This Week In Washington, Nov 27

This Week In Washington

Top 5 Stories This Week

1.     During negotiations in Geneva, the P5+1 nations and Iran reached an interim agreement to curb the Islamic republic's nuclear program in exchange for relief from international sanctions.

Look ahead: The historic shift in U.S.-Iranian relations, punctuated by the signing Saturday of a six-month, nuclear-freeze deal both Israel and Saudi Arabia had loudly opposed, could potentially transform the entire region.

   2.     Following the Senate's failure to advance the National Defense Authorization Act this week, the House and Senate Armed Services Committees are pushing for passage before the end of the year.

Look ahead:  If senators fail to reach an agreement, Armed Services Committee members in both chambers are considering using a legislative maneuver that would skip passage of the legislation in the Senate and instead go to a conference committee.

   3.      The Obama administration will delay small-business enrollment under the Affordable Care Act for one year.

Look ahead: With the administration's deadline to fix the Obamacare website less than a week away, one question is bound to weigh heavily on the debate over the system: How well does it have to operate to be considered "fixed"?

    4.      The Treasury Department proposed new regulations on the political activity of tax-exempt groups; the guidance is designed to create clear enforcement parameters for the IRS.

Look ahead: The regulations on political activity are subject to additional deliberations and a public-comment period, and are unlikely to be finalized before the 2014 elections.

    5.      The Supreme Court has agreed to hear two private companies' challenges to the Affordable Care Act's contraception mandate.

Look ahead: The Court is expected to hear the cases in March and issue decisions by June.

Happy Thanksgiving.