CONGRESS
Short debt limit hike possible, Sen. McConnell signals Sunday
Congress and the White House could raise the U.S. debt limit for a few months while they seek a comprehensive, long-term budget deal, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Sunday.
The Obama administration has warned it will run out of money to pay the nation’s bills if Congress does not raise the $14.3 trillion debt limit by Aug. 2 - a prospect that some contend could push the country back into recession and upend global financial markets.
Congressional Republicans, particularly in the House, have balked at raising the debt ceiling unless it is accompanied by significant spending cuts.
Mr. McConnell said on Sunday the ceiling could be raised enough to last a few months so that negotiations can continue on a larger deal that would include changes to so-called entitlement programs like Medicare.
“The president and the vice president, everybody knows you have to tackle entitlement reform,” Mr. McConnell said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
“If we can’t do that, then we’ll probably end up with a very short-term proposal over, you know, a few months. And we’ll be back having the same discussion again in the fall,” Mr. McConnell said.
CONGRESS
Parties use dead-end bills to support political goals
Very little on a GOP wish list of amendments to a Senate jobs bill stands a chance of winning approval. But it’s hardly an exercise in futility.
Offering amendments doomed to failure is a tactic both parties use to highlight their agendas and box the other side into politically awkward votes.
Those efforts include blocking President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul, repealing last year’s rewrite of financial regulations, completing the fence along the border with Mexico and prohibiting the Interior Department from classifying the sand dune lizard and prairie chicken as endangered species. The proposed changes come on a jobs bill the Senate’s been debating for the past two weeks.
Democrats expected to lose their bid to repeal tax breaks for big oil companies, but forced a roll-call vote on it anyway. They also forced a roll call on a budget by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., that included a transformation of the popular Medicare program, which was defeated as expected.
Out of 3,415 bills introduced so far this year through Wednesday, just 18 have become law, according to the Library of Congress’ THOMAS database.
CONGRESS
Giffords back in Houston after weekend in Tucson
PHOENIX — Rep. Gabrielle Giffords returned to Houston on Sunday after spending the weekend with her family in Tucson.
The visit was the Arizona Democrat’s first trip home since she was shot in the head at a January political event. Six people were killed in the attack and 12 others besides the congresswoman were wounded.
Mrs. Giffords boarded a private plane late Sunday morning after spending nearly two days in Tucson, Giffords’ Chief of Staff Pia Carusone told the Arizona Republic. Details of the visit by Mrs. Giffords and astronaut husband Mark Kelly were being kept private at his request.
Mr. Kelly announced the visit in a news release Friday, and the couple and one of Mr. Kelly’s daughters arrived in Tucson that evening.
“We’ve been dreaming of this trip for some time,” Mr. Kelly said in a statement. “Gabby misses Tucson very much and her doctors have said that returning to her hometown could play an important role in her recovery.”
Mrs. Giffords was released from a Houston hospital Wednesday and is set to start outpatient therapy. She had been in the rehab facility since late January, a few weeks after the shooting.
WHITE HOUSE
President Obama to personally ’tweet’ 8 million-plus followers
MINNEAPOLIS — President Barack Obama is taking a more active role on Twitter, 140 characters at a time.
Mr. Obama’s campaign announced Mr. Obama will tweet regularly from the popular social media service and his personal tweets will be signed “-BO.” The campaign said it will now manage both Mr. Obama’s Twitter account and Facebook page.
Mr. Obama has more than 8.69 million followers on Twitter, trailing only entertainers Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber.
SECURITY
Small plane diverted from restricted D.C. airspace
Two U.S. Coast Guard helicopters intercepted a small plane that flew into restricted airspace around the nation’s capital.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command says the small aircraft was redirected away from Washington by two HH-65 Dolphin helicopters just before noon Saturday. It was diverted to Annapolis.
Officials say the pilot was to meet with local law enforcement officials. Additional details of the incident were not immediately available.
On June 13, another plane was intercepted, and on June 11, two F-15 fighter jets intercepted a plane that flew too close to Camp David in Maryland.
SECURITY
Bin Laden documents show new interest in kidnapping
Scrutiny of al Qaeda financing has increased and strikes have taken aim at its money men. So al Qaeda’s core organization in Pakistan has turned to kidnapping for ransom to offset dwindling cash reserves.
That’s according to U.S. officials and information in files retrieved from Osama bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan after he was killed last month by U.S. Navy SEALs.
Bin Laden’s interest in kidnapping as a money-raiser bolsters accounts that a financial squeeze has staggered al Qaeda and forced it to search for alternative funding sources.
Officials would not detail al Qaeda’s role in specific crimes, but the group’s affiliates have targeted diplomats, tourists and merchants.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.