Treasury calls on Congress to raise debt limit, begins steps to delay default

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Thursday began taking “extraordinary measures” to delay the U.S. government from defaulting on its obligations, as he called on House Speaker Paul Ryan to lift the debt ceiling “at its first opportunity.” Mnuchin, in a letter to Ryan , said Treasury was now suspending the sale of certain state and local securities, a practice the federal government normally performs to assist with tax policies.

European Stocks Called Higher As Markets Get Boost From U.S. Government Focus

European stocks are expected to open higher Tuesday as investors take a Republican party plan to repeal ‘Obamacare’ as a sign the administration is shifting focus towards firmer policy objectives. European stocks are expected to open higher Tuesday, following a solid session in Asia, as investors take a Republican party plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act as a sign that the administration is shifting focus towards firmer policy objectives.

House GOP Finally Puts Out Repeal Plan

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., plans to send the bill to the House floor for a vote and then forward it to the Senate by the beginning of April. Employers would no longer face a tax for offering high-value “Cadillac” health plans under the latest House Republican plan to repeal and replace Obamacare.

Bank CEOs Ask Lawmakers to Ease Capital Rules, Allow Higher Fees

Chief executives at the biggest U.S. regional banks are asking U.S. lawmakers to consider easing capital requirements and repeal part of the Dodd-Frank financial overhaul that caps fees banks charge retailers on debit-card transactions. Regional banks don’t pose risks to the financial system that have caused concern among policymakers, executives of 18 banks said in a Feb. 13 letter to the top Republican and Democratic lawmakers in Congress.

GOP Leaders Embrace Trump’s Border Wall But Split on Details

Republican leaders are finally climbing on board President Donald Trump’s plan for a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border — and they say they’re ready to spend as much as $15 billion to build it. House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell both suggested Thursday that, after months of studiously ignoring the border wall proposal, they’re now ready to act on the wall as part of a spending request they expect from Trump that would help jump-start construction.

What Does 2017 Hold for Medicare?

Medicare faces substantial uncertainty in 2017, as the incoming Trump administration has already promised to make major healthcare reforms. Although the president said during his campaign that he would not make cuts to Medicare, members of his cabinet and lawmakers in Congress might well see things differently.

U.S. House Votes to Begin Repealing Obamacare

U.S. House Republicans on Friday won passage of a measure starting the process of dismantling Obamacare, despite concerns about not having a ready replacement and the potential financial cost of repealing repealing Democratic President Barack Obama’s landmark health insurance law. The House of Representatives voted 227-198 to instruct committees to draft legislation by a target date of Jan. 27 that would repeal the 2010 Affordable Health Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare.

Trump, Ryan Set the Stage for Tax Reform Overhaul

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan will meet on Monday with top members of President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team to discuss their 2017 tax reform agenda, a senior Republican aide said. Ryan and his policy staff are expected to walk the Trump team members through the “Better Way” tax reform blueprint that the speaker and other House Republican leaders unveiled last June, the aide said.