This Week In Washington DC, Jan 15, 2015

This Week In Washington

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1.      President Obama continued to preview his State of the Union address this week, traveling the country to promote initiatives to enhance cybersecurity, strengthen consumer and student privacy protections, improve access to high-speed internet, and expand access to higher education.

Look ahead: Several of the president's policy initiatives are likely to meet with Republican resistance in the 114th Congress.

2.      The House voted 236-191 in favor of legislation that would fund the Department of Homeland Security through September, while barring the president's unilateral efforts to shield millions of undocumented immigrants from deportation.

Look ahead: Given the bill's dim prospects in the Senate and Boehner's openness to a "clean" funding bill, House conservatives' immigration gambit could backfire.

3.      The Obama administration faced widespread criticism for not sending a sufficiently high-level representative to a unity march attended by 44 heads of state. Attorney General Eric Holder, intended as the administration's emissary, ultimately did not attend due to scheduling conflicts; U.S. Ambassador to France Jane Hartley served as the government's representative.

Look ahead: Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Paris in a show of American solidarity with France, and on Feb. 18, the White House will host a Summit on Countering Violent Extremism, convening state and local officials to discuss strategies for preventing violent incidents.

4.      Republican presidential aspirants readied their potential campaigns, as 2012 nominee Mitt Romney works to reconstitute his political operation and backers of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush aim to raise $100 million in the first quarter of 2015.

Look ahead: With establishment Republicans ambivalent about Romney, several potential rivals are making moves of their own, with Sen. Rand Paul hiring strategist Chip Englander to manage his campaign, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie preparing to launch a leadership PAC ahead of an anticipated late-spring campaign announcement.

5.      Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., announced her intention to retire at the end of her current term, creating frenzy among ambitious state Democrats whose progress has been arrested by the endurance of Boxer, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, and Gov. Jerry Brown.

Look ahead: State Attorney General Kamala Harris declared her candidacy for the seat, while Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, believed to be weighing a gubernatorial bid in 2018, declined to enter the race.

This Week In Washington DC, Jan 8, 2015

This Week In Washington DC

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1.      The 114th Congress opened Tuesday, with Republicans holding majorities in both chambers for the first time since 2006, and barreling toward confrontations with the president over the Affordable Care Act, approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, and immigration.

Look ahead: White House press secretary Josh Earnest warned Tuesday the president will not sign legislation approving the oil-sands pipeline.

2.      Speaker John Boehner secured 216 votes Tuesday to retain his gavel, and moved swiftly to exact a measure of revenge against some defectors, removing  Reps. Richard Nugent and Daniel Webster, both of Florida, from the Rules Committee.

Look ahead: Aides suggest those who opposed Boehner could face further repercussions in the weeks to come.

3.      President Obama this week embarked on a three-day, three-state tour designed to take credit for recent improvements in the nation's economy and preview the policy objectives he will outline in his State of the Union address on Jan 20.

Look ahead: After touting the auto industry bailout in Michigan and promoting homeownership in Arizona, the president is expected to promote job training and college affordability during a Friday stop in Tennessee.

4.      The manhunt continues for brothers Said and Chérif Kouachi in connection with Wednesday's shooting at the offices of French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, after suspect Hamyd Mourad surrendered to police in Charleville-Mézières.

Look ahead: Some fear the killings could bolster anti-Islamizations movements in Europe.

5.      Payroll-processing firm ADP reports private-sector employers added 241,000 positions in December—led by gains of 194,000 jobs in the services sector—exceeding economists' projections of 226,000 jobs added.

Look ahead: The December jobs report, slated for release Friday morning, is expected to reflect gains of 240,000 nonfarm jobs and an unemployment rate of 5.7%.

This Week In Washington DC, Dec 18, 2014

This Week In Washington DC

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1.      The Obama administration announced the US will normalize relations with Cuba, opening its first embassy in Havana in more than 50 years, following 18 months of secret negotiations between the two countries and the release of prisoners held by both nations.

Look ahead: Republicans have threatened to impede efforts to confirm an ambassador to Cuba and provide funding for an embassy.

2.      The omnibus appropriations bill cleared the Senate on a 56-40 vote, after stalling due to demands from Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Mike Lee, R-Utah, for a vote to defund President Obama's executive action on immigration.

Look ahead: While Republicans intend to return to a regular budget process, the return of sequestration-induced cuts could spur contentious debates over funding in the next Congress.

3.      On a 76-16 vot, the Senate granted final approval to a short-term extension of 54 tax breaks, retroactive to Jan. 1, 2014, which is expected to add $42 billion to the federal deficit.

Look ahead: Lawmakers expect to resume negotiations on a long-term agreement in the new year.

4.      Federal investigators have linked North Korea to the cyberattack and terrorism threats against Sony Pictures Entertainment, who then canceled the release of The Interview.

Look ahead: This sets a bad precedence of succumbing to cyber threats and will embolden others to make more cyber attacks—look for an increase in cyber attacks.

5.      A six-year extension of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, which is designed to provide a federal backstop for insurers in the event of a terrorist attack, died in the Senate amid opposition from Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., after passing the House on a 417-7 vote.

Look ahead: While the TRIA program is expected to lapse now that the 113th Congress has adjourned, Senate Republican leaders hope to take up legislation early in the 114th Congress.

This Week In Washington DC, Dec 11, 2015

This Week In Washington DC

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1.      House and Senate appropriators released an omnibus appropriations bill to fund most of the federal government through Sept. 2015.   

Look ahead: House Republican leaders passed the bill, and now all that is left is for the Senate to pass it Friday.

2.      The Senate Intelligence Committee released its long-awaited, 500-page summary of a classified report on CIA interrogation practices after 9/11, concluding that the controversial methods failed to produce valuable information, despite the agency's continued assurances.

Look ahead: While the Senate panel's report may dim public opinion of the CIA, it is unlikely to dull the agency's influence.

3.      The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 321,000 positions were added to nonfarm payrolls in November, marking the strongest monthly job growth since January 2012, while unemployment held steady at 5.8%. The jobs report reflected a larger-than-expected increase in average hourly earnings.

Look ahead: Despite the gains, economists are concerned Americans remain reluctant to change jobs, a sign of lingering weakness in the labor market.

4.      Attorney General Eric Holder announced a set of draft policy changes for federal law enforcement that will ban the use of religion, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, and gender identity as the basis for enforcement actions such as traffic stops, with some exceptions for certain Homeland Security agencies.

Look ahead: The new policy, while binding only on federal agencies, is intended to serve as guidance for state and local law enforcement agencies.

5.      The White House announced $750 million in federal grants to improve early childhood education, coupled with more than $330 million in private commitments and donations.

Look ahead: $200 million will be distributed directly to 18 states working to improve their preschool offerings, and $500 million will go to Early Head Start and Child Care Partnership programs.

This Week In Washington DC, Dec 4, 2014

This Week In Washington

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1.      The House is expected to pass the $585 billion National Defense Authorization Act, following a compromise reached by Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., and House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon, R-Calif.

Look ahead: The legislation grants the president the authority to expand the military effort against ISIS militants in Iraq and Syria.

2.      President Obama is expected to nominate Ashton Carter, former deputy Defense secretary, to succeed Chuck Hagel in the Pentagon's top post. The Pentagon veteran, who has maintained a low Beltway profile while serving at at some of the leading policy minds in the defense community, has drawn praise from both sides of the aisle.

Look ahead: Carter, a theoretical physicist and former academic who has served in neither Congress nor the military, offers a stark contrast to outgoing Secretary Hagel, but he could face skepticism over his ability to oversee the war against ISIS. Like his predecessors in the role, Carter may not like the White House's micromanagement of Pentagon affairs.

3.      House Republican leaders are finalizing an agreement to avert a government shutdown on Dec. 11, and expect to hold a vote on the legislation early next week.

Look ahead: Speaker John Boehner is relying on limited Democratic support for passage, as a bloc of conservative Republicans is expected to reject the deal.

4.      Attorney General Eric Holder announced the Justice Department will launch a civil-rights investigation into the death of Eric Garner, after a Staten Island grand jury declined to indict NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo, sparking protests in New York and around the country.

Look ahead: The department's Civil Rights Division and the office of Loretta Lynch, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and the president's nominee to succeed Holder, will lead the investigation.

5.      The White House announced a three-part "plan to strengthen community policing," and Holder previewed an announcement "in the coming days" of updated federal guidelines to "help end racial profiling, once and for all."

Look ahead: The president assured a diverse group of community leaders Monday he will work to advance race relations for the remainder of his term—"not to solve every problem, not to tear down every barrier of mistrust that may exist, but to make things better."

This Week In Washington, Nov 26, 2015

This Week In Washington

Top 5 Stories This Week

1.      President Obama's announcement that more than 4 million undocumented immigrants will be eligible to apply for work permits and deferred deportation spurred emotional reactions on both sides of the immigration debate and laid the groundwork for battles with a Republican-led Congress.

Look ahead: In addition to alienating congressional Republicans, the president risks seeing his actions reversed by lawmakers or a successor.

2.      Bipartisan negotiations on legislation to renew and make permanent a raft of expired corporate tax breaks are faltering after President Obama threatened to veto the bill for failing to aid working families.

Look ahead: The measure could add an estimated $450 billion to the federal budget deficit.

3.      After pulling the plug on the regulation in 2011, the EPA proposed tightening the air-quality standard for ground-level ozone, or smog—a standard that's at the center of a fierce lobbying war between industry and environmentalists.

Look ahead: The revisions will lower the current standard of 75 parts per billion to between 65 and 70 ppb.

4.      Protesters clashed with law enforcement following the announcement that a St. Louis grand jury had declined to indict Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown. Officers responded with tear gas as demonstrations turned violent, businesses were looted and buildings set ablaze.

Look ahead: Attorney General Eric Holder said a federal investigation into the shooting "remains ongoing," and Wilson could still face civil-rights charges. Still, several legal experts have suggested federal charges are unlikely.

5.      The P5+1 nations and Iran failed to secure a long-term nuclear agreement by the Nov. 24 deadline, but agreed to extend talks pursuant to requests from the U.S. and other world powers.

Look ahead: As the parties remain at odds over a number of issues, the talks will last through the end of June; both sides will meet again in December and they hope to have a political agreement within four months.

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.