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REVIEW
Congress Pay Raise: Due to constituent
pressure, the House passed a bill that would prevent Congress, the president’s
cabinet, the vice president, and other non-military federal employees from
receiving an automatic pay-raise. The legislation would overturn an Executive
Order issued by President Obama in December 2012 to provide federal employees
with a 0.5 percent pay raise. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the
president’s Executive Order will cost $11 billion over ten years. (H.R.
273)
Avoiding the Sequester:
House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) met with Senate
Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) in the Capitol to tell him that the Senate
should be the first to move on a bill to avert more than $1 trillion in
indiscriminate spending cuts set to begin next month. The automatic cuts of $85
billion are set to begin March 1.
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President Urges Congress to Find Spending
Cuts: President Obama challenged Congress to find a way to
dodge the sequester and seize the opportunity for more-enduring deficit
reduction. On fiscal matters, immigration reform, and gun control, the president
depicted Congress as stumbling over obstacles to progress. Yet, he said,
“Together, we have cleared away the rubble of crisis, and can say with renewed
confidence that the state of our union is stronger.”
Hagle Nomination Stalls: Amid accusations of a
GOP filibuster, Senate Republicans blocked a vote on the nomination of Chuck
Hagel to be Defense secretary.
Condemning North Korea: The House passed a
resolution condemning the government of North Korea for its flagrant and
repeated violations of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions, for its
repeated provocations that threaten international peace and stability, and for
its February 12, 2013, test of a nuclear device.
Hydropower Efficiency Act: The House passed a
bipartisan policy designed to promote the growth of mini hydro and in-river
hydro projects by streamlining the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's
permitting process for low-impact proposals. (H.R.267)
Federal Disaster
Assistance: The House passed a measure that makes houses of
worship eligible for federal contributions for the repair, restoration, and
replacement of facilities damaged or destroyed by a major disaster, without
regard to the religious character of the facility or the primary religious use
of the facility.
Senate Authorizes Violence Against Women
Bill: The long-delayed bill, which President Obama mentioned
in his State of the Union address passed the Senate by a vote of 78-22. A group
of 17 House Republicans have written a letter urging leadership to bring a
bipartisan bill to the floor, it’s unclear what the legislation’s future holds
in that chamber. (S.47)
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PREVIEW
Secretary Taxing Pollution:
Senate Environment and Public Works Chairwoman Barbara
Boxer (D-CA) said she is aiming to bring long-shot carbon tax legislation to the
Senate floor in the coming months. The legislation would impose a $20 fee per
ton on carbon and methane emissions, with the rate increasing by 5.6 percent a
year over 10 years.
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issue.
Minimum Wage Battle: House Speaker John
Boehner (R-OH) has rejected President Obama’s push to bring the minimum wage to
$9-an-hour. Republicans contend the move would hurt employers. The president
contends that it would boost take-home pay for nearly 15 million people.
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opinion on this issue.
Senate Watches for Airline
Monopoly: Senate chairmen say they will scrutinize the proposed
merger of US Airways and American Airlines to determine whether the combination
creating the world’s largest carrier would reduce consumer choice and boost
costs.
Medicare Doctor’s Pay: House Energy and
Commerce members will continue to discuss different elements of a plan to
replace how Medicare pays doctors. While most lawmakers want to repeal the
current payment formula, division remains over what kinds of payment models
should replace the current formula.
Keeping Ear Marks out of the Water
Bill: Water resource legislation that is somewhat free of
earmarks is expected in the coming months. A bill authorizing flood control,
navigation and environmental-restoration projects are set to be marked up in
March. Past authorizations have been collections of earmarked Army Corps of
Engineers projects that the Senate committee has vowed to
prevent.
The Week
Ahead: Please go to www.nwyc.com for the latest in congressional actions.
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