Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON D.C. President Obama via Presidential Executive Action last week begun taking high-profile unilateral action in an attempt to help students with loan debt homeowners with underwater mortgages veterans struggling to find work and small businesses -- all designed to boost the economys recovery. Republicans are criticizing a series of steps the White House is taking to energize the economy through executive actions.
Obamas Presidential Executive Actions are intended to show that even if Congress cannot agree to pass his $447 billion jobs package he is working to help the labor market and promote growth. Republicans arent happy that the president is sidestepping them and invoking his executive powers.
The House GOP says they have passed more than 15 economic bills that arent being considered by the Senate and they question the efforts by the White House to move forward without their input.
On Thursday Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said he had great concerns" that Obama was overstepping his constitutional authority by single-handedly enacting jobs programs.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) on Thursday said the Republican House isnt waiting for him on jobs but the Senate is another story.
The president has traveled the country telling Americans we cant wait to pass some job bills. Well we arent waiting. We continue to pass job bills. Perhaps its time for the president to deliver the we cant wait message to the other body in the Capitol Cantor said.
Its time to get America working again and call upon the Senate not only to act on this jobs bill but the other 16 that currently sit idly in the Senate Cantor added.
Cantor and Republicans are trying to call attention to more than a dozen bills the House has passed this year many of which would ease Environmental Protection Agency regulations. House Republicans were planning a press event this morning about what they are calling the Forgotten 15 bills to call for Senate passage.
White House spokesman Jay Carney insisted on Thursday following Boehners comments that the president is operating well within the balance of his authority and in a way that is consistent with the kinds of executive actions that presidents have taken in previous administrations presidents of both parties.
With regard to the executive actions weve made clear that we do not believe for a moment that they are a substitute for legislative action Carney said.
In his weekly address on Saturday Obama said that while the changes will make a difference they wont take the place of the bold action we need from Congress to get this economy moving again.
President Obama pressed his we cant wait" campaign Saturday accusing Republicans of stonewalling job-creating proposals. Obama highlighted those steps in his weekly address.
Obama spent part of the week touring the nation hawking his jobs plan and rolling out several new initiatives as part of his we cant wait plan. The White House is promising a steady stream of executive actions.
At this point the White House is seeking areas to tweak in already established programs and with already appropriated funds.
The administration announced Monday it is revamping the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) it rolled out in 2009 to help borrowers whose loans were backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac refinance their underwater loans with lower interest rates.
Several House Democrats including House Oversight and Government Reform Committee ranking member Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) complained that the administrations proposed changes wouldnt be enough to help more homeowners although they werent worried about executive branch overreach.
On Wednesday after meeting with Federal Home Finance Administration officials Cummings said that if federal housing officials work with us to implement this proposal it would be an important step to address this crisis."
On student loans the White House initiative would lower monthly bills for students struggling to pay their education loans by accelerating implementation up to 2012 from 2014 in a law passed by Congress last year under which borrowers could limit their student loan payments to 10 percent of their total income. All remaining balances would be forgiven after 20 years.
Furthermore that plan allows lenders to consolidate the two types of loans into a single government loan beginning next year reducing interest rates by up to half a percentage point and lowering monthly bills.
Currently borrowers are allowed to limit their loan payments to 15 percent of discretionary income and erase all remaining debt after 25 years.
In another move on Tuesday the administration challenged Community Health Centers to hire 8000 veterans about one veteran per health center site over the next three years and 
another plan to fast-track military medics into programs to train them as physician assistants.
The announcement is part of a broader plan to create 100000 jobs for former service members by the end of 2013.
Officials said there is money appropriated by the 2009 economic stimulus and in fiscal 2010 and 2011 for hiring and are hoping employers will take a closer look at the skills of veterans.
On Oct. 12 the House passed a similar bill but the Senate which has a companion measure hasnt taken it up yet.
If the president is serious he ought to be up here working with us to find common ground to solve the issues that the American people want us to solve Boehner said.
This idea that youre just going to go around the Congress is just its almost laughable. Were keeping a very close eye on the administration to make sure theyre following the law and following the Constitution he told radio talk show host Laura Ingraham.He issued a stern reminder to the president that Congress controls federal spending. Weve got an appropriations process thats under control here where we have the ability to limit their use of funds to try to bring this administration to heel Boehner said. The committees of jurisdiction are looking at these proposals to make sure the president isnt exceeding his authority he said.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) on Thursday said the Republican House isnt waiting for him on jobs but the Senate is another story.
The president has traveled the country telling Americans we cant wait to pass some job bills. Well we arent waiting. We continue to pass job bills. Perhaps its time for the president to deliver the we cant wait message to the other body in the Capitol Cantor said.
Its time to get America working again and call upon the Senate not only to act on this jobs bill but the other 16 that currently sit idly in the Senate Cantor added.
Cantor and Republicans are trying to call attention to more than a dozen bills the House has passed this year many of which would ease Environmental Protection Agency regulations. House Republicans were planning a press event this morning about what they are calling the Forgotten 15 bills to call for Senate passage.
White House spokesman Jay Carney insisted on Thursday following Boehners comments that the president is operating well within the balance of his authority and in a way that is consistent with the kinds of executive actions that presidents have taken in previous administrations presidents of both parties.
With regard to the executive actions weve made clear that we do not believe for a moment that they are a substitute for legislative action Carney said.
In his weekly address on Saturday Obama said that while the changes will make a difference they wont take the place of the bold action we need from Congress to get this economy moving again.
President Obama pressed his we cant wait" campaign Saturday accusing Republicans of stonewalling job-creating proposals. Obama highlighted those steps in his weekly address.
Obama spent part of the week touring the nation hawking his jobs plan and rolling out several new initiatives as part of his we cant wait plan. The White House is promising a steady stream of executive actions.
At this point the White House is seeking areas to tweak in already established programs and with already appropriated funds.
The administration announced Monday it is revamping the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) it rolled out in 2009 to help borrowers whose loans were backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac refinance their underwater loans with lower interest rates.
Several House Democrats including House Oversight and Government Reform Committee ranking member Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) complained that the administrations proposed changes wouldnt be enough to help more homeowners although they werent worried about executive branch overreach.
On Wednesday after meeting with Federal Home Finance Administration officials Cummings said that if federal housing officials work with us to implement this proposal it would be an important step to address this crisis."
On student loans the White House initiative would lower monthly bills for students struggling to pay their education loans by accelerating implementation up to 2012 from 2014 in a law passed by Congress last year under which borrowers could limit their student loan payments to 10 percent of their total income. All remaining balances would be forgiven after 20 years.
Furthermore that plan allows lenders to consolidate the two types of loans into a single government loan beginning next year reducing interest rates by up to half a percentage point and lowering monthly bills.
Currently borrowers are allowed to limit their loan payments to 15 percent of discretionary income and erase all remaining debt after 25 years.
In another move on Tuesday the administration challenged Community Health Centers to hire 8000 veterans about one veteran per health center site over the next three years and another plan to fast-track military medics into programs to train them as physician assistants.
The announcement is part of a broader plan to create 100000 jobs for former service members by the end of 2013.
Officials said there is money appropriated by the 2009 economic stimulus and in fiscal 2010 and 2011 for hiring and are hoping employers will take a closer look at the skills of veterans.
On Oct. 12 the House passed a similar bill but the Senate which has a companion measure hasnt taken it up yet.
If the president is serious he ought to be up here working with us to find common ground to solve the issues that the American people want us to solve Boehner said.
