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.

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.