Judge blocks Mo. insurance law on birth control - KansasCity.com

By DAVID A. LIEB

Associated Press

The Associated Press

A federal judge on Friday blocked a new Missouri law that requires insurers to exclude birth control coverage for moral objectors, ruling that it conflicts with an insurance mandate under President Barack Obama's health care law.

The temporary restraining order halts the Missouri law just three months after the Republican-led Legislature enacted it by overriding Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon's veto.The state law requires insurers to issue policies without contraception coverage if it runs contrary to the religious or moral beliefs of an individual or employer. The law appeared to be the first in the nation to directly rebut an Obama administration policy that requires insurers to cover birth control at no additional cost to women.U.S. District Judge Audry Fleissig wrote in her order that there "appears to be an irreconcilable conflict" between the state and federal laws that puts insurance companies in an awkward position. If they were to comply with Missouri's law, insurers could be subject to federal penalties for not abiding by the contraception mandate. Yet insurers also could face financial penalties from the state insurance department for failing to follow the Missouri law."Insurers are placed in an untenable position as they cannot comply with both statues at the same time," Fleissig wrote, noting that the U.S. Constitution gives preference to federal laws over state laws.State Sen. John Lamping, a Republican from suburban St. Louis who sponsored the law, said he was neither surprised nor discouraged by the court ruling."That's the logical thing that I thought would ultimately occur post-election," when Obama defeated Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney, he said. "Clearly, this is an issue at the federal level that remains unresolved."Lamping noted that federal courts have issued conflicting rulings on challenges to the Obama administration directive that contraception coverage be included as part of the basic preventative services required by the 2010 health care law. If the federal requirement ultimately is struck down by a higher court - or Congress someday changes the contraception mandate - then the Missouri law likely would be upheld, he said.The challenge to Missouri's law was brought by the Missouri Insurance Coalition, which represents the insurance industry. The court ruling said the state insurance department already had issued a cease and desist order against at least one of the insurers in the coalition, alleging it was "engaging in fraud" by violating Missouri's contraception-exemption law.Friday's restraining order says the state insurance department may approve policies with a contraception exemption but cannot reject insurance policies because they lack an exemption for moral and religious objectors. The judge said a hearing for a preliminary injunction would be set later.

Source: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/12/21/3977601/judge-blocks-mo-insurance-law.html

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Leagues poised to challenge NJ over sports betting

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) ? Four major professional sports leagues and the NCAA are poised to move forward with their legal fight over New Jersey's plans to allow sports gambling.

That comes after a judge on Friday rejected arguments that the leagues couldn't prove they would be harmed if the state proceeds with the plans.

In denying the state's request to dismiss the lawsuit by the NBA, NHL, NFL, Major League Baseball and the NCAA, U.S. District Judge Michael Shipp agreed that they have standing to file the suit because expanding legal sports betting to New Jersey would negatively affect perception of their games.

In his ruling, Shipp cited studies offered by the leagues that showed fans' negative attitudes toward game-fixing and sports gambling.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy declined to comment on the ruling, telling The Associated Press on Saturday that "the decision speaks for itself."

Stacey Osburn, director of public and media relations for the NCAA, said the association was "pleased with the court's ruling. The NCAA has long maintained that sports wagering threatens the well-being of student-athletes and the integrity of college sports."

Phone messages left Saturday for officials with the NBA and NHL were not immediately returned. A voicemail for a MLB spokesman was full and would not accept messages.

New Jersey also has argued in court papers that a 1990s law prohibiting sports gambling in all but four states is unconstitutional, and Shipp ordered that a date for oral argument on that issue will be set after Jan. 20.

The federal law prohibited sports gambling in all states but Nevada, where bettors can gamble on single games, and three other states that were allowed to offer multi-game parlay betting. New Jersey has argued the law usurps the authority of state legislatures and discriminates by "grandfathering" in some states.

U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J., who has worked in the House to change the federal law, decried Shipp's decision.

"It is absurd for the professional sports leagues and the NCAA to claim that they will suffer injuries as a result of the legalization of sports betting in New Jersey," Pallone said Saturday.

"That these organizations claim that the sports they represent will somehow have their reputation impacted is na?ve at best and assumes that illegal gambling is not currently occurring in lieu of legal sports betting," he added. "The fact is that the presence of illegal betting and the crime that goes with it has a far greater impact on the legitimacy of sports organization."

The leagues filed suit in August after Gov. Chris Christie vowed to defy a federal ban on sports wagering. The Republican governor signed a sports betting law in January, limiting bets to the Atlantic City casinos and the state's horse racing tracks.

New Jersey has said it plans to license sports betting as soon as January, and in October it published regulations governing licenses. But the state agreed to give the leagues 30 days' notice before it grants any licenses and hasn't done so yet, the state attorney general's office said last week.

The state, represented by former U.S. Solicitor General Theodore Olson, had argued before Shipp last Tuesday that the leagues are as popular as they've ever been despite the existence of legal gambling in Nevada and more widespread illegal gambling.

The NCAA has said it will relocate several championship events scheduled to be held in New Jersey next year because of the state's sports gambling push.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/leagues-poised-challenge-nj-over-sports-betting-184529718--finance.html

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SaleSpider Media Gets Ready for 2013

SaleSpider Media had an extremely successful 2012 and looks to bring that success into 2013.

toronto, ON (PRWEB) December 21, 2012

SaleSpider Media had an extremely successful 2012 and looks to bring that success into 2013. Over the past year each of SaleSpider Media's social networks have growth substantially. SaleSpider.com, North America's largest SMB social network, grew by over 500% in 2012. SaleSpider Media's other properties, HomeOwnersCircle.com and WealthMason.com, each grew by over 2000% in traffic over the same time period.

The substantial growth of SaleSpider Media can be attributed to the company?s digital innovations in the past year, here is a quick snapshot:

SaleSpider Media looks to continue to bring great innovations to our social platforms and grow with our users in the coming year of 2013.

About Sales Spider Media:


SaleSpider Media is a leading internet company with multiple fast-growing, highly-related brands serving loyal consumer and business audiences...our mission is to harness the power of interactivity to make daily life easier and more productive for people all over North America and The World.


SaleSpider Media?s exclusive web properties have millions of unique visitors and opt-in members and are growing by over 90% each quarter. The company has deep reach to in-market buyers in Auto, Travel, Finance, Insurance, Technology, B2B, and many more!


SaleSpider Media works with top Fortune 100 companies and is a leader in...

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To learn more about SaleSpider Media, please see SaleSpiderMedia.com.

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Sales Spider Inc.
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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/salespider-media-gets-ready-2013-205252532.html

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Net Neutrality Returns - Hit & Run : Reason.com - Reason Online

At the end of 2010, the Federal Communications Commission passed so-called "net neutrality" rules giving the FCC new power to regulate traffic management practices on data networks. Those rules are currently being challenged?by Verizon, which argues that the rules violate the First Amendment and lack sufficient statutory basis. A?court is expected to rule on the matter next year.

In the meantime, though, Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden is proposing new legislation that would enforce certain traffic management rules. Via Wired:

A proposal forbidding internet service providers from turning the data-cap meter off to grant a so-called internet fast lane to preferential online services was introduced Thursday in the Senate.

The bill by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) comes a week after a report found that the institutionalization of data caps by ISPs?is geared toward profiteering rather than the stated goal of managing traffic congestion.

?A covered internet service provider may not, for purposes of measuring data usage or otherwise, provide preferential treatment of data that is?based on the source or the content of the data,? Wyden?s bill reads.

Ars Technica noted that Comcast had?not counted its Xbox video-streaming app against its data caps. Comcast, however, no longer enforces its data caps.

?Data caps create challenges for consumers and run the risk of undermining innovation in the digital economy if they are imposed bluntly and not designed to truly manage network congestion,??Wyden said in a statement.

Among other things, the proposal demands a standardized method for measuring data and also questions data caps altogether. That?s because it grants the Federal Communications Commission with regulatory power over data-cap pricing.

So a report has suggested that Internet service providers are, or at least were, arranging their business and pricing practices in a way that allows them to maximize their profits? It is surprising that anyone was able to uncover evidence to this effect. And obviously it must not be allowed to happen again.?

Source: http://reason.com/blog/2012/12/21/net-neutrality-returns

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Temple upsets No. 3 Syracuse 83-79

Temple's Khalif Wyatt (1) drives to the basket between Syracuse's James Southerland, left, and Michael Carter-Williams, right, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the Gotham Classic at Madison Square Garden, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason Decrow)

Temple's Khalif Wyatt (1) drives to the basket between Syracuse's James Southerland, left, and Michael Carter-Williams, right, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the Gotham Classic at Madison Square Garden, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason Decrow)

Syracuse's C.J. Fair (5) dunks against Temple during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the Gotham Classic at Madison Square Garden, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason Decrow)

Temple's Anthony Lee (3) shoots over Syracuse's James Southerland during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the Gotham Classic at Madison Square Garden, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason Decrow)

(AP) ? Khalif Wyatt scored 33 points and Anthony Lee had 21 ? both career highs ? and Temple, despite not making a field goal over the final 5 1-2 minutes, upset No. 3 Syracuse 83-79 on Saturday in the Chevrolet Gotham Classic at Madison Square Garden.

The Owls (9-2), coming off a 10-point home loss to Canisius, used the combination of Wyatt from the outside and Lee inside to keep Syracuse at bay. The Orange led by two at halftime but never took a lead in the second half even though there were four ties, the last at 59-59 with 10:23 to play.

C.J. Fair had a career-high 25 points for Syracuse (10-1), which had its 52-game regular-season nonconference winning streak snapped. Jim Boeheim remained at 900 wins, two behind Bob Knight for second place all-time among Division I men's coaches. Duke's Mike Krzyzewski has 938 wins.

Temple hit three 3-pointers in an 11-3 run that gave it the lead for good. Scootie Randall started the run with a 3 that broke the 59-all tie. He closed the run with another 3, his only points of the game.

Wyatt and Lee took care of the rest. Wyatt finished 8 of 17 from the field and was 15 of 15 from the free throw line. Lee was open time and again on the baseline and worked hard on the boards. He had nine rebounds, five offensive, and was 11 of 14 from the free throw line.

The Owls were 29 of 36 from the free throw line compared to Syracuse's 19-of-34 effort, including point guard Michael Carter-Williams going 7 of 15.

The 3-point line also hurt the Orange, who were 2 of 12 from behind the arc while Temple was 8 of 24.

Temple's last field goal was an offensive rebound by Quenton DeCosey with 5:41 left that gave the Owls a 72-66 lead.

Syracuse did get within 74-72 on a 3 by Fair with 3:01 left but the Owls went 11 of 15 from the free throw line over the final 2:30.

Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson had four points and 10 rebounds for the Owls.

Brandon Triche had 17 points for Syracuse. Baye Moussa Keita added 12 and Carter-Williams, who leads the nation in assists at 10.7 per game, had 13 points and six assists.

Temple missed 10 of its first 12 shots in falling behind 19-10. The Owls, behind Wyatt who had 20 points in the first half, started hitting shots against the Orange's zone defense and they made nine of their next 14 shots and tied the game at 35. Syracuse scored five straight points but Wyatt capped his big half with a 3-pointer with 17 seconds left and Temple was within 40-38 at halftime.)

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-12-22-T25-Temple-Syracuse/id-7ee7788ec0b14ac4ae3d95e6cc86e178

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Green Blog: A Progress Report on Fracking and Water Safety

The federal Environmental Protection Agency released a progress report on Friday about its national study of the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water supplies. In nearly 200 pages, the agency lays out data, case studies and a summary of research into issues like spills and the treatment and disposal of wastewater.

But the agency draws no conclusions on whether the drilling process threatens drinking water; it is not expected to do so until 2014, in a draft that will be subjected to public and peer review.

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, involves pumping vast amounts of water laced with chemicals into underground shale formations under high pressure to release natural gas. In New York State, the drilling method is a focus of sharp debate as Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo nears a decision on whether to allow it to go forward after years of environmental studies and the drafting of proposed regulations. A state study on health impacts is currently under way.

Fracking is already permitted in numerous other states, from Pennsylvania to North Dakota to Texas.

Source: http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/21/a-progress-report-on-fracking-and-water-safety/?partner=rss&emc=rss

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Boehner has few 'fiscal cliff' options after Plan B failure

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Now that House Speaker John Boehner's "Plan B" for addressing the "fiscal cliff" has crashed and burned, the top U.S. Republican appears to have two remaining options - wash his hands of the entire matter or negotiate a compromise with Democrats that could abandon scores of his fellow Republicans.

The Republican rank and file and Democrats may face an equally stark choice: work together for a change, or plunge together off the cliff.

Boehner tried to ram a "fallback" plan through the House on Thursday - a relatively tiny tax increase on millionaires and billionaires - and failed. His rambunctious Republicans, who see opposition to all tax hikes as a matter of bedrock principle and of political survival, refused to go along.

President Barack Obama and his Democrats who control the Senate take the opposite view - tax hikes on the wealthy are a condition for their support of a fiscal cliff bill. If there is to be a resolution it will largely depend on an improbable scenario - Democrats in the House teaming up with less militant Republicans to back away from the fiscal cliff.

Compromise has been out of style in recent years, and many think it could require some prodding from the markets.

"At this point, I only see one route to avoiding the cliff, a replay of the TARP debacle in 2008," said George Washington University's Sarah Binder, an expert on Congress. In September 2008, the House defeated the bank bailout bill and the market collapsed, prompting a terrified lawmakers to reconsider and pass it.

"In this case, a harsh market and public reaction would be needed to force the hand of the speaker to negotiate a deal that can pass with Democratic votes," she said.

"If the GOP takes a beating in the headlines and the market tanks, I suspect a good number of rank-and-file GOP will demand that the speaker go back to the table. But absent whiplash from the markets and voters, I suspect it's over the cliff we go."

For the time being - or at least the 11 days until the automatic tax hikes and spending cuts are triggered - the House is in disarray and no deal to avert the fiscal cliff is in sight.

While the House in recess for a Christmas break that is likely to last at least until December 27, Boehner must decide whether to move any further in Obama's direction and agree to tax increases much higher than his own proposal that so angered his fellow Republicans on Thursday.

The Ohio Republican also might have to settle for fewer long-term spending cuts than he had hoped for.

WALK ON BY

Boehner's only other apparent option - one that he hinted at late on Thursday following the collapse of his bill - would be to walk away and leave the problem on Democrats' doorstep.

"Now it is up to the president to work with Senator Reid on legislation to avert the fiscal cliff," Boehner said in a statement referring to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

But in a closed-door session before that statement, Republican lawmakers said Boehner told them that he would at least try to work out something with Obama.

Either way, Boehner faces the possibility of having to battle not only Democrats for the next two years, but also his own membership on major bills.

"We have people (Republican lawmakers) who felt like they had to stand on the principle ... they couldn't vote for anything (that raised any taxes). I don't quite understand it," lamented Representative Buck McKeon, the powerful chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, who oversaw passage of a $633 billion defense spending bill for 2013.

"If you don't have the votes, you can't move forward," McKeon said of the Plan B fiscal cliff bill.

Representative Steven LaTourette, a moderate Republican who is retiring at year's end, told reporters that Thursday's legislative defeat - and public relations failure - will not stop Boehner from being re-elected House Speaker on January 3. "Name one member who opposes him," LaTourette challenged reporters.

Firing Boehner, LaTourette said, would be "like saying the superintendent of the insane asylum should be discharged because he couldn't control the crazy people."

Nonetheless, two years into his stint as Speaker, Boehner still has not found the right formula for corralling his Republican majority, especially the Tea Party conservatives whose victories in 2010 helped Republicans wrest control of the House. However, he has taken steps in recent weeks to punish a handful of uncooperative Republicans.

Since unveiling his plan on Tuesday, several conservative groups, including the Heritage Foundation, waged a spirited effort to kill the measure.

Those groups, LaTourette said, had been "making their phone calls, and they're bombing people" with pressure to vote against the bill. That, he added, "makes people nervous" about primary election challengers being recruited in 2014 by outside groups to defeat Republican lawmakers who vote for any tax increase.

"I doubt his speakership is in trouble," said American Enterprise Institute scholar Norm Ornstein, "The big question is whether, and when, he is willing to bring up a bill that will require more Democrats than Republicans to pass."

(Reporting By Richard Cowan. Editing by Fred Barbash)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/analysis-boehner-few-options-fiscal-cliff-mess-044855640--business.html

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The best & worst bets for healthcare investing in 2013 | MedCity News

Now that it?s Dec. 21 and the world hasn?t ended, let?s talk about 2013.

Venture capital investors have expressed confidence in the coming year for healthcare IT markets, while listing biotech among the sectors they?re least confident about. While investors are running a tight ship, ?good companies are still being funded,? said Bill Trainor of Mutual Capital Partners Fund.

Here?s a look at which healthcare markets are ripe, and over-ripe, for investment in 2013.

Best

Diagnostics

As we inch toward personalized medicine, sensitive and precise diagnostic tools become increasingly valuable. And if Q4 2012 is any indication of how 2013 is going to go, diagnostics is going to be hot. This quarter has brought about some big deals in the space ? from NanoString Technologies? $15.3 million round to Provista Diagnostics? second tranche of its $7.5 million Series A and Cleveland HeartLab?s $14.7 million raise.

Reenita Das, senior vice president of global healthcare with Frost & Sullivan, pointed especially to 3D imaging as an area of interest. ?Diagnostics is less than 15 percent of healthcare spending in the U.S.,? she said. ?As we move forward, there?s going to be more money and innovation happening in diagnostic testing and ease of use in these tests.?

Cloud-based software

A 2012 market report estimated that revenue from cloud computing software will grow more than 20 percent annually through 2017. That growth may be especially prevalent in applications connected to electronic health records.

We may see some of the 300+ companies that offer Meaningful Use-compliant EHR software begin to consolidate. The big players will want to enhance their products with added functionalities (some have even opened their API to other developers), like data analysis and practice management tools.

?What we are looking for are unique hospital IT opportunities that can be an instrumental add-on,? Trainor said. ?Big players are spending big money on companies building solutions where you can pilot in 200 or 300 hospitals and attract enough attention that someone would make a buy versus build proposition.?

Dr. Lyle Berkowitz, the associate chief medical officer of innovation at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Medical Director of IT & Innovation at for Northwest Memorial Physicians Group in Chicago, expressed the same idea in an October interview. ?A whole ecosystem is going to build up on top of EMR systems to make them easier and faster to use,? he said.

Remote patient monitoring

?Patient portal? and ?quantified self? are now part of the healthcare lexicon, thanks to the rise in remote patient monitoring. That includes telemedicine programs and vital signs or blood glucose monitors that deliver data to providers ? a process AT&T?s CMIO likened to a virtual house call.

Companies like EveryMove and Vivonoetics, which take data created by consumers and turn it into something actionable, will continue to see support from providers, payers and investors. We?re already seeing some exits, too: In 2012, Verizon bought Hughes Telematics, and Alere bought home health device company MedApps.

?One of the biggest challenges in this market will be reimbursement,? Das said. ?To get this to the next level, consumers will have to start paying for this and seeing the value of doing that, and the success of doing that will largely come from the ability of these companies to be able to collaborate with different users and suppliers, to be able to tie in their data with electronic medical records.?

Worst

Medical devices

In a LinkedIn poll that drew responses from more than 550 members of the Medical Devices Group, 35 percent of respondents said they expected 2013 to be a bad year for the medical device industry, citing problems with senior managers and higher-priced devices that provide minimal advantages among areas of concern.

Investments already took a nosedive last quarter, and they?ll probably continue to drop off. Devices, especially invasive medical devices, require increasingly expensive clinical trials, and companies will find their budgets even more constrained as the medical device tax sets in.

?It?s only 2.3 percent, but that?s still 2.3 percent that you could put elsewhere,? Trainor said. ?That?s probably two to three employees that you can?t hire.?

Given that much of the innovation we?ve seen in medical devices is coming from smaller companies who get acquired by or license their technology to the major players, the coming years will require the industry to look at new business models, Das said. ?We have to change the game we?re playing.?

Das noted that for medical device deals that will come through this year, interoperability will be key.

Stand-alone mobile apps

VCs invested nearly $4 billion in mobile startups during the first six months of the year, and there?s definitely excitement around mobile technologies related to health. While the industry is maturing, there are just too many apps. While 90 percent of healthcare professionals with smartphones have downloaded 10 or more apps, research has suggested they?re only using a few of them regularly.

Then there?s everyone?s favorite issue ? ?regulatory uncertainty? ? around mobile apps, as the FDA hasn?t spelled out a clear regulatory path for them. New York company Happtique, meanwhile, is developing its own program to evaluate and certify healthcare apps based on quality and performance standards that would help weed out the bad ones.

In its predictions for 2013, AT&T suggests that a shift will occur from stand-alone apps to ?meaningful mHealth solutions? sponsored by institutions. Those that earn that institutional support as part of a bigger solution are the ones that will survive ? and get an exit. We got the first glimpse of this last year when Aetna acquired iTriage maker Healthagen, and again this year when Azumio acquired SkyHealth, maker of Fitness Buddy and Glucose Buddy, and Medivo acquired WellApps. Apps without a platform, meanwhile, have limited us.

?The differentiation is going to be the interoperability of that app ? if it has ability to communicate with EMRs and with the doctor seamlessly and without problems,? Das said.

Obesity drugs

It?s a huge market. Several obesity drugs in development got funded this year, and there are more in the works. There was optimism after the FDA approval of two new drugs this year. Yes, the payoff could be huge, but the risk is continuously proving to be tremendous.

Both drugs approved this year were first rejected by the FDA in 2010, and both Vivus? (NASDAQ:VVUS) and Arena?s (NASDAQ:ARNA) stocks are down from when their drugs were approved. Vivus? obesity pill got off to a slow start and, even after being approved by the FDA, was rejected by European regulators due to safety concerns with long-term use.

Although the FDA is said to be considering a faster approval pathway for obesity treatments, safety is still a big concern. (AstraZeneca reportedly shelved an experimental obesity drug this year.)

There?s also a growing gap between the European and U.S. markets for obesity treatments, as noted in this blog post by Patrick Driscoll. Other, less-risky methods of addressing obesity, including bariatric surgery, gastric balloons, neurostimulation devices and digital consumer tools, have gained investor and consumer interest.

What are your predictions for 2013?

Copyright 2012 MedCity News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://medcitynews.com/2012/12/the-best-worst-bets-for-healthcare-investing-in-2013/

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Will GOP's 'Plan B' push Obama closer to 'fiscal cliff' deal?

House Republican leaders hope to pass their own 'fiscal cliff' bill Thursday. But Obama and Senate Democrats are solidly against the plan, which could leave the sides no nearer a deal.?

By David Grant,?Staff writer / December 20, 2012

House majority leader Eric Cantor (R) of Virginia, speaking at a press briefing on Capitol Hill on Thursday, tells reporters that House Republicans have enough votes to pass their 'Plan B' alternative package of tax increases on income above $1 million.

Yuri Gripas/Reuters

Enlarge

With less than a week to go before Christmas, talks between President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner (R) of Ohio show no public signs of progress as the House moves toward its own response to the so-called ?fiscal cliff? on Thursday evening.

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Part 1 of that response is a bill known called ?Plan B? by Speaker Boehner, a measure that would permanently extend income tax rates for American households making under $1 million per year, alongside permanent fixes for capital gains, dividends, the estate tax, and the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), among other measures.

That?s been coupled with another vote on a fix for the budget-cutting sequester that's been salted with other Republican priorities, including repealing parts of Mr. Obama's signature health-care law and financial regulatory reform scheme. The House passed the measure that would replace the sequester, some $109 billion in automatic spending reductions scheduled to begin Jan. 1, in the spring. But the same idea has been added to the mix on Thursday in order to provide cover for conservatives who noted that the first part of Plan B involved no spending cuts.

This bill, which Senate Democrats promise will be dead on arrival and which the White House has promised to veto, is seen by Republicans as a way to pressure Obama at the negotiating table?to give more on spending cuts.

?We also realize that the president?s unwillingness or inability to come to a balanced agreement with our speaker presents us with very little option other than to try and work hard to avoid a tax hike on so many millions of Americans,? said House majority leader Eric Cantor (R) of Virginia at a morning news conference.

Likewise, Republicans in the Senate, who have been largely shut out of the talks to date, can now join the fray by calling for the Senate to bring up the House bill.

?You?ve got one chance to put your money where your mouth is ? and that?s by voting on the bill the House sends over today. It will be up to the majority leader to act,? Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (R) of Kentucky said on the Senate floor Thursday. ?Will the Senate just sit back and watch the tax rates go up or will the Senate act??

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/C3lAQC_pJ6Q/Will-GOP-s-Plan-B-push-Obama-closer-to-fiscal-cliff-deal

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