Union fails to gain further foothold at Tesla's German factory

Story by DPA International • 1d • 

A general view of the Tesla car factory in Gruenheide. Jörg Carstensen/dpa© DPA International

Germany's powerful IG Metall trade union has failed to increase its influence at Tesla's German factory outside Berlin, the company said late on Wednesday following works council elections this week.

Works councils play an important role in German firms, representing the interests of employees by ensuring that laws and collective agreements are observed, that there is no discrimination during hiring and promotion, and that employees' views on improving the workplace are implemented.

The workforce selects from lists of candidates, some of whom can have the backing of trade unions.

In the vote at Tesla's Grünheide plant this week, just under 60% of the seats went to non-unionized lists, the US-based electric car manufacturer announced on Wednesday evening, citing provisional results.

Two years ago, the figure was just under 53%. Out of 39 seats on the new works council, 23 were allocated to lists outside the union, while two years ago 10 out of 19 seats went to non-union lists.

IG Metall is the largest group on the council, with an expected 16 members. More than 12,000 employees were called upon to vote for the works council from Monday to Wednesday. According to Tesla, nine lists with 224 candidates took part.

The new works council is expected to take up its work next week. "We will continue our successful cooperation with the works council," said a Tesla spokeswoman.

This was the second works council election at Elon Musk's only European car factory. The first election took place before the plant opened, when there were far fewer employees.

IG Metall is demanding better working conditions and a commitment to a collective labour agreement at the factory.

Tesla rejects a collective labour agreement and believes that many of the union's demands, such as occupational safety or better conditions for temporary workers, have already been implemented.

US corporations tend to be more hostile to unions than their German counterparts, and Musk himself has been a vociferous opponent of any attempt to unionize the workforce at any of his companies.

Environmental activists are currently protesting in the forest near Tesla's Grünheide plant against plans to clear trees for a freight depot on the site.

Alimentation Couche-Tard seeing low-income customers cut back on store visits: CEO

 The Canadian Press

The head of Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. says lower-income consumers feeling "strained" by economic headwinds are cutting back on how often they visit the chain's convenience stores.

These customers are also adopting more "value-seeking" behaviour and, in some cases, trading down for products they see as more affordable, chief executive Brian Hannasch said Thursday on a conference call with analysts to discuss the company's latest results.

Couche-Tard is seeing these habits crop up most in the company's salty, confectionary and grocery categories, which Hannasch said are the softest part of its business.

"We can look geographically and see that where we've got lower income consumers, our results are worse and where we've got higher income consumers the results are pretty stable," he said.

Hannasch's remarks came a day after his company reported its net earnings attributable to shareholders were US$623.4 million in its third quarter, down 15.5 per cent from US$737.4 million a year earlier.

The Laval, Que.-based business, which reports in U.S. dollars, said revenues for the quarter ended Feb. 4 totalled US$19.6 billion, down from US$20.1 billion during the same quarter last year.

The convenience store and gas station chain behind the Couche-Tard and Circle K banners attributed the fall in earnings to a lower average road transportation fuel gross margin in the U.S. and softer customer traffic amid challenging is is transitory," Hannasch said, when asked on the call about the softness in consumer spending.

"We don't think this weakness in that consumer base will persist over multiple years."

To address the number of customers turning to "value-seeking" behaviour, Couche-Tard has focused on marketing its private-label products, growing its loyalty program and offering Fuel Day promotions.

The private label portion of Couche-Tard's business has been growing at double-digit rates, Hannasch said.

He also sees potential in the company's beverages business, which benefited recently from the launch of purple Red Bull cans in Europe, where alcohol sales were also strong.

He expected a boost to also come from a partnership with Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures to promote the "Godzilla x Kong" movie with branded cups, Frosters and even a Kong breakfast stuffed with double the cheese and triple the meat.

The company could lean on beverages and growth in the nicotine category to help it manage softness it saw from its cigarettes business, which Hannasch said was "weak" in part because of a "very large tax increase" on the products in Hong Kong and lower tourism in the U.S.

Couche-Tard will also be working to integrate European retail assets it bought from TotalEnergies.

The deal valued at 3.1 billion euros was signed in March 2023 and includes retail assets in Germany and the Netherlands, plus a 60 per cent controlling interest in its Belgium and Luxembourg entities.

Irene Nattel, an analyst with RBC Capital Markets, said investors were "likely disappointed" by the company's most recent results, but pointed out the closure of the TotalEnergies deal increased Couche-Tard's European footprint by 80 per cent.

Even though she characterized the quarter as a "pothole" with the quarter's results coming in below her forecasts, she said her "outlook remains constructive."


After the markets closed on Thursday, Couche-Tard announced that former prime minister Stephen Harper is joining its board of directors, effective immediately.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 21, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:ATD)

Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press

Republicans object to ‘morally dubious’ IVF being offered to unmarried and same-sex couple veterans

Story by Andrew Feinberg • 1d • 

Alabama IVF Affected Groups© Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Aquartet of Republicans want the Department of Veterans Affairs to explain a recent decision to offer In Vitro Fertilisation services to veterans who are unmarried or in same-sex relationships, citing “a plethora of ethical concerns and questions” raised by the announcement.

In a letter to VA Secretary Denis McDonough, Representatives Matt Rosendale, Bob Good, Mary Miller and Josh Brecheen call IVF — a procedure in which human embryos are fertilised in a laboratory setting and implanted in a woman’s uterus — “morally dubious” and say it “should not be subsidised by the American taxpayer”.

They cite the fact that IVF procedures produce extra fertilised embryos which must be frozen or discarded, a practice which fundamentalist Christians consider tantamount to murder, and call the Veterans’ Affairs’ policy “shocking not only on a moral level but on a political and legal level as well”.

“It appears that either the VA always had this authority and is responding to the appeals of activists or is possibly violating existing law,” they said, citing previous Democratic proposals to specifically enshrine IVF expansions into legislation as evidence that the VA programme is currently unlawful.

“The VA must focus on providing world-class healthcare and benefits to veterans, not trying to remake the nuclear family. We appreciate your attention to this letter and eagerly await your reply,” they said.

The right-wing representatives’ letter comes just weeks after the Alabama Supreme Court stoked controversy and outrage by effectively banning the practice of IVF in the Yellowhammer State, leading legislators there to pass legislation specifically allowing for the procedure to be practised there.

The Independent has always had a global perspective. Built on a firm foundation of superb international reporting and analysis, The Independent now enjoys a reach that was inconceivable when it was launched as an upstart player in the British news industry. For the first time since the end of the Second World War, and across the world, pluralism, reason, a progressive and humanitarian agenda, and internationalism – Independent values – are under threat. Yet we, The Independent, continue to grow.

Vietnam's president resigns in latest twist of anti-graft campaign shaking its fast-growing economy

BANGKOK (AP) — Vietnam’s president resigned in the latest episode of the ruling Communist Party's “blazing furnace” anti-corruption campaign, and Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan was named acting president.

The appointment is Xuan's second stint as acting president after she stepped in when Vo Van Thuong's predecessor resigned in early 2023. The turmoil among top leaders is raising questions about Vietnam’s political stability as its fast-growing economy plays an increasingly important role in world supply chains.

Vietnam depends heavily on exports and foreign investment, but its leaders have been tightening the party's grip on power and cracking down on dissent as well as widespread corruption. Analysts say the turnover in leadership pinned to the anti-graft campaign also stems from rivalries within the ruling party.

VIETNAM'S POLITICAL SHAKEUP

Thuong is the second leader in two years to resign as president, a largely ceremonial role. The most powerful post is held by Communist Party general secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

Xuan's appointment as acting president until the National Assembly meets to elect a new president is a rare instance of a woman ascending to a top political post in the Southeast Asian country.

In announcing Thuong's departure, state media said his violations had “left a bad mark on the reputation of the Communist Party.” His resignation came days after the former chief of Quang Ngai province, in central Vietnam, was arrested on suspicion of corruption. Thuong is a former party chief of the province.

Thuong was a protege of Trong, who has headed the party since 2011 and is 79, and it's unclear how this change might Vietnam's future leadership.

WHO IS VIETNAM'S ACTING PRESIDENT?

Xuan, 54, has been vice president since 2021. A former high school teacher, she is Vietnam's first female president, but she was acting president for six weeks last year after Nguyen Xuan Phuc resigned as president in the midst of a scandal linked to Vietnam's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reports in Vietnam's state media say Xuan studied chemistry teaching and holds a master's degree in public administration. She initially rose in party ranks as a leader of the women's union in southern Vietnam's An Giang province.

Official media give little further information about Xuan.

WHAT IS THE LIKELY IMPACT OF THIS RESHUFFLE?

Vietnam's economy has boomed over the past decade as foreign investment poured in and the country became a preferred alternative to China as relations festered between Beijing and Washington.

The flood of foreign investment, especially in manufacturing of high-tech products like smart phones and computers, raised expectations it would become yet another “Asian tiger" economy. Since nearly half of Vietnam’s manufacturing involves multinational companies, investor confidence is vital.

Analysts say the anti-corruption campaign has paid some dividends in cracking down on illegal fees and other costs for domestic businesses. But it has also brought on a flurry of scandals and raised political uncertainty. Economic growth slipped to 5.1% last year from 8% in 2022, as exports slowed.

Vietnam's leaders have also drastically narrowed the scope for dissent in the country, jailing clean energy experts as well as environmental activists. Meanwhile, the anti-corruption campaign, described by Trong as a “blazing furnace,” has netted thousands of business people and officials. Real estate tycoon Truong My Lan is facing a possible death penalty for allegedly embezzling $12.5 billion. Lan's trial began earlier this month in Ho Chi Minh City. It’s Vietnam’s largest financial fraud case on record, amounting to nearly 3% of the country’s 2022 GDP.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Vietnam's leaders are next due to convene a Communist Party congress in early 2026. Until then, experts say, there may be more turmoil as rivals to take Trong's place jostle for dominance.

The anti-corruption drive also has made Vietnam’s bureaucracy more cautious, with “public officials becoming anxious about being investigated and shirking their responsibilities,” according to a report from Singapore’s ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. Government spending has slowed for similar reasons, state media have reported.

“Even after the new president is elected, political infighting will likely persist until 2026 unless a clear succession plan for Trong is announced,” Le Hong Hiep, a senior fellow and coordinator of the Vietnam Studies Program at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore said in a report.

“In the meantime, investors and Vietnam’s partners will have to live with the country’s new political realities," he said.

___

Associated Press writer Aniruddha Ghosal in Hanoi, Vietnam, contributed to this report.

Elaine Kurtenbach, The Associated Press

90s punk band fuming after right-wing politician uses their hit song

Story by Robert Oliver • 

Chumawamba are not happy with a New Zealand politician (Picture: Rex/Shutterstock)© Provided by Metro

British punk group Chumbawamba have ordered a populist New Zealand politician to stop using their most famous song during his campaign.

Winston Peters, the leader of the nationalist New Zealand First party and the country’s Deputy Prime Minister, has used the band’s 1990s smash hit Tubthumping at several of his events already.

But Chumbawamba, who originally formed back in 1982, have stepped in, telling Peters that they don’t agree with his views and have not given permission for him to use the song.

According to reports, the band, who split in 2012, have asked their record label to demand that Peters stop using their anthem Tubthumping at his various rallies.

Speaking to the BBC, Chumbawamba guitarist Boff Whalley said: ‘Chumbawamba wrote the song Tubthumping as a song of hope and positivity.’

Ahead of the election in 2023, following the resignation of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, the politician also referenced the song’s main lyrics in a speech.


‘Chumbawamba wrote the song Tubthumping as a song of hope and positivity.’ (Picture: Redferns)© Provided by Metro

New Zealand First form part of the country’s coalition government along with the much larger National Party, and Peters has walked on and walked off stages to the song since the government was formed.

Whalley continued: ‘It seems entirely odd that the ‘I get knocked down…’ refrain is being used by New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters as he barks his divisive, small-minded, bigoted policies during his recent speeches.’

In response, 78-year-old Peters has insisted that he isn’t using the song to make money, adding that he is yet to receive any official communication from the band or their label.


Populist politician Winston Peters has been using Chumbawamba’s music (Picture: Getty)© Provided by Metro


No cease and desist letters have yet been issued (Picture: Rex/Shutterstock)© Provided by Metro

Despite not being sent to Peters officially, Whalley addressed him directly: ‘Chumbawamba would like to make it clear that we did not give permission for Peters to use the song and would ask him to stop using it to try to shore up his misguided political views.’

The song, originally released in 1997, reached number 2 in the UK charts and became an anthem associated with football crowds, eventually being certified Platinum in the UK.

Its famous lyric, ‘I get knocked down but I get up again, you’re never gonna keep me down’ has become a frequently repeated refrain and has been used in the soundtrack to numerous films, TV shows, and other live events.

The song was also a top 10 hit in Australia (being certified as Double Platinum there) and New Zealand upon its release, and has sold millions of copies worldwide.

Chumbauwmba themselves have often been outspoken with their political beliefs, with Tubthumping itself containing an excerpt from Brassed Off, the 1996 political comedy-drama film which follows the effects of the privatisation of British coal mines.

This isn’t the first time the band have had to ask a politician to stop using their song during rallies after they ordered then-UKIP leader Nigel Farage to stop playing the song at his public appearances.

At the height of their fame, the band also poured a bucket of water over then-UK Deputy PM John Prescott in support of striking dock workers in Liverpool.

And in January last year Chumbawamba turned down £30,000 and declined a request to have Tubthumping used in a TV show starring Jeremy Clarkson.

‘So anyway today we turned down £30,000 for our song to be used for a trailer for Jeremy Clarkson’s new TV series,’ they said. ‘I can’t tell you how much satisfaction that gave us.’

SCOTLAND

Toppled ship survivors 'still waiting' for answers

Survivors who suffered "catastrophic" injuries when a ship in dry dock collapsed in Edinburgh say they are still waiting for answers a year on.

A major incident was declared when the US Navy research vessel RV Petrel tipped at a 45-degree angle at Imperial dock in Leith on 22 March 2023.

Some of the 35 people hurt in the incident sustained life-changing injuries.

An investigation into the collapse has been going on for the past 12 months.

Injured worker recalls fear as ship toppled over

Cranes used at site of toppled ship in Leith dock

Ship righted and afloat after toppling in dry dock

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said it was working with Police Scotland.

Lawyers say they are helping some of the injured with their recovery.

But they are yet to see any findings from the investigation and say their clients have been caused "unrest and concern".

A spokesperson for Digby Brown said: "It has now been one year since this incident occurred but the authorities have not yet confirmed what failings led to the dry dock collapse of RV Petrel.

"As with any incident, it's the not knowing that often causes upset and the lack of answers here continues to cause unrest and concern among survivors.

"We currently support 13 people from four different nations and while I cannot divulge details, some have suffered truly catastrophic, life-changing injuries."

They added: "Our priority is making sure each person has access to enhanced treatment so the outcome of their physical recovery may be as positive as possible."
Two months to right Petrel

Workers previously described the moment the ship toppled as "scary".

The Petrel - which measures 76m (250ft) and weighs over 3,000 tonnes - had been moored at the dockyard since 3 September 2020 due to "operational challenges" from the pandemic.

The vessel was previously owned by the estate of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.

It had been used for deep water searches for shipwrecks and war graves at sea, including the lost World War Two heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis, which was discovered 18,000 feet (5.5km) beneath the surface.


It took almost two months for the vessel to be righted© PA Media

In 2022 the Isle of Man-registered vessel was sold to the US Navy, and is now operated by American-owned firm Oceaneering International.

Multiple injuries at dockyard after ship tips over

High winds unlikely to have toppled ship - expert

At the time, NHS Lothian said 23 people were treated in hospital and 12 at the scene of the incident.

It took almost two months for the ship to be righted in May last year prior to leaving the capital.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said "The RV Petrel has now made its onward journey from Leith docks, Edinburgh.''

"Officers continue to work with the HSE to establish the full circumstances of this incident."

Pathways Alliance to file for regulator approval on carbon capture project

CALGARY — A consortium of Canada's largest oilsands companies will submit an application before the end of the week for approval of its proposed $16.5-billion carbon capture pipeline project.

The application by the Pathways Alliance industry group, which a spokesperson said will be filed before the end of Friday with the Alberta Energy Regulator, is a significant milestone for what could become one of the largest carbon capture and storage projects in the world if constructed.

The oilsands group — whose membership consists of Suncor Energy Inc., Canadian Natural Resources Ltd., Cenovus Energy Inc., Imperial Oil Ltd., MEG Energy Corp. and ConocoPhillips Canada — has previously stated that it cannot make a final investment decision for its marquee project until it has the regulator's approval in hand.

Once underway, the regulatory process is expected to take at least a year.

But in an interview Thursday, Pathways president Kendall Dilling said the filing should be interpreted as a sign of commitment by the companies to the project.

"Anybody who understands what's required to prepare and submit a regulatory application like this, I think would understand that it is a serious milestone and a reflection of serious commitments and investment," Dilling said.

"It's been a couple of years and $100 million in investment to get to this stage where you could file an application. Yeah, that's not (a final investment decision), but it's also by no means trivial."

This week's development is much anticipated; it comes nearly three years after Canada's largest oilsands companies announced they would band together in a joint effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from oilsands production.

The companies are proposing to build a 400-kilometre line that would ultimately transport carbon dioxide emissions from 20 different oilsands production facilities in northern Alberta and embed them safely in an underground storage hub.

Pathways has said the project could help its member companies achieve a 32 per cent reduction from 2019 emissions levels by 2030.

It is the centrepiece of the oilsands industry's pledge to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, something the industry must do if Canada is to meet its international climate commitments.

But Pathways has been criticized for its perceived slowness in getting shovels in the ground. The consortium has spent much of the last three years lobbying for federal and provincial support for its project.

While the federal government has pledged an investment tax credit for carbon capture and storage projects, as well as promised a mechanism to backstop the price of carbon in order to give certainty to companies considering investing in emissions reducing technology, the details of both have yet to be hammered out.

"There's lots of tools that have been put on the table as part of the overall solution, but it's taken time — and frankly, a frustratingly long time, from all parties' perspectives — to actually translate the idea into something close to a term sheet that is the kind of thing you need to actually make a final investment decision," Dilling said.

"I think when you hear industry saying there's still a gap, or we're not there yet, what they're saying is, 'we still can't take these things to the bank.' "

As recently as this month, oilsands executives have publicly stated that the level of government support announced for carbon capture so far in Canada is not enough to make the Pathways project competitive.

At Cenovus' recent investor day, the company's chief sustainability officer Rhona DelFrari said Canada risks being left behind due to a lack of competitive fiscal incentives.

"With what we know today ... the government funding partnerships in Canada are not enough for large-scale (carbon capture) to proceed in the oilsands," DelFrari said at the company's recent investor day.

The Pathways project also faces a degree of uncertainty in the form of the federal government's proposed cap on emissions from the oil and gas sector, which industry leaders have warned could lead to companies having to shut in production.

Oilsands companies are also facing pushback from some Indigenous groups along the pipeline's route. At least seven Alberta First Nations have expressed concerns about the project and have formed a working group in search of answers as to how the project will affect safety and the environment.

But Dilling said he's still hopeful a final investment decision will be made before the end of 2025, with construction beginning in 2026.

"2026 is realistically the earliest that I would expect that we would be turning dirt, and I know that's a long way away. I mean, we all wish we could just start putting shovels in the ground tomorrow," he said.

"But there's just all kinds of steps that you can't shortcut, or things go really wrong."

In late February, federal Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson met with Pathways Alliance executives and urged them to work quickly to show progress on their decarbonization efforts.

In an emailed statement Thursday, Wilkinson's press secretary Carolyn Svonkin acknowledged the regulatory application is a "step forward." But she pointed out Pathways had previously stated its intent to bring forward its regulatory submission in the fall of 2023.

"Minister Wilkinson expects and looks forward to Pathways taking other necessary steps to move expeditiously to complete their flagship project, including achieving their stated goal of placing first purchase orders for pipe in early 2024," Svonkin said.

Dilling said the Pathways project is so critical to Canada's and the oilsands industry's climate goals that it will be built, one way or another.

But he acknowledged that to achieve the group's originally stated goal of cutting 22 million tonnes of oilsands emissions by 2030, time is running out.

"It is still absolutely doable ... but we basically need everything to go according to plan from here to hit 2030," he said.

"Even in a worst-case scenario where some of it is delayed, I still think we'll have CO2 going in the ground by 2030. It would be more of a question of whether it's the full complement, or if it's an initial tranche and we continue to ramp up from there."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 21, 2024.

Amanda Stephenson, The Canadian Press

Canada ranked last in access to primary health care in a survey of 10 high-income countries released by the Canadian Institute for Health Information on Thursday.



Eighty-six per cent of Canadians aged 18 and older said they had a doctor or a place they usually go for medical care in the 2023 survey by the Commonwealth Fund.

That's down from 93 per cent of those surveyed in 2016 — and means that an estimated four million Canadian adults did not have access to primary care last year, the study said.

The percentage of people who had access to primary care was lower than in any of the other countries surveyed, which included Australia, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The average among all 10 countries was 93 per cent.

The Netherlands had the best ranking, with 99 per cent of adults living there reporting they had access to primary care in 2023.

The United States performed only slightly better than Canada, with 87 per cent of American adults saying they had primary care access.

Canada also ranked last in ability to get a same or next-day appointment to see a doctor or nurse.

Only 26 per cent of Canadian adults were able to get medical attention that quickly, down from 46 per cent in 2016.

Related video: Health Matters: Economic worries taking mental toll, CIHI survey shows (Global News)  Duration 2:24  View on Watch

The survey also revealed that Canadians with lower household incomes were less likely to have a primary care provider than those with higher incomes.

It also found that 39 per cent of Canadians without primary care had at least one chronic health condition and 29 per cent were taking one or more prescription medications.

The 2023 Commonwealth Fund also surveyed participants about their mental health.

It found the COVID-19 pandemic, together with economic stressors, was taking a toll on Canadians, with 29 per cent of adults reporting depression, anxiety or another mental health condition in 2023.

The Commonwealth Fund is a U.S.-based non-profit foundation that funds surveys of patients and health-care providers in multiple countries. CIHI is the Canadian partner.

Researchers conducted interviews between March and August 2023. In Canada, 4,820 people were interviewed.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 21, 2024.

Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.

The Canadian Press

US must speed permits to spur renewable energy growth, execs say

Story by Reuters • 1d • 1

FILE PHOTO: Solar panels are set up in the solar farm at the University of California, Merced, in Merced, California, U.S. August 17, 2022. REUTERS/Nathan Frandino/File Photo© Thomson Reuters

HOUSTON (Reuters) -The U.S. government needs to streamline permitting for renewable energy projects, including development of power transmission infrastructure and grid connectivity, to support needed growth, executives said on Thursday at a conference in Houston.

"It's a tremendous issue," said NRG interim CEO Larry Coben, pointing to difficulties around interconnection, the rules that new electricity generators must follow to connect to the grid.

It can take up to four years to move a project through the interconnection process, according to the American Clean Power Association.

Coben lamented that it is much harder to move through permitting processes in places like California than Texas.

States with fewer regulatory restrictions are going to be the big winners in attracting renewable investment and growth, said Andrés Gluski, CEO of utility firm AES Corporation.

Hurdles around permitting have been discussed frequently among executives attending the annual CERAWeek energy conference in Houston Texas. Earlier in the week, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin told participants that permitting reform "will get done."

The call for faster permitting comes as renewable deployment is forecast to grow by as much as 17% to 42 gigawatts this year, representing about a quarter of electricity generation, consultancy Deloitte said in a report, citing U.S. government figures.

"We've got to get infrastructure built, transmission lines built. We’ve got to work through these kind of political forums that are being used to stonewall and stop progress,” said Chris Womack, chief executive at utility firm Southern Company.

(Reporting by Liz Hampton in Houston; Editing by David Gregorio)

'Work until you drop dead': House GOP plan takes axe to Social Security, healthcare and civil rights

Story by David Badash 

 ALTERNET

House Mike Johnson in Las Vegas on October 28, 2023

 (Gage Skidmore)© provided by AlterNet

The Republican Study Committee has released its proposed 2025 budget which would take an ax to major elements of the social safety net, healthcare system, and civil rights, while affecting nearly every American, either now or in the future.

Calling it “Fiscal Sanity to Save America,” the budget proposal from the far-right MAGA-affiliated group of about 170 House Republicans would effectively create a national abortion ban and ban on in-vitro fertilization procedures (IVF) by creating legal protections for human embryos starting at “the moment of fertilization.” It mentions the word “abortion” 77 times.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is a member and former chairman of the Republican Study Committee.

“The House GOP Study Committee (largest House GOP bloc) released a budget endorsing the Life at Conception Act, which would provide 14th amendment legal protections at every stage of life,” explained Joseph Zeballos-Roig, Semafor’s domestic policy and politics reporter. “Amounts to near-total ban on abortions with no IVF exceptions.”

U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) blasted the Republican Study Committee’s budget.

READ MORE: Speaker Johnson Using Ban on LGBTQ Pride Flags to Sell Critical Funding Bill

“Wow today a group comprising 80% of republicans in Congress explicitly endorsed a far-right bill that would impose a national abortion ban and outlaw birth control and in vitro fertilization IVF,” he wrote on X.

“Just now 80% of republicans in Congress called for raising the retirement age and tying social security to life expectancy. Republicans want you to work until you drop dead,” he added minutes later.

Related video: 'I'll oppose any cuts to Social Security or Medicare': GOP Lawmaker rejects party's budget changes (MSNBC)  Duration 8:53   View on Watch

“The new budget also calls for converting Medicare to a ‘premium support model,’ echoing a proposal that Republican former Speaker Paul Ryan had rallied support for,” NBC News reports. “Under the new RSC plan, traditional Medicare would compete with private plans and beneficiaries would be given subsidies to shop for the policies of their choice. The size of the subsidies could be pegged to the ‘average premium’ or ‘second lowest price’ in a particular market, the budget says.”

“The plan became a flashpoint in the 2012 election, when Ryan was GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s running mate, and President Barack Obama charged that it would ‘end Medicare as we know it.’ Ryan defended it as a way to put Medicare on better financial footing, and most of his party stood by him.”

Award-winning journalist Laurie Garrett observes the Republican Study Committee’s budget “cuts $1.5 trillion from Social Security,” “raises Medicare costs & cuts caps on pharma fees,” “cuts Medicaid, ACA/Obamacare & the Children’s Health Insurance Prog by $4.5 trillion over 10 years,” “creates $5.5 trillion in tax cuts for the rich and corporations,” “eliminates all clean energy tax incentives,” and “raises Social Security Retirement age to 69.”

READ MORE:‘This Is a Show’: Democrat Demands Comer Hold ‘Fake Faux’ Biden Impeachment Vote

U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) wrote: “Social Security is NOT an entitlement. Americans pay into the program with each and every paycheck. Raising the Social Security retirement age is yet another way the extremists in the GOP are trying to take away your hard-earned money.”

The House Democratic Whip, U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA) summed it up this way:

“The MAGA GOP’s three-point plan:

– Raise the retirement age.

– Cut Social Security.

– Line the pockets of billionaires.

Democrats are going to stop them.”