Economy & Small Business
The Atlantic - Nora Kelly
When Americans go to the ballot box, they expect the congressional candidates they support to take their interests to the Hill—to fight for the political issues and programs they prefer with an enthusiasm and dedication that’s deeply personal. That doesn’t always happen. But in the last year or so, members of Congress responded to what one member called a “constituent-driven movement” to rally around the National Institutes of Health and the biomedical research it funds.
Bloomberg - Erik Wasson
A proposal to switch to a two-year fiscal cycle is pitting House appropriators and Budget Committee members against a majority of House members, some of whom who have argued the current annual process is ineffective and wasteful.
The fight over two-year budgeting comes as the House embarks on a rewrite this year of the 1974 Budget Act, which governs the annual spending process.
The Oklahoman - Stephen Prescott, M.D.
For the sake of Oklahoma's energy sector, let's hope the New Year brings a bump in oil and gas prices. But even if that doesn't happen, there are still plenty of economic silver linings to be found in the state.
In particular, the ongoing development of the bioscience sector has helped diversify our state's — and particular Oklahoma City's — economy. For 2016, here are five bioscience success stories that should just keep getting better.
Making cancer history
Since this spring, lawmakers have been hard at work sharing ideas and crafting legislation to responsibly fund the government. In the House of Representatives, the process of fulfilling this critical function of government started with hearings and discussions in the 12 subcommittees of the Appropriations Committee. And this year—for the first time since 2009—all 12 funding bills were written, considered and passed out of full committee and six passed the entire House.
Tulsa World - Jackie Kouri
Everyone with a brain is at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. It’s that simple, and that dire.
As long as President Obama is in office and Republicans control Congress, the nation will remain in an era of divided government. Given our system of checks and balances, true negotiation must take place and real compromise must be reached to govern effectively. And like I’ve said on numerous occasions, neither side can ever get all that it wants in a negotiation. In fact, in a true negotiation you’ll always get less than you want and give up more than you’d like.