August 24, 2018
All eyes are focused on trade and NAFTA, and Larry Smith brings us up-to-date. Steve Gordon talks and types about what he’s heard this week in Heard on the Hill. Jake Ostenso has this week’s Agency Watch. Dana Marston – back from salmon fishing in Alaska – looks at where student borrowers are struggling most, and breaks down a bipartisan bill to address the opioid crisis which the Senate hopes to pass after Labor Day. This morning, we received the exceedingly sad news that Senator John McCain is suspending treatment for his brain cancer. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Senator and his family. The Senate is scheduled to adjourn and leave town for Labor Day. We will not publish next Friday, but we will be back in your inbox on September 7th. Have a safe and enjoyable holiday.
Read MoreAugust 17, 2018
The House of Representatives continues its August recess. The Senate is in session and is working on judicial appointments and the appropriations packages for the next fiscal year. (spoiler alert: There will not be a government shutdown in September because both Majority Leader McConnell and Minority Leader Schumer have roughly agreed on the terms and the outcome). We’re adjusting our format this week. Steve Gordon converts his Heard on the Hill column to People on the Hill – and begins a series of interviews with people in Washington who represents segments of the Arizona business community. NAFTA discussions are ongoing with the clock ticking. Senator Orrin Hatch, Chairmanof the Finance Committee, gave an important speech in Utah this week on the value of free trade. It’s worthwhile reading – and we’ve linked to it here. Dana Marston is in Alaska fishing for salmon. Ramona Lessen has pulled together a visual on Foreign Direct Investment in US Industry Sectors, another one on Trading Tariffs on US Goods, and a third for the TWIW weekly calendar.
Read MoreAugust 10, 2018
This week we had planned to only publish Steve Gordon’s Heard on the Hill column. The Senate has been in recess all week, the House is on its’ August recess, and the pace of official Washington has slowed. But there are several key areas to report on – so report we are doing. Larry Smith’s update on Trade and NAFTA takes center stage. Al Jackson updates on Defense Appropriations and Steve Gordon submits this week’s Heard on the Hill. Steve Gordon will be back again next Friday with his Heard on the Hill – and will be joined by other members of the Total Spectrum team as events in Washington dictate.
Read MoreAugust 3, 2018
August has come to Washington. The House of Representatives are on recess for the month and the Senate went on a one-week recess. Steve Gordon is in Washington – and has prepared a timely ‘Heard on the Hill’ – which includes off-the-record discussion with a Senate Appropriator and news about trade and taxes. Steve will report again next Friday, and we will be back to full staff in two weeks. We greatly appreciate your comments and suggestions – and our loyal readers.
Read MoreJuly 13, 2018
Most of the discussion in Washington this week focused on the Supreme Court nominee (and the special role of Arizona’s former Senator Jon Kyl), trade, and the economy. Steve Gordon focuses on each in Heard on the Hill. Larry Smith shows the wide array of trade activity since mid-June in his TRADE/NAFTA update. Al Jackson discusses the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2019. Dana Marston shares next week’s hearing and markup schedule, and looks at the Supreme Court nomination process as well as its impact upon the legislative calendar between now and the election. We are preparing for several upcoming interviews and we’ll run them in future editions of This Week.
Read MoreJune 8, 2018
Larry Smith is a pro’s pro, and he’s showed us why this week. The trade issue kept twisting and turning throughout the week – and Larry kept adjusting and modifying his report. We counted an original report and three updates from Larry before we pushed send. Impressive and appreciated. Steve Gordon provides insights on the U.S. Senate, its leaders, the August recess and the November elections – and how they all tie together – in “Heard on the Hill.” Jake Ostenso reports on a recent hearing before the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance dealing with how autonomous vehicles will impact on the future of insurance. Dana Marston shares next week’s legislative calendar, as well as a look at rising fuel prices, unemployment, a recent executive order impacting federal employment, and federal grants being awarded to states to battle the opioid crisis.
Read MoreMay 24, 2018
The Administration scored a big win this week with final passage and signing of legislation rolling back major portions of Dodd-Frank. John McKechnie reports on this milestone in our cover article. Larry Smith catches up on the ever-changing state of NAFTA/trade, while Steve Gordon gets perspectives from the Administration, Majority Leader McConnell, and Congressman Erik Paulsen in “Heard on the Hill.” Jake Ostenso continues with his weekly Agency Watch, and Dana Marston looks into trends in energy employment, states most affected by the opioid epidemic, and a financial snapshot of Americans. Both the Senate and the House have left town for Memorial Day weekend, and next week is a scheduled state/district work period. We’ll grill a few hot dogs ourselves this weekend and will be back with the next This Week in Washington the week of June 8th.
Read MoreMay 18, 2018
Larry Smith has this week’s cover story, trying to keep up with trade negotiations with Mexico and Canada on NAFTA and separate discussions with China. Al Jackson checks in on the status of defense appropriation, and Todd Smith writes about the passage of a House bill for veterans and their families. The bill honors Senator John McCain, the late Senator Daniel Akaka, and Congressman Sam Johnson of Texas, who like Senator McCain was a prisoner of war in Vietnam. Steve Gordon tells us what he heard this week in Heard on the Hill. Dana Marston shares next week’s legislative calendar, as well as a few perspectives into renewable energy, growth in real personal income, and a little-known trade law the Administration is using to protect national security.
Read MoreApril 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 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.
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