Latest news with #Bipartisan
The Spinoff
06-08-2025
- Business
- The Spinoff
Lessons in bipartisanship from a de facto single-party state
At the national infrastructure conference, politicians from both major parties talked a big game about bipartisanship. But their actions tell a different story. The opening keynote at Infrastructure New Zealand's annual conference, Building Nations, was titled 'A Bipartisan Vision to Drive Infrastructure Investment'. It was a highly relevant headline. 'Bipartisanship' is the big buzzword in infrastructure right now. The speaker was Andrew Tan, a high-ranking civil servant in Singapore, talking about some of his country's major projects. That's right, New Zealand is learning about bipartisanship from a country that has had the same party in power since 1959. The second international address was by Dr Alex Katsanos, who spoke about the national infrastructure plan in his home country of Hong Kong. Yes, the place where only pro-Beijing 'patriots' are allowed to run for office and opposition parties have been barred from office and forced to disband. Both Singapore and Hong Kong are remarkable success stories of using infrastructure to support rapid economic growth. New Zealand can learn many things from them. Tan detailed Singapore's massive public housing programme, its urban greening and river cleanups. All highly commendable – but it wasn't achieved through bipartisanship. I asked Tan after his speech if it was ironic for New Zealand to look to Singapore for lessons on bipartisanship. He assured me that 'we do have an opposition, and it's growing stronger' [the Workers' Party currently has 12 of 99 seats in parliament, its largest-ever contingent] and the opposition supported the government's infrastructure programme. 'For Singapore, we've always seen the challenge as more external than internal, which is why it's necessary for us to have a very cohesive government, a cohesive society, and for everyone to work together.' Large infrastructure firms have consistently demanded more bipartisan long-term infrastructure planning. That's because big stuff takes a really long time to build. The infrastructure industry wants more certainty to know it can invest, hire staff and plan for the future. When politicians keep cancelling each other's projects, it creates a shock to the system and leaves less faith in the market. Both National and Labour have promised they're working on it. 'We are genuinely trying to achieve as much consensus on these big issues as we can,' said infrastructure minister Chris Bishop. Opposition infrastructure spokesperson Kieran McAnulty, sitting next to him on stage during an afternoon panel discussion, agreed. 'The stop-start-stop-start, we've got to end it.' The problem is that it is easy to say your opponents should be bipartisan in supporting your ideas. It's harder to agree to support your opponents' ideas. Both parties have been highly ideological in their infrastructure decisions. In 2017, the incoming Labour-led government scrapped a series of major highways. In 2023, the incoming National-led government scrapped light rail in Auckland and Wellington and the iRex project for new Interislander ferries. When I asked Bishop about this after his speech, he said, 'Those particular projects – that we campaigned on cancelling – actually, most people think were too expensive, unaffordable, unconsentable and unbuildable.' Which is entirely fair from a political standpoint; the government has the mandate to cancel those projects. But it's not bipartisanship either. Labour and the Greens may have been happy to negotiate a reset of those projects, but they certainly didn't want them scrapped. It's not just about big attention-grabbing projects. The industry leaders in the room were more frustrated about the 212 Kāinga Ora housing projects and 100 school builds the government has cancelled since 2023, disrupting a pipeline of contracts and employment that many businesses thought they could rely on. Bishop was asked about this twice, once in a media standup and once on stage by moderator Katie Bradford. Both times, he obfuscated, pointing out that Kāinga Ora built more homes in 2024 than 2023 – but not admitting any fault or even acknowledging that the cancellations happened. Labour MPs were willing to acknowledge some mistakes. McAnulty said some of the 2017 projects shouldn't have been cancelled. Chris Hipkins admitted Auckland Light Rail had become a mess and his government overestimated how much they could do in a three-year term. Of course, it's much easier to admit failures when you're in opposition, but it left Bishop in the awkward position of arguing that the two sides needed to meet in the middle, while maintaining that his government had never done anything wrong and was right to cancel all the other side's projects. Hipkins complained about the government's empty rhetoric: 'The current government believes that bipartisanship means saying what they're going to do and then telling everybody else they have to agree with it.' He said Labour had attempted to compromise by attending the government's Infrastructure Investment Summit in March, with some caveats around the use of Public-Private-Partnerships, 'and then we had our attempts to compromise manipulated, misrepresented and used to attack us by the current government. That isn't going to create an environment where bipartisanship is going to be embraced and is going to be endured.' Bishop insists his issue isn't a matter of cars vs trams, it's about good project selection and management – 'we've got to make sure we're building the right projects at the right time'. But he's also a highly opinionated guy whose definition of 'the right projects' is highly correlated to the party whose idea it was. That's not to excuse Labour either. In government, it had a particularly bad record of excluding the opposition from decision-making, to the extent that National had no idea how much the iRex project had blown out until it received a post-election update from Treasury. Given their track records, neither party's words are worth too much. McAnulty and Bishop sat on stage together in front of a huge room of executives who were braying for bipartisanship and promised them exactly what they asked for. But it's hard not to believe both would prefer to govern more like Singapore.
New York Times
10-07-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Congress to propose NIL guidelines in new college sports compensation bill
A bill designed to end ambiguity surrounding name, image and likeness (NIL), establish professional guidelines for agents and protect collegiate leagues from antitrust lawsuits received a strong endorsement from a bipartisan group of nine congressional representatives Thursday. The Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements (SCORE) Act, which was introduced in the Energy and Commerce subcommittee, prevents athletes from obtaining employee status. But in many ways, the act is the first step in establishing a bill of rights for athletes. Advertisement It officially ends any administrative restrictions to athletes' NIL compensation within limits, but it allows schools and conferences to establish what is — and isn't — permissible. Should the federal legislation pass, it would override current state NIL laws, which vary from border to border. 'College athletics are a vital part of American culture, and it's clear — from both student-athletes and universities — that a national framework is long overdue,' Florida Republican Gus Bilirakis, who chairs the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, said in a statement. '(The SCORE Act) delivers the stability, clarity and transparency that stakeholders have been calling for.' The bill guarantees each school can share up to 22 percent of the average annual college sports revenue from the 70 highest-earning institutions with athletes, which was established last month in the House settlement. For athletes, schools are required to provide legal advice pertaining to NIL plus support for financial literacy, taxes, academics, substance abuse and sexual violence prevention. In addition, the bill requires schools to furnish medical care, including all out-of-pocket expenses for injuries incurred for at least three years following graduation or program separation. Schools are also required to guarantee financial aid to athletes wishing to return to school to obtain a degree after leaving the institution before graduation. 'Student-athletes have consistently asked for meaningful reform — and this legislation is a step toward delivering on that request,' NCAA senior vice president of external affairs Tim Buckley said in a statement. 'The NCAA has made long-overdue changes, mandating health and wellness benefits and ushering in a new system for Division I programs to provide up to 50 percent of athletic department revenue to student-athletes, but some of the most important changes can only come from Congress. Advertisement 'This bill reflects many student-athletes' priorities, and the NCAA is committed to working with Congress to build a bipartisan path forward that ensures the long-term success of college sports and the ongoing opportunities they provide to young people.' The multilayered, 30-page bill defines an agent 'as a non-family member who represents athletics for NIL or other financial agreements.' Any agent not registered 'may only assist' athletes with endorsements and must receive written consent for such assistance. The bill calls for a 5 percent cap on agent compensation. With compliance, conferences are exempt from antitrust lawsuits. The bill allows for the conferences to establish and enforce rules that require athletes to disclose NIL contracts. In turn, it empowers conferences through the College Sports Commission to require athletes to disclose third-party NIL deals worth more than $600. The CSC, which is known as NIL Go, could also reject those deals. 'As the mom of a DI athlete, I've seen firsthand how important — and how long overdue — it was to allow our student-athletes to earn their fair share,' Congresswoman Janelle Bynum (D-OR) said in a statement. 'The NIL marketplace in college sports is currently operating like the Wild Wild West. This legislation takes important steps towards adding guardrails that guarantee that all student-athletes can earn fair compensation, access a complete and quality education, and develop the skills they need to succeed in life after sports. If ratified and signed, the bill would go into effect on July 1, 2026. (Photo of the U.S. Capitol: Drew Angerer/ Getty Images)
Fox News
11-06-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Republican senator teams up with Democrat to push $15 per hour minimum wage plus annual inflation increases
Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Peter Welch, D-Vt., are pushing legislation that would hike the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour and provide for annual increases to account for inflation. The proposal would implement a dramatic increase from the current $7.25 per hour federal minimum wage, which has been in place for more than 15 years. "For decades, working Americans have seen their wages flatline. One major culprit of this is the failure of the federal minimum wage to keep up with the economic reality facing hardworking Americans every day. This bipartisan legislation would ensure that workers across America benefit from higher wages," Hawley said, according to press releases from both lawmakers. The purchasing power of the U.S. dollar has eroded significantly over the years due to inflation. Under the proposed legislation, the yearly increases to the initial $15 per hour federal minimum wage would be based on "the percentage increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (or a successor index), as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics" and would be "rounded to the nearest multiple of $0.05, if the amount … is not a multiple of $0.05." "We're in the midst of a severe affordability crisis, with families in red and blue states alike struggling to afford necessities like housing and groceries. A stagnant federal minimum wage only adds fuel to the fire. Every hardworking American deserves a living wage that helps put a roof over their head and food on the table–$7.25 an hour doesn't even come close," Welch said, according to the releases. "Times have changed, and working families deserve a wage that reflects today's financial reality. I'm proud to lead this bipartisan effort to raise the minimum wage nationwide to help more folks make ends meet," the senator added. In post on X, conservative commentator Dana Loesch decried the idea of raising the federal minimum wage, pushing back against Hawley's advocacy for the policy. "This is a horrible, progressive idea," Loesch asserted in the tweet.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Top Republican Flames Musk for Pushing GOP ‘Off the Cliff'
Nebraska GOP Rep. Don Bacon blamed billionaire Elon Musk for bankrolling the Republican party to a point of no return amid the former 'First Buddy's' very public spat with President Donald Trump. Bacon—who has publicly opposed Trump's handling of the Russia-Ukraine war, tariffs, Signalgate, and cuts to the United States Agency for International Development—told the New York Times he refuses to follow his party 'off the cliff' and into oblivion. Bacon pointed the finger at Musk for using his money to muscle his way into politics, saying the Tesla CEO used his financial hold over Republicans to tank a bipartisan spending bill that would have averted a government shutdown in December. 'I sort of blame him for that disaster,' Bacon, 61, said. Bacon was the sole House Republican to vote 'no' on renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. However, he did vote 'yes' to shuffle Trump's 'big beautiful bill' to its next phase. Upon voting, Bacon announced that the bill, though 'not perfect,' 'delivers for Nebraskans.' 'I don't like voting 'no,'' Bacon said. 'I like fixing things.' He added that he does what Trump 'has done' at the Southern Border. 'I have no problem with that,' he said. With Musk on the outs with Trump, Bacon said it's an opportunity to 'fight for the soul of our party,' 'I don't want to be the guy who follows the flute player off the cliff. I think that's what's going on right now,' Bacon said, comparing his numerous breaks from party lines to Winston Churchill condemning Adolf Hitler in the 1930s. Bacon added, 'Winston Churchill, who is one of my heroes, he was very unpopular 1932 through '40 because he was anti-Nazi. But in 1940, they go, 'Who was the only guy that knew what was going on?'' Shooting down any talk of campaigning to take the top job for himself as president, Bacon instead put the buzz out that he'd like to go into intelligence. 'If I had a perfect lane, someday I'd love to work in an administration as director of intelligence or secretary of Defense or Air Force,' he said. He added, 'I'd rather go down in history as being on the right side of this stuff.' The Daily Beast has reached out to Elon Musk for comment on Bacon's remarks.
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Business Standard
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Meeting with India's delegation 'outstanding': US Congressman McCormick
US Congressman and co-chair of the India Caucus, Rich McCormick, said that the meeting with India's all-party delegation was "outstanding" and they shared great ideas. He said that he is looking forward to the future of the two nations. Speaking to reporters, McCormick said that India and the US will be allies and friends. He made the remarks following the India Caucus chairs and vice chairs meeting with an all-party delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. After meeting the all-party delegation, he said, "We expected an outstanding delegation meeting, and it was exactly that. We shared great ideas, we have great synergy, and I'm looking forward to the future of our nations." On India-US ties, he said, "We are not just gonna be friends. We are gonna be allies. The future of the world depends on it." Congressman and Bipartisan co-chair of the India Caucus in the House of Representatives, Ro Khanna, said that the all-party delegation represented India's multi-parties and pluralism with many faiths and they were united that the terrorist act of Pakistan cannot stand. He said, "It was an wonderful delegation because it represented India's pluralism with many faiths, they represented India's multi-parties and they were here unified that the terrorist act of Pakistan cannot stand and the United States has a bipartisan commitment to the India relationship and standing with India to dismantle these terrorist networks in Pakistan." The all-party parliamentary delegation, led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, met with Bipartisan co-chairs Ro Khanna and Rich McCormick, as well as vice co-chairs Andy Barr and Marc Veasey, on Wednesday. Speaking to reporters, Tharoor said that US Congressmen had very strong support and understanding for India's position on the Pahalgam terrorist attack and the events that followed. He said that McCormick was very upbeat about the future of India-US ties, the economy and global strategic issues. After meeting Khanna, McCormick, Barr and Veasey, Tharoor said, "Mr McCormick is not only understanding of what we had to tell him, but he was very upbeat about the future of India-US relations across the board, the economy, global strategic issues, and so this particular problem we started off discussing was part of a much larger picture, which we are very excited to hear the kind of vision that the India Caucus chairs have for the future of our relationship." Tharoor also talked about the support received by the delegation from other Congressmen. He said, "A strong message from the other Congressmen who are also here, who just left the room. So, we've had very strong support and understanding for our position on this terrible, terrible tragedy (Pahalgam attack) and the events that followed. So, we're leaving this room very happy with the conversation." During the meeting with Ro Khanna, Rich McCormick, Andy Barr, and Marc Veasey, the parliamentary delegation briefed the Caucus members on the cross-border terrorism faced by India and India's strong and resolute stance against terrorism. The delegation led by Tharoor comprises Members of Parliament from across the political spectrum, reflecting India's vibrant and inclusive democratic character. The delegation comprises Sarfaraz Ahmad, Ganti Harish Madhur, Shashank Mani Tripathi, Bhubaneswar Kalita, Tejasvi Surya, and former Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu. The Indian Embassy in the US said that Congressmen expressed strong support for India's right to respond to terrorism in the spirit of zero tolerance against terrorism. The Caucus members hailed the strong strategic partnership between India and the US. In a post on X, the Indian Embassy in the US stated, "Bipartisan co-chairs @RoKhanna & @RepMcCormick and vice co-chairs @RepAndyBarr & @RepVeasey of India Caucus in the House of Representatives met with the visiting Parliamentary delegation led by @ShashiTharoor today." "The parliamentary delegation briefed the Caucus members on the cross-border terrorism faced by India and India's strong and resolute stance in the fight against terror. The Congressmen expressed unequivocal and bipartisan condemnation for the terror attack in Pahalgam. They expressed support for India's right to respond to terrorism in the spirit of zero tolerance against terrorism. The Caucus members also hailed the strong strategic partnership between India and USA," it added. The all-party delegation reached Washington, DC on Wednesday to engage with key US stakeholders. The Indian Embassy in the US posted on X from its official handle that the delegation will meet members of the US Congress, including the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, House Foreign Affairs Committee. The delegation will also hold discussions with academicians from leading think tanks and various media outlets. The delegation will speak at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in Washington, DC. Additionally, the delegation will interact with members of the Indian diaspora during their visit, further strengthening community ties. The delegation aims to brief key stakeholders in the US on Operation Sindoor, India's diplomatic initiative launched to counter terrorism and disinformation following recent terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir. Upon arrival, Tharoor was pleased to be greeted by two Indian-American police officers, Harmanpreet Singh and Hundal. Tharoor recorded an interview with CBS News at the Indian Embassy, followed by a briefing with Ambassador Vinay Kwatra and his team. The delegation reached the US after concluding their visit to Belgium. The diplomatic effort is part of India's broader global outreach following Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7 as a military response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists, which claimed the lives of 26 people and injured several others. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
