This Week in Washington, June 19, 2014

This Week In Washington

Top 5 Stories This Week

1.      President Obama outlined the U.S. response to the Islamist insurgency in Iraq, which includes sending up to 300 military advisers to aid Iraqi forces, but noted that "American forces will not be returning to combat in Iraq.

Look ahead: Consensus is growing among U.S. and Arab leaders that Iraqi President Nouri al-Maliki is a barrier to national unity and lasting peace, and American officials are quietly urging Iraqis to form a new government without Maliki, whose tenure has been marred by sectarian divisions.

2.      Ahmed Abu Khatalla, the suspected mastermind of the 2012 attacks in Benghazi, was apprehended in a nighttime raid oand is currently en route to the United States via a Navy transport vessel. The administration asserted its right to self-defense in response to Libyan claims the raid violated its sovereignty.

Look ahead: Khatalla will not be sent to Guantanamo Bay, as some Republican lawmakers have urged; the Obama administration intends to try him in federal court.

3.      Disillusionment runs deep in the House Republican Conference, which convenes this afternoon to select a new majority leader and whip, but the special election is unlikely to calm anyone.

Look ahead: The new leaders will look to cement their positions ahead of the August recess, while today's contest could offer clues to the strength of the tea party and shed light on the coming race to succeed Speaker John Boehner.

4.      The president unveiled plans to create the world's largest marine sanctuary, setting aside a swath of the south-central Pacific Ocean in an effort to protect the region's coral reefs and marine species from fishing, energy development and other activities.

Look ahead: This prompted swift criticism from House conservatives who accuse the admin of closing off coastal areas from fishing activity without regard to potential economic cost.

5.      Following talks with Russian President Putin and German Chancellor Merkel, Ukrainian President Poroshenko proposed a temporary, unilateral cease-fire by government troops—a move greeted with skepticism from pro-Russian separatists.

Look ahead: Government forces engaged in fresh clashes with rebels today, even as Poroshenko prepares to meet with regional leaders to rally support for his plan.

This Week In Washington DC, May 29, 2014

This Week In Washington

Top 5 Stories This Week

1.      President Obama outlined plans to leave 9,800 U.S. troops in Afghanistan after 2014, and to draw down to fewer than 1,000 by 2017.

Look ahead: Military officials questioned whether 9,800 troops would be sufficient to prevent al-Qaida from making a comeback in the country.

2.      The president outlined his vision for a new foreign policy noting the United States will continue its global leadership, but the use of force must not be the only—or even the primary—instrument of its statecraft.

Look ahead: Obama emphasized the primacy of terrorism as a threat to American interests, and urged Congress to back a $5 billion "Counterterrorism Partnerships Fund."

3.      Insurgent candidates notched several high-profile victories in this week's Texas runoff elections, with state Sens. Dan Patrick and Ken Paxton winning races for lieutenant governor and attorney general, respectively.

Look ahead: The tea-party backed candidates are expected to triumph in their general elections this fall.

4.      Ukrainian chocolate magnate Petro Poroshenko won Sunday's presidential election, and quickly vowed to rein in pro-Russian separatists. More than 50 rebels were killed in the largest military offensive to date.

Look ahead: Poroshenko, who has called for a dialogue with Russia, faces a daunting task as he seeks to unite the country while quelling the violence in the east and stabilizing a critically weak economy.

5.      Retired Field Marshal Abdel Fattah el-Sisi declared victory in Egypt's presidential election, claiming more than 90% of the vote, amid skepticism about the reported turnout.

Look ahead: Sisi faces the difficult task of restoring the nation's crippled economy, which includes a budget deficit that has ballooned since the uprising.

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This Week In Washington, May 8, 2014

This Week In Washington

Top 5 Stories This Week

1.      The Obama administration released its National Climate Assessment, citing recent bouts of severe weather to bolster its contention that global warming is already affecting Americans.

Look ahead: Environmental experts hope to see five potential consequences of the report's release.

2.      House Speaker John Boehner tapped Rep. Trey Gowdy, to chair a select committee on Benghazi, prompting Democratic complaints that Republicans are politicizing the 2012 attack.

Look ahead: Democrats, who have criticized the formation of a committee as redundant, have not decided whether to participate in the panel's inquiry.

3.      The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday that 288,000 jobs were added to nonfarm payrolls in April, and unemployment declined to 6.3%—besting economists' projections of 210,000 jobs added and an unemployment rate of 6.6%.

Look ahead: Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen sounded an upbeat tone on the strength of positive economic indicators, but conceded that the housing recovery "could prove more protracted than currently expected."

4.      North Carolina state House Speaker Thom Tillis captured more than 45% of the vote in an eight-way GOP Senate primary, in what was billed as a battle between the establishment and the tea party.

Look ahead: Voters in eight more states take their turn in May, casting ballots in a series of key primary elections that will give more defined shape to the 2014 landscape.

5.      Ukrainian separatists will proceed with a May 11 referendum on partitioning the country, despite Russian President Putin's call for a postponement. Putin, who claimed to have ordered a pullback of Russian troops from the Ukrainian border, today oversaw military exercises simulating a nuclear strike.

Look ahead: The ongoing unrest could benefit certain key players, including Russian oil-and-gas interests and the Ukrainian interim government.

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Top 5 Stories This Week in Washington DC, April 17, 2014

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.


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This Week in Washington DC, March 27, 2014

This Week In Washington

Top 5 Stories This Week

1.      President Obama and international leaders moved to further isolate Russia, with the G-7 members agreeing to suspend their participation in the G-8, and NATO countries committing to bolster the alliance's security operations.

Look ahead: The leaders vowed to impose stricter economic sanctions against Russia in the event of further military incursions into Ukraine, but budget constraints could reduce NATO's role as a deterrent.

2.      The administration is seeking an overhaul of the NSA's bulk data-collection practices, which would leave records in the hands of phone companies and require the agency to obtain a court order for searches.

Look ahead: Administration officials and congressional leaders are nearing consensus on a plan to reform the NSA program—a proposal from House Intelligence Committee leaders would require retroactive, rather than prior, judicial consent.

3.      The Supreme Court heard oral arguments this week in Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores and Conestoga Wood Specialties v. Sebelius, which address the question of whether for-profit corporations may gain a religious exemption from the legal requirement to provide coverage for contraception.

Look ahead: A ruling in the case could have broad implications, including laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

4.      The White House, which has previously declined to extend the March 31st open-enrollment deadline, will allow individuals to sign up for coverage until mid-April if they are able to demonstrate that they began the enrollment process before the deadline.

Look ahead: Individuals may seek an extension for a range of reasons, and the government will grant it on an honor system.

5.      The House passed a temporary "doc fix" bill on a voice vote, preventing a 24% reduction in physician reimbursements under Medicare.

Look ahead: The Senate is expected to take up and past the measure later today.

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This Week in Washington, March 20, 2014

This Week In Washington
Top 5 Stories This Week

1.      President Obama authorized expanded sanctions against Russia after Vladimir Putin signed a treaty annexing Crimea, while the Ukrainian government announced plans to withdraw its troops and relocate them to the mainland.

Look ahead: NATO is considering deeper involvement in Ukraine, while the E.U. weighs additional sanctions. Obama vowed the US will not mount a "military excursion" in the country.

2.      Following its first meeting since Janet Yellen took over as Federal Reserve chair, the Federal Open Market Committee announced plans to reduce its monthly asset purchases by $10 billion, as expected, and eliminated the 6.5% unemployment threshold from its forward guidance on interest rates.

Look ahead: The Fed will rely on additional metrics to gauge the economy's health.

3.      House Speaker John Boehner described a bipartisan Senate deal to extend emergency unemployment benefits as "unworkable" after the National Association of State Workforce Agencies warned that some states could attempt to opt out due to the bill's additional costs and strict requirements.

Look ahead: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid characterized the issues raised by NASWA as "resolvable," and urged Boehner to work toward solutions.

4.      With two weeks remaining in the open enrollment period that ends March 31, Health and Human Services Department announced a "weekend wave" sent the total enrollment number over 5 million.

Look ahead:  The White House is pulling out all the stops to enroll as many young people in coverage as possible before the deadline.

5.      The search continues for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, as authorities consider satellite footage of possible debris from the aircraft, amid reports Malaysian officials waited days to release information gleaned from British satellite company Inmarsat on the plane's potential flight path.

Look ahead: Experts warn the items could be unrelated to the jetliner, and even if a link can be established, the passage of time since a crash would complicate efforts to find the rest of the wreckage.

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This Week In Washington DC, March 6, 2014

This Week In Washington

Top 5 Stories This Week

1.      The Crimean Parliament requested to join the Russian Federation; the E.U. has frozen the assets of ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and the U.S. has imposed visa restrictions on Russians and Ukrainians suspected of involvement in the matter.

Look ahead: The U.S. and E.U. joined the Ukrainian government in refusing to recognize the Crimean parliament vote, but a referendum on the move is set for March 16. The E.U. is weighing economic sanctions against Russia.

2.      The White House released the president's FY 2015 budget, which calls for an expansion of the earned-income tax credit for the working poor, as well as additional funding for antipoverty programs.

Look ahead: The administration estimates the plan would yield a $564 million deficit for the fiscal year.

3.      The administration released a host of final regulations that ease reporting requirements for businesses and allow insurers to keep selling individual policies that don't meet Obamacare's requirements.

Look ahead: Officials said the two-year extension should prevent a mass cancellation of policies, a prospect that could have harmed Democratic candidates this cycle.

4.      Leaders on the political right are gathering at the Conservative Political Action Conference, where opening day speakers include Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, as well as Rep. Paul Ryan and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

Look ahead: A number of key story lines to watch at CPAC involve 2016 contenders.

5.      The National Archives and Records Administration released the first batch of documents from the Clinton administration, which had been withheld under the Presidential Records Act.

Look ahead: Observers are mining the records for information that could impact a Hillary Clinton presidential bid in 2016.

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