Congressional Republicans are pressing forward with plans this week to repeal the Affordable Care Act using budget reconciliation. That allows lawmakers to fast-track legislation dealing with spending or revenue. Republicans control the Senate with 52 votes. A reconciliation bill there needs a simple majority to pass.
The National Federation of Independent Business said its optimism index for December rose 7.4 to 105.8. Economists expected 99.6. Small-business owners have been happy since the presidential election. In November, the index rose above its 42-year average of 98. The December gain exceeded the recent cycle high of 100.3 from late 2014 for the first time. Most of the December improvement came from the “expectations” components. A net 50% of respondents expect the economy to improve, up 12 points from November, and a net 31% expect sales volumes to increase, up 20 points. Owners also increasingly say “now is a good time to expand.
The Labor Department reports there were 5.5 million openings for November. That was 1.3% higher than October. New hires rose 1.1% to 5.2 million. Quits also rose, to 3.1 million.
Serving the West Side first, I am Bill Roller of BR Capital for 1360 KUIK.
