THE MEYERS GROUP
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
Monday, April 27, 2015
This Week in Washington DC, April 26, 2015
This Week In
Washington
1.
President Obama
signed a bipartisan bill which reforms
Medicare’s payment structures and reauthorizes the Children’s Health
Insurance Program.
2.
The Senate
Finance Committee came to an agreement on a bill that would give President Obama Trade Promotion Authority to
negotiate trade agreements abroad.
3.
The Senate, after
coming to a bipartisan agreement on a human trafficking bill, confirmed Loretta Lynch to be the first
African-American woman Attorney General.
4.
For the first
time since 2012, the Affordable Care Act’s
approval rating was a net positive, according to a new poll from the
Kaiser Family Foundation.
5.
Chris Christie rolled out an “entitlement
restructuring blueprint" in New Hampshire "that he said would
save more than $1 trillion over 10 years.
Next Week In
Washington
Rick Santorum has set up
a testing the waters account in anticipation of a possible 2016 presidential
bid.
A secretive group that serves
as the umbrella operation for leaders and activists within the conservative
movement will host two meetings in the coming months.
Chelsea Clinton "is
poised to become a major figure in the Clinton campaign.
Friday, April 10, 2015
This Week In Washington, April 10, 2015
This Week In
Washington
1.
The White House
announced a preliminary agreement with
Iran to reduce its uranium enrichment capacities and stockpiles in exchange for
the US lightening sanctions.
2.
Sen. Bob Menendez
(D-NJ) stepped down from his post as ranking member of the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee after being indicted on
federal corruption charges; he was replaced by Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD)
3.
The U.S.
announced it would increase intelligence
sharing and coordination as well as provide arms supplies to a Saudi-led
coalition fighting against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
4.
The Bureau of
Labor Statistics' March jobs report was released, showing a lower-than-expected
126,000 jobs were created, breaking a 12-month
streak of 200,000+ jobs being created; estimates on job creation from
January and February were revised down by a total of 69,000.
5.
The chair and
ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committees,
Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN), announced agreement on a
bipartisan bill to reform and restructure the
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act.
Look Ahead
The Supreme Court will hear
the case of Johnson v. United States on whether possession of a
short-barreled shotgun should be treated as a violent felony under the Armed
Career Criminal Act.
Hillary Clinton (D) leased
two floors of office space in Brooklyn for her campaign headquarters on
April 1; FEC regulations require that she declare her candidacy or launch an
exploratory committee within 15 days after a campaign expenditure of $5000 or
more.
Friday, March 13, 2015
This Week In Washington DC, March 13, 2015
This Week In
Washington
1.
Former Secretary of State and potential presidential
candidate Hillary Clinton apologized during a press conference for
using a personal (rather than official) e-mail account during her time as secretary of
state.
2.
The Supreme Court heard arguments in King
v. Burwell, a challenge to the government's ability to provide health insurance
subsidies to states without federal exchanges under the Affordable
Care Act.
3.
A group of 47 Republican Senators wrote an open letter
to Iran's leaders, warning that future presidents could overturn any nuclear
deal agreed upon in negotiations if the Senate does not vote to ratify the
treaty.
4.
The Senate failed, by four votes, to overturn President
Obama's veto of a bill to approve construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.
5.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported employers
had posted nearly 5 million available jobs at the end of January, the highest
level since the peak of the dot-com bubble in 2001. Job openings are up by 28%
in the past year, and the ratio of unemployed workers per opening has returned to pre-crisis levels.
Next Week In
Washington
1.
DEBT CEILING EXPIRATION: The current suspension of the debt ceiling
ends; the Treasury Department will use extraordinary measures for the next
several months to manage the country’s payments and stave off the risk of default.
2.
FCC HEARING: The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation holds a hearing about the FCC and net neutrality regulation
titled: “Oversight of the Federal Communications Commission.” The House
Committee on Energy and Commerce will hold a similar hearing on March 19.
3.
CRUDE OIL EXPORT HEARING: The Senate
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources holds a hearing to review U.S. crude
oil export policy.
4.
DOC FIX DEADLINE: Doctors will see their
Medicare payments cut more than 20% unless Congress steps in by the end of the
month. Congress is likely to pass another temporary fix; Congress has blocked
the payment cuts 17 times in the last 13 years, after mandating the cuts in
1997.
Thursday, February 26, 2015
This Week in Washington DC, Feb 26, 2015
This Week In
Washington
1.
The
FCC voted 3-2 to regulate internet service providers
(ISPs) as public
utilities under Title II
of the Telecommunications Act.
2.
President
Obama issued his third-ever veto on a bill to approve the Keystone XL
pipeline; Republicans are planning to hold an override vote, but do not appear
to have the support necessary to override a veto. The president will likely use the
veto more frequently now that the GOP controls both chambers of Congress.
3.
A
new poll shows potential presidential candidate Gov.
Scott Walker (R-WI) with a double-digit lead among likely voters in the Iowa
Republican Presidential Caucuses. However, prediction still have former Gov. Jeb Bush (R-FL) as the favorite
to win the nomination overall.
4.
Republican
Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced a bill that
would require the Government Accountability Office to audit any monetary policy
decisions made by the Federal Reserve; public
approval of the Federal Reserve has become increasingly polarized in recent
years.
5.
Alaska
and D.C. implemented ballot measures legalizing
marijuana this week; Republicans dispute the legality of D.C.'s measure, and have asked Attorney General
Eric Holder to file suit against the district.
Next Week In
Washington
1.
The Supreme
Court will hear oral arguments in two key cases on March 2
and March 4, including a challenge to the Affordable Care Act's subsidies
2.
Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address a joint session of Congress
on March 3; several Democratic members of Congress are boycotting the
speech because Netanyahu agreed to address Congress without informing President
Obama beforehand, which some consider to be a breach of diplomatic protocol
3.
After March
15, the Treasury Department will likely implement extraordinary measures
to manage the country’s payments and stave off default; prior to that
date, expect Congress to begin work on a proposal to raise the debt ceiling
Friday, January 30, 2015
This Week In Washington DC, Jan 30, 2015
This
Week In Washington DC
Top 5 Stories
1.
President Obama is set to announce
plans to eliminate sequestration in his 2016 budget request, seeking an
increase in domestic and military expenditures, financed by eliminating
"inefficient spending programs" and closing tax loopholes, according
to an administration official.
Look ahead: The president's plan
is likely to meet with resistance among Republicans, who oppose any net tax
increases.
2.
Loretta Lynch, the U.S. attorney
for the Eastern District of New York and the president's nominee to serve at
attorney general, faced the Senate Judiciary Committee this week, offering a careful
defense of administration policies on immigration and drug enforcement and
repeatedly emphasizing her independence.
Look ahead: While the proceedings
served largely as a venue for the airing of Republican grievances against
President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder, Lynch is expected to win
confirmation.
3.
Fresh off a fight over
amendments, the Senate passed legislation to authorize construction of the
Keystone XL pipeline setting it up for a veto from the Whitehouse.
Look ahead: It remains unclear whether Senate Republicans
can gather enough support to override a presidential veto. Republicans made the Keystone pipeline a
priority for 2015.
4.
During a largely ceremonial visit
to India, the president reached agreement with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to greater
cooperation on civilian nuclear trade.
Look ahead: India consented to limit
the liability of American nuclear suppliers in the event of a power-plant
disaster and vowed to implement enhanced tracking of fissile material.
5.
Several Republican presidential
hopefuls traveled to summits in Iowa and California in an effort to woo the
party's conservative base and secure the backing of major donors.
Look ahead: Even as prospective
presidential candidates seek their favor, major GOP donors are taking a
measured approach, allowing the field to settle and narrow before committing to
a single contender.
Thursday, January 22, 2015
This Week In Washington DC, January 22, 2015
This
Week In Washington
Top 5 Stories
1.
President Obama used his 6th
State of the Union address to defend his record and champion new policies,
touting an improving economy and calling on Republicans to back an ambitious
domestic agenda designed to improve the fortunes of the middle class.
Look ahead: While few, if any, of
the president's proposals are likely to gain traction in the current Congress,
his policy prescriptions appear designed to set the Democratic Party on a more
liberal course ahead of the 2016 election.
2.
Facing opposition from female
lawmakers over language that could alienate younger and female voters, House
Republicans abandoned plans to hold a vote on H.R. 36, which would have
outlawed abortions after 20 weeks, instead moving forward with H.R. 7, which
would permanently bar federal funding for abortion services.
Look ahead: Rep. Chris Smith,
R-N.J., maintains the 20-week abortion ban "is only delayed—it will be up
on the floor soon."
3.
The president proposed $320
billion in additional taxes—largely aimed at high-income Americans—over the
next decade, to be used to fund $235 billion in tax breaks for moderate-income
earners, as well as other programs.
Look ahead: Congressional
Republicans criticized Obama's plan and warned the proposal risks derailing
bipartisan efforts on tax reform.
4.
Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa delivered
the Republican Party's response to the State of the Union, emphasizing her own
humble roots and combining calls for bipartisan cooperation with assertions of
Republican dominance.
Look ahead: Ernst's remarks
foreshadowed clashes with the administration over the Keystone pipeline, the
federal budget, and abortion rights.
5.
Faced with a stagnant economy and
the prospect of deflation, the governing council of the European Central Bank
voted to purchase €60 billion in public and private sector assets on a monthly
basis, from March 2015 through September 2016.
Look ahead: ECB President Mario
Draghi acknowledged the quantitative easing could continue beyond the September
2016 deadline if inflation fails to rise near the bank's target of two percent.
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