Unit Six: Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

“Taxes, end Obamacare: House Republicans unveil summer wish list”

http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/25/politics/gop-congress-wish-list/index.html

Synopsis: House Republicans have released their summer goals. One of these is a vote on extending the Bush-era tax cuts that are to expire at the end of the year. The plan for the Bush-era tax cuts is to renew the current rates for some period and lay framework for tax reform the lowers rates across the board. Other goals include, job creation, the economy, reducing spending, decreasing the size of the federal government “while protecting and expanding liberty.” Another issue that Congress has to deal with is spending cuts to federal agencies. Republicans do not want to affect defense spending but make deeper cuts to domestic programs. However, the Republicans’ goals are not without opposition from Democrats in both houses of Congress.

Analysis: This article is about the Republican Party and their agenda setting for the summer. In their agenda, Republicans are staying true to their party platform.  Republicans are known for advocating tax cuts and their opposition for tax increases. Their agenda reflects this because they plan to keep the Bush-era tax cuts and hope to cut taxes across the board. In the agenda, the federal bureaucracy is mentioned by saying they want to decrease the size of the federal government and because of spending cuts to different federal agencies. One of the main criticisms of the bureaucracy is that it is too big and the Republicans are acting on this criticism. Also, with the spending cuts, the article illustrates how Congress can check the bureaucracy because all appropriations and revenue bills originate in the House of Representatives which would determine the funding that each agency in the bureaucracy receives.

Unit Six: Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

“AP News Break: 22 States Join Campaign Finance Fight”

http://www.centurylink.net/news/read.php?id=18941618&ps=1017&cat=&cps=0&lang=en

Synopsis: Montana is fighting to keep its state laws that restrict corporate campaign spending. Twenty-two states have joined Montana in its efforts to prevent the Supreme Court from ruling against them. The Supreme Court will most likely use the controversial court case Citizens United as its basis for reversing a state court’s decision the upheld the Montana law. An interest group called American Tradition Partnership wants the Supreme Court to rule without a hearing because they believe that the state law conflicts with the Court’s previous ruling in Citizens United. However, Montana and the other twenty-two states supporting them say that the ruling in Citizens United does not apply to them because it only applies to presidential and congressional elections. Also, Montana’s law does not ban corporate political speech, but regulates it by requiring corporations to create political action committees (PACs).

Analysis: This article illustrates how the Citizens United court decision has continued to spark controversy in politics. In the decision the Supreme Court ruled that money equals free speech and that corporations could donate money to presidential and congressional campaigns. There are those that believe that this unlimited corporate campaign funding could cause corruption in the political system. The Montana law is in conflict this decision because it makes corporations donate to campaigns through PACs. Also, this article shows how interest groups try to influence court decisions in their favor. In this case, American Tradition Partnership is trying to influence the Supreme Court to rule against Montana in the case. It is probable that this interest group wrote an amicus curiae brief to argue their opinion and to convince the justices to rule that way.

Unit Six: Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

“Obama urges students to pressure Congress on loan rates”

http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/04/politics/obama-student-loans/index.html

Synopsis: President Obama is urging students and their parents to contact members of Congress to prevent the interest rates on student loans from doubling. This is in response to a bill that Republicans in the House of Representatives passed which solves the interest rate problem but cuts money from a health care fund that promotes preventive care.  Obama and Democrats in the Senate want to keep the interest rates at their current level by eliminating some corporate tax loopholes. President Obama plans on vetoing the bill passed by the House and the Senate plans on voting on its version within the week and then both the Senate and House will try to negotiate a compromise.

Analysis: In this article Obama is encouraging students to lobby and to influence their legislators. This proves just how much influence voters are able to have if the President of the United States is encouraging them to lobby. Also, the article introduces the idea of a conference committee because the Senate and the House of Representatives have to come together to compromise to come up with one bill to vote on and send to President Obama to sign. Congress does not have the time to filibuster and have these bills die in committee because the interest rates will automatically rise in July.