Connect with us

Published

on

Democratic and Republican leaders on Capitol Hill are starting to temper expectations among their members about what a final debt ceiling deal could look like, becoming more explicit in acknowledging that neither side will get everything it wants.

When asked Monday whether any ultimate deal to cut spending as a condition of raising the debt ceiling will lose votes on both the left and right ideological edges of the parties, Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) indicated that it would.

“Did you ever think at the end of the day that when you get into a negotiation with both sides that only one side is gonna carry everything? No, no one thinks that,” McCarthy said.

That same day, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said he was willing to consider a White House offer to freeze spending at current levels — a stance that is drawing ire from liberals.

Though Republicans flatly rejected that offer, it shows just how far the White House has moved in discussions with Republicans in a matter of weeks as pressure mounts to secure a deal.

“Any proposal that potentially offers to freeze spending is not a proposal that has been put into the public domain by the left flank,” Jeffries told reporters Monday. “That’s an inherently reasonable effort to find common ground in a divided government situation.”

Politics watchers had long expected the eventual deal to lift the debt ceiling to fall somewhere between what the two parties are demanding, but McCarthy’s and Jeffries’s statements are their clearest signals yet that their members should prepare for a compromise that jettisons some party priorities.

The tempering on both sides comes as negotiators say they are having productive meetings but remain apart on key issues ahead of a default that the Treasury Department says could come as soon as June 1.

Even with Democratic support, any deal that McCarthy makes will have to win support from a large majority of the House Republicans in order for him to keep the confidence of his conference — and his gavel.

“[McCarthy] knows that to get this passed out of the House, it’s gonna require a conservative work product that fundamentally changes how we spend money in this country,” Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) said. “I believe that he’ll deliver that. I believe we’ll have the sort of overwhelming majority of the conference.”

Right-wingers lined up to support the Speaker to pass a bill that paired a $1.5 trillion debt ceiling increase with around $4.8 trillion in deficit reductions over a decade. The measure was designed to get President Biden to the negotiating table, but members of the hard-line House Freedom Caucus are pushing the Speaker to “use every leverage and tool at their disposal” to force the Senate to vote on the proposal or offer a countermeasure. 

Some members have said they see the deal as a floor, rather than a ceiling, for what they expect in a final product.

“I’ll look at anything,” Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) said about a potential deal. But he said many Republicans feel that the House GOP debt bill was “meager at best,” and that he would want “four times the cuts.”

“I don’t know why we’re negotiating. The House has done its job. The Senate needs to pass the bill,” said Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.), adding that the only position being pushed by members in a Tuesday morning conference meeting was to pass the House GOP bill.

McCarthy spoke to that stance when asked Tuesday if he is preparing his conference to accept something less than the House GOP bill, responding that the real question is “what’s the Senate willing to accept, because they didn’t do anything.” 

Yet he has laid out only a few red lines for a compromise: no tax increases, cut discretionary spending below current levels and no clean debt ceiling increase. 

The red lines are around major issues, to be sure, but fall short of the full GOP wish list.

Johnson said it is too early to worry about how Republicans are going to whip the votes for a debt limit compromise. And others are downplaying the difficulty of doing so, with Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), chair of the House Rules Committee, saying leadership will be able to secure that large majority with “a great whip team, which we have, and I think the sense that we’re being successful.”

At the same time, Democratic leaders are also feeling pressure from their left flank, as liberals roundly reject negotiations with Republicans over the debt limit. 

Speaking about the White House proposal to freeze spending, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) said she could not in “good faith understand how that is a reasonable offer at the moment.”

“I think the offer should raise the debt ceiling. We have conversations about the budget later,” she said, adding, “If Democrats don’t get serious about the extremists that they’re dealing with, we are going to risk allowing these people to destroy our economy and the global economy.”

The warning from Omar adds to some of the growing uneasiness among progressives in recent weeks over the potential concessions the White House may end up making in order to find compromise with GOP leadership. 

“Look at what is being proposed in terms of cuts,” Rep. Rosa DeLauro (Conn.), top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, told reporters earlier this week. “Don’t talk about spending in the abstract. Headstart, 200,000 kids, no slots. 100,000 kids without child care.”

However, DeLauro didn’t rule out spending cuts entirely in comments to reporters, as many members on both sides have refrained from drawing red lines in debt limit negotiations. 

Others in the party also aren’t thrilled by the direction talks have gone, but there is an understanding that the final compromise between the White House and a divided Congress won’t include everything both sides have pushed for.  Arnold Schwarzenegger hired as chief action officer at Netflix 6 in 10 say spending cuts should accompany increase in debt ceiling: poll

“We have a divided government. Nothing can get done around here without votes on both sides in the Senate and the House,” Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.), chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said Tuesday. “That means neither side is getting 100 percent of what they want.”

“We recognize that we’re not going to get everything. Republicans shouldn’t get everything,” he said.

Mychael Schnell contributed to this report, which was updated on May 24 at 7:03 a.m.

Continue Reading

Business

Oil and gas workers offered cash to retrain, in major plan for future clean energy workforce

Published

on

By

Oil and gas workers offered cash to retrain, in major plan for future clean energy workforce

Ministers have unveiled their flagship plan to train and recruit workers for the booming clean energy sector, which it is hoping to supercharge in the next five years.

Up to £18m of new money has been pledged by the UK and Scottish governments specifically to move those working in the oil and gas sector into new roles.

Their jobs are about to fall off a cliff as the industry declines, with at least 40,000 of the current 115,000 jobs forecast to disappear by the early 2030s.

Almost all of those roles are thought to be fairly easily transferable into green industries – requiring little more than a few months of extra training.

But in the absence of government help, workers have been moving abroad, industry says, taking with them the expertise Britain badly needs to for its new greener energy system.

And it has left them feeling forgotten about after years of working to keep the lights on, and increasingly swayed by Reform UK, both GMB and Unite unions have warned Labour.

Pledge to double green jobs by 2030

More on Renewable Energy

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband told Sky News that creating jobs in sectors like carbon capture and storage and hydrogen would help “create a future for those in the North Sea communities”.

The new £18m will pay for careers advice, training, and “skills passports” to enable oil and gas workers to make the switch without having to repeat qualifications.

The cash was announced on Sunday in the new Clean Energy Jobs Plan, which details how the government hopes to make good on its promise to double green jobs by 2030.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Renewables overtake coal for first time

Mr Miliband said in an interview: “This plan shows 400,000 extra jobs in the clean energy economy by 2030.

“This isn’t a target. This is actually what we believe is necessary to meet all the plans we have across the economy.”

The first strategy of its kind hopes to plug the UK’s massive skills gap that threatens to derail the government’s target to green the electricity system by 2030.

It identifies 31 priority occupations that are particularly in demand, such as plumbers, electricians and welders, and lists a target to convert five colleges into new “Technical Excellence Colleges” to train workers.

‘You can’t train people for jobs that aren’t there’

Unions welcomed the plan, but pointed out that skills and training do not equate to new jobs.

They say it will mean nothing without extra money and a revitalised domestic supply chain to build all the green technology needed, from fibreglass wind turbines to aluminium sub-sea cables.

Sharon Graham, the Unite general secretary who has threatened to cut ties with Labour over its policy to end North Sea oil and gas drilling and watering down of a ban on zero-hours contracts, welcomed the “initial steps” but called for “an equally ambitious programme of public investment”.

Professor Paul de Leeuw from the Energy Transition Institute in Aberdeen said the plan was “genuinely new and different”, and had for the first time joined up relevant information and strategies in one place.

But “you can’t train people for jobs that aren’t there”, he added, also calling for an investment plan.f

Reform heartlands could benefit from Labour’s jobs plan

The boom in clean energy jobs stands to benefit Reform heartlands along the east coast of Britain.

That fact is more by luck than design, given the east coast’s proximity to offshore wind farms and carbon capture and storage fields in the North Sea.

Reform promises a radically different vision for the country’s future, based on reopening coal mines and maxing out nuclear power and what’s left of North Sea oil and gas to boost jobs and the economy.

Its deputy leader, Richard Tice, objects to land being used for solar panels and pylons.

Government modelling forecasts an additional 35,000 direct jobs in Scotland, 55,000 in the East of England and 50,000 in the North West.

To keep the unions sweet, the government will also have to follow through on its pledge to boost the rights of those working offshore in green energy.

A current loophole gives protections like the minimum wage to oil and gas workers in UK territorial seas, but not to workers in the clean energy sector.

Continue Reading

World

Cargo plane slides off runway in Hong Kong killing two people

Published

on

By

Cargo plane slides off runway in Hong Kong killing two people

A cargo plane has skidded off the runway into the sea while landing at Hong Kong International Airport, killing two people on the ground.

Images taken after the crash which happened around 3.50am (8.50pm UK time) showed a Boeing 747 cargo aircraft partially submerged in water near the airport’s sea wall.

The AirACT plane, travelling from Dubai, could be seen with escape slides deployed and the nose and tail sections separated. Four crew on board survived.

The nose and tail sections separated after the crash. Pic: Reuters
Image:
The nose and tail sections separated after the crash. Pic: Reuters

Escape slides were deployed and all four crew survived. Pic: Reuters
Image:
Escape slides were deployed and all four crew survived. Pic: Reuters

Rescue teams circle the partially submerged green tail of the aircraft. Pic: AP
Image:
Rescue teams circle the partially submerged green tail of the aircraft. Pic: AP

Two security staff were killed when the aircraft struck their vehicle, shunting it into the sea, said Steven Yiu, executive director of airport operations at Airport Authority Hong Kong.

At a news conference, he told reporters about the rescue operation.

“Four aircraft crew on board were quickly rescued by Fire Service Department [which] also rescued two security staff from the sea.

“One was certified dead at the hospital and the other certified dead at the scene.

More on Hong Kong

“We are deeply saddened and extend our deepest condolence. We will provide the family with all necessary support and assistance.”

Steven Yiu from Airport Authority Hong Kong told reporters two security staff have been killed. Pic: AP
Image:
Steven Yiu from Airport Authority Hong Kong told reporters two security staff have been killed. Pic: AP

Mr Yiu showed a map of the northern runway and the crash site. Pic: AP
Image:
Mr Yiu showed a map of the northern runway and the crash site. Pic: AP

He explained that the security vehicle was patrolling the north runway along a road that was outside the runway fence when it was struck.

The northern runway at the world’s busiest cargo airport is closed while the south and central runways are continuing to operate.

“According to information we have at that moment, weather and the runway condition were safe and met all conditions for runway operation. An investigation is continuing.” Mr Yiu added.

Emirates said in a statement that flight EK9788 sustained damage on landing in Hong Kong on Monday and was a Boeing 747 cargo aircraft wet-leased from and operated by ACT Airlines.

“Crew are confirmed to be safe and there was no cargo onboard,” the airline said.

Read more from Sky News:
Eight ‘priceless’ objects stolen in Louvre heist
Gaza ceasefire ‘resumes’ after killings
Tel Aviv derby cancelled after ‘violent riots’

Man Ka-chai, chief accident and safety investigator for Hong Kong’s Air Accident Investigation Authority, confirmed air
traffic control had directed the flight to land at the north runway, but added: “We didn’t receive any message requesting
help from the pilot.”

ACT Airlines is a Turkish carrier that provides extra cargo capacity to major airlines. It did not respond immediately to a request for comment outside normal business hours.

Flight tracking service FlightRadar24 said the aircraft involved in the accident was 32 years old and had served as a passenger plane before being converted into a freighter.

Hong Kong’s Civil Aviation Department said in a statement that the aircraft had “deviated from the north runway after landing and ditched into the sea”.

Airport Authority Hong Kong said the northern runway would reopen after safety inspections were complete.

Continue Reading

World

Tel Aviv football derby cancelled after ‘violent riots’, as club describes ‘brutal police violence’

Published

on

By

Tel Aviv football derby cancelled after 'violent riots', as club describes 'brutal police violence'

A football derby in Tel Aviv between Hapoel and Maccabi has been cancelled after “violent riots”, according to Israeli police.

Nine people were arrested on Sunday night at Bloomfield Stadium, a venue shared by both clubs. Hapoel were the home team for the game.

A statement from Israeli police said the game was called off “following disturbances and violent riots” in which 13 civilians and three officers were injured by pyrotechnic devices.

“These are very serious incidents that posed a real danger to the lives of police officers and civilians,” the statement added.

But Hapoel Tel Aviv Football Club released a statement with a very different perspective on policing at the match.

“From the preliminary discussions prior to the match, it appears that the police were preparing for war rather than a sporting event,” a spokesperson said.

Outside the stadium, mounted police attempt to control crowds. Pic: Israeli police
Image:
Outside the stadium, mounted police attempt to control crowds. Pic: Israeli police

Footage released by Israeli police shows a flare or firework landing near officers. Pic: Israeli police
Image:
Footage released by Israeli police shows a flare or firework landing near officers. Pic: Israeli police

They added: “Most of the injuries from the event were caused by brutal police violence at the end of the game, as a direct result of the scandalous decision to cancel the event.

“Everyone saw the disturbing videos of children being trampled by horses and police officers indiscriminately beating fans.”

Israeli police have not yet responded to the allegations from Hapoel.

A Maccabi statement read: “Following the police’s decision, it was determined that the Tel Aviv derby will not take place tonight.”

Footage shared by the police shows projectiles and flares being thrown on to the pitch, as well as unrest outside the stadium and arrests being made.

What looked like smoke canisters were seized by officers. Pic: Israeli police
Image:
What looked like smoke canisters were seized by officers. Pic: Israeli police

Maccabi ban criticised

On Thursday, Maccabi supporters were told they are not allowed to attend November’s Europa League game against Aston Villa in Birmingham next month after a decision by Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group (SAG).

The group – made up of local stakeholders, including representatives from the council, police and event organisers – said the decision was due to a high risk of violence based on “current intelligence and previous incidents”.

Ed Miliband told Sky’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips that ministers are “working with the relevant authorities” to secure additional resources and ensure fans of both teams can attend next month’s European clash.

He insisted Aston in Birmingham cannot become a “no-go area” for Jews.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Aston ‘can’t be no-go area for Jews’

The energy secretary also said that he “profoundly” disagrees with the “approach” taken by a local MP who started a petition calling for fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv to be banned from the Aston Villa game.

The petition states: “Their arrival in Aston – a diverse and predominantly Muslim community – poses a real risk of tensions within the community and disorder.”

Mr Miliband pushed back on that point. He said the “vast majority of Muslim people in this country would disassociate themselves” from suggestions that Maccabi Tel Aviv fans could not come to Aston Villa because it was a predominantly Muslim area.

His Tory counterpart, Claire Coutinho, was also highly critical of the petition, telling Phillips: “I think politicians need to have the courage to name some of the problems that this country is facing. And one of those problems is political Islam.”

Read more from Sky News:
Maccabi ban could be reversed
Why are Maccabi Tel Aviv fans banned?
Analysis: Ban raises serious questions

Petition reaction ‘false and inflammatory’

The independent MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, Ayoub Khan, criticised those comments.

“I utterly reject the false and inflammatory characterisations… regarding my recent petition,” he said in a statement.

“The petition I launched reflected genuine and widespread concern from my constituents about public safety and community cohesion. It did not call for anyone to be ‘banned because they are Jewish’ nor did it single out any faith or ethnicity.

“To distort this into an issue of religion or antisemitism is deeply irresponsible and frankly dangerous. I have consistently condemned all forms of hatred – including antisemitism and Islamophobia – and I will continue to do so.”

The government is expecting West Midlands Police to set out early next week what they would need to police the game safely with both sets of fans present.

Continue Reading

Trending