Top 5 Stories This Week in Washington DC, April 17, 2014
1. Representatives from Ukraine, Russia, the US and the European Union reached agreement on measures to ease tensions, with the Ukrainian interim government offering concessions in exchange for a Russian pullback, after Russian President Putin asserted his "right" to deploy troops in the country.
Look ahead: The deal places on hold any additional U.S. or European sanctions against Russia.
2. Fundraising does matter in an off year, but it matters more with an election in November, and candidates already are distinguishing themselves—in ways both good and bad—in the first financial disclosures of 2014.
Look ahead: Winners so far include Georgia Senate candidate Michelle Nunn and the two Democratic congressional super PACs; Sens. Mark Begich, D-Alaska, and John Walsh, D-Mont., are among the losers.
3. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who spent much of her tenure defending the Affordable Care Act rather than touting its successes, tendered her resignation, and the president named OMB Director Sylvia Mathews Burwell to replace her.
Look ahead: Democrats have mentioned Sebelius as a possible challenger to Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., though friends and former colleagues have dismissed the idea.
4. The Republican establishment is seeking a truce with the tea party in a bid to secure Senate control, using its considerable financial resources and making diplomatic overtures in a bid to ensure the nomination of the most electable candidates.
Look ahead: While the GOP has been successful in persuading tea party candidates to exit key Senate races in favor of the establishment choice, challenges remain.
5. The Congressional Budget Office said the president's fiscal year 2015 budget would increase revenues by nearly $1.4 trillion over the next decade and reduce deficits by $1.05 trillion over the same period.
Look ahead: While the White House budget is unlikely to pass Congress in its entirety, the CBO report could bolster Democratic messaging ahead of the midterms.
@themeyersgroup
