WH Aides Split on Stimulus Stats

January 25, 2010

Politico

By Politico Staff

White House advisers appearing on the Sunday talk shows gave three different estimates of how many jobs could be credited to President Obama’s Recovery Act.

The discrepancy was pointed out by a Republican official in an email to reporters noting that “Three presidential advisers on three different programs [gave] three different descriptions of the trillion-dollar stimulus bill.”

Valerie Jarrett had the most conservative count, saying “the Recovery Act saved thousands and thousands of jobs,” while David Axelrod gave the bill the most credit, saying it has “created more than – or saved more than 2 million jobs.” Press Secretary Robert Gibbs came in between them, saying the plan had “saved or created 1.5 million jobs.”

Their remarks in context:

Axelrod, on CNN’s State of the Union: “But understand that, in this recession that began at the beginning of 2007, we’ve lost 7 million jobs. Now, the Recovery Act the president passed has created more than — or saved more than 2 million jobs. But against 7 million, you know, that — that is — it is cold comfort to those who still are looking.”

Jarrett, on NBC’s Meet the Press: “The Recovery Act saved thousands and thousands of jobs. There are schoolteachers and firemen and— and— teachers all across our country, policemen, who have jobs today because of that recovery act. We’re investing in infrastructure. We’re investing in public education so that our kids can compete going forth into the next— generation.”

Gibbs, on “Fox News Sunday”: “Well, Chris, let’s take for instance the example you just used of the stimulus package. We had four quarters of economic regression in terms of growth, right? Just last quarter, we finally saw the first positive economic job growth in more than a year. Largely as a result of the recovery plan that’s put money back into our economy, that saved or created 1.5 million jobs.”

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The Search for Alien Life Should Start on Earth Instead of Outer Space

January 25, 2010

Telegraph

The Search for Alien Life Should Start on Earth Instead of Outer SpaceThe Search for Alien Life Should Start on Earth Instead of Outer SpaceThe Search for Alien Life Should Start on Earth Instead of Outer Space Prof Davies said: We need to give up the notion that ET is sending us some sort of customised message and take a new approach.”

He suggested that the search could focus on deserts, volcanic vents, salt-saturated lakes and the dry valleys of Antarctica – places where ordinary life struggles to survive – to find “weird” microbes that belong to a “shadow biosphere”.

Felissa Wolfe-Simon, from the US Geological Survey, is currently looking at the possibility that arsenic, found in contaminated places such as the Mono Lake in California, might support forms of life in the same way as other life forms use phosphorous.

However, Professor Colin Pillinger, who led the Beagle 2 Mars landing mission remains sceptical. He said: “I prefer to deal in scientific fact – this is wildly science fiction. You’d be off your trolley to go searching for arsenic-based life.”

Prof Pillinger argues that Mars is the most likely place to find alien life.

The conference will also discuss how humans might respond to the discovery of extra-terrestrial intelligence.

Albert Harrison, the from University of California, said: “It is easy to imagine scenarios resulting in widespread psychological disintegration and social chaos. but historical prototypes, reactions to false alarms and survey results suggest that the predominant response to the discover of a microwave transmission from light years away is likely to be equanimity, perhaps even delight.”

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Control Body Fat and Diabetes with Chlorella

January 25, 2010

Natural News

By David Gutierrez

A superfood known as chlorella has caught on like wildfire in the United Kingdom, and studies continue to emerge linking the algae to improvement in symptoms of people with everything from diabetes and high blood pressure to digestive or immune problems.

Chlorella is a single-celled algae that naturally occurs in freshwater rivers and ponds in East Asia, tinting those bodies of water green. It is gathered from these natural sources, dried, crushed into a powder, and then packed into tablet form for sale as a dietary supplement. It has twice the protein density of spinach, 38 times that of soy beans and 55 times that of rice, providing nine essential amino acids along with a number of vitamins and minerals.

The algae has shown effectiveness at improving the symptoms of metabolic syndrome — a collection of symptoms linked with cardiovascular disease and diabetes, including high fasting blood sugar, high blood pressure and cholesterol, and central obesity. Studies have found chlorella supplements to reduce blood pressure in 50 percent of hypertension patients, as well as significantly reduce body fat, blood cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

“It seems that chlorella turns on the genes that control the way insulin is normally used by the cells in the body,” said researcher Randall Merchant of Virginia Commonwealth University. “This research shows that chlorella could in theory help correct the problems of metabolic syndrome. It is not a magic bullet, but taking it is one other preventive thing you can do, like exercise or watching your diet.”

Other studies have shown that chlorella encourages the growth of “good bacteria,” absorbs toxins from the intestines, improves digestion, and eases the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis and fibromyalgia. Chlorella supporters claim that it also increases energy levels and fights depression.

After studies showed that chlorella boosts the immune system, preventing secondary infections in people with brain tumors, some British doctors have started using it to complement cancer treatments.

Because chlorella is high in vitamin K1, it can interfere with the effects of blood thinning medications.

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Scientologists ‘Heal’ Haiti Quake Victims Using Touch

January 25, 2010

BreitBart

Amid the mass of aid agencies piling in to help Haiti quake victims is a batch of Church of Scientology “volunteer ministers”, claiming to use the power of touch to reconnect nervous systems.

Clad in yellow T-shirts emblazoned with the logo of the controversial US-based group, smiling volunteers fan out among the injured lying under makeshift shelters in the courtyard of Port-au-Prince’s General Hospital.

A wealthy private donor provided his airplane to fly in 80 volunteers from Los Angeles, along with 50 Haitian-American-doctors, in a gesture worth 400,000 dollars, said a Parisian volunteer who gave her name as Sylvie.

“We’re trained as volunteer ministers, we use a process called ‘assist’ to follow the nervous system to reconnect the main points, to bring back communication,” she said.

“When you get a sudden shock to a part of your body the energy gets stuck, so we re-establish communication within the body by touching people through their clothes, and asking people to feel the touch.”

Next to her lay 22-year-old student Oscar Elweels, whose father rescued him from the basement of his school where he lay with a pillar on his leg for a day after the deadly January 12 quake.

His right leg was amputated below the knee and his left leg was severely bruised and swollen.

More than half of his fellow students died in the rubble of his school, although the rest of his family was unscathed, he said, thanking God.

“One hour ago he had no sensation in his left leg, so I explained the method to him, I touched him and after a while he said ‘now I feel everything’,” said Sylvie.

“Otherwise they might have had to amputate his other leg. Now his sister knows the method and she can do it.”

Asked about the method being used on him, a smiling Elweels described it as “a sort of harmony between the nerves, a kind of exercise. I couldn’t feel at all, but then I could.”

Does he know Scientology? “Yes, it’s a French organization,” he said.

“All the patients are happy with the technique,” said Sylvie. “But some doctors don’t like the yellow T-shirts. It’s a color thing,” she insisted.

Another group of Scientologists distributed antibiotic pills. “The doctors said give everyone with wounds antibiotics,” said Italian volunteer Marina.

Some doctors at the hospital are skeptical. One US doctor, who asked not to be named, snorted: “I didn’t know touching could heal gangrene.”

When asked what the Scientologists are doing here, another doctor said: “I don’t know.”

Do you care? “Not really,” she said, wheeling an unconscious patient out of the operating room to join hundreds of others in the hospital’s sunny courtyard.

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UK Police Plan to Use Military-Style Spy Drones

January 25, 2010

Guardian

By Paul Lewis

Police in the UK are planning to use unmanned spy drones, controversially deployed in Afghanistan, for the ­”routine” monitoring of antisocial motorists, ­protesters, agricultural thieves and fly-tippers, in a significant expansion of covert state surveillance.

The arms manufacturer BAE Systems, which produces a range of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for war zones, is adapting the military-style planes for a consortium of government agencies led by Kent police.

Documents from the South Coast Partnership, a Home Office-backed project in which Kent police and others are developing a national drone plan with BAE, have been obtained by the Guardian under the Freedom of Information Act.

They reveal the partnership intends to begin using the drones in time for the 2012 Olympics. They also indicate that police claims that the technology will be used for maritime surveillance fall well short of their intended use – which could span a range of police activity – and that officers have talked about selling the surveillance data to private companies. A prototype drone equipped with high-powered cameras and sensors is set to take to the skies for test flights later this year.

The Civil Aviation Authority, which regulates UK airspace, has been told by BAE and Kent police that civilian UAVs would “greatly extend” the government’s surveillance capacity and “revolutionise policing”. The CAA is currently reluctant to license UAVs in normal airspace because of the risk of collisions with other aircraft, but adequate “sense and avoid” systems for drones are only a few years away.

Five other police forces have signed up to the scheme, which is considered a pilot preceding the countrywide adoption of the technology for “surveillance, monitoring and evidence gathering”. The partnership’s stated mission is to introduce drones “into the routine work of the police, border authorities and other government agencies” across the UK.

Concerned about the slow pace of progress of licensing issues, Kent police’s assistant chief constable, Allyn Thomas, wrote to the CAA last March arguing that military drones would be useful “in the policing of major events, whether they be protests or the ­Olympics”. He said interest in their use in the UK had “developed after the terrorist attack in Mumbai”.

Stressing that he was not seeking to interfere with the regulatory process, Thomas pointed out that there was “rather more urgency in the work since Mumbai and we have a clear deadline of the 2012 Olympics”.

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Scrubbing Away Germs Can Backfire on Backsides

January 25, 2010

MedPage

By Chris Emery

Rashes from toilet seats are once again afflicting American children, and the rare condition is often misdiagnosed, which may delay proper treatment.

That’s the conclusion from a report based of five-cases of toilet seat contact dermatitis investigated by researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and reported in the Jan. 25 issue of Pediatrics.

While toilet seat dermatitis is commonly thought to result from allergies to wooden seats, the report concludes that another source is plastic toilet seats cleaned with harsh detergents.

“This case series and previous reports have documented that toilet seat dermatitis is much more common than previously recognized in the United States and around the world,” Bernard A. Cohen, MD, and colleagues wrote.

“Furthermore, the incidence of this condition is rising in North America because of a resurgent popularity of exotic-wood toilet seats and frequent use of detergents that contain highly irritant/sensitizing compounds such as quaternary ammonium compounds, phenol, formaldehyde, etc in public restrooms.”

Of the cases analyzed by the authors, two occurred in the United State and the other three occurred in India.

Both U.S. cases were girls, a six-year-old who had a rash for over two years before it was correctly diagnosed and a 10-year-old whose rash lasted for a year. In both cases, the rashes seemed to worsen during the school year when the girls were using school restrooms. The younger girl’s dermatitis twice became infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and required treatment with antibiotics.

After doctors determined the rashes were the result of contact with toilet seats and instructed the girls to use toilet-seat covers and apply moisturizers and topical steroids to the affected areas, the eruptions cleared up within a few weeks.

The cases in India included a 14-month old boy and two girls, 12 and 10.

The boy and the 12-year-old girl were both initially misdiagnosed with ringworm and unsuccessfully treated with clotrimazole cream. The other girl was unsuccessfully treated with ayurvedic and homeopathic topical medications before doctors diagnosed toilet seat dermatitis. Two of the children were instructed to use soaps that only exacerbated the problem.

In all three cases, the rashes cleared up with some combination of topical steroids, using toilet seat covers, replacing the household toilet seat and limiting time on the toilet.

The authors distinguished between two types of toilet seat dermatitis: allergic contact dermatitis, the better described form of the condition, in which a patient develops allergy to wooden toilet seats, and irritant contact dermatitis, in which the rashes result from contact with harsh detergents used on plastic toilet seats.

They noted that detergents used in public restrooms and in hospitals are potentially more irritating to the skin than those used at home and that alkaline detergents are more likely to cause skin irritation than acidic detergents, because they perturb the body’s natural acidic environment.

Toilet-seat dermatitis was first identified as an external skin rash in 1927. Exposure to wooden toilet seats and associated varnish, lacquers, and paints led to sensitization and development of an allergic contact dermatitis.

The condition nearly disappeared in the United States in 1980s and 1990s, after public facilities and homeowners in the United States changed from wooden to plastic toilet seats and sanitary seat covers became readily available.

However, in recent years the number of cases has grown as a result of homeowners installing toilet seats made of exotic woods and the increased use of harsh toilet seat detergents.

Most reports have focused on adults with rashes, but little previous attention has focused on the condition in children. “In this case series we describe toilet-seat contact dermatitis in children and underscore a typical history and physical findings that we hope will aid clinicians in recognizing this disease,” the authors wrote.

“It is important to underscore that regular use of toilet-seat covers is the key to success in treatment,” the authors wrote. “Such seat covers can be purchased at any major retailer such as Walmart or online.

As an alternative, newspaper cut-outs could be used to provide barrier protection. Although it is possible to develop an allergy to toilet-seat covers, none have been reported thus far in the literature.”

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Selenium and Omega-3s Prevent Colon Cancer

January 25, 2010

Natural News

By S.L. Baker

When scientists gathered in Houston recently for the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research Conference, they heard groundbreaking evidence about how colon cancer can be prevented. The new data wasn’t about drugs or surgery, either. Instead, two separate research groups concluded natural substances appear to protect from often deadly colon malignancies.

Colon cancer, which the American Cancer Society estimates is diagnosed in over 108,000 Americans each year, is intricately linked to adenomas, also called polyps. These lesions grow in the large bowel and start off as benign. However, they can turn into cancerous tumors and 70 to 80% of all cancers of the colon (the longest part of the large intestine) and rectum result from adenomas-turned-malignant.

So, in hopes of preventing future cancerous growths, polyps found during colonoscopies are snipped off and biopsied. Unfortunately though, pre-cancerous polyps often return. But scientists at the National Institute for Cancer Research in Genoa, Italy, conducted a long term study that shows the risk of pre-cancerous polyps (dubbed colorectal metachronous adenomas) coming back after they’ve been removed can be greatly reduced. The key? Taking specific antioxidants, including a selenium-based compound.

“Our study is the first intervention trial specifically designed to evaluate the efficacy of the selenium-based antioxidant compound on the risk of developing metachronous adenomas,” said Luigina Bonelli, M.D., head of the unit of secondary prevention and screening at the National Institute for Cancer Research, in a statement to the media.

40% reduced risk
The research team studied volunteers between the ages of 25 and 75 who had already had one or more colorectal adenomas removed. None of the participants were diagnosed with any additional colorectal disease, cancer or other life-threatening illness and none were taking vitamins or mineral supplements when the study began. The scientists randomly divided the 411 participants into two groups: those in one group received an inactive placebo and those in the second group took a daily antioxidant supplement containing a selenium compound (selenomethionnine 200 ug), zinc 30 mg, vitamin A 6,000 IU, vitamin C 180 mg and vitamin E 30 mg.

“Our results indicated that individuals who consumed antioxidants had a 40% reduction in the incidence of metachronous adenomas of the large bowel,” Bonelli said. “It is noteworthy that the benefit observed after the conclusion of the trial persisted through 13 years of follow up.”
Omega-3s help prevent colorectal cancer
Another study just released at the Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research Conference — this one from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina — found that omega-3 fatty acids, which are primarily found in cold water fish such as salmon, may be able to prevent colorectal cancer.

The scientists recruited 1,509 Caucasian participants (716 cancer cases and 787 controls) and 369 African-American participants (213 cancer cases and 156 controls). A validated food questionnaire was used to collect information on the frequency and amount of foods typically consumed by the research subjects in the past 12 months. Those who ate more long-chain omega-3 fatty acids had a significantly reduced risk of large bowel cancer. In fact, the highest intake was linked to an almost 40% decreased cancer risk. Unfortunately, the greatly reduced risk was only seen in white research subjects and the scientists are trying to figure out what might account for the racial disparity.

“Experimental data have shown benefits of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids in colorectal carcinogenesis, ranging from reduced tumor growth, suppression of angiogenesis and inhibition of metastasis,” research leader Sangmi Kim, Ph.D., said in a statement to the press. “Our finding of inverse association between dietary intakes of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids and distal large bowel cancer in white participants adds additional support to the hypothesis.”

These new studies linking natural substances to colon cancer prevention are part of a growing body of evidence indicating dietary measures can fight this kind of cancer successfully. For example, as NaturalNews has previously reported, the disease is primarily linked to the typical Western diet so avoiding processed food and trans fats can go far to prevent it. What’s more, blueberries have been shown to slash the risk of colon cancer by 57%  and apples contain natural phytochemicals that have a protective effect against colon cancer  too.

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That New-Car Smell May Be Toxic

January 25, 2010

AOL

By Kirk Seaman

For many, the new-car smell is a bonus that comes with buying a new vehicle — an olfactory reward to enjoy each time the owner slides behind the wheel.

That smell, however, also could make them — and their passengers — sick.

That’s because the plastics and textiles used in vehicle interiors contain a number of harmful chemicals, including antimony, bromine, chlorine, and lead. Repeated and concentrated exposure to any of these chemicals may contribute to a variety of acute and long-term health issues such as birth defects, impaired learning, liver toxicity, and cancer.

Not only are vehicle occupants exposed to these chemicals by breathing, but frequent exposure to the sun’s heat and ultraviolet light can increase interior levels of these chemicals and possibly exacerbate their toxicity.

When these conditions combine with the fact that the average American spends almost two hours in a car every day, the potential exists for vehicle interiors to become a major source of indoor air pollution. Children, with their systems still developing, are most vulnerable to such exposure.

The visible evidence of chemicals being released into interiors is the film that sometimes appears on the inside of windshields. Known as “fogging,” this phenomenon occurs when chemicals in the materials of the interior evaporate and then condense on the windshield or windows. This process happens over time, but accelerates in high temperatures.To educate consumers, the Ecology Center, a nonprofit environmental advocacy group located in Ann Arbor, Mich., has been publishing a guide to toxic chemicals in cars since 2007.

“Our first guide reported results from more than 200 models from the 2006 and 2007 model years, representing 12 different manufacturers,” said Jeff Gearhart, research director for the Ecology Center. “We found concentrations of some toxic chemicals were, on average, five to ten times higher than those found in homes and offices.”

Experts at the Ecology Center test vehicles with a portable X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) device which can identify the elemental composition of any material. “We test a number of components, including the seats, the dashboard, and headliner,” said Mr. Gearhart. “These large components represent major sources of the chemicals we are concerned about.”

Since its first report, the Ecology Center has worked with auto manufacturers to use less-toxic materials in vehicle interiors. Based on the findings in its most recent guide, available online at HealthyStuff.org, the efforts seem to be working. “The scores have improved each year, and for 2009, the Chevrolet Cobalt was our best overall vehicle,” said Gearhart. “This marks the first time a car built in the United States by a U.S.-owned company has earned this distinction.”The Cobalt tested with the least amount of toxic chemicals in its interior plastics and textiles, earning it a rating of 0.7 on the center’s scale. The scale awards a rating of 0.0 to a vehicle with no detectable levels of objectionable chemicals; the worst offender gets a rating of 5.0. (The Cobalt’s corporate cousin, the 2009 Pontiac G5, earned a rating of 0.6, but it is no longer available.) The vehicle with the worst rating on the 2009 list was the South Korean–built Chevrolet Aveo, which earned a rating of 4.9.

“We’re pleased with the Cobalt’s performance in this guide,” said Doug Pickett, engineering group manager for materials engineering at General Motors. “The fact that six of the best vehicles by type are from G.M. shows that this issue has been important to us for a while.”

While the Cobalt received top honors, Mr. Pickett explained that the Aveo’s poor showing was the result of that car’s reliance on older materials technology. “As a vehicle moves through its product cycle, we are able to incorporate less toxic materials into its updated design,” he said. “This shows we are listening to our customers and that what is important to them, like less toxic interiors, is important to us.”

Working with automotive suppliers and the plastics industry has proved essential to G.M. and other manufacturers in developing and manufacturing plastics that contain less-harmful chemicals. “Rather than dictate how to formulate plastics, we provide a list of more than a hundred chemicals banned in our vehicles, including formaldehyde and Class 1 carcinogens such as benzene,” said Mr. Pickett. “This approach helps ensure the plastic is safe and remains safe throughout its life cycle.”

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Central Banks Involved With Robbing Middle Classes

January 22, 2010

Zero Hedge

By Tyler Durden

We apologize in advance for the NY Magazine-style headline, but this is a report that has to be read by all Senators who are preparing to reconfirm Bernanke for a second term. When voting for the Chairman, be aware that all of America will now look at you as the perpetrators who are encouraging the greatest inter and intra-generational theft to continue, and as prescribed by Newton 3rd law, sooner or later, an appropriate reaction will come from the very same middle class that you are seeking to doom into a state of perpetual penury and a declining standard of living.

America spoke in Massachusetts, and will speak again very soon if you do not send the appropriate signal that you have heard its anger – Do Not Reconfirm Bernanke.

You have been warned.

We present Albert Edwards’ latest in its complete form as it must be read by all unabridged and without commentary. These are not the deranged ramblings of a fringe blogger – this is a chief strategist for a major international bank.

 
Theft! Were the US & UK central banks complicit in robbing the middle classes?Mr Bernanke’s in-house Fed economists have found that the Fed wasn’t responsible for the boom which subsequently turned into the biggest bust since the 1930s. Are those the same Fed staffers whose research led Mr Bernanke to assert in Oct. 2005 that “there was no housing bubble to go bust”? The reasons for the US and the UK central banks inflating the bubble range from incompetence and negligence to just plain spinelessness. Let me propose an alternative thesis. Did the US and UK central banks collude with the politicians to ‘steal’ their nations’ income growth from the middle classes and hand it to the very rich?

Ben Bernanke?s recent speech at the American Economic Association made me feel sick. Like Alan Greenspan, he is still in denial. The pigmies that populate the political and monetary elites prefer to genuflect to the court of public opinion in a pathetic attempt to deflect blame from their own gross and unforgivable incompetence.

The US and UK have seen a huge rise in inequality over the last two decades, as growth in national income has been diverted almost exclusively to the top income earners (see chart below). The middle classes have seen median real incomes stagnate over that period and, as a consequence, corporate margins and profits have boomed.

Some recent reading has got me thinking as to whether the US and UK central banks were actively complicit in an aggressive re-distributive policy benefiting the very rich. Indeed, it has been amazing how little political backlash there has been against the stagnation of ordinary people?s earnings in the US and UK. Did central banks, in creating housing bubbles, help distract middle class attention from this re-distributive policy by allowing them to keep consuming via equity extraction? The emergence of extreme inequality might never otherwise have been tolerated by the electorate (see chart below). And now the bubbles have burst, along with central banks? credibility, what now?

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Government Asks To Raise Debt Limit to $14.3 Trillion

January 22, 2010

Bloomberg

By Alison Fitzgerald and James Rowley

The U.S. debt limit would be raised by $1.9 trillion to $14.29 trillion under an amendment proposed in the Senate.

The chamber began debate yesterday on raising the debt ceiling for the fifth time in two years after lower tax revenue from the recession and higher stimulus spending boosted the calendar-year budget deficit to an all-time high last year.

“If Congress does not enact this legislation, and soon, then the Treasury would default on its debt for the first time in history,” said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, a Montana Democrat.

The White House in a statement urged lawmakers to pass the measure. “Such an increase is critically important to make sure that financing of federal government operations can continue without interruption,” it said.

The proposed ceiling would probably allow the Treasury to continue its borrowing until next year, said Michael Feroli, an economist at JPMorgan Chase & Co. in New York.

Congress passed a short-term increase in the debt limit to $12.39 trillion last month after a group of senators, led by Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad of North Dakota, refused to vote on a longer-term extension unless Congress created a commission to study deficit reduction.

The Obama administration reached a tentative accord with congressional Democrats to create a version of the panel by executive order, House aides said. The agreement was negotiated by House Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland and Vice President Joseph Biden, said one of the House staffers. The aides commented on condition of anonymity.

Vote in Congress

The proposal by Conrad and Republican Senator Judd Gregg of New Hampshire would require Congress to vote on the commission’s recommendations without making any changes. With a commission created by presidential order, congressional leaders would promise to bring its proposals to a vote although such a vote wouldn’t be required by law.

A commission appointed by the president would be “a backup” if Senate sponsors can’t get the votes to pass “what we think makes the most sense,” a panel created by Congress, Conrad told reporters. He said he didn’t expect to win approval of his proposal, which Baucus opposed in a speech on the Senate floor.

Gregg told reporters that the proposal to create a commission by executive order was “a very cynical act by the administration” that “is by definition partisan and the whole purpose” is to have a bipartisan body.

“There is no way you can require a vote” by Congress so “it’s a nothing-burger,” Gregg said.

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