Dems Readying Health, Spending Legislation For Obama's First Day

Democratic Congressional leaders and the nascent Obama administration are moving quickly to assert control over federal policy, aiming to have economic, health and spending legislation waiting on the new president's desk almost the minute he gets back down Pennsylvania Avenue from the inauguration.

Given the severity of the problems facing the nation, officials on Capitol Hill and in the Obama team say Democrats have put their schedule on fast-forward rather than allowing the usual lull between the start of the new Congress, this time on Jan. 6, and President-elect Barack Obama's swearing-in two weeks later.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[ltva]

Is it me or is Ms. Pelosi angling for a kiss?

[Plowboy]

Health care: SINGLE PAYER like all the better existing systems. (Other nations are not as corporate driven as we, so they don't feel obligated to build in guaranteed profits for insurance companies who only add duplicate levels of bureaucracy, added costs and medical interference.)

Spending: cut the "Defense" budget by at least 50% (and plan to cut it more in the future, still leaving us spending more that any other nation!) and spend much of that on building up our run down -- and obsolete -- infrastructure, so that we can be a more productive nation.

BUT -- does anyone believe this advice will be taken? HA! That much change we won't get! Unfortunately for our nation's future!!!

[canucklivinginUSA]

First off to go from a for-profit healthcare to universal health care is quite foolish. You need to slowly dismantle the the current system before putting in place something like that. Secondly, people in the US are not that comfortable with the whole notion of government -run healthcare(even if its in their best interest), so you are going to have the ease them in. As for the Defense Budget, it is quite outrageous. 500 billions spent on Defense! Why? To top it off, its waste on programs that don't work, soldiers are not better equipped and there is no need to spend that much on Defense.

[Carsy]

The ladies love Barack, my niece is 12 and thinks he is just as cute as any of the Jonas brothers.

[MaximMaximus]

April-That is the product of your imagination which seems to yearn for romanticism. In that photograph, Speaker Pelosi appears to be like a mother who is proud of his son. Considering the age difference between the two as well as their mutual rapport, it is quite plausible.

[chewie2008]

C`mon now.Nothing to see here.

[AprilPA]

They look like they really want to kiss each other! Awwwwwwww!

[Suzeeq]

looks like a clip from a love scene....

[jmundstuk]

This photo makes me laugh and at the same time wonder when HuffPost will do a tabloid edition and be done with it. Nancy and Barack, sitting in a tree....

[Clare53]

This already is a tabloid edition.

[SammyGone]

GROSS

[OhgReaTone]

In historical terms, moderation always wins. Center Left or Center Right are both areas of complimentary solutions. ...........

http://thefiresidepost.com/2008/11/29/governing-from-center-left-or-center-right/

[EuroHuffPoFan]

I don't understand some peoples reaction ..
It is a beautiful photograph ..
it breathes a warm friendship ..
it makes me smile
.

[EvangelicalEmpathy]

Will someone clue Obama in on how good-looking he is, please? He should be made aware of his effect on women.

[iwantpie]

Agree

[samandally]

You are joking, right?

[larmarch5]

A pucker up picture is worth more than a 1000 words. Cute.

[Progress08]

It'll be interesting to see if we get 60 in the senate and how much legislation is swept through in the first month of his presidency. It will be a carnival sideshow, if we don't get 60, to see how much filibustering the crybaby republicans do. I'm counting on Maine's two senators if we don't get 60.

[canucklivinginUSA]

I have come to the conclusion that HuffPo is populated by a bunch of 12 years old, overreacting to everything. GROW UP

[EuroHuffPoFan]

I have noticed the overreacting to
.