Month: January 2016

President Obama will provide an overview of his record in office as he attempts to burnish his legacy tonight during his final State of the Union address. The speech to a joint session of Congress will give Obama a chance to sell the public – and, to a lesser extent, lawmakers – on his legislative priorities, including gun control and approval of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal. Also look for the president to make the case for revamping sentences for street-level drug crimes, an effort that is hitting an impasse over crimes committed in corporate suites. Delivering the Republican response will be South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who has criticized President Obama on labor and healthcare policies and the resettlement of Syrian refugees. Haley most recently garnered national attention when she led the removal of the Confederate battle flag from statehouse grounds following the June mass shooting at a Charleston church. 

Continue reading “Today on the Hill: #SOTU, Audit the Fed, Strip Mining, North Korea Sanctions”

The Senate returns to Washington today, but the highlight of the week will be President Obama’s final State of the Union address tomorrow night. After taking the spotlight with executive actions on gun control last week, the President is expected to use the annual speech to outline the remainder of his agenda, particularly selling Congress on an approval of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal. Delivering the Republican response will be South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who has criticized President Obama on labor and healthcare policies and the resettlement of Syrian refugees. Haley most recently garnered national attention when she led the removal of the Confederate battle flag from statehouse grounds following the June mass shooting at a Charleston church. 

Continue reading “This Week on the Hill: Senate Returns as State of the Union Headlines Week”

While the Senate will remain in recess until Monday, January 11, a new year in Congress starts tomorrow as the House is scheduled to reconvene from its winter break. House lawmakers are set to begin on a highly partisan note with the consideration of the Senate-passed budget reconciliation bill (H.R. 3762) that would repeal key enforcement and financing provisions of the Affordable Care Act, including Medicaid expansion and the individual and employer mandates related to health coverage. A roll call vote for the bill is lined up for Wednesday and will likely pass along partisan lines and be sent to the White House, where the President is expected to issue a veto. With very limited support among Democrats, the bill will likely fall well short of the two-thirds majority necessary to override a presidential veto. 

Continue reading “This Week on the Hill: House to Vote on Reconciliation; Senate Remains in Recess”