Daily Policy Note for February 25, 2013
GOP Committee News
Environment and Public Works: Vitter Wants Transparency from Gina McCarthy on Previous Air Requests: "With Lisa Jackson's resignation, I want to know who will respond to my outstanding request of one year and nine months regarding the scientific methods used to base the EPA's regulatory agenda," said Vitter.
Finance: Hatch Statement at Finance Committee Hearing Examining Health Insurance Exchanges Under the President’s Health Law: “It is no secret that the President promised that his plan to reform the health care system would reduce premiums by $2,500 for individuals. He made this promise more than once. At the time I was skeptical. And, as we’re seeing now, I had good reason to be. We are already feeling the impact of the law as the cost of insurance premiums continues to go up.”
Today’s Headlines
Foreign Policy: Rubio: Refusal to Lead: During Tuesday night's State of the Union address, President Barack Obama had an opportunity to engage in the debate about America's role in the world. Unfortunately, he failed to do so.
Politico: Thune: The Nature of the Beast: If you listen to Washington Democrats these days, you’d think that America’s economic and fiscal woes could all be solved if we would simply raise taxes. Evidently the tax increases last month served only as an appetizer for the big-government crowd. Now the spenders are back for the main course. It will never be enough. As my dad used to say about the instinctive reactions of members of the animal kingdom, “it’s the nature of the beast.”
New York Times: Lautenberg, Oldest Member of Senate, Won’t Run Again: Mr. Lautenberg, at 89 the oldest member of the Senate and its only remaining veteran of World War II, told his staff of his decision and was to announce it formally on Friday in Paterson, N.J., where he grew up the son of poor immigrant parents.
Wall Street Journal: Business Against Exports: Everyone loves American exports, or at least claims to, so it's worth highlighting the big business lobbying underway to limit the export of U.S. natural gas. Couched in the usual language about "energy security" and domestic jobs, the effort is as pure a special-interest play as you'll find.
New York Times: Enrollments for Insurance Start Oct. 1, Official Says: Obama administration official told Congress on Thursday that the government would be ready to enroll millions of people in private health insurance plans this fall, but senators of both parties expressed doubts. The skepticism voiced by four Democratic members of the Senate Finance Committee was striking because they had been deeply involved in writing the health care legislation that President Obama signed in March 2010.
The Washington Post: Obama and Early Childhood Education: A Rhetorical Leap of Faith: President Obama on Thursday unveiled a proposal to greatly expand pre-K and other early childhood education programs. As a White House statement put it, Obama believes that “high-quality early education provides the foundation for all children’s success in school and helps to reduce achievement gaps.”
Key House Action
Speaker Boehner: POTUS Says He’s Sped Up Energy Permits, Cites Group That Says He’s Made Things Worse: A “non-partisan coalition” mentioned by President Obama in his State of the Union message contradicts the claim that he’s “cutting red tape and speeding up new oil and gas permits.” In fact, the report he cited says federal rules and red tape are blocking badly needed energy production on federal land.
New Polling Numbers
Politico: Poll: Government Threatens Rights: Fifty-three percent of Americans believe the government is a threat, and 43 percent do not, according to a Pew Research Center poll. Three-in-ten Americans believe government constitutes a major threat. In a poll conducted October 2003, only 45 percent saw government as a threat to their freedoms. Fifty-four percent do not.
Red Tape Review
The Hill: Senate Democrats Air Grievances With Rollout of Healthcare Law: Democrats who supported President Obama’s healthcare law grilled a top Health and Human Services official Thursday over what they see as holes in the implementation effort and the White House’s political bargaining.
Economic News
The Hill: With 2 Weeks Until Deadline, $85B Sequester is Looking Inevitable: The $85 billion in cuts looming on March 1 would run through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, leaving more than $900 billion in cuts for Congress and the White House to wrangle with over the next eight years.
Politico: Memo to Congress, White House: Get Serious on Debt: The continual fiscal brinkmanship of the past two years — in which policymakers go from crisis to crisis, avoiding catastrophe at the last moment and providing nothing more than usual “small ball” solutions that fail to address our underlying structural problems — has ground all progress to a halt.
New York Times: Industrial Production Slips: Industrial production unexpectedly declined in the United States in January, weighed down by weak manufacturing and mining, according to a report on Friday. Industrial production dipped 0.1 percent last month after a revised 0.4 percent gain in December, the Federal Reserve said.
Floor Schedule for Monday, February 25
The Senate will next convene at 2:00p.m. Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of Morning Business until 5:00 p.m. The Senate will then proceed to Executive Session to consider the following nomination: Exec. Cal. #7, Robert E. Bacharach, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Tenth Circuit.
At 5:30 p.m, the Senate will proceed to a roll call vote on the Bacharach nomination.
A Look Ahead
Legislative possibilities for this work period include: The Senate will also consider nominations for the following cabinet positions: Treasury, Commerce, Labor, Interior, Transportation, Energy, OMB, and USTR.
