Debate LoungeRSS Feed
Archive: 2011 September
Obama Administration Calls for Court Review of Health Care Law
On Wednesday, the Obama Administration announced that it would appeal an Eleventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals panel’s decision to strike down part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act directly to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Administration could have opted to request that the full circuit court rehear the case en banc, but the Administration declined to do so. This means the High Court will almost certainly consider the case in the upcoming 2011-12 term and could grant certiorari as early as next week, when the new session begins on Monday. “Today, the Obama Administration will ask the…
Obama Announces Major Changes in No Child Left Behind
Saying “Congress hasn’t been able to do it, so I will,” President Obama announced that he is waiving central provisions of the No Child Left Behind law, the signature education policy achievement of the George W. Bush Administration. Although the original bill passed Congress with bipartisan support, the law has since become controversial, with many charging that the program is too focused on standardized testing and that it intrudes too much on local control of education. The May 2008 Congressional Digest, titled “No Child Left Behind Revisited,” covered the Pro & Con debate on the question “Should Congress Make Fundamental…
NASA Announces Design for Deep-Space Rocket
NASA has just announced plans for the most powerful rocket since Saturn V flew the first astronauts to the Moon. The agency says that the new Space Launch System (SLS) will allow humans to travel farther into space than anyone has ever ventured before, including to an asteroid by 2025 and Mars a decade later ― goals set by President Obama. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said, “The launch system will create good-paying American jobs, ensure continued U.S. leadership in space, and inspire millions around the world. President Obama challenged us to be bold and dream big, and that’s exactly what…
EU Embargoes Syrian Oil
As the unrest in Syria continues unabated and the number of civilian deaths grows — now over 2,200, according to the United Nations — the international community has begun to increase pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. On Saturday, the European Union instituted a ban on petroleum imports from Syria (although a full ban won’t be instituted until November, as Italy lobbied to allow existing import contracts be fulfilled). The United States has already instituted its own oil ban, but the EU’s actions will likely have a more significant effect on Syria’s economy. While the United States does not directly…