December 9, 2022
Heard on the Hill covers national politics, caucus elections in both the House and the Senate, the end (finally) of the Georgia runoff and the start of the 2023-24 campaign cycle, as well as the progress of the lame duck legislative agenda. Total Spectrum’s Senior Partner John McKechnie is our financial expert, and he has penned an article about the recent failure of a major cryptocurrency exchange and the fallout on related policy. In this week’s Defense Update, Al Jackson dives into the National Defense Appropriations Act, the bill passed annually to fund defense spending. Ramona Lessen reports on the December 6th hearing of the Senate Agriculture Committee that focused on the 2023 Farm Bill and Research Programs. Jesse Weathington normally gives us the latest in Georgia with his Gold Dome Report. However, he is on an expedition to find out who is more prevalent in Georgia – Santa or the Grinch. Hopefully, it is the former! And, of course, be sure to check out the Infographs on current hot topics. In this edition of TWIW, we have added a new episode of Total Spectrum Spotlight. Congressman Erik Paulsen sat down last Friday with Congressman Kevin Brady (TX-8), the former Chairman and current Ranking Member of the Ways & Means Committee. Congressman Brady was Chairman of the Ways & Means Committee when the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was passed – and many people contend that the bill could never have been passed unless Kevin Brady had his hands on the steering wheel. It’s a relatively short but a meaningful interview with an excellent legislator and a very good man.
Read MoreNovember 18, 2022
The eye of the midterm elections has now passed. Congressman Erik Paulsen joined Steve Gordon in writing about why the election results didn’t match Republican expectations – and the reaction in Washington – in today’s Heard on the Hill. Patrick Robertson writes about the list of items on Leader Schumer’s lame duck to-do list in Washington Whispers. John McKechnie is Total Spectrum’s Senior Partner, with over 35 years of experience in the financial services sector. We asked John to bring us up to date on the credit card interchange bill sponsored by Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) which pits the financial services industry against the retailers. Ramona Lessen continues our focus on financial services with her review of the November 15 hearing by the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee entitled, “A Strong Banking and Credit Union System for Main Street.” Jesse Weathington has the latest in Georgia with his Gold Dome Report. Make sure to check out the Infographs on current hot topics.
Read MoreNovember 8, 2022
Election Day is upon us, and we’ll all be waiting to see the returns tonight and in the coming days. In this special edition of This Week in Washington, Steve Gordon provides some context for the current state of politics, the races, and the public’s sentiment. Please watch your inboxes on Friday for additional analysis from our state and federal experts as they digest the election results and forecast the impact upon the next legislative sessions.
Read MoreOctober 28, 2022
This is our last edition of This Week before the November 8th midterm election, so we are using a different format. Steve Gordon’s Heard on the Hill column looks at the upcoming senatorial and congressional elections from the perspective of a former Republican political consultant and now managing partner of Total Spectrum. Patrick Robertson’s Washington Whispers column looks at the upcoming elections from his perspective as a Democratic attorney and lobbyist who served as deputy chief of staff for former Senator Jay Rockefeller and managed the 2008 Rockefeller for Senate reelection campaign. Jesse Weathington has the latest in Georgia with his Gold Dome Report. Be sure to check out the Infographs on current hot topics. In the weeks to come, Total Spectrum will bring you a post-election analysis, as well as an introduction to the lame duck session and the next Congress.
Read MoreOctober 7, 2022
Senators and Congressmen have left Washington and returned home. This quiet time provides a great opportunity to sum up the present and look ahead to the future. Steve Gordon’s Heard on the Hill takes a look at the economy and then reviews the current election predictions from the statistical modeling column of Fivethirtyeight. Al Jackson also provides his update on defense and defense appropriations. Jesse Weathington has the latest in Georgia with his Gold Dome Report. Of course, make sure to check out the Infographs on current hot topics. In case you missed it, we have also included Congressman Erik Paulsen’s exclusive Total Spectrum Spotlight interview with Senator Kyrsten Sinema, Arizona’s Senior Senator.
Read MoreSeptember 23, 2022
Both the Senate and the House returned to Washington right after Labor Day, and both are scheduled to leave town by the end of September. Patrick Robertson has written an excellent summary of Congress’ legislative agenda – what’s possible in the next 10 days and what is going to get pushed off until the lame duck session. Patrick’s Washington Whispers articles are always good, and this week’s is exceptionally well done. Jesse Weathington is out enjoying the first days of Fall with a pumpkin spice latte. So, unfortunately, we will have to wait until the next edition of TWIW for his Gold Dome Report. Ramona Lessen monitors the September 20th hearing of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, entitled “Tightening the Screws on Russia.” Of course, make sure to check out the Infographs on current hot topics.
Read MoreJuly 29, 2022
Patrick Robertson leads off with his Washington Whispers column, reporting on what’s going to happen in the Senate and the House before they leave town for the August recess, and previewing some of the activity that is anticipated during the balance of the calendar year. Al Jackson also updates us on defense and defense appropriations issues. Jesse Weathington gives us the latest in Georgia with his Gold Dome Report, and Ramona Lessen monitored the July 26th hearing of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Criminal Justice and Counterterrorism on decriminalizing cannabis at the federal level.
Read MoreJuly 19, 2022
In this week’s Total Spectrum Spotlight, Congressman Erik Paulsen interviews Lisa B. Nelson, the Chief Executive Officer of ALEC, as she and her team prepare for their upcoming annual meeting in Atlanta on July 27, 28, and 29. ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council, is the largest non-partisan membership organization for state legislators and private sector representatives. Lisa is introduced by Arizona’s Senate President Karen Fann, ALEC’s current Chairperson, and both Lisa and Senator Fann are sending the clear message that Americans want solutions, and they are looking to the states for answers.
Read MoreJuly 15, 2022
Congress returned to Washington this week. At the top of Senate Democrats’ to-do list is building a consensus on a slimmed-down Build Back Better bill against the backdrop of a spiking inflation rate and signs of a slowing economy. In Heard on the Hill, Steve Gordon describes some of the major items that are being discussed for inclusion in this plan. Congressman Erik Paulsen wrote a wonderful article entitled “Inflation and a Slowing Economy – What to do About Both.” Jesse Weathington gives us the latest in Georgia with his Gold Dome Report, and Ramona Lessen monitored the July 12th Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing.
Read MoreJuly 1, 2022
Congressman Erik Paulsen recently spoke with Senator Todd Young (R-IN) about the bipartisan bill he’s championing entitled the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (USICA), previously called the Endless Frontiers Act. This legislation aims to increase American investment in innovation, strengthen the U.S. economy, and build resilience in our supply chain. This bill is designed to boost American investment in technologies widely used from the battlefield to the workplace and ensure that investments of U.S. capital in the Chinese market will not be used to threaten our national security.
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