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The more things change… The Senate has spoken—at length—and the result is…not much. This sentence could characterize the 112th Congress as well as the changes agreed to in Senate Resolution 16, the first roll call of the 113th (86 yeas, 9 nays). After months of the majority’s frustration with constant
Later today the House will vote on a plan to effectively lift the debt limit for four months, removing, or at least postponing, the threat of default. The bill, HR 325, temporarily extends the debt limit without seeking any concessions on spending, and allows Republicans a way to avoid having
In the wake of the tragic massacre in Newtown, President Obama set forth a list of proposed gun control measures including a new assault weapons ban. An earlier ban expired in 2004. Regardless of how you feel about the proposal or how effective the previous ban was, its 2004 expiration
Senior Fellow Marian Currinder spoke with the Boston Globe regarding Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA), a leading contender to replace Sen. John Kerry. “Even if Markey is seen as hostile to corporate interests, the industry wants lawmakers like him to consider their viewpoints.” “You’re not counting on Markey — if you’re
With the first fiscal cliff deadline now behind them, congressional leaders and the White House have already begun to position on the next series of fiscal showdowns, which include the expiring debt ceiling, that has reportedly already been breached, although the Treasury Department can creatively manage until mid- to late
Under the fiscal cliff agreement, the sequester has been postponed for two months, to March 2. The agreement also reduces the size of the sequester, from $109 billion to $85 billion, which will be squeezed into seven months, rather than nine. Provided there are no changes prior to March 2,
Legislation passed by the House and Senate yesterday to avoid the fiscal cliff, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, postpones the sequester for two months, but does not contain a provision to extend the pay freeze on federal personnel. The only provision regarding federal pay prevents a cost of
You may have noticed the death of former Senator Warren Rudman, Republican of New Hampshire. Some obituaries refer to Rudman as one of the quintessential moderate Republicans of an earlier era, a “breed” that barely exists anymore. This take on Rudman’s career is not really accurate–the truth about where he
President Obama’s reelection means that a major assault on federal pay and benefits, which many feared would be a part of a Romney-Ryan administration, will not occur. Nevertheless, there will continue to be long-term pressures to reduce federal spending, and agency budgets and federal personnel will undoubtedly be a part
Barely taking a breath after an election that kept Republicans in control of the House and Democrats in charge of the Senate and the White House, our political leaders immediately turned to the work at hand. Of course we’re talking about a constellation of pressing budget issues, aka, the “fiscal
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