Obama: Immigration reform will get done by end of presidency

The Hill, By Justin Sink, February 14, 2014

President Obama predicted that Congress would pass an immigration reform bill before the end of his presidency in a Univision Radio interview airing Friday.

“I believe it will get done before my presidency is over,” the president said. “I’d like to get it done this year.”

While the Senate passed a comprehensive immigration bill in a bipartisan vote last year, efforts in the House had faltered. Republican leaders earlier this year outlined a series of principles that appeared to indicate they were open to pursuing immigration reform. 

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Obama moving on minimum wage hike

The Hill, Justin Sink, February 12, 2014

President Obama will sign an executive order formally raising the minimum wage for federal workers during an event Wednesday at the White House.

The move, first announced during the State of the Union address, will raise the minimum wage for federal workers hired under new contracts to $10.10 per hour. It will also raise the tipped minimum wage to $4.90 from $2.13 per year, with an escalator clause that will increase that amount in subsequent years.

Obama will also press Congress to match the executive order with an equivalent hike to the federal minimum wage, the White House said Tuesday. According to a source familiar with the event, the president will appear alongside workers who are paid at or just above the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.

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The Hill: House GOP takes fresh aim at ObamaCare

The House plans to take fresh aim at ObamaCare when it returns next week, with a vote on legislation to address security concerns within the new federal insurance exchange website.

In a memo to Republican lawmakers on Thursday, Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said he would schedule a vote on a proposal to require the government to notify individuals if their personal information has been compromised on HealthCare.gov.

Cantor cited the recent data breach at Target in which hackers gained access to the financial information of millions of customers, and he pointed to a study by the credit report bureau Experian warning that the healthcare industry would be the most susceptible to data breaches in 2014.Obamaca

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House Republicans will kick off the second session of the 113th Congress next week by voting on another bill to undercut the president’s health care law.

In a memo sent to Republican colleagues on Thursday, Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., announced that the chamber would take up a measure next week to “strengthen security requirements” on the error-plagued HealthCare.gov website and “require prompt notification in the event of a breach involving personal information.”

READ THE ARTICLE HERE.