Democratic Congressman Hakeem Jeffries represents the eighth district of New York. He believes the Republican tax plan will protect millionaires and hurt middle-class Americans. The Congressman says that, despite an emphasis on reducing the federal deficit, the current plan will increase it by over a trillion dollars.
"This is really a smokescreen that has been put forth to pretend as if it's going to benefit everyday Americans," he says, "when the GOP tax proposal is really all about helping out millionaires, billionaires, and big corporations and showering them with a massive tax cut, exploding the deficit by about $1.5 trillion."
One of the key points of the GOP's policy is the elimination of state and local tax deductions for individual Americans, which could hit the constituents of high tax states like California and Jeffries' own New York. The White House argues that it's the states' decision to tax residents so much and that they shouldn't get a break because of it.
But Jeffries points out that the GOP's plan still allows corporations to deduct their state and local taxes. "The only reason it's being done, is because this is all about big business and wealthy Americans."
Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi declined an invitation by President Trump to meet with him at the White House and discuss tax reform. Congressman Jeffries believes that was a wise decision, because the President is not actually interested in reaching a bipartisan agreement.
Republicans also need to pass a short-term spending bill to fund the government, or it will shut down on December 8th. Congressman Jeffries says it would be unreasonable if Republicans try to blame a government shutdown on Democrats when the GOP holds both houses of Congress and the White House.
Today is Veterans Day, a day each year that gives us a chance to honor our service members and reflect on the issues they face in our armed forces. One issue that's gotten a lot of scrutiny recently is the handling of sexual assault cases in the military. The military has long been criticized for how it handles cases of sexual assault, with particular attention paid to how cases are investigated and prosecuted usually within the chain of command. The defense department has said sexual assault cases will be removed, but it's not the same as Congress changing the law itself.
Lory Manning, retired U.S. Navy captain and the director of government operations at the Service Women's Action Network, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Greenwood, a digital banking platform aimed at supporting Black and Latino businesses and clients, is launching its very own GreenBook. Named after the historic publication for Black travelers during the era of Jim Crow, the online guide will provide a directory of Black- and Latino-owned businesses across the country. Ryan Glover, the founder and chairman of Greenwood, joined Cheddar to provide additional details about the listings.
President Biden's infrastructure plan will be pumping billions of dollars into the EV sector. David Shepardson, Correspondent at Thomson Reuters, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to break down all of the details.
Al Root, Senior Writer at Barron's, joined Wake Up With Cheddar's Jill Wagner to break down who qualifies for the proposed EV tax credits and why some automakers aren't too pleased about extra incentives for vehicles made at union plants.
Jill Wagner is joined by Baker to talk about kids and vaccines: we finally know how many young kids are getting vaccinated. Plus, Democrats are working on a Plan B for paid family leave. And the salad chain Sweetgreen goes public.
A breakthrough deal between the U.S. and China when it comes to climate has finally been reached. The two countries have pledged to work together to curb carbon emissions. Amy Harder, executive editor at Cipher, joined Cheddar News to discuss more.
President Joe Biden is expected to visit GM's 'Factory Zero' plant in Detroit, where mass production of its electric vehicle fleet will get underway. Biden is likely to tout his recently passed $1.2 trillion infrastructure plan, which allocates $7.5 billion toward EV infrastructure.
Jill is joined by “Friend of the Pod” Mosheh Oinounou to talk booster shots, and whether “fully vaccinated” will eventually mean three shots, not two. Plus, the latest on the Kyle Rittenhouse trial. And the research is in: we know now the perfect way to hug. Also, Jill and Mosheh debate whether Airpods are passé.
A deal was reached as the COP26 Summit in Glasgow came to a close. Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, Chief Scientist at the Nature Conservancy and Author of 'Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World,' joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss the deal.
