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Obama: GOP leaders 'obstruct our progress'

WASHINGTON, July 17 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama Saturday said Senate Republican leaders "too often … filibuster our recovery and obstruct our progress."

In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama noted many U.S. corporations reported "robust earning" during the past week but said small businesses still face tight credit and the long-term unemployed "still wonder how they'll make ends meet" in the worst recession since the Great Depression.

He said his administration and congressional Democrats have been trying for months "to take new, commonsense steps to help small businesses, grow our economy, and create jobs."

"But too often, the Republican leadership in the United States Senate chooses to filibuster our recovery and obstruct our progress," he said. "And that has very real consequences."

Noting that small businesses are responsible for creating two out of every three new jobs, Obama said the administration has proposed helping small businesses obtain loans and capital.

"But again and again, a partisan minority in the Senate said 'no,' and used procedural tactics to block a simple, up-or-down vote," Obama said.

He said Senate Republicans have used the filibuster three times to block extending unemployment insurance -- resulting in a cutoff of benefits to more than 2 million people during the past several weeks.

"And every day this goes on, another 50,000 Americans lose that badly needed lifeline," he said.

The president said extending credit to small businesses and renewing unemployment insurance "aren't just the right thing to do for those hardest hit by the recession -- they're the right thing to do for all of us."

"And I'm calling on Congress once more to take these steps on behalf of America's workers, and families, and small business owners -- the people we were sent here to serve," he said.

GOP attacks recess appointment of Berwick

WASHINGTON, July 17 (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, R.-Kan., slammed President Obama's recess appointment of Dr. Donald Berwick to lead the federal agency overseeing Medicare and Medicaid.

Roberts, speaking Saturday in the weekly Republican radio and Internet address, said the recess appointment of Berwick while the Senate was on vacation over the July 4 holiday bypasses public hearings Americans deserve on such a key post.

"It is ironic that the president chose Independence Day for this action, avoiding the Senate's Constitutional check on executive power, to appoint Dr. Berwick," Roberts said.

"Without a public confirmation hearing on Dr. Berwick's nomination, the Senate and the American people do not have the opportunity to learn about the man who will control one-third of all healthcare spending in America."

Roberts also repeated GOP criticisms of healthcare reform and statements by Berwick, a Harvard University professor, including his remark that healthcare funding plans should redistribute wealth from the richer to the poorest.

"Well, the obvious fear is Dr. Berwick will in fact use this position to redistribute the wealth in our country, cementing 'Obamacare' as a giant, but stealthy, income-transfer machine," Roberts said.

Roberts noted Max Baucus, D-Mont., whose Finance Committee has jurisdiction over the health post and would normally have hearings, had complained he was "troubled" by use of the recess appointment instead of standard Senate confirmation.

"I could not agree more with my Democrat colleague," said Roberts, a member of the Finance Committee as well as the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

"We urge the president to reconsider his recess appointment of Dr. Berwick and encourage the Finance Committee to at least hold a public hearing now.

"The president's healthcare plan -- the most sweeping overhaul of healthcare in our lifetime -- cannot be implemented behind closed doors. This is a warning! Your healthcare and the care of your loved ones now hangs in the balance. Americans deserve answers."

Obama defended the appointment of Berwick as head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in an NBC interview that aired Friday.

The president said he made his first recess appointment because it was too important to be delayed by "political games."

"There have been more delays, obstruction and stalling when it comes to just appointing people to run the day-to-day aspects of Washington than any president has experienced in history," Obama said. "I can't play political games with the Senate on these issues. I've got a government to run."

Militants kill 18 civilians in Pakistan

PARACHINAR, Pakistan, July 17 (UPI) -- Suspected militants killed 18 civilians when they opened fire on vehicles being escorted by security forces in tribal Pakistan Saturday, witnesses said.

The convoy was headed to the northwestern city of Peshawar from Parachinar, where the army has killed nearly 100 militants in the past two months, Pakistan's Dawn News reported.

"Militants attacked the last two vehicles in the convoy with automatic weapons near Char Khel village, killing 18 people," said Jamshed Tori, who was wounded in the attack.

A tribal leader, Mussrat Bangash, said two women were among the dead.

Violence has worsened recently after a lull even as the government claims major inroads against insurgents in the militant stronghold South Waziristan bordering Afghanistan.

The road between Kurram and Peshawar often is closed because of military operations, forcing people to go through Afghanistan to travel to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province and its capital, Peshawar.

Australian P.M. calls election

CANBERRA, Australia, July 17 (UPI) -- Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, saying she wants a mandate from the voters, called Saturday for a parliamentary election in August.

She visited Governor General Quentin Bryce to ask him to schedule the election for Aug. 21, The Australian reported. Bryce, as the representative of Queen Elizabeth II, is the head of the Australian state.

Gillard, the first woman prime minister in Australia, got the office in June after challenging her predecessor, Kevin Rudd, for leadership of the Labor Party.

Some still see her ascension as a coup. After her news conference, Gillard passed Rudd supporters holding a banner: "We want Kev the people's PM."

Gillard said Australians have a clear choice in the upcoming election.

"This election is about the choice as to whether we move Australia forward or go back," she said.

Tony Abbott, head of the opposition Coalition, addressing a Liberal Nationals conference in Brisbane, attacked Gillard, saying her weeks in office have been "chaotic." Abbott said the Coalition is "ready to govern" but also tried to put some daylight between the last Coalition prime minister, John Howard, and the current leadership.