Senator Baucus (D- Mont.) explains why now is the time for action in health care reform, at a March 27 meeting at the Center for American Progress. He explains that Congress must act this year, and if not, another opportunity will not happen for a decade. He also says that President Obama is committed to the cause, so “The opportunity is before us. Now is the time.” (00:40)

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Coffee Brown, University of New Mexico, Talk Radio News
Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) announced the Promoting Innovation and Access to Life-Saving Medicine Act, to make generic alternatives available as “biologics” go out of parent.
Schumer joked that he couldn’t make an acronym out of the initials, then explained biologics are drugs produced from living cells, (such as Premarin from horses, vaccines from killed or weakened microbes, Insulin from bacteria, or the anticipated results of stem cell research).
Collins said the act is needed because currently the FDA has no pathway to evaluate and approve this class of drugs. Many lifesaving biologics are long out of patent, but are still expensive because generics can’t get approved. “The price tag (for insulin) might well drop by as much as 25 percent,” she said.
Brown and Martinez agreed that there was strong bipartisan support for the act.
“We probably have four different opinions here about here on the best way to proceed on healthcare reform, but everyone agrees a prerequisite is to bring costs down,” Schumer said.
The summary of the bill contained a clause limiting “exclusivity” (like a patent) to five years for the original molecule and three years for some modifications.

Coffee Brown, University of New Mexico, Talk Radio News
House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va,), Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), and Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) presented the broad outline of the Republican budget counter-proposal, stating that details would be forthcoming next week.
Boehner said the President’s proposal “spends, taxes, and borrows too much,” adding “I think it’s completely irresponsible. Our plan curbs spending, creates jobs, and cuts taxes, while controlling the debt.”
Pence called it “the most fiscally irresponsible budget in American history,” saying it calls for “more spending, more government, more bailouts.”
He said the “national energy tax” (Cap-and-Trade) would cost every American household more than $3,000 per year. The increase on marginal tax rates would fall most heavily on small business owners, he said. “We believe it is our obligation to offer a better solution if we are in disagreement,” he finished.
Cantor said the Republicans had presented an alternative stimulus plan and housing plan and were preparing an alternative energy plan as well. He accused the President of turning from a centrist campaign to “ambushing” and “strong-arming” Congress toward a “more ideological” agenda.
Ryan promised the details of the plan next Wednesday on the House floor, calling the president’s version “reckless and irresponsible. It’s a budget that doubles the national debt in 5 and 1/2 years, and triples it in ten and 1/2 years. It’s a budget that increases our national debt and our borrowing more than in all prior presidencies.”
The pamphlet accompanying the announcement was 18 pages long and contained no specifics, but outlined broad policies, such as promoting nuclear power, encouraging enrollment in private insurance plans, reducing spending, reducing taxes, liberalizing exploration for oil in areas currently protected for environmental reasons, and ending “bailouts.”

Congressman Peter Welch (D-Vt.) unveiled a new piece of legislation regarding the retrofitting of buildings to increase energy efficiency, which was targeted directly at the middle class. The crux of the bill involves the use of progressive financial incentives to encourage homeowners and small business owners to make their property more energy efficient. The national government would give $10 billion over four years so that the state can decide the type of program that they would like to implement. Mr. Welch found inspiration from a similar plan implemented in his home state of Vermont, and he cited an example where a small family was able to save $1300 merely from retrofitting their home. Asserting that this plan would be another form of stimulus, Mr. Welch stated that families would have more money to spend due to a decrease in energy charges. Additionally, the bill would help increase workers in the construction industry because they would be needed to install materials, such as solar panels.
Several individuals who the bill directly affects spoke after Mr. Welch. Jeff Presswood, an analyst for the Natural Resources Defense Council, commended Mr. Welch for having the foresight to create such legislation because the world is approaching a “point of no return” in regards to the detrimental affect of global warming. Also, Mr. Presswood stressed how such a plan would put money back into the local economy, as the construction jobs could not be sent abroad.
After Mr. Presswood spoke, Michelle Moore of the United States Green Building Council discussed how the legislation would create 2 million jobs in the construction industry. Ms. Moore praised Mr. Welch on creating a bill that did not merely deal with energy efficiency, but also with other natural resources, like water conservation. Additionally, she stated that it is “easier to put granite countertops in one’s house than to retrofit the entire house to become more energy efficient.”
Several other congresspersons spoke in support of Mr. Welch’s bill and other energy efficient legislation that the House of Representatives is crafting. For instance, Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) remarked that such legislation is not about partisan politics, but about a greater issue confronting the nation–global warming and energy independence. Mr. Van Hollen described how such retrofits would cost nothing in the long-run, as the individual can pay back the cost through the profits they make from becoming energy efficient. This only proved Mr. Welch’s closing statement that “We all want to save the planet, but no one wants to go broke doing it.”

By Michael Ruhl, University of New Mexico – Talk Radio News Service
President Barack Obama’s massive energy overhaul may be cruising towards the edge of a cliff if the U.S. doesn’t start manufacturing more. Such was said today before Congress by Jeff Metts, President of Dowding Machining, a manufacturer of wind turbines.
Obama’s energy policy focuses on having 25 percent of the country’s electricity come from renewable sources of energy by 2025. The Senate has introduced a bill, S.661, which sets a slightly different standard: 20 percent by 2025. Mett doesn’t believe that the U.S. can manufacture enough wind turbines quickly enough to meet either of these goals at its current pace. He said that in 2008 the United States produced approximately 4,000 wind turbines, but that it would have to produce over 10,000 turbines each year until 2025 to meet the energy goal. There are several large logistical concerns to this process, including the cost of transporting these massive components and the time taken to manufacture each one. The transportation costs make it difficult for foreign production of the necessary parts.
Mett presented a solution to the manufacturing problem, which would cut the production time of certain components down to an eighth of what it would otherwise be. His company is seeking investors for new manufacturing plants in the United States to build these turbines quickly and efficiently. Mett said that the improvements manifest in his manufacturing process would be “game changers” in making clean energy, and that they will be the new standard around the world overnight. This would place the U.S. in a competitive advantage in the energy market. David Roders, representative from the Department of Energy, said that tight capital markets have made it difficult for industries to invest in energy efficiency. On that topic, Mett said that the problem with innovations like this is finding the first investor – he is asking the Federal government to be that ice breaker.
This manufacturing investment would be included in the comprehensive energy legislation the Senate is putting together. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) said that the Senate Bill will invest in America’s energy future. It will help industries be more productive while using less energy, create millions of new jobs, and keep America in its position as “a top innovator of clean energy technologies.” The intended byproduct of this would be lowered greenhouse gas emissions, which should slow climate change.

By Kayleigh Harvey – Talk Radio News Service
“We are so, so very pleased of the work of the Budget Committee under the leadership of John Spratt, who really is a master at work,” said Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) at her weekly press conference, adding that the budget was “a statement of your national values.”
Speaker Pelosi said that after much debate and amendments, the budget came out “intact.” She said the budget “reflects the blue print for America that President Obama has put forth.”
“It reduces the deficit. It reduces taxes for 95 per cent of the American people. It is a job creator in every respect. When it comes to a greener America and clean energy, it creates new green jobs. When it comes to the education of our children, creating a global workforce for the 21st century, it creates jobs. When it comes to making to making America healthier through prevention, bio-medical research and technological advancement, it creates jobs.” Speaker Pelosi stated.
She went on to explain, “We look forward to going to the next step on the budget.”
On the topic of AIG, Speaker Pelosi said, “Our bill that we passed served a very good purpose. It put the spotlight on the AIG abusive bonuses, bonus practices, and it still may pass in the Senate. It didn’t this week, but I think it has produced a result.”
In closing, Speaker Pelosi commented on the sadness of the storms in North Dakota, Minnesota and Mississippi. She said, “We send out warm regards.”

At her weekly press conference, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) commended the budget passed by the house. Speaker Pelosi said: that the budget was “a statement of your national values.” Speaker Pelosi added, “We look forward to going to the next step on the budget.”

By Kayleigh Harvey – Talk Radio News Service
At her weekly press conference, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) spoke of her delight at the budget approval in the House.
Speaker Pelosi said, “It reduces the deficit. It reduces taxes for 95 per cent of the American people. It is a job creator in every respect. When it comes to a greener America and clean energy, it creates new green jobs. When it comes to the education of our children, creating a global workforce for the 21st century, it creates jobs. When it comes to making to making America healthier through prevention, bio-medical research and technological advancement, it creates jobs.”

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By Kayleigh Harvey – Talk Radio News Service
At her weekly press conference, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) commented on the sadness of the storms in North Dakota, Minnesota and Mississippi. She said, “We send out warm regards.”

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By Kayleigh Harvey – Talk Radio News Service
“From the outset I have argued that our financial system is not merely in need of ‘reform,’ but of ‘modernization,’” said Senator Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.), Chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee.
At the hearing, which discussed “Enhancing Investor Protection and the Regulation of Securities Markets,” Senator Dodd asked the Chairman of the SEC Mary Schapiro, “Were you consulted by the Treasury and the Fed? What role do you think the SEC should play in this resolution mechanism, given the oversight and regulatory responsibilities?”
Senator Dodd also asked Ms. Schapiro to “comment on the reports of the regulatory changes that Secretary Geithner has mentioned this morning.”
Ms. Schapiro responded, “generally there was consultation.”
Ms Schapiro added, “We clearly have gaps in our resolution regime for large financial institutions….I fully support the concept of closing the gap in resolution regime so that we have a more coherent approach.”
Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said, “We all believe people should be rewarded for good performance, that’s not the problem, but what we’ve seen in many instances that has enraged Americans is a heads-eye wind tail you lose system. In which executives are rewarded for flashing the pan short term gains, or even worse, rewarded richly when the company does poorly and the shareholders have been hammered.”