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.

This Week In Washington DC, Nov 6, 2014

This Week In Washington

Top 5 Stories This Week

1.      Buoyed by popular frustration with President Obama and congressional Democrats, Republicans seized control of the Senate for the first time in 8 years and expanded their majority in the House, gaining validation of their vision for the nation and raising hopes of an end to congressional gridlock.

Look ahead: House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell outlined their agenda for the 114th Congress, which will include Senate consideration of House-passed jobs legislation, in an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal.

2.      Despite a devastating electoral defeat for his party, President Obama plans to stay the course, and will make no significant policy concessions to congressional Republicans, even as he fights to define his legacy in the final years of his presidency.

Look ahead: The president and Republicans in Congress face similar pressure to accomplish major policy objectives over the next two years.  Prediction:  No progress the next 2 years.

3.      Obama reportedly has narrowed to his choices for Attorney General to: Loretta Lynch, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Labor Secretary Tom Perez; and Solicitor General Donald Verrilli.

Look ahead: Administration officials suggest a decision could come as early as this week; the president remains optimistic that a nominee can be confirmed during the lame-duck session.

4.      Citing the need to present a united front against ISIS, and noting the coalition's strategy is evolving, the president will seek a new Authorization for Use of Military Force in the coming weeks.

Look ahead: Iraqi forces are planning a spring offensive, which will be supported by coalition air power and advisers and is intended to shatter the group's hold on the country's north and west, and assert government control in Mosul and other major cities.

5.      Russian-backed separatists held elections—complete with "monitors" from sympathetic organizations—eliciting praise from the Kremlin and drawing sharp criticism from the European Union.

Look ahead: The election of field commander Aleksandr Zakharchenko to the top leadership post is in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic is expected to preserve the status quo in the region. 

This Week In Washington DC, Oct 24th

This Week In Washington

Top 5 Stories

1.      The Obama administration released three new Ebola-related policies—the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued updated protocols to minimize risk to health care workers; the Homeland Security Department imposed restrictions on the airports through which travelers may enter the US from West Africa, and the CDC directed those arriving from affected countries to undergo monitoring for 21 days.

Look ahead: The nature of the disease—with its long incubation period and symptoms common to a host of less-serious illnesses—limits the efficacy of some of the preventive measures.

2.      The Canadian capital was thrown into chaos Wednesday as a gunman opened fire at the National War Memorial, killing Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, then entered the Parliament building and fired several rounds before being shot by Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers.

Look ahead: Prime Minister Stephen Harper said his government will "strengthen our resolve and redouble our efforts" to combat terrorism, spurring speculation the Canadian Security Intelligence Service could gain new authority.

3.      U.S. military planes dropped weapons, ammunition, and medical supplies to Kurdish fighters defending Kobani, over the objections of the Turkish government. Two bundles failed to reach their intended targets—U.S. forces destroyed one, and ISIS obtained the other.

Look ahead: The addition of Kurdish peshmerga fighters from Iraq, whom Turkey has granted permission to reinforce their Syrian counterparts, could boost the Kurds' prospects for victory.

4.      Speculation is rising President Obama plans sweeping executive action on immigration, following reports U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has drafted a procurement contract for up to 34 million work permits and green cards over five years, citing "possible future immigration reform initiative requirements."

Look ahead: White House press secretary Josh Earnest warned against "making assumptions … based on the procurement practices" of the Department of Homeland Security.

5.      The Secret Service apprehended Dominic Adesanya after he scaled the White House fence, triggering a brief lockdown, in the seventh such incident this year.

Look ahead: Adesanya, who was previously charged with unlawful entry at the executive complex in July, faces felony charges related to his issuance of threats and kicking of police dogs.

This Week In Washington DC, October 16, 2014

This Week In Washington DC

Top 5 Stories This Week

1.      Two nurses from Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital contracted Ebola from patient Thomas Duncan, who died at the hospital Oct. 8th, triggering criticism of the institution's protocols and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention response.

Look ahead: In a policy shift, the CDC will send a team of experts within hours to any hospital with a confirmed Ebola case.

2.      Administration officials confirmed President Obama will wait until after the election to nominate a replacement for Attorney General Eric Holder. The president is said to be considering White House Counsel Kathryn Ruemmler or Solicitor General Donald Verrilli for the post.

Look ahead: Obama's decision to defer the nomination until after the election could frustrate efforts to confirm his nominee before the end of the year.

3.      The Obama administration announced initiatives designed to return the long-term unemployed to the workforce, including $170 million in federal grants for job training and related programs.

Look ahead: Vice President Biden and Labor Secretary Perez met Wednesday with business leaders to discuss measures that could improve the hiring prospects for the long-term jobless. 

4.      Kurdish forces are gaining the upper hand in the battle for Kobani, Syria, aided by the U.S.-led coalition's intensified airstrikes against ISIS militants.

Look ahead: The Obama administration continues to assert the success of Operation Inherent Resolve, even as the president acknowledges setbacks and predicts a "long-term campaign."

5.      Voter-identification laws saw mixed results this week, with the Supreme Court blocking implementation of Wisconsin's law and the Arkansas Supreme Court invalidating its state's law, and a federal appellate panel reinstating Texas's statute.

Look ahead: Opponents of the Texas law have appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court in a last-ditch effort to bar enforcement during the midterms.

This Week In Washington DC, Oct 9, 2014

This Week In Washington DC

Top 5 Stories

1.      The Supreme Court declined to hear challenges to Appeals Court rulings striking down same-sex marriage bans.  A 3-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit invalidated Idaho and Nevada's prohibitions on same-sex marriage, but Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy granted Idaho officials' request for a temporary stay.

Look ahead: Attention now turns to other federal appellate courts, where pending cases involve same-sex marriage bans in a host of states.

2.      ISIS has captured additional territory in Kobani, Syria, even as the U.S.-led coalition intensifies its air campaign. The Turkish government continues to resist international pressure to join the fight against the militant group.

Look ahead: The Obama administration acknowledges airstrikes are insufficient to repel ISIS, but maintains the Syrian opposition, not U.S. forces, must oppose the group on the ground.

3.      Thomas Duncan, the Liberian citizen diagnosed with Ebola while visiting Dallas, died Wednesday, spurring questions about the speed and efficacy of his treatment. American photojournalist Ashoka Mukpo is receiving experimental drug brincidofovir, and has received a plasma donation from Ebola survivor Dr. Kent Brantly.

Look ahead: Officials will begin screening passengers whose travel originated in West Africa—no matter the number of intermediate stops—for fevers using no-touch thermometers at five major U.S. airports.

4.      The Labor Department reported employers added 248,000 positions to payrolls in September, exceeding economists' projections of 215,000 jobs added, as unemployment dipped to 5.9%.

Look ahead: The minutes from the September meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee reveal policymakers' concerns about a strengthening dollar and slowing inflation, signaling a reluctance to raise interest rates in the near term.

5.      Ahead of the open enrollment period that begins Nov. 15, federal officials previewed a reconfigured, streamlined HealthCare.gov, which CEO Kevin Counihan touts as a vast improvement over last year.

Look ahead: With millions of previously uninsured Americans—including those with preexisting conditions—already covered, the second round of open enrollment will focus on a tougher-to-reach population, for whom the price of insurance remains prohibitive.

This Week in Washington DC, Oct 2, 2014

This Week In Washington DC

Top 5 Stories

1.      President Obama acknowledged the US underestimated the threat posed by ISIS and overestimated the Iraqi military's capacity to counter the group, while emphasizing the international character of the conflict.

Look ahead: The White House maintains its position that "there will not be U.S. ground invasion of Iraq or Syria."

2.      Following an oversight hearing during which lawmakers questioned her capacity to lead the agency amid revelations of serious security lapses, Secret Service Director Julia Pierson resigned after only 18 months at the helm.

Look ahead: Joseph Clancy, a former chief of the agency's presidential-protection division, who later headed corporate security for Comcast, will serve as acting interim director.

3.      Thomas Duncan, a 42-year-old Liberian national, was diagnosed with Ebola after arriving in the United States, and is undergoing treatment at a Texas hospital.

Look ahead: The CDC has dispatched 10 experts to Dallas, where authorities are monitoring as many as 100 people who may have come into contact with Duncan, to oversee Duncan's treatment and the effort to prevent new infections.

4.      The government of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who was inaugurated this week pursuant to a power-sharing agreement with former rival Abdullah Abdullah, signed a bilateral security agreement with the US.

Look ahead: Under the pact, approximately 9,800 U.S. troops will remain in Afghanistan at the start of 2015.

5.      Economic data was mixed this week, with ADP reporting private-sector employers added 213,000 positions in September, and consumer spending increasing 0.5% in August, but consumer confidence dipping unexpectedly and home prices rising at their slowest pace in 20 months.

Look ahead: The Labor Department's employment situation report for September, due for release Friday, should provide more clarity, following August's disappointing showing of 142,000 jobs added to nonfarm payrolls.

This Week In Washington DC, Sep 25, 2014

This Week In Washington

Top 5 Stories

1.      The US, joined by Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, began aerial bombardment of ISIS positions in Syria. The airstrikes also targeted the Khorasan Group, described by Pentagon officials as comprised of "seasoned al-Qaida veterans."

Look ahead: The airstrikes are just one component of a multifaceted campaign that President Obama and other leaders predict will continue for some time.

2.      During an appearance at the U.N. Climate Summit, the president characterized climate change as an "urgent and growing threat" requiring the leadership of the world's largest nations. In a subsequent address to the U.N. General Assembly, Obama called on every nation to act on global warming.

Look ahead: The European Union unveiled new emissions targets, while the U.S. and China maintained existing targets and touted progress toward their goals.

3.      Corporations are scrambling to determine the effects of the Treasury Department's new rules on taxation of offshore income, which are designed to dis-incentivize corporate tax inversions.

Look ahead: The new regulations will not impede the merger between Burger King and Tim Horton's, but could impact a host of pending inversions.

4.      In the three West African countries hardest hit by the Ebola outbreak—Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone—a total of more than 2,800 people have died and 5,843 have been infected, up from 1,346 deaths and 2,458 infections one month ago, according to a report from the World Health Organization.

Look ahead: The CDC reports Liberia and Sierra Leone could see 21,000 Ebola cases by Sept. 30 and 1.4 million cases by Jan. 20 if the outbreak is not controlled.

5.      In a result that reassured British investors, Scottish voters on Sept. 18 rejected a bid to sever their bonds with the United Kingdom.

Look ahead: U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron hailed the "clear result" of the referendum and pledged certain powers to Scotland, in keeping with an earlier agreement with Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, and Labour leader Ed Miliband.