Supreme Court sustains health care act

The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Obama administration’s Affordable Care Act. The decision was five to four, with Chief Justice John Roberts voting with four of the court’s more liberal justices. Their ruling found that the law’s controversial “individual mandate” clause, which requires individuals to buy health insurance or pay a fee, is constitutional. The administration called the fee a “penalty,” but the court said today that the fee is not a penalty, which would be unconstitutional, but rather a “tax,” which is constitutional. Wall Street estimated the decision would help hospital companies and insurance companies that focus on Medicaid.

 

 

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Supreme Court sustains health care act

Bank of America Expands Small Business Footprint in Washington With Hiring of More Than 30 Small Business Bankers

SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Jun. 26, 2012– Bank of America announced today that it has hired more than 30 small business bankers throughout the state of Washington to provide guidance and counsel to local small business owners. Ten of these hires are located in the Seattle metro area. These additions are part of the bank’s previously announced plan to hire approximately 1,000 small business bankers nationwide.

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Bank of America Expands Small Business Footprint in Washington With Hiring of More Than 30 Small Business Bankers

Milestone Reached for the Global Initiative to Establish a Legal Entity Identifier (LEI)

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Milestone Reached for the Global Initiative to Establish a Legal Entity Identifier (LEI)

Treasury and IRS Answer President Obama’s Call to Help Americans Manage Student Loan Debt

By: Sabrina Siddiqui
6/7/2012

Today, President Obama heads to the University of Nevada Las Vegas to discuss student loans. The President believes in creating an economy built to last that gives every hard working student a fair shot at developing the skills they need to find a good job by attending college, university, community college, or job training programs. To help put the cost of higher education within reach for more Americans, the President has taken action to cap monthly payments on student loans for responsible graduates who make their payments on time. Continuing to act, he will issue a Presidential Memorandum to streamline the process and improve information available to responsible borrowers about student loan repayment options. Answering the President’s call, Treasury and IRS will begin working on improving the application process for responsible borrowers.

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Treasury and IRS Answer President Obama’s Call to Help Americans Manage Student Loan Debt

Helping Atlanta Homeowners Avoid Foreclosure

By: U.S. Congressman David Scott

6/7/2012

Last week, in College Park, 1,478 homeowners attended the “Help for Homeowners Event” at the Georgia International Convention Center.  It was the fourth time the Obama Administration has sponsored an event for struggling homeowners in the Atlanta area.  In total, 8,065 homeowners have been helped at events in Metropolitan Atlanta, and more than 275,000 families in the area have received assistance through government and mortgage servicer programs.

I attended this event to hear directly from homeowners about their experiences and to talk with community leaders about ways to help federal programs reach more families struggling with their mortgages.  Almost 570 real estate agents and housing counselors participated in free seminars about the Administration’s programs to help homeowners prevent foreclosure.  Dozens of mortgage representatives from about 20 banks and 50 representatives from local HUD-approved housing counseling agencies also met with homeowners.  The Georgia Department of Community Affairs helped more than 200 homeowners learn about HomeSafe Georgia, Georgia’s program through Treasury’s Hardest Hit Fund, which provides up to 18 months of mortgage payment assistance while a homeowner is looking for work.

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Helping Atlanta Homeowners Avoid Foreclosure