Connect with us

Washington

Window on Washington – November 7, 2022, Vol. 6, Issue 42 | News & Events | Clark Hill PLC

Published

on

Window on Washington – November 7, 2022, Vol. 6, Issue 42 | News & Events | Clark Hill PLC


Outlook for This Week within the Nation’s Capital

Congress.  Congress is in recess this week. Each the Home and Senate will return to Washington subsequent Monday, November 14th. The Senate will probably proceed flooring consideration of the FY23 Nationwide Protection Authorization Act. In a schedule launched final week, Home Republicans will maintain their management elections starting subsequent Tuesday. Home Democrats haven’t but launched a schedule for his or her management races, although their timeline is anticipated to rely upon the result of the mid-term election and won’t probably happen till after Thanksgiving. Youthful Democrats like Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) are reportedly desperate to rise increased in management. Within the Senate, Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) was formally chosen as the subsequent president of the College of Florida and is anticipated to resign from the Senate on the finish of the yr.

Debt Restrict. The extension of the debt restrict continues to be a precedence for the Biden administration and a few Congressional Democrats. The White Home is reportedly exploring choices for elevating the debt ceiling through the lame duck Congress via 2024 to keep away from any potential showdown with a Republican Congress.

FY23 Appropriations.  Authorities funding runs out in 39 days on December 16th. Negotiations will start in earnest after tomorrow’s elections. Home Appropriations Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) stated she intends to satisfy the funding deadline however has not obtained any request from the White Home for supplemental appropriations for Ukraine or associated to hurricane reduction.

Midterm Elections.  The midterm elections are tomorrow. In response to the USA Election Venture, almost 40 million individuals voted early. Greater than 99 million individuals voted early in 2020. Key Home and Senate races proceed to be toss-ups, with late momentum increasing the map of potential upsets in favor of Republicans. Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Georgia stay the highest races to look at for which get together will management the Senate. Politico charges six Senate seats as toss-ups: Pennsylvania, Nevada, Georgia, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, and Arizona. The Cook dinner Political Report on Friday shifted odds towards Republicans, saying a 52-seat majority is feasible.  The ultimate Actual Clear Politics ballot aggregation exhibits how tight every of those races stay.  Democratic possibilities stay challenged as a result of financial points and the President’s approval score, which stands at 42% within the newest 5 Thirty Eight aggregation of the latest polls.

Advertisement

Biden Administration.  President Biden and First Woman Jill Biden are campaigning for congressional and gubernatorial candidates within the DC space at the moment. Dr. Biden will be a part of Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA) for an election occasion in Ashburn, VA earlier than she joins President Biden for a DNC occasion in Maryland. Later at the moment, Biden will take part in a rally with Maryland gubernatorial candidate Wes Moore (D-MD) in Bowie, MD. President Biden is touring to Egypt later this week for the United Nations COP27 local weather convention. Practically 20 senior administration advisors may also journey to the convention. A key purpose for Biden is to safe further local weather commitments from China. Earlier than leaving for Egypt on Thursday, he’s anticipated to answer the midterm election outcomes in a roundabout way. Following the convention, Biden will then journey to Cambodia for the U.S.-ASEAN Summit and the East Asia Summit on Nov 12th and 13th. He’ll then journey to Indonesia from Nov. 13th-16th for the G20 Leaders’ Summit.

Final Week within the Nation’s Capital

CONGRESS

Finances & Appropriations

Finances Panel Race is On, No matter Methods and Means Consequence: A contest to resolve who will lead Republicans on the Home Finances Committee within the subsequent Congress is underway — even when the present occupant doesn’t get the promotion he’s searching for. Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO), the present prime Republican on Finances, is operating for his get together’s prime slot on the Methods and Means Committee to switch the retiring Kevin Brady (R-TX). (Roll Name)

Reconciliation Again on the Desk for Elevating Debt Restrict: High Democrats are privately discussing the opportunity of utilizing the price range reconciliation course of within the upcoming lame-duck session to lift the statutory debt restrict if Republicans retake one or each chambers within the midterms. (Roll Name)

Advertisement

Well being

Warnock Pushes Insulin Price Caps as Marketing campaign Nears End Line: Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) is making his advocacy for capping the price of insulin a key a part of his closing message forward of Tuesday’s election. (Roll Name)

Lawmakers Push to Finish Maternal Well being Disaster: Lawmakers are pushing for elevated protections for pregnant individuals of shade within the hopes of passing laws earlier than the tip of the session. The Black Maternal Well being Caucus has been main laws talks. The caucus was established in 2019 to battle the drastic racial disparities that exist for pregnant Black individuals. Regardless of proposing a 12-package act of protections for pregnant individuals, many of the caucus’s laws hasn’t handed. (The Hill)

Manchin Requires Deal on Social Safety, Medicare, Medicaid In New Congress: Centrist Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) final Thursday referred to as for a broad bipartisan deal to guard the solvency of Social Safety, Medicare and Medicaid, widespread packages that face critical funding points over the subsequent few many years. “You’re going to get your monetary home so as. We can’t reside with this crippling debt,” Manchin, whose pivotal vote each delayed and helped cross massive items of President Biden’s agenda, advised Fortune’s Alan Murray at a CEO convention. (The Hill)

GOP Floats Medicare Adjustments Whereas Ducking Particulars: Some Home Republicans aren’t ready for the election to consider overhauling Medicare. Nevertheless it’s exhausting to inform if there are specifics behind the speaking level. Previous GOP makes an attempt to chop Medicare landed with a thud, and Democrats in current weeks have been hammering on the message that Republicans are intent on gutting this system. (Axios)

Advertisement

Labor & Workforce

Rail Labor Union Approves Tentative Contract: A railroad employees union on Saturday accepted a proposed contract with freight railroads after having rejected an earlier model weeks prior. The “sure” vote by the Worldwide Affiliation of Machinists’ District 19 lowers the temperature on the potential for an economically devastating freight rail strike that — for a few of the 12 unions concerned — may begin as quickly as later this month. (Politico)

Banking & Housing

Anticipated Monetary Companies Chair Discovered Consensus with Democrats: In interviews, three Democrats stated Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) has sought to search out bipartisan legislative consensus. The query for them will probably be whether or not that spirit of cooperation continues with McHenry within the committee chairman’s seat if the Republicans take the Home, as they’re broadly predicted to do. (Roll Name)

Senators Urge FDIC to Give Honest Consideration to Industrial Banks: A bipartisan group of senators is supporting “industrial mortgage firm” charters, a transfer that places them at odds with Home laws over a controversial pathway for monetary know-how corporations to entry the normal banking system. (Roll Name)

Advertisement

Reps. Kim, Luetkemeyer Cautious of New SEC Small Enterprise Laws: U.S. Reps. Younger Kim (R-CA) and Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO) lately forwarded correspondence to the Securities and Alternate Fee (SEC), noting the company ought to contemplate how laws could influence small companies and entrepreneurs. (FinReg Information)

Tax Reform

Home Republicans Cry Politics Over IRS Outreach: Home Republicans are threatening to research the Treasury Division, in the event that they win again the bulk, over the mid-October timing of 9 million letters the Inside Income Service despatched out reminding Individuals of their eligibility for sure tax credit. That features the third spherical of stimulus checks, youngster tax credit and the Earned Revenue Tax Credit score (EITC). (Axios)

Transportation

Fed Lawmakers Demand Solutions on Amtrak Exec’s Six-Determine Bonuses: Two Home lawmakers are demanding solutions from Amtrak’s board of administrators after a report revealed the ten highest-paid executives on the firm had been awarded six-figure bonuses — even because the rail community hemorrhaged cash. Republicans on the Home Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, in a letter to board chairman Anthony Coscia despatched Wednesday, stated the extravagant rewards — “paid largely from taxpayer funds” — had been an affront to on a regular basis Amtrak staff. (New York Publish)

Advertisement

Democratic Senators say U.S. FAA Ought to Bar Airways from Lowering Leg Room: Six Democratic U.S senators urged the Federal Aviation Administration on Tuesday to bar airways from additional shrinking the dimensions and leg room of airplane seats. The senators together with Majority Chief Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Edward Markey (D-MA), and Ron Wyden (D-OR), stated airways have been shrinking seat sizes since not less than the Nineteen Nineties — with seat pitch, which determines leg room, reducing from 32 inches (81 cm) to twenty-eight inches (71 cm), and seat width reducing from 19 inches (48 cm) to as little as 16 inches (41 cm). (Reuters)

Protection

Senate Dems say Time is Operating Out to Break the Pentagon’s Nominee Logjam: Senate Democrats wish to end up confirmations of senior Pentagon nominees who’ve been caught in limbo for months — however there is probably not sufficient time to get the job accomplished. Greater than a dozen of President Joe Biden’s civilian nominees await motion when the Senate returns after the Nov. 8 midterm elections that would swing management of the chamber. (Politico)

Offshore Vitality Battle Looms Over ‘Should Move’ Protection Invoice: One of the vital underappreciated high-stakes legislative fights in current reminiscence — that includes a few of the strangest political bedfellows — is coming quickly to a lame-duck session close to you. The problem? Home-passed laws hooked up to that chamber’s model of the Nationwide Protection Authorization Act that may require using U.S. crews or equally paid employees on international vessels servicing offshore vitality initiatives. (Roll Name)

Right here’s How a GOP Win in November Would possibly Have an effect on 2023 Protection Coverage: Greater protection budgets, heavier scrutiny of navy help to Ukraine and a harder line on China are all on the horizon ought to Republicans take management of the Home or Senate after midterm elections, specialists say. Republican lawmakers are additionally anticipated to press on a number of social points, notably the Pentagon’s 2021 COVID-19 vaccine mandate, abortion entry, quite a few protection coverage modifications coping with variety, gender, inclusion and investigating extremism within the ranks. (The Hill)

Advertisement

Judiciary/Justice

U.S. Senator Seeks Antitrust Evaluate of Residence Worth-Setting Software program: Sherrod Brown (D-OH), the chair of a U.S. Senate committee, requested the Federal Commerce Fee to assessment whether or not a Texas-based property tech firm’s rent-setting software program violates antitrust legal guidelines. The transfer comes after ProPublica printed an investigation on October 15 into RealPage’s pricing software program, which suggests new rents every day to landlords for all out there items in a constructing. Critics say the software program could also be serving to massive landlords function as a cartel to push rents above aggressive ranges in some markets. (ARS Technica)

Home Judiciary GOP Charts Course for FBI, DOJ Probes in Prolonged Report: Republicans on the Home Judiciary Committee launched a prolonged workers report on Friday on alleged politicization and anti-conservative bias within the FBI and Division of Justice (DOJ), a doc that can function a street map for extra probes of the companies if the GOP wins management of the Home in subsequent week’s midterm elections. (The Hill)

Cyber

GOP Rep. Pushes Biden for Cyberattack Motion Plan: A prime GOP congressional cyber chief is pushing the Biden administration to determine an financial continuity plan within the occasion of a large cyberattack. Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) and Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) despatched a letter Wednesday to President Biden demanding he observe via on a requirement within the 2021 nationwide protection coverage invoice to determine a “Continuity of the Financial system” plan within the occasion of a cyberattack that causes “extreme degradation to financial exercise.” (Axios)

Advertisement

Warner Warns of Cyberthreats to Well being Care Trade: The well being care sector faces rising stress from cyberattacks focusing on hospitals and different medical services whereas it offers with outdated tools and programs that weren’t designed with cybersecurity in thoughts, warns a coverage paper from the workplace of Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA). (Roll Name)

Surroundings & Inside

4 Methods a GOP-led Congress Will Tackle Vitality, Surroundings: Vitality points are anticipated to be prime of thoughts for Republicans in the event that they take again the Home or the Senate subsequent yr given the get together’s give attention to excessive gasoline costs within the lead-up to the elections. The GOP is vowing to maneuver pro-energy laws, though turning Republican payments into regulation will probably be troublesome with President Biden within the White Home. (The Hill)

Tensions Rise Over Drought-stricken Colorado River Water Use: Because the Inside Division continues to delay implementing a program to scale back water consumption from the drought-stricken Colorado River Basin, tensions are thickening between the seven states with stakes within the watershed. Now, lawmakers in Congress are fanning the flames as Capitol Hill appears to be like forward to must-pass, biennial water laws. (Roll Name)

Vitality

Advertisement

Republicans Plan an Vitality Agenda Designed to Maintain Democrats on Their Heels: Republicans are getting ready to advance an formidable vitality agenda in the event that they win management of the Home on this week’s elections — together with quicker approvals of fossil gas initiatives and probes of how the Biden administration is spending its a whole bunch of billions in local weather {dollars}. (Politico)

Manchin Slams Biden for ‘Disgusting’ Feedback about Shuttering Coal Crops: Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) slammed President Biden for making “offensive and disgusting” feedback about shutting down coal vegetation at an occasion in California on Friday. Biden stated that producing electrical energy from wind and photo voltaic vitality is cheaper than producing it from coal and oil. He stated persons are not constructing new coal vegetation as a result of they can’t depend on it. (The Hill)

EXECUTIVE BRANCH 

Finances & Appropriations

Biden World Eyeing Lame-duck Motion on Debt Ceiling and a Elevate Previous 2024: President Joe Biden hasn’t but misplaced management of Congress. However already, his administration is getting ready for its first main showdown with a newly emboldened Republican get together. Senior Biden officers and allies are exploring a sequence of methods for elevating the debt ceiling, in a bid to avert a standoff with Republicans subsequent yr that threatens to additional rattle monetary markets and endanger the nation’s fragile financial restoration. (Politico)

Advertisement

Well being/HHS/NIH

Biden Officers Get Key Information on New Covid Booster’s Effectiveness: The Biden administration obtained new information on the effectiveness of its up to date Covid vaccines, providing officers the clearest look but at how effectively the booster photographs shield in opposition to the virus. The findings submitted by vaccine maker Pfizer-BioNTech element the booster’s efficacy in opposition to the nation’s dominant Covid strains. (Politico)

Surging RSV Hits Kids’s Hospitals Throughout the U.S.: Kids’s hospitals throughout the nation are coping with a surge in circumstances of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), stressing well being care companies and thousands and thousands of fogeys with ailing kids. (The Hill)

CDC Points Up to date Steerage on Prescribing Opioids: The Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday issued new steering for suppliers on prescribing opioids for continual ache, updating earlier suggestions that had been in place since 2016. The CDC proposed new opioid prescription pointers earlier this yr amid criticisms that the outdated ones had resulted in worsened outcomes for sufferers with continual ache. (The Hill)

FDA Advisory Panel Meets to Contemplate EUA for brand spanking new Covid Therapeutic.  An FDA Pulmonary-Allergy Medicine advisory panel meets Thursday to contemplate an emergency use authorization for sabizabulin, a most cancers drug repurposed to deal with severely ailing Covid sufferers who’re each hospitalized and on respirators.  Section 3 scientific trials confirmed dramatically improved well being outcomes, together with considerably decrease charges of demise.  (The New England Journal of Drugs)

Advertisement

Labor & Workforce

Labor Secretary says Congress Must Block Rail Strikes With out New Offers: Labor Secretary Marty Walsh says he hopes negotiators between railroads and a few rail unions can attain new labor offers and avert a potential strike. However he stated with out a deal he expects Congress will step in and impose contracts on the sad rank-and-file union members. (CNN)

Division of Training

Justice Barrett, Once more, Rejects Bid to Block Biden’s Scholar Debt Aid: Supreme Court docket Justice Amy Coney Barrett has, for the second time, rejected an emergency request to dam President Joe Biden’s scholar debt reduction, whilst authorized uncertainty from different circumstances hangs over this system days earlier than the midterm elections. (Politico)

With Affirmative Motion in Supreme Court docket Peril, Adjustments Might Ripple Past Faculties: The conservative-led Supreme Court docket’s signaling final week that it could rule in opposition to affirmative motion in school admissions is elevating alarm from companies and leaders who say the transfer would ripple effectively past simply colleges. (The Hill)

Advertisement

Extra Than 26 Million Apply for Scholar Mortgage Forgiveness: Practically 26 million Individuals have utilized for reduction below the Biden administration’s scholar mortgage forgiveness plan, the White Home introduced Thursday. (Inside Larger Ed)

Crypto/Blockchain

‘Tons of’ of Crypto Circumstances Coming, IRS Legal Chief Says: The IRS’s Legal Investigation division is constructing “a whole bunch” of crypto circumstances, and plenty of of them will quickly be public, division chief Jim Lee stated. The circumstances contain areas like “off-ramping” transactions, by which digital belongings are exchanged for fiat foreign money, in addition to individuals being paid in crypto and never reporting, Lee stated throughout a press name. (Bloomberg Tax)

Tax Reform/IRS

Thousands and thousands of Individuals Might Obtain Cash from the IRS; the Deadline to File is Nov. 17: The tax company introduced, in mid-October, that it might start sending out letters to greater than 9 million individuals who could qualify for 1000’s of {dollars} price of stimulus funds and tax credit. (The Hill)

Advertisement

Transportation/DOT

Buttigieg Says Self-driving Vehicles Could possibly be Safer: Within the self-driving automotive debate, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg comes down squarely on the aspect of security. “Human drivers aren’t simply problematic. They’re murderous,” he stated. Know-how “isn’t all the time the reply to all the pieces,” he added. “However frankly, it might be exhausting to do worse than human drivers on the subject of what we may get to theoretically with the proper of secure autonomous driving.” (Axios)

FAA, U.S. Telecom Company Maintain 5G C-Band Aviation Talks: Senior leaders on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Commerce Division’s telecommunications unit met to debate aviation security issues raised by new 5G C-Band deployments. (Reuters)

Area/NASA & NOAA

Sultzman Takes Over as U.S. Area Pressure Commander: Gen. B. Likelihood Saltzman took command of U.S. Area Pressure at an official ceremony final week at Andrews Air Pressure base, as Gen. Jay Raymond retires after 38 years of service. Since 2020, Saltzman (“Salty”) has been Raymond’s Deputy Chief of Area Operations for Operations, Cyber and Nuclear. Throughout his Senate affirmation listening to he cited China as “essentially the most quick menace.” (Area Coverage On-line)

Advertisement

Psyche Evaluate Finds Institutional Issues at JPL: The unbiased assessment, chaired by retired aerospace government Tom Younger, discovered that whereas delays in improvement and testing had been the reason for the mission to mission its August 2022 launch window, they weren’t the one issues Psyche had encountered. The board stated that different unresolved software program points, incomplete verification and validation of auto programs, and “inadequate plans and preparation for mission operations” may have additionally brought on a delay. The board linked these issues to extra basic points with the administration not simply of the Psyche mission itself but in addition others at JPL. (Area Information)

NASA Asteroid Risk Follow Drill Reveals We’re Not Prepared: The fourth Planetary Protection Tabletop Train, held final February, demonstrated that the U.S. doesn’t have the aptitude to intercept small, fast-moving asteroids, and our skill to see them is restricted. Even when we may intercept area rocks, we could not be capable of deflect one away from Earth, and utilizing a nuclear weapon to destroy one is dangerous and crammed with worldwide authorized points. The trial additionally confirmed that misinformation—lies and false rumors spreading among the many public—may drastically hamper the official effort. (Scientific American)

A Area Rescue Service? Calls Develop to Create a Fast Response Pressure for Astronauts in Misery: As dozens extra individuals journey to orbit for days and even weeks — and a whole bunch are predicted to inhabit non-public stations or moon bases within the coming years — a rescue service will probably be wanted for spacefarers in misery, say authorities advisers and trade insiders. However no such plans are at present within the works. (Politico)

FCC Establishes New Bureau Devoted to Satellite tv for pc Trade Oversight: The Federal Communications Fee has arrange a brand new bureau devoted to enhancing the company’s oversight of the satellite tv for pc trade. It’s one in every of two new workplaces to come back out of an inside reorganization on the FCC, which has additionally created a standalone workplace of worldwide affairs. (FedScoop)

Protection/DOD

Advertisement

Pentagon says It Will Fund Tanks for Ukraine: The Pentagon on Friday introduced it will likely be funding tanks despatched to Ukraine for the primary time, a part of a $400 million navy help package deal that may also present armored autos, drones and a price range to refurbish air protection missiles. (The Hill)

Pentagon, Congress Have Belief Points, Finances Reform Panel’s Lord Says:  Early work by a congressionally mandated price range reform fee has highlighted an “unimaginable lack of belief and communication” between the U.S. Division of Protection and Congress, based on former Pentagon acquisition chief Ellen Lord.  Lord is a member of the 14-person Fee on Planning, Program, Budgeting and Execution Reform, created by Congress within the fiscal 2022 Nationwide Protection Authorization Act. The panel is made up of former lawmakers, DoD officers and trade executives who’re tasked with recommending enhancements to the division’s price range course of.  (Protection Information)

DoD’s Microelectronics Commons Takes Form:  Because of funding supplied by the CHIPS and Science Act, DoD is about to deliver the Microelectronics Commons to life. This key community of microelectronics infrastructure investments, services, corporations, and producers is designed to empower industrial leaders to information the DoD’s efforts in microelectronics improvement. With the creation of regional know-how hubs, every specializing in key know-how areas, the Microelectronics Commons will shut the hole between analysis concepts and realization of these concepts.  (Division of Protection)

DHS & Immigration

DHS Begins Restricted Implementation of DACA below Closing Rule: On Monday, October 31, 2022, the Division of Homeland Safety’s ultimate rule to protect and fortify Deferred Motion for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) went into impact. The ultimate rule’s implementation signifies that DACA is now based mostly on a proper regulation, thereby preserving and fortifying this system whereas this system stays the topic of litigation in courtroom. (Clark Hill Perception)

Advertisement

Judiciary/DOJ

FCC Commissioner says Authorities Ought to Ban TikTok: The Council on International Funding within the U.S. (CFIUS) ought to take motion to ban TikTok, Brendan Carr, one in every of 5 commissioners on the Federal Communications Fee, advised Axios in an interview. It’s the strongest language Carr has used up to now to induce motion on TikTok. With greater than 200 million downloads within the U.S. alone, the favored app is changing into a type of crucial info infrastructure — making the app’s possession by a Chinese language mother or father firm a goal of rising nationwide safety concern. (Axios)

Biden Ponders Marijuana Strikes as States Forge Forward: 5 states will vote this week on whether or not to hitch the 21 states and territories which have legalized leisure marijuana for adults. However the federal authorities continues to be caught on whether or not to take away the plant from Schedule I of the federal drug code — a class reserved for extremely addictive substances with no medical profit. The Biden administration’s Oct. 6 announcement that it might revisit that classification comes after earlier, yearslong evaluations of marijuana’s categorization fell flat, and specialists are cut up on whether or not issues could be totally different this time. (Roll Name)

Cyber

Federal Officers Eye Path Ahead for EV Cybersecurity: Federal officers are inspecting what position they need to play in strengthening the cybersecurity of electrical autos (EVs) as they push for elevated EV adoption within the U.S. The Workplace of the Nationwide Cyber Director (ONCD) hosted a discussion board in October with authorities leaders and personal corporations, together with each automakers and EV charging producers, to debate the cybersecurity points going through EVs and the tech they function on. (Axios)

Advertisement

Ransomware Prices High $1 Billion as White Home Inks New Risk-sharing Initiative: U.S. monetary establishments noticed almost $1.2 billion in prices related to ransomware assaults in 2021, an almost 200 % enhance over the earlier yr, based on information reported by banks to the U.S. Treasury Division and launched in a report final week. The report comes amid an effort by the Biden administration to crack down on ransomware operators globally and illustrates the dimensions of the problem going through regulation enforcement companies and policymakers. (FedScoop)

CISA Leaning Towards Decrease Threshold for Obligatory Cyber Incident Reporting: Organizations ought to err on the aspect of reporting any cybersecurity incidents they expertise to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Safety Company, even when they appear small or inconsequential, based on an company official discussing a rule CISA should publish to implement the Cyber Incident Reporting for Important Infrastructure Act.  Talking throughout an occasion CISA Chief Technique Officer Valerie Cofield stated these issues for implementing the regulation are just like ones utilized in activating CISA’s “Shields Up” initiative. (Subsequent Gov)

Agriculture/USDA

Biden Officers Admit There’s Nonetheless A Drawback Getting Child Method To Cabinets: Biden administration officers are nonetheless grappling with child method provide challenges throughout the nation, eight months after a key method plant shuttered and sparked widespread shortages. Shops stay erratically stocked as the quantity of method available on the market general has rebounded. The officers answerable for the response blame hoarding, provide chain bottlenecks and producers making fewer varieties. (Politico)

EPA & DOI

Advertisement

White Home Releases Web-Zero Street Map: The White Home introduced a brand new initiative Thursday to assist attain net-zero emissions and promised to direct analysis and billions in federal {dollars} towards 37 “game-changing” vitality applied sciences. The Web-Zero Recreation Changers Initiative, because it’s recognized, is led by a working group of 17 companies, chaired by President Joe Biden’s local weather advisers. The administration additionally launched a brand new street map figuring out 5 preliminary key areas for vitality analysis and improvement to succeed in web zero by 2050: energy grids, aviation, fusion vitality, environment friendly buildings and net-zero fuels and industrial merchandise. (E&E Information)

U.S. EPA to Set More durable Heavy-duty Emissions Guidelines in 2023: The U.S. Environmental Safety Company (EPA) stated on Thursday it plans to subject harder greenhouse gasoline emissions guidelines for heavy-duty vehicles and different bigger autos via not less than the 2030 mannequin yr by the tip of 2023. (Reuters)



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Washington

Legislative Staff in Washington State Approve Contract in First Collective Bargaining

Published

on

Legislative Staff in Washington State Approve Contract in First Collective Bargaining


It took Democratic staff in Washington’s Legislature a little longer but they have joined their Republican colleagues in approving two-year contracts, concluding the first-ever round of collective bargaining for legislative employees.

Legislative assistants, policy analysts and communications staff in the House Democratic Caucus and legislative assistants in the Senate Democratic Caucus unanimously ratified agreements in separate votes in late December. The decisions came nearly three months after workers overwhelmingly rejected proposed contracts with their employers, which are the chief clerk of the House and secretary of the Senate.

“We’re pretty excited. It’s not everything we wanted. But it’s a reasonable first contract,” Josie Ellison, a communications specialist and member of the House Democratic Caucus bargaining team, said Thursday night. “For now, everybody seems pretty enthusiastic about it.”


The Washington Public Employees Association represented both Democratic staff bargaining units.

Advertisement

“This historic agreement marks a new chapter for our members, providing the protections and support they deserve,” Amanda Hacker, association president said in a statement.

Legislative assistants in the House and Senate Republican caucuses approved their respective two-year agreements in September.

Each contract contains pay hikes of 3 percent on July 1, 2025 and 2 percent a year later, the same amount offered to other state employee unions. State lawmakers and the next governor, Bob Ferguson, will now decide whether to fund them in the next two-year budget.

Under the collective bargaining law, state employee unions — including legislative staff units — needed to submit a ratified contract by Oct. 1 to be considered for funding. Because Democratic staff did not meet the deadline, they will need to make a separate case to Ferguson and lawmakers to fund their deals.

Jeremy Knapp, an executive legislative assistant with the Senate Democratic Caucus and member of the bargaining team, said Thursday that administration of the Senate and House are supportive.

Advertisement

“It’s in the Legislature’s hands now,” he said.

A 2022 law cleared the way for partisan legislative staff to unionize and negotiate terms and conditions for the workplace.

Employees of the Democratic and Republican caucuses in each chamber had to be in separate units unless a majority of each caucus voted to be in the same unit. All four units negotiated collectively on economic issues, like wages and benefits, and separately on workplace-related issues.

“The collective bargaining agreements represent several months of hard work by the negotiating teams and we are pleased that we have been able to reach an agreement with both the Legislative Professionals Association and the [Washington Public Employees Association],” Chief Clerk of the House Bernard Dean wrote in an email.

The contracts with Democratic staff call for a third-party arbiter in the grievance process. That means if a dispute arises on a contract provision, the two sides will have access to arbitration through the American Arbitration Association, to resolve it. This had been a sticking point as employers resisted involvement of an outside party, employees said.

Advertisement

“It gave us what we think is a very fair grievance process,” Knapp said.

Secretary of the Senate Sarah Bannister called the agreement “a significant milestone” that “brings a sense of relief and allows us to focus fully on the work ahead.”

She said the decision to add a panel with an arbitrator “was made collaboratively, reflecting a commitment from everyone to ensure fairness, transparency, and efficiency in resolving disputes.”

The contracts also outline new ways to resolve conflicts between elected officials and legislative staff. And there are provisions to create a “transition” pool for union members facing the loss of a job because the lawmaker they work for retires, loses re-election or leaves office for another reason.

Knapp said the Senate contract lays out how a person facing the loss of work could get a job as a session aide to avoid unemployment. There’s also language ensuring the employer provides workers, who are at-will employees, with two weeks notice before being let go or two weeks pay if fired.

Advertisement

This story was first published in the Washington State Standard. Read the original here.





Source link

Continue Reading

Washington

Washington Street closure extended in Quincy

Published

on

Washington Street closure extended in Quincy


QUINCY (WGEM) – The road closure for Washington Street between 7th and 8th streets has been extended for fire hydrant repair.

Officials stated that the closure has been extended to Jan. 15.

Officials also warn motorists to use alternative routes and drive with caution.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Washington

A brief history of presidential inaugural speeches, from George Washington to today

Published

on

A brief history of presidential inaugural speeches, from George Washington to today


The only constitutionally mandated event on Inauguration Day is for the president-elect to take the oath of office. But on the first Inauguration Day, in 1789, George Washington did something else.

He gave a speech.

Every president since has followed his example and delivered an inaugural address as part of the national celebration.

This button from George Washington’s first inauguration visually unified the states of the Union.
National Museum of American History

These addresses are more than just a series of individual speeches. Rhetoric scholars Karlyn Kohrs Campbell and Kathleen Hall Jamieson argue that each inaugural address is not simply marking one stage in the ritual of political transition. Each is also part of a genre that has characteristics which, at some level, are expected and understood by speakers and audiences. There have been 59 inaugural addresses, starting with Washington, and while they may have differed in style and even specific subjects, virtually all feature these characteristics, which range from calls to unify the country to setting forth political principles.

Advertisement

The political history collections at the National Museum of American History, where I am a curator specializing in the history of presidential campaigns and campaign rhetoric, include several objects that illustrate these characteristics.

Exploring the genre of inaugural addresses through quotations and objects from the past can help listeners better understand the opening speech of a new administration, the first act in a job that began with the taking of the oath.

'We are all Republicans....all Federalists' reads a quote on an ivory pitcher with Thomas Jefferson's image on it.
This commemorative pitcher features a quote: ‘We are all Republicans….all Federalists,’ from Thomas Jefferson’s first inaugural address.
National Museum of American History

(Re)Unification of the audience

Inaugurations serve as the transition point between the competition of a campaign and the needs of an administration beginning to govern. For the audience to properly fulfill their role as witnesses to this investiture of power, they must be unified and reconstituted as “we the people.”

In the words of political scientist Lee Sigelman, these speeches are “literally brimming with verbal tokens of unity.”

There are references to our founders, our nation and the future we face. In 1957, Dwight Eisenhower spoke of the purposes “to which we, as a people, are pledged,” and Benjamin Harrison called his 1889 inaugural moment a “mutual covenant” between himself and the people. George W. Bush in 2001 united his listeners, saying, “Americans are generous and strong and decent, not because we believe in ourselves but because we hold beliefs beyond ourselves.”

Thomas Jefferson’s first inaugural in 1801 may have been the most explicit: “We have called by different names brethren of the same principle. We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists.”

Advertisement

Reaffirmation of national values

New presidents must also establish their qualifications for the office by demonstrating they understand and will preserve the shared values that are key to what Bill Clinton in 1993 called “the very idea of America.”

A button with images of Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama on it, with 'A Birth of New Freedom' printed above those images.
A button commemorating the 2009 inauguration of Barack Obama.
National Museum of American History

These traditional values are expressed in words such as freedom, liberty, democracy and courage. In 1981, Ronald Reagan reminded the audience, “Freedom and the dignity of the individual have been more available and assured here than in any other place on Earth. Jimmy Carter in 1977 summarized these values into “our belief in an undiminished, ever-expanding American dream.”

Setting forth political principles

A large ivory piece of silk with black printing on it.
A silk copy of William Henry Harrison’s 1841 inaugural address, the longest in history at more than 8,400 words.
National Museum of American History

Unlike many other presidential addresses, most notably the State of the Union, the inaugural does not advocate specific legislation but rather articulates more general philosophies that will guide a new administration. When policies are offered, they are less a call for action than a demonstration of a president’s commitment to the democratic system.

In 1845, James Polk promoted his “plain and frugal” economic plans because he said a national debt “is incompatible with the ends for which our republican Government was instituted.” Herbert Hoover said that the policies he listed in his 1929 address would be tested against the “ideals and aspirations of America.”

Even William Howard Taft, whose 1909 inaugural was among the most policy specific, framed his ideas with respect to the “proper” role of the federal government “in what it can and ought to accomplish for its people.”

Enacting the presidential role

A miniature ladder with a ribbon that features the likenesses of President William McKinley and his new vice president, Theodore Roosevelt.
This novelty item celebrating William McKinley’s second inauguration in 1901 highlighted the political principles he had promoted in his first inaugural address and term.
National Museum of American History

Candidates give speeches that are, for obvious reasons, partisan and self-promoting. But when the campaign ends and governing begins, presidents must demonstrate an understanding of their role within the broader system.

In his first inaugural in 1933, Franklin Roosevelt moved out of campaign mode and acknowledged the constraints on his “leadership of frankness and vigor.” He pledged to rely on his “constitutional duty” to work with Congress.

Rhetoric scholars Campbell and Jamieson add that these speeches must also enact the “public, symbolic role of president of all the people” by revealing traits such as humility and reliance on a higher power. A typical example is found in the conclusion of Warren Harding’s 1921 address: “I accept my part with single-mindedness of purpose and humility of spirit, and implore the favor and guidance of God in His Heaven. With these I am unafraid, and confidently face the future.”

Advertisement
A booklet with images of an eagle, a three-masted schooner and two men, with 'OFFICIAL INAUGURAL PROGRAM' printed on the tope.
The official program for Franklin Roosevelt’s 1933 inauguration.
National Museum of American History

Fulfilling ceremonial expectations

Because of the celebration that surrounds them, inaugural addresses are expected to reflect stylized, ceremonial speaking. Such speeches strive to reach beyond the immediate situation to evoke timeless themes using memorable phrases.

In 1961, John Kennedy challenged Americans across the decades to “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” The phrases “mystic chords of memory” and “better angels of our nature,” among the most memorable words in presidential rhetoric, have been applied to countless situations since Abraham Lincoln first uttered them in 1861.

Not all inaugural addresses achieve greatness. Some have been quite forgettable. But each of them has tried to fulfill these expectations, helping to sustain what Franklin Roosevelt in his second inaugural called “our covenant with ourselves.”



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending