McConnell: Congress Must See President’s IS Plans
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is calling on President Barack Obama to provide Congress with his plans for military action against the Islamic State, a terrorist group in Iraq and Syria, Roll Call is reporting. “The President needs to develop a regional strategy, working with our allies, to defeat ISIL, and to use the full extent of his authorities to attack this enemy force. The President needs to present this plan to the Congress and the American people. And where the President believes he lacks authority to execute such a strategy, he needs to explain to the Congress how additional authority for the use of force will protect America,” he said in a statement. Earlier this week, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters that the Administration was keeping the legislature informed of their military actions, but would not say what kind of approval the President would seek from Congress.
In addition to Senator McConnell, Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia has pressed the President for greater collaboration with Congress on the issue of military intervention, calling for a vote on the matter. According to The Hill, some Democrats are concerned that the Senator’s push for a vote will put candidates in close races in a tough spot. While The Hill sourced unnamed congressional aides lamenting Senator Kaine’s efforts, a staffer from his office, however, said that no other Senator has approached him to complain about the prospect of voting on a use of force resolution.
Roll Call: McConnell Wants Details from Obama on Plans for ISIS
The Hill: Senate Dems Frustrated By Colleague’s Push for ISIS Vote
Burger King-Tim Hortons Deal Prompts Renewed Criticism of Tax Inversion
American fast food giant Burger King is in talks to acquire Canadian coffee chain Tim Hortons and then move its base of operations to Canada. The U.S. federal corporate tax rate is 35 percent, but the Canadian federal corporate tax rate is 15 percent. Companies with headquarters abroad do not need to pay taxes to the U.S. government for foreign earnings. The practice of acquiring a business in a lower-tax country and then moving operations there, known as tax inversion, has drawn criticism for being “unpatriotic”. Burger King’s negotiations have prompted some in Washington to issue renewed criticisms of the practice. Representative Sander Levin, the Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Committee, issued a statement saying, “We need to seriously examine the reasons behind this reported deal and take steps in the immediate future to prevent further erosion of the U.S. tax base.” Likewise, the White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said the Administration is “considering a range of administrative options…to make those kinds of financial transactions less appealing”, CNBC columnist Ben White is reporting.
LA Times: Burger King in Talks to Buy Tim Hortons, Move Headquarters to Canada
Representative Sandy Levin: Levin Statement on Reported Burger King Inversion
CNBC: Why the Burger King Deal is Getting a Proverbial Shrug in DC
And for our latest post: Perry’s Veto Case: A New–and Potentially Dangerous–Form of Judicial Review?