US Policy
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- US Policy
Blinken to China, Ukraine votes implications
Last week the Congress demonstrated that it isn’t always dysfunctional when it passed the military supplemental aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. For good measure, Congress also threw in the mandate that TikTok get a new owner or be banned from the US. The TikTok ban likely came up...
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Ukraine/Israel aid hits home stretch.
On Saturday the House approved the package of bills that sends military aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. The House-approved bill contains $60B for Ukraine, $26B for Israel, and $8B for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific region. Under the plan devised by Speaker Johnson there were four separate votes: one each...
- US Policy
Speaker Johnson and Trump to Meet
On Friday, House Speaker Johnson will head to Mar-a-Lago for a meeting with former President Trump, seeking to enhance cooperation between them as Trump prepares to be the Party’s nominee in November. Under the Republican House rules it only takes one House Member to move to vacate the Speaker’s position....
- US Policy
Congress returns, busy Wednesday
Congress returns after their two-week Easter break. House Speaker Johnson announced that he will formally send the Senate the bill of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The Mayorkas impeachment is the first one against a member of the President’s cabinet in over 100 years. The House impeached Mayorkas...
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Congress Set to Return, Yellen in China
Next week Congress returns, with political agendas taking center stage. House Speaker Johnson has said that the House will formally send the Senate its bill of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. It has been over 100 years since a cabinet member has been impeached by the House, and...
- US Policy
Speaker’s Peril, FAA Needs Action
Congress had a short week, leaving on Thursday with return scheduled for next Tuesday. In the Senate an issue that is under the radar, no pun intended, is the need for Congress to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), as the current authorization expires next Friday, May 10. The FAA has...
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Fed decision and shutdown deadline this week in DC
This Tuesday and Wednesday the Fed’s Federal Open Markets Committee (FOMC) meets to determine interest rate policy. Chair Powell and most of the “Fed speak” has indicated that there will be no changes in rates at the March meeting. At the end of the meeting at 2:00pm on Wednesday the...
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Busy Week Ahead in DC
It was a shortened week in Congress as House Republicans left early for a retreat at the Greenbrier resort in West Virginia. But the House Republicans did get another piece of bad news this week when Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado, a longtime member, announced that he would leave Congress...
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One shutdown deadline avoided, one more to come
Last Friday the Senate passed a so-called minibus (versus an omnibus) that had spending for eight government departments. Unlike the past few bills that were short-term Continuing Resolutions (CRs), last week’s bill funded eight departments and lasts through the current fiscal year that runs to October 1. The eight budgets...
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Can Midnight Shutdown Be Avoided?
As I write this note, the Senate still hasn’t come up with a plan to pass the so-called “mini-bus” bill. The bill funds the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Energy, Housing, Interior, Justice, Transportation and Veterans Affairs for the remainder of the current fiscal year, which runs until October 1. The...