This Week In Washington DC, Nov 13, 2014

This Week In Washington DC

Top 5 Stories

1.      President Obama is reportedly preparing to announce a 10-point immigration-reform plan, which would include provisions to enhance border security and could shield 5 million undocumented immigrants from deportation.

Look ahead: Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, warns that executive action could derail bipartisan efforts to craft an omnibus spending bill. More than 50 House Republicans aim to incorporate language prohibiting unilateral action into legislation funding the government after Dec. 11.

2.      Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., locked in a tough runoff battle with Republican Rep. Bill Cassidy, pushed for a vote on the Keystone XL pipeline, which could come as soon as Nov. 18. The House will vote today on identical legislation sponsored by Cassidy, allowing the measure to proceed directly to the president for signature in the event of passage.

Look ahead: The measure could earn strong support from Senate Democrats, who no longer need the electoral consequences of a vote.

3.      President Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping announced an ambitious plan that includes new U.S. emissions reduction targets through 2025 and China's first-ever agreement to curb emissions by 2030, in a move intended to encourage other nations to take similar action.

Look ahead: The announcement, which drew criticism from congressional Republicans, could signal a focus on climate in the 2016 election cycle.

4.      The lame-duck session that opened this week, set to include a raft of stalled legislation, offers lawmakers an opportunity to break the gridlock that has characterized the 113th Congress ahead of the Republican takeover in January.

Look ahead: House Republican leaders plan to stick closely to the plans laid out by outgoing Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., which include reforms to Medicare and Medicaid, repeal of the Affordable Care Act, and reduction of the highest tax rates.

5.      The Labor Department reported 214,000 jobs were added to nonfarm payrolls in October, trailing the 248,000 jobs added in September, while unemployment declined slightly to 5.8%. The figure trailed economists' projections of 230,000 to 235,000 jobs added.

Look ahead: Despite a steady decline in the overall unemployment rate, nearly 7 million Americans are classified as involuntary part-time workers, raising concerns the phenomenon may be structural rather than cyclical.