April 27, 2018
Trade and NAFTA take center stage, with possible progress on NAFTA and compromise in the air with China. Larry Smith covers it all in his Trade/NAFTA report. Steve Gordon reports on what he’s heard and seen this week in Heard on the Hill. Jake Ostenso continues his reporting on changes within the Administration with another Agency Watch. Dana Marston takes a look at the role of manufacturing in GDP growth late last year, trends in home ownership, and consumer spending. Congress will be on state and district work periods next week. Senator Cory Gardner, Congressman David Schweikert (AZ-6), and Congressman Erik Paulsen (MN-3) will be the guests at the Arizona Chamber’s Update from Capitol Hill Luncheon on Tuesday, May 1st. Steve Gordon will be at the luncheon, and we’ll next report from Washington the week of May 11th.
Read MoreApril 26, 2018
In this edition of Inside Democracy: From the Peach State to the Potomac, we highlight Congressman Rob Woodall. Representative Woodall represents the Seventh Congressional District of Georgia, which includes parts of Forsyth and Gwinnett counties. He has served in Congress since 2011 and currently serves as Chairman of the Rules Subcommittee on Legislative and Budget Process, while also serving on the Transportation & Infrastructure and Budget Committees. We recently asked the Congressman to visit with us and our Inside Democracy readers.
Read MoreApril 18, 2018
Today Congress will begin the process of reauthorizing the farm bill which expires September 30, 2018. The House Agriculture Committee takes the first step this morning with a markup of H.R. 2, the “Agriculture & Nutrition Act of 2018”. With over 10 million acres of farmland and a variety of commodities in the state, the agribusiness community in Georgia is sure to be paying attention. Indeed, the annual Farm Gate Value for Georgia’s agricultural production is over $13 billion, with commodities like broilers, cotton, chicken eggs, vegetables, peanuts, and fruit leading the way.
Read MoreApril 12, 2018
Steve Gordon covered a meeting with the President’s Legislative Director, reviewed Paul Ryan’s retirement announcement, and sprinkles in some of the other things he’s Heard on the Hill. Larry Smith brings us up to date on trade and NAFTA. Jake Ostenso summarizes some important regulatory subjects in his Agency Watch. Dana Marston shares a recent study of the link between an opioid’s reformulation and heroin deaths, details of participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP - once known as food stamps), a NASA experimental plane, and variances by state in the costs of operating gas vs. electric vehicles. We’re in the process of developing two additional regular columns, and we’ll tell you more about them in the next few weeks.
Read MoreApril 4, 2018
Congress is currently out of session for a two-week recess, during which time Members of Congress attend events back in their states and districts and meet with constituents directly. Before they left for the break, Congress passed the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 omnibus bill containing about $1.3 trillion in government funding through September 30, 2018.
Read MoreMarch 23, 2018
This is a wrap-up edition on this week’s omnibus appropriations bill. Steve Gordon provides a sense of the drama that continued almost up to the minute we pushed ‘send’ in Heard on The Hill. Al Jackson provides an excellent summary of the appropriations provided for the military in the omnibus. Dana Marston shares a few different ways to slice the appropriations bill, a look at the Administration’s plan to address the opioid epidemic, and a preview of gubernatorial elections this year. Congress is now on a two-week Eastern/Passover district/state work period. We’ll recharge our batteries and return the week after next to summarize key aspects of the omnibus and preview the rest of the year.
Read MoreMarch 22, 2018
In this edition of Inside Democracy: From the Peach State to the Potomac, we highlight Congressman Drew Ferguson, who represents the Third Congressional District of Georgia, located southwest of Atlanta. He is serving his first term in Congress. Representative Ferguson serves on three committees – the Budget Committee, Transportation Committee, and Education and the Workforce Committee.
Read MoreMarch 21, 2018
If there is one thing that everyone can agree on at both the federal and state levels, it is that no child should fear for their safety while attending school. Last week, President Trump and Congress acted in different ways at taking on school violence.
Read MoreMarch 16, 2018
Noise and news were both running at full tilt this week. Steve Gordon covers the news about policy, politics, and people in Heard on the Hill. Larry Smith provides a very thorough update on NAFTA and trade. Dana Marston shares next week’s hearing and markup schedule, as well as a look at the use of TIGER grants in rural infrastructure, how the Senate voted on a banking deregulation bill, and top recipients of GI Bill funds. Congress is scheduled to finish the omnibus spending bill this week or weekend and leave for two weeks of working in the district over Easter/Passover. We’ll report next Friday, and then we’ll next when Congress reconvenes in April.
Read MoreMarch 9, 2018
Candidate Donald Trump made support for American steel a major tenet of his campaign, and President Donald Trump made good on that campaign promise this week. Our lead article today is written by Larry Smith on developments in trade and NAFTA. He kept sending us changes to his article as the events kept changing – the last version was Thursday evening. Mike Joyce talks about the first hearings on infrastructure and gives us some insights on what’s possible. Steve Gordon tells us what he’s Heard on the Hill. Dana Marston shares next week’s Capitol Hill calendar of hearings and markups, as well as a graphics on hot topics like trade and the opioid epidemic.
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