Posted on 10/28/2011 11:16:31 AM PDT by tutstar
Edited on 10/28/2011 12:25:59 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
(Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama, sidestepping Republicans in Congress who have thwarted his $447 billion jobs plan, has invoked his executive powers to help homeowners, students and veterans struggling to find work.
Touring the country with the slogan that Americans "can't wait" for lawmakers to act, he has rolled out a series of initiatives this week and the White House promises a steady stream of more measures for months to come.
On Friday, Obama told federal agencies to streamline their research efforts to get innovative breakthroughs into the marketplace faster, and to create a website aimed at helping firms that want to export.
The administration has declined to predict how many jobs any of these initiatives will create, with the exception of help for veterans, where the goal was a modest 8,000 over three years. Critics say the moves are political gimmickry that lack economic heft and will do very little to boost hiring.
Following are a list of the actions taken so far:
RESEARCH AND EXPORTS
Obama issued a memorandum to instruct federal agencies to speed up public-private research partnerships, help agencies partner with the private sector, and devise a five-year plan to keep closer track of progress and patent creation.
He also issued a second memo to create a new website called BusinessUSA, mainly aimed at small businesses, to aid export-hungry firms find information on federal programs.
Obama wants to double U.S. exports by the end of 2014 and is on track to reach that goal, although to hit it the United States must grow exports by 15 percent annually from now onward.
HOMEOWNERS
On October 24 the White House announced steps to make it easier for some homeowners to refinance their mortgages, allowing credit-worthy borrowers to reduce their payments thanks to currently low interest rates. The changes eliminate some fees and increase competition for refinancing business.
The Obama administration also extended the length of time unemployed borrowers can suspend mortgage payments without being foreclosed to 12 months from four months, and simplified the process for distressed borrowers to get help with loans.
STUDENTS
On October 25 Obama unveiled a "pay as you earn" proposal to help reduce monthly student loan payments for some college graduates. Accelerating a program that starts in 2014, borrowers from next year will be able to reduce monthly student loan payments to 10 percent of their discretionary income, and debt balances will be forgiven after 20 years of payments.
Current U.S. law allows borrowers to limit their loan payments to 15 percent of discretionary income and forgives all remaining debt after 25 years. The White House says this will help around 1.6 million students.
Obama also used an executive order to allow students to consolidate federal college debt into a single monthly payment, and offer a 0.5 percentage point cut in the monthly interest rate on that debt. Up to six million students could benefit from this initiative.
U.S. students graduating last year had an average debt of $24,000. More than 36 million Americans have federal student loan debt, but only 450,000 have so far taken advantage of the existing income-based repayment program.
VETERANS
On October 25 Obama challenged community health centers to hire 8,000 veterans -- including former military medics -- over the next three years. The White House also asked health centers to start reporting on the number of veterans they employ.
It also announced an initiative to help train veterans for careers as physician assistants, a fast-track to get military medics into the civilian health field. Physician assistants work in emergency care, counseling and follow-up care.
(Reporting by Laura MacInnis and Alister Bull; Editing by Paul Simao)
NOT gonna happen....
We’re done. Nothing left ‘cept for the ....
Speaker Boehner. Please pick up the white courtesy phone in the lobby.
Wonder if BusinessUSA will work as well as JobsUSA
http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/on-the-record/index.html
It says "F*** YOU prole! Now get back to work and pay your taxes."
HE IS NOW A DICTATOR! ANYONE, ANYONE OUT THERE WILLING TO STOP HIM? CONGRESS, REPUBLICANS?
The answer is easy: they're not anything except a campaign tool. Executive Orders are DONE ANYTIME. He isn't limited as to WHEN he can issue them.
If these are such DAMN fine ideas, Hussein didn't have to put them in legislation. He could have signed them the MOMENT he seized power in January of 2009.
Hussein is a hoax.
So, it looks like he isn’t doing anything.
Or is “speeding up” access to fed cash already available and creating a website that nobody will use considered doing something and going around Congress’ back?
This is nothing but trying to say “See? I am doing something.” It’s playing his base who is leaving his ass in droves.
Or am I reading this wrong?
Good, I’m glad I didn’t read it wrong.
Bush slowed them down and they are behind on their schedule.
We will now see just who Hussein really is.
No reason to pretend anymore.
They have most all their judges, union heads, media, etc. in place
so it will be easier to dick-tate now for real and steal the next election.
He’ll probably do a a Chevez.
The OWS crowd will be pleased.
Wonder if BusinessUSA will work as well as JobsUSA
http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/on-the-record/index.html
just another place to collect email addresses
House Bill 408C-143: Any unemployed person within the United States legally or illegally may walk into any business and ask for a job, they cannot be denied. The prospective employee will name what he or she considers to be a fair wage, the employer must comply. End Communication.
I wonder what he’ll do when he is actually a lame duck?
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/story/2011-10-26/obama-executive-orders/50942170/1
Obama uses executive powers to get past Congress
college students repay their federal loans,
1 million homeowners meet their mortgage payments,
8,000 veterans find jobs
This Administration did away with that small provision quite a while back. How do you think the government is being funded right now? The fiscal year expired 28 days ago, and no new budget has been passed. Yet this Administration continues to borrow and spend as if there was still a budget in place. And the Republicans are doing nothing to stop it. Not a thing.
Those are pertinent words behind the "Executive Power" practiced by Obama.
Please note that the word executive isn't capitalized in the Constitution.
More, from the Constitution in Article II, Section 3.
: He shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient
Given those words, the use of Presidential "Executive Orders" to circumvent Congress is probably unconstitutional.
To Create Jobs, Obama Orders Someone To Make A Website
http://www.businessinsider.com/to-create-jobs-obama-orders-someone-to-make-a-website-2011-10
“Obama ordered Cabinet departments and agencies to work together to create a new BusinessUSA website, to save businesses time navigating the federal bureaucracy. The portal was a component of his ‘American Jobs Act,’ which has failed to gain support in Congress.
Asked why Obama had to sign an official memorandum — and release it to the press — White House Press Secretary Jay Carney simply stated: “You need a presidential memorandum to get these things started,” Carney.”
I wonder what he’ll do when he is actually a lame duck?
you do know that hidden deep in the Obamacare bill it says Obama can be President for life
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