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

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