# data[].attributes.body
"The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States"

# data[].attributes.body
"To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years"

# data[].attributes.body
Regulate commerce with nations, among states and Indian tribes.

# data[].attributes.body
This is a setup for taxes in 2018 that congress made.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Text - H.R.1 - 115th Congress (2017-2018): An Act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to titles II and V of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Text for H.R.1 - 115th Congress (2017-2018): An Act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to titles II and V of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018.

# data[].attributes.body
Recent Use and Control of Military

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday said Congress would oppose U.S. military intervention in Venezuela and challenged the credibility of President Donald Trump's special envoy, Elliott Abrams, over his past embrace of American covert action.

The Democratic chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, Eliot Engel, expressed concern about Trump's hints that military action was an option in Venezuela, where President Nicolas Maduro is under intense international pressure to step aside and the country's economy is in chaos.

"I do worry about the president's saber rattling, his hints that U.S. military intervention remains an option. I want to make clear to our witnesses and to anyone else watching: U.S. military intervention is not an option," Engel told a hearing on the OPEC nation.

The head of Venezuela's National Assembly, Juan Guaido, invoked a constitutional provision to assume the presidency three weeks ago, arguing that Maduro's re-election last year was a sham.

Most Western countries, including the United States, have recognized Guaido as Venezuela's legitimate head of state, but Maduro's socialist government retains the backing of Russia and China, as well as control of state institutions including the military.

Under U.S. law, Congress - not the president - must approve foreign military action. At the hearing, Democrats on the committee pressed Abrams on his views on military intervention, but questions about his credibility provoked the most heated exchanges.

Abrams, an assistant secretary of state under President Ronald Reagan, was convicted in 1991 of withholding information from Congress during the Iran-Contra scandal, in which U.S. officials secretly facilitated the sale of arms to Iran and funneled the money to rebels fighting Nicaragua's leftist government. He was pardoned by President George H.W. Bush.

Representative Joaquin Castro asked Abrams if he was aware of any transfers of weapons or defense equipment by the U.S. government to groups in Venezuela opposed to Maduro. Abrams responded that he was not.

"I ask this question because you have a record of such actions," Castro said. "Can we trust your testimony today?"

Representative Ilhan Omar discussed U.S. support for anti-communists in Central America during the Cold War and cited Abrams' initial dismissal of reports of the 1981 El Mozote massacre in El Salvador as left-wing propaganda.

"Would you support an armed faction within Venezuela that engages in war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide if you believe they serve the U.S. interests as you did in Guatemala, El Salvador or Nicaragua?" Omar asked.

"I am not going to respond to that question," Abrams replied. He called her questioning a personal attack.

Abrams also drew intermittent outbursts from protesters at the hearing. "You are a convicted criminal!" one man shouted before being escorted out.

PRESSURE ON MADURO

Abrams said Washington would keep up pressure on Maduro and his inner circle by "a variety of means."

"But we will also provide off-ramps to those who will do what is right for the Venezuelan people," he said.

Engel warned about the possible effects on the Venezuelan people of U.S. sanctions on state oil company PDVSA. The United States in January imposed sanctions aimed at limiting Maduro's access to oil revenue.

"I appreciate the need to squeeze Maduro," Engel said. "But the White House must think through the potential repercussions that these sanctions could have on the Venezuelan people if Maduro does not leave office in the coming weeks."

Panel witnesses described a devastating humanitarian situation. Steve Olive of the U.S. Agency for International Development said hospitals faced drastically reduced supplies, there were concerns about the power grid and rising reports of malnutrition.

"The situation is deteriorating on a daily basis," he said.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Democratic lawmakers say U.S. military action in Venezuela 'not an...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday said Congress would oppose U.S. military intervention in Venezuela and challenged the credibility of President Donald Trump's special envoy, Elliott Abrams, over his past embrace of American covert action.

# data[].attributes.body
"To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States"

# data[].attributes.body
Article about recent counterfeit money circulating around the U.S.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Multiple arrests involving phony cash have been making the media rounds in over 11 states, including New York, Iowa, Illinois and Michigan, in the last six months.

Earlier this week, both New York City and Iowa reported cases of fraudulent cash popping up into the hands of local business owners.

A Manhattan bar manager Ryan O'Neill told CBS2 that more counterfeit bills, particularly $20 bills, have been surfacing in the area over the last two weeks. Another bar owner just a few blocks away reported the same thing with some fraudsters even using fake $5 and $1 dollar bills.

On Tuesday, two people were arrested in Cedar Falls, Iowa, for allegedly trying to use phony $1 bills at a local Walmart (NYSE:WMT) back in early October, police said.

Earlier this month, four people were charged in a counterfeit money scheme in upstate New York in Rochester that involved at least 16 local businesses over the last two months. Authorities said they have teamed up with the U.S. Secret Service to determine the origin of the counterfeit money.

While the use of counterfeit cash isn't new, with the Department of Treasury estimating over $70 million worth of fake bills in current circulation (about one in every 10,000), small and large businesses should still be on the lookout for fakes.

"I think overall it has been pretty consistent. There have recently been concerns over whether North Korea might produce an uptick of their supernote counterfeit bills given the sanctions and pressure put on them recently, but in general, counterfeit money seems to a steady crime that is always going on around the U.S. and abroad," Alex Reichmann, counterfeit money expert and CEO of iTestCash.com, told FOX Business.

Still, Reichmann has made a business out of helping retailers around the country and abroad spot money scams before it's too late. Rechimann said these are the four biggest things customers and business owners should look out for:

Tip #1: Always examine the feel of your bills. If it feels extra thick or thin, that can be an easy giveaway to a bill being a fake.

Tip #2: Compare and contrast. If you have a $5 or $10 bill that seems sketchy to you, simply compare it to another bill of the same denomination and examine the feel and security features that are on the bill.

Tip #3: Inspect the printing quality of your bills. Another strong give away of a counterfeit is if the printing looks off. Real bills should always have the same color hue as each other. The ink should also look clear and not smudged or off color like fake bills can have.

Tip #4: Analyze the portraits. The portrait on real dollars should look very clear and stand out from the background, while with fake bills, it can look very blended into the design.

Lastly, Reichmann said to look very closely on the rim of the portrait of the bill because it says, "THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" repeated along the sides of it, which can be very hard for counterfeiters to replicate with printers due to its intricate nature.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Counterfeit cash circulating in 11 states: Here's how to spot it

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Multiple arrests involving phony cash have been making the media rounds in over 11 states, including New York, Iowa, Illinois and Michigan, in the last six months. Earlier this week, both New York City and Iowa reported cases of fraudulent cash popping up into the hands of local business owners.

# data[].attributes.body
This is showing the power of commerce in a bank and how well it is doing.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
KANSAS CITY, Mo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 1, 2019--Commerce Bank was recently recognized by Aite Group as an innovative financial institution leveraging best-in-class technology. Commerce's Small Business Services division won the Customer Experience category at the inaugural Innovation in Cash Management and Payments Forum in New York City for its introduction of CashFlow Complete, a digital business payments solution built specifically for small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs). Powered by leading digital business payments provider Bill.com, CashFlow Complete enables SMBs challenged with time consuming and paper-intensive processes to save significant time, gain efficiencies and better manage their cash flow.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190401005069/en/

Pictured L-R: Melissa Stiles, Product Manager and Matt White, Director of Commercial Strategy (Photo: Business Wire)

The cloud-based, single sign-on bank product was designed to help streamline, simplify and automate the full end-to-end, back office accounts payable and accounts receivable process. Commerce Bank launched CashFlow Complete in July 2017 to provide a business payments product that is affordable and most closely matches the intuitive design and operation of consumer applications, with the robust functionality, security and control businesses need.

"At Commerce Bank, we are personally invested in supporting the small business leaders who trust us with their future and their livelihood," said Matt White, Director of Commercial and Small Business Strategy, Marketing and Sales Delivery, Commerce Bank. "We introduced CashFlow Complete to simplify cash management and payments so entrepreneurs and small business owners can focus more of their time and energy on the parts of running a business that they truly love. To be honored for pursuing that mission is humbling and we are grateful."

In its first year, the awards program honored the innovative financial institutions that are introducing new products, capabilities, or levels of automation and effectiveness that bring the industry one step closer to next-generation banking.

"With its CashFlow Complete solution, Commerce Bank demonstrates the important role customer experience plays in providing customers innovative products that provide transparency into their cash flow and help them save time that can be spent doing what's most important to them," said Christine Barry, Research Director, Aite Group

The award winners and finalists in six unique categories were selected based on the following criteria, which were considered when scoring each entry:

Level of innovation and competitive advantage

Market need

Impact on customer experience

Impact on customer operational efficiency

Level of new revenue opportunity

Impact on customer retention/new customer attraction

Level of scalability across customer base

Future roadmap

The winners were selected by a nine-person panel that consisted of three Aite Group analysts and six external judges.

To learn more about Commerce Bank's Small Business Services and CashFlow Complete, please visit https://www.commercebank.com/business/payables-and-receivables/cashflow-complete.
About Commerce Bank
With $25.5 billion in assets 1, Commerce Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBSH) is a registered bank holding company offering a full line of banking services, including payment solutions, investment management and securities brokerage. Commerce Bank, a subsidiary of Commerce Bancshares, Inc., leverages more than 150 years of proven strength and experience to help individuals and businesses solve financial challenges. In addition to offering payment solutions across the U.S., the Company currently operates banking facilities in nine key markets including St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield, Central Missouri, Central Illinois, Wichita, Tulsa, Oklahoma City and Denver. Commerce Bank also maintains commercial offices in Dallas, Houston, Cincinnati, Nashville, Des Moines, Indianapolis, and Grand Rapids. Commerce delivers high-touch service and sophisticated financial solutions at regional branches, commercial offices, ATMs, online, mobile and through a 24/7 customer service line. Learn more at www.commercebank.com.

1. As of December 31, 2018

Bill.com is the leading digital business payments company with a network of 3 million members, processing more than $60 billion in payments annually. Making it simple to connect and do business, the Bill.com cloud-based Payment Management Platform automates, streamlines, and controls the payments process, saving more than 50 percent of the time typically spent. Bill.com partners with the largest U.S. financial institutions, more than 60 of the top 100 accounting firms, major accounting software providers including Netsuite, Intacct, QuickBooks, and Xero, and is the preferred provider of digital payments solutions for CPA.com, the technology arm of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA). Bill.com is the winner of more than 70 awards, and recognized as one of San Francisco Business Times' and Silicon Valley Business Journal's "2018 Best Places to Work."

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190401005069/en/

CONTACT: Commerce Bank

Molly Hyland, 314-746-3657
Molly.Hyland@commercebank.com
KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA MISSOURI

INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY SOFTWARE SMALL BUSINESS PROFESSIONAL SERVICES ACCOUNTING BANKING FINANCE

SOURCE: Commerce Bank

Copyright Business Wire 2019.

PUB: 04/01/2019 06:00 AM/DISC: 04/01/2019 06:00 AM
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190401005069/en
Copyright Business Wire 2019.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Commerce Bank Honored at Impact Innovation Awards

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
KANSAS CITY, Mo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 1, 2019--Commerce Bank was recently recognized by Aite Group as an innovative financial institution leveraging best-in-class technology. Commerce's Small Business Services division won the Customer Experience category at the inaugural Innovation in Cash Management and Payments Forum in New York City for its introduction of CashFlow Complete, a digital business payments solution built specifically for small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs).

# data[].attributes.body
"No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
February 26
The Treasury Department will probably run out of money to pay the nation's bills by the end of September unless Congress takes action, the Congressional Budget Office said Tuesday, raising a scenario that could cause financial havoc and shake the foundations of the global economy.

The U.S. government has been spending more money than it brings in for years, forcing the Treasury to borrow money by issuing bonds. But Treasury is allowed to issue only so much debt before it bumps up against the " debt ceiling," a borrowing limit set by Congress.

Congress had previously agreed to suspend that limit until March 2. But when the limit comes back into effect, Treasury will not technically have the authority to borrow additional funds. This scenario has happened numerous times in recent years, and both Republican and Democratic administrations have resorted to what have been dubbed "extraordinary measures" to be able to keep paying the government's bills - at times for several months after the debt ceiling is reached. But those efforts can keep the bills paid for only so long.
[What is the debt ceiling?]
"The length of time that extraordinary measures can last is subject to considerable uncertainty," Jonathan Blum, a deputy assistant treasury secretary, wrote in a recent letter to Rep. Richard E. Neal (D-Mass.). "Given this uncertainty, Treasury respectfully urges Congress to act as soon as possible to suspend or increase the statutory debt limit and protect the full faith and credit of the United States."

The Trump administration has not given a specific date when it believes Treasury will run out of money, but the bipartisan CBO report is a widely respected estimate of when real trouble might occur.

"The Treasury will probably run out of cash near the end of this fiscal year or early in the next one," CBO wrote. The federal government's fiscal year ends Sept. 30. "If that occurred, the government would be unable to pay its obligations fully, and it would delay making payments for its activities, default on its debt obligations, or both."

Congress has always voted to raise the debt ceiling in the past, but some Republicans threatened not to do so in 2011 in a standoff with former president Barack Obama over government spending. The mere threat not to raise the debt limit caused panic in financial markets and led Standard & Poor's to downgrade the nation's credit rating for the first time ever.
[Fed Chair Powell tells Congress it's 'very troubling' that so few Americans are working]
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome H. Powell was asked Tuesday about what would happen to financial markets if Congress does not vote to raise the debt ceiling soon.

"It's beyond even considering that the United States would not honor all of its obligations and pay them when due," Powell said. "It is just something that can't even be considered."

Powell said merely bumping up against the debt limit creates "a lot of uncertainty" and serves as a "distraction from what is otherwise a pretty good economy."

Congress voted in February 2018 to suspend the debt limit through March 1, 2019, as part of the bipartisan budget deal.

Prominent economists and policymakers on both sides of the aisle have called for the United States to get rid of the debt ceiling altogether. It was meant to be a curb on government spending, but in reality, Congress typically passes budgets that spend more money than the latest debt limit.

The money is already spent, but Congress votes to raise the debt ceiling later, causing potential political and economic crises that leaders of both parties dread. But others argue the limit still serves a purpose to remind Americans that the federal government is more than $22 trillion in debt, forcing periodic reckonings with the imbalance between what the government takes in and what is spends.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Treasury to run out of money in September unless Congress acts, CBO says

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
February 26 The Treasury Department will probably run out of money to pay the nation's bills by the end of September unless Congress takes action, the Congressional Budget Office said Tuesday, raising a scenario that could cause financial havoc and shake the foundations of the global economy. The U.S.