December 27, 2012
The Senate reconvenes today and will make a last attempt to legislate before large automatic tax increases and spending cuts take effect on January 1st. The House is scheduled to meet only in a pro forma session after Republican leaders said the Senate would need to act first to produce a legislative solution after their… Read More
December 18, 2012
A deal appears to be in the making to avoid the “fiscal cliff.” Late yesterday, President Obama made a counteroffer back to House Speaker Boehner (R-OH) that would raise the top tax rates on income above $400,000, $400 billion in health care cuts, and $200 billion in discretionary cuts. The White House proposal also includes… Read More
December 17, 2012
As we move into the last two weeks of the calendar year – and come ever closer to the edge of the “fiscal cliff” – House Speaker Boehner (R-OH) has offered to allow a tax increase on millionaires, which is a significant shift toward President Obama’s position on raising tax rates for the wealthy. But… Read More
December 14, 2012
President Obama and House Speaker Boehner (R-OH) met for almost an hour yesterday at the White House to discuss issues related to the fiscal cliff, but there were no obvious signs of progress. Instead, both sides appear to be holding fast to their partisan views on taxes and spending. This is the second face-to-face meeting… Read More
December 12, 2012
Appropriators had been hoping to move an FY2013 omnibus during the current lame duck session, but with time running out it now appears unlikely that they will move any FY2013 spending bills by the end of the year. Instead, Congress is most likely to pass another six-month CR to cover the remainder of FY2013, probably… Read More
December 11, 2012
“Fiscal cliff” discussions continue to dominate the public airwaves as the White House continues to negotiate with House Speaker Boehner (R-OH) on a possible deal. The word on the street today is that the Speaker has asked the White House for more details about its position on taxes, and the President’s team has asked the House… Read More
December 11, 2012
I was recently interviewed by Scientific American for an article on the impact of sequestration on NIH funding. My quote: “We are in uncharted territory if the sequester takes effect.”
December 6, 2012
Negotiations continue between the Obama administration and congressional leaders on deficit reduction legislation that would need to be approved by Congress before the end of the year to avoid the sequester and tax increases. Last week the President released his proposal, which took a hard line on both taxes and entitlement spending, with increased tax… Read More
November 30, 2012
The House Republican Steering Committee yesterday named six new GOP members to serve on the House Appropriations Committee in the 113th Congress, including one of our own: Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA-3). Congratulations Congresswoman Herrera Beutler! Other new GOP members include: Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (TN-3) Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (NE-1) Rep. David Joyce (OH-14) Rep. Thomas… Read More
November 29, 2012
Today, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) said that “no substantive progress has been made” on fiscal cliff negotiations, and warned that if Democrats don’t come up with a better compromise on entitlements and spending then “there’s a real danger of going off the fiscal cliff.” This confirms that talks to stave off the full range… Read More
