February 25, 2022
In this edition, 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. 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 on Valentine’s Day), retail stores are holding on, and cabs are virtually non-existent. But it is a very eerie quiet because there’s a lot of things happening below the surface and across the ocean.
Read MoreFebruary 11, 2022
Total Spectrum Spotlight brings you an exclusive interview with Senator John Thune, the Republican Whip in the U.S. Senate and #2 in Senate Republican leadership. Senator Thune has announced that he would be running for another term in the Senate, thus making things even further interesting come November. With so much going on - Russia threatening Ukraine, rising prices and inflation in the U.S., health mandates being imposed on businesses, worker shortages, and President Biden’s legislative agenda stalling out – Congressman Erik Paulsen hears Senator Thune’s perspectives and insights on these topics and more, plus the legislative agenda for this mid-term election year. Steve Gordon’s Heard on the Hill covers subjects as diverse as a postal reform bill, a continuing resolution to keep the government open for another month while appropriators try to reach an agreement on a new budget, Supreme Court Associate Justice Breyer’s retirement, what it’s like to try to run a legislative agenda in a 50-50 Senate, and what Washington, D.C. is like two years after the start of the pandemic.
Read MoreJanuary 28, 2022
This edition includes a rare double dose of Washington intrigue. Patrick Robertson starts us off with his Washington Whispers, followed by Steve Gordon’s Heard on the Hill where he continues surveying the scene for this year’s legislative calendar and the November elections. Next, Congressman Erik Paulsen writes about the important need to increase private investment in renewable energy. Al Jackson updates us on Defense and related appropriations issues. Of course, Jesse Weathington gives us the latest in Georgia with his Gold Dome Report, and be sure to check out the Infographs for an in-depth look at current hot topics.
Read MoreDecember 17, 2021
Patrick Robertson’s Washington Whispers looks at one of the causes of President Biden’s slipping poll numbers. Congressman Erik Paulsen dives into causes of the spike in inflation, and Ramona Lessen shares a glimpse at a hearing held this week before the Senate Banking Committee on stablecoins. As always, be sure to check out the Infographs for an in-depth look at current hot topics.
Read MoreDecember 10, 2021
We lost Bob Dole – a giant of a man who was one of the last of the Greatest Generation. His passing brought back memories for Steve Gordon and so many others of working with Leader Dole, and of a different time. Steve has included many of those memories in his tribute to Senator Dole. Congressman Kevin Brady served as Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and played an oversized role in passing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2017. He is currently the Ranking Member of Ways and Means and is a masterful legislator on the issues before this committee. Congressman Erik Paulsen spent some time with his friend and former colleague, and his interview with Congressman Brady is in today’s Total Spectrum Spotlight. Everyone is counting down the days until Christmas, and one can start to see how this legislative year might conclude. Minority Leader McConnell and Majority Leader Schumer have worked out a way that Democrats can take the lead and pass a debt ceiling bill. There is every reason to believe that there will be a short-term continuing resolution to keep the government open. Ultimately the National Defense Authorization Act needs to pass, so it probably will, but the how is a little weaker than the why. Al Jackson elaborates on the defense authorization bill in his Defense Update. Ramona Lessen provides a report on a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on U.S.-Russia Policy. Jesse Weathington gives us the latest in Georgia with his Gold Dome Report. Be sure to check out the Infographs for an in-depth look at current hot topics.
Read MoreNovember 12, 2021
Veterans Day is celebrated this week, so the Senate and the House of Representatives are currently back in their states and districts. All of us here at Total Spectrum thank our veterans for their service and sacrifice. Heard on the Hill covers last week’s gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey – the outcome of each election, and the impact that their surprise outcomes are already having on legislative activity and the plans for next November’s off-year elections. It also reviews the suspense in the House of Representatives before the bipartisan infrastructure bill finally passed and highlights two very recent economic reports – one that is encouraging and one that is concerning. Kia Motors has a strong presence in the United States with investment and jobs at its manufacturing plant in West Point, Georgia. In this week’s Total Spectrum Spotlight, our colleague and friend Congressman Erik Paulsen interviews Christopher Wenk, Vice President of Government Affairs at Kia, discussing how policies in Washington impact the industry and what we can expect to see in electric and autonomous vehicle innovation. Jesse Weathington gives us the latest in Georgia with his Gold Dome Report. Be sure to check out the Infographs for an in-depth look at current hot topics.
Read MoreOctober 29, 2021
As this is being written, President Biden has announced a framework for the Democrats’ scaled-back reconciliation package, as well as held an impromptu meeting with the House Democrat Caucus at the Capitol where he basically told them to get the reconciliation and infrastructure packages passed before he landed in Europe for his meeting with the Pope and the climate change conference. Meanwhile, progressive Democrats aren’t quite there yet. This push and pull in the Democratic caucuses of the Senate and the House reminds one of the old line about the immovable object and the unstoppable force. In this edition of This Week in Washington, Patrick Robertson’s Washington Whispers continues his excellent coverage of activity on the social infrastructure bill Democrats want to pass using the reconciliation process, the bipartisan infrastructure bill, funding the government for this fiscal year, and the need to raise the debt ceiling. Al Jackson shares his Defense Update, and Ramona Lessen provides summaries of two Congressional hearings – one on security issues in Afghanistan and central/south Asia, and a second focused on cyberattacks on planes, trains, and pipelines. Jesse Weathington gives us the latest in Georgia with his Gold Dome Report. Be sure to check out the Infographs for an in-depth look at current hot topics.
Read MoreOctober 15, 2021
We are nearing the end of President Biden’s first year in office, and we’re about to enter 2022, which will feature next November’s off-year election. The legislative agenda will begin to bump into the political agenda. In today’s Heard on the Hill Steve Gordon explores trend lines in current polls and the back story on how the debt ceiling bill passed the U.S. Senate. Jesse Weathington gives us the latest in Georgia with his Gold Dome Report. Be sure to check out the Infographs for an in-depth look at current hot topics. This week’s Total Spectrum Spotlight is with Senator John Barrasso, MD (R-WY). As Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, Senator Barrasso is the third ranking member of the Republican Senate Caucus. He serves on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the Senate Finance Committee, and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Our colleague Congressman Erik Paulsen spent some of his August in Wyoming with the Barrassos and recently taped a wonderful interview with the Senator.
Read MoreOctober 1, 2021
This Week in Washington includes a summary and analysis of this crazy week’s events in Patrick Robertson’s Washington Whispers. In fact, we have pushed back our normal release time to give Patrick enough time to accurately report on the latest with the ‘Manchinema vs. Progressives’ heavyweight bout. Congressman Erik Paulsen has an article about a Ways and Means proposal that is not good news for many small businesses, and Al Jackson shares an update on all things defense. Ramona Lessen summarizes two recent Senate hearings – one on CARES Act Oversight of the Treasury and Federal Reserve, and another reviewing the administration of laws under jurisdiction of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. And, Jesse Weathington gives us the latest in Georgia with his Gold Dome Report.
Read MoreSeptember 17, 2021
We decided to approach our first issue since the August break by using Heard on the Hill to provide an overview of the major and controversial items that are on the legislative agenda. Jesse Weathington gives us the latest in Georgia with his Gold Dome Report. The most significant event on this month’s calendar was the 20th anniversary of the 9-11 attack. Steve Gordon assembled three of the Total Spectrum team members – Todd Smith, Steve Ruhlen, and Ramona Lessen – and talked about the experiences and reactions of that day. Todd was in the House of Representatives, Ramona was in the Senate, Steve Ruhlen was in the White House, and Steve was a political consultant working in his office two blocks from the Senate. Each of us had different experiences but our reactions were quite similar. It was a great conversation, and we hope you enjoy reading it.
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