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US Policy
- US Policy
We will be introducing a Weekly Policy Update each Monday – authored by Tom Block – to provide additional insight on the current political climate. Summary After days of negotiating and drafting the Senate has finally unveiled its bipartisan infrastructure package. The bill totals 2702 pages, funding programs ranging from highways and bridges to broadband...
- US Policy
Biden Pulls in Moderates Support; More Primaries Tuesday
A big political turnaround last week. It has been a defining week in the Democratic primaries, with four key moderates (Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, former Indianapolis mayor Pete Buttigieg, Beto O’Rourke, and, after Tuesday, Michael Bloomberg) all backing former Vice-President Biden. Supporters of the three who dropped out before Tuesday’s...
- US Policy
Infrastructure: One Step Forward
This past week saw a major move forward in the effort to get Congress to pass a major bill funding traditional infrastructure. There seemed to be some anger from the Trump property in New Jersey, where the former President urged Senate Republicans to oppose the infrastructure deal. Today, he issued...
- US Policy
Will Infrastructure Groundhog Day Finally End?
It is almost looking like Groundhog Day, Monday will maybe see a breakthrough on a bipartisan infrastructure bill. This past week Senate Leader Chuck Schumer tried to break the apparent deadlock on a bipartisan infrastructure bill by having a vote on cloture, the parliamentary measure that forces a vote on...
- US Policy
Infrastructure Twists and Turns
The effort of President Biden and Congressional Democrats to get a two-track infrastructure plan through Congress had some pluses and minuses this past week. One the plus side, Senate Democrats announced an agreement on a Budget Resolution that would be rammed through Congress on a strictly partisan vote. The Budget...
- US Policy
Congress Returns Amidst Infrastructure and Debt Ceiling Uncertainty
Congress, at least the Senate, returns on Monday; the House will not have any votes scheduled until a week from Monday on July 19. As both chambers have plans to leave DC for the month of August, it should be a busy few weeks. In the Senate, Leader Schumer has...
- US Policy
Infrastructure Path: One Bill or Two?
While Congress is out of session next week for the July 4 break there are likely to be many phone calls as Congressional leaders work to see if the Biden infrastructure plan will pass in two bills: one bipartisan and one Democratic only, or one Democratic only under Budget Reconciliation. One part of the strategy […]
- US Policy
Infrastructure Moves Toward Bipartisan Deal
This past week saw the White House and a bipartisan group of Senators agreed on a nearly $1T infrastructure deal that included old fashioned traditional projects likes roads and bridges; but also included broadband expansion and upgrading of electricity transmission lines. The bipartisan deal is narrow enough to get some...
- US Policy
Infrastructure Remains Number One Focus
In a week when the White House was focused on international affairs with the President meeting NATO allies and President Putin, Congress continued to search for a path forward on infrastructure. After the collapse of the talks between President Biden and West Virginia Senator Capito, a bipartisan group of 21...
- US Policy
Infrastructure Remains Topic Number One in DC
The week began with talks between Republican Senator Shelley Moore Capito and President Biden ending in a stalemate and the week ended with a report of an infrastructure agreement between a bipartisan group of ten Senators evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats. While the group indicated that they had reached...
- US Policy
Infrastructure, Budget, and Reconciliation
While Congress was out of session this week for the Memorial Day break, talks between the White House and Senate Republicans on infrastructure continued. Both sides appear to be moving towards a price tag of $1T, but the stumbling block to an agreement may be how to pay for the...