February 23, 2022
Thank you for your interest in Washington, D.C., and thanks for reading This Week in Washington.
Washington is quiet – in fact, it’s beyond quiet. Both the Senate and the House are on a state or district work week. Congressional staff, folks involved in partisan politics, and people in the advocacy world are taking a few days to catch their breath. Add in the thousands of folks who have not yet returned to their offices, and you get a real sense why both Capitol Hill and downtown Washington are listless. Restaurants are near-empty (except for Valentine’s Day), retail stores are holding on, and cabs are virtually non-existent.
But this is a very eerie quiet because there’s a lot of things happening below the surface and across the ocean.
Democrats and Republicans are both mindful that the midterm election this November will almost assuredly bring changes to Congress, and both sides are working feverishly. The land war that is brewing for the future of Ukraine is really the first battle between the United States, Russia, and China for dominance in a rapidly changing world.
Our friend and colleague Patrick Robertson brings us a summary of Democrats’ legislative must-do list. Al Jackson brings us up to date on defense and related appropriations issues.
We will be back in two weeks for the next issue of This Week. Stay well.