full post as published by Open Congress on August 24, 2010 (boomark / email).