Class Simulation: The U.S. Senate

1. Class Simulation:The U.S. Senate

2. Leadership of the 112th Senate • President pro-tem. Daniel Inouye - Michal Bisaha • Majority Leader Harry Reid - Konrad Balla • Majority Whip Dick Durbin - Martina Konecna • Minority Leader Mitch McConnell - Daniela Novakova • Minority Whip Jon Kyl - Miroslav Krsko

3. Members of the Foreign Affairs Comm. Chair John Kerry (D) - Maria Mat’avkova Ranking Member Richard Lugar (R) - Lukas Schmidt Robert Casey Jr. (D) - Petra Karaskova Bob Corker (R) - Terezia Pisiova Jim DeMint (R) - Adriana Semanova Dick Durbin (D) -Martina Konecna Mitch McConnell (R) - Daniela Novakova Harry Reid (D) - Konrad Balla Jeanne Shaheen (D) - Linda Kupcova Jim Webb (D) - Monika Izakova

4. Pending Resolution: Foreign Affairs • Senate Resolution 3: To condemn the President for committing the U.S. military in Libya without obtaining authorization from the U.S. Congress, in contravention of both the Constitution and the War Powers Act of 1974. • Senate Bill 14 – To amend War Powers Act to provide the president with flexibility to act in humanitarian crises. • Senate Bill 15 – To eliminate the War Powers Act so the president must get a formal declaration of war from Congress.

5. Members of the Budget Committee Chair Kent Conrad (D)- David Hric Ranking Member Jeff Sessions (R)- L’udovit Petrzala John Cornyn (R)- Ratislav Gulika Daniel Inouye (D) - Michal Bisaha Jon Kyl (R) - Miroslav Krsko Rob Portman (R)- Monika Soltesova Patty Murray (D) - Barbara Tholtova Bernie Sanders (D)- Laura Lickova Debbie Stabenow (D) - Denisa Pussova

6. Pending Legislation: Budget • Senate Bill 9 – “Path to Prosperity” bill passed by the House. Authored by Paul Ryan, it cuts $4 trillion over the next decade, mostly in social spending. It includes a tax cut. • Senate Bill 10 – Federal Budget 2012 by the White House. It saves $1.1 trillion over the next decade; most from cuts but also reversing the 2001 & 2003 tax cuts for the highest earners.

7. Pres. Obama on the White House Plan • This … puts the nation on a path to live within our means so we can invest in our future – by cutting wasteful spending and making tough choices …while keeping the investments we need to grow the economy and create jobs [with] resources in areas critical to winning the future: education, innovation, clean energy, and infrastructure. • We are all Americans and are in this race together.

8. Rep. Ryan on the Ryan Plan • “This is a budget that creates economic growth. It is a budget to pay off our national debt. It is a budget to get our fiscal track on the right track.” • “The U.S. government is not running sustained deficits because Americans are taxed too little. The government is running deficits because it spends too much."

9. American Economic Concerns • “Public opinion polls show Americans want Congress to bring down the federal deficit, though without harming entitlements such as Medicare and Social Security or many discretionary spending programs. Yet it’s the expanding entitlement programs that pose the biggest threat to the government’s long-term fiscal standing, according to the Congressional Budget Office.” Bloomberg blog, 5 April 2011, www.bloomberg.com/news

10. American Concerns Grow Is the national economy getting better, getting worse, or staying about the same? • Getting Better 28% • About the Same 28% • Getting Worse 44% (highest in 2 years) Washington Post/ABC News polls taken after the budget compromise

11. Latest Obama Poll Ratings • Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling his job as president? APPROVE DISAPPROVE 17.4.11 47% 50% 13.3.11 51% 45% 16.1.11 54% 43% Washington Post/ABC News poll

12. 2012 Presidential Race – Early Polls “In a hypothetical match-up for the general election, the president runs ahead of all seven potential GOP rivals tested in the new poll.” • Republican activists report a desire for a candidate who will lead the attack on Obama’s policies. Washington Post, “Economic Anxiety Threatens Obama in 2012 but in poll he edges GOP rivals.” 19 April 2011.