It’s a snowy one out there, much more of the white stuff than the actual snow day a few weeks back.
Though the weather this morning is quite charming, The Washington Postreports that the startup environment in the United States has gotten wintery. J.D. Harrison writes that “competition for foreign talent is swelling, and experts warn that the country could fall behind as other nations beef up efforts to lure the next generation of business leaders.” Counries like Singapore, Germany, China and Canada are attracting innovators and entrepreneurs by making it easier for them to get settled in the country. For example, Canada plans to “launch a start-up visa program” designed by private-sector groups.
This sobering news can be used in a positive manner for conservatives. We now have the opportunity to promote immigration reform that brings in top talent from around the world. If the United States wants to continue to have an entrepreneurial spirit that’s as high-flying as Florida Gulf Coast University’s basketball players, action must be taken to keep the best and brightest coming to our shores.
MATCHUP BREAKDOWN: This matchup is even more lopsided than Florida Gulf Coast University vs. Georgetown. The House budget plan has recommendations for tying spending and revenue to GDP over the next three decades. That foresight is as good as the FGCU’s point guard when looking to throw up an alley-oop. The Senate budget plan has no such provision.
On Tap For Today11:30 A.M: President Obama delivers remarks at a naturalization ceremony for active duty service members and civilians.Tweet Tweet
@fgcu “When people ask you where FGCU is, just tell them Dunk City, Florida!”
Senate Backs Keystone Pipeline In Bipartisan Votefrom The Washington Post by Juliet Eilperin. “The Senate voted 62 to 37 Friday in favor of constructing the Keystone XL pipeline, the controversial project that would transport heavy crude oil from Hardisty, Alberta, to Gulf Coast’s refineries. The bipartisan amendment to the Senate budget resolution, authored by Sens. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Max Baucus (D-Mont.), has no binding authority. But it shows the significant support the proposal enjoys on Capitol Hill, despite the fact that opponents argue its construction will accelerate global warming and could cause harmful oil spills on ecologically-sensitive habitat.”
Everybody’s Waiting On Corporate Tax Reformfrom Politico by Steven Sloan. “Only in Washington could a dream that everyone wants to come true still seem so elusive. But that’s where things stand with corporate tax reform, one of the few areas of agreement — at least in principle — between President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans. After years of bipartisan rhetoric about the need for an overhaul, it will become clear in 2013 whether the key players will actually do the dirty work required to revamp the Tax Code for the first time in more than a quarter-century.”
Senate Budget Lays Out Democrats’ Fiscal Vision from The Wall Street Journal by Janet Hook. “The Senate Friday was poised to pass its first formal budget in four years, defining Democrats’ fiscal principles for the next, uncertain stage of Washington’s battle over debt, spending and taxes. The Democratic-drafted budget calls for almost $1 trillion in new taxes over the next decade to help reduce the deficit. Although the budget is nonbinding and isn’t likely to become law, it fleshes out Democrats’ vision of a plan to reduce the deficit while protecting safety-net programs.”
Recession Recedes, But Student Debts Worsen from The Washington Post by Peter Whoriskey. “More people are taking out student loans, while at the same time the people who have taken out student loans appear to be struggling even more than they were during the recession. The amount of student loan debt has tripled since 2004 and stands today at nearly $1 trillion.”
Immigration
Rand Paul: My Border Security Plan ‘Only Way’ To Pass Immigration Billby Jordy Yager. “Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said on Sunday that his border security plan is the “only way” to win conservative support for comprehensive immigration reform. Paul said his ‘Trust but Verify’ amendment offers a key element that other proposals do not: it would allow Congress to vote every year on whether the country’s borders are secure.”
Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg Eyes Political Push On Immigration from Politico by Michelle Quinn and Anna Palmer. “The 28-year-old Facebook CEO and billionaire — after mostly staying out of the political fray while running his company’s day-to-day operations — is joining with other executives to form an issues advocacy organization, with an initial focus on comprehensive immigration reform, according to sources familiar with the discussions.”
Health Care
Obama Healthcare Law Faces Big Challenges On Third Anniversary from The Hill by Sam Baker. “Three years after President Obama signed his signature healthcare law, his administration is facing big challenges to make sure it works. Building an exchange, even in one state, is an incredibly complicated task. It has to have a user-friendly website for consumers to compare complex insurance plans, and the back-end mechanics involve pulling together reams of data from several federal agencies.”
Cigars Expected To Be Targeted By FDA Regulationfrom The Washington Post by Brady Dennis. “Nearly four years after it began regulating cigarettes, the Food and Drug Administration is poised to extend its reach to a broader range of tobacco products. At the top of that list: cigars, which have experienced a boom in recent years even as cigarette sales have declined, in part because of growing popularity among young people. Anti-tobacco advocates and industry representatives widely expect the agency to require changes in the marketing and manufacturing of cigars. But the central question remains: What kind of cigars will the FDA target, and how?”
Medical-Device Tax Repeal Faces Uphill Climb In Senatefrom The Wall Street Journal by Kristina Peterson and Christopher Weaver. “Intense lobbying from the medical-device industry helped nudge the Senate to vote 79-20 Thursday night to repeal the 2.3% tax on sales of pacemakers, surgical tools and a swath of other devices. Strikingly, 34 lawmakers who caucus with the Democrats signed onto the repeal, including many who created the tax by voting for the 2010 Affordable Care Act.”
Tight Deadlines And Lagging Funds Bedevil Obama Health Care from The New York Times by Robert Pear. “Supporters of the law say President Obama has done little to trumpet its benefits, educate the public or answer the critics.”
X-Factor
Why Pro Wrestling Is Perfect For The Modern Middle Eastfrom Foreign Policy by Justin D. Martin. “Qatar is a conservative, Wahhabi-leaning country where alcohol consumption is illegal for citizens and Internet filters block pornography. Violent media content, however, is widely consumed and seemingly uncontested — a trend that permeates the broader Arab world. While sexual media is censored — the WWE show in Doha featured none of the dancing women seen at other venues — images of combat are ubiquitous.”
Al Qaeda Group AQIM Says Killed French Hostage Seized In Mali from Reuters by Nouakchott. “Al Qaeda’s North African wing AQIM said it had killed a French hostage captured in northern Mali two years ago and that its other French captives were at risk because of France’s intervention there, Mauritania’s ANI news agency said on Sunday.”
