January 18, 2013
Earlier today, House Republicans announced a plan to condition a three-month increase in the debt limit on the Senate committing to pass a budget by the April 15th statutory deadline. As a consequence of not meeting that statutory deadline, the House GOP proposal would withhold congressional members pay. The 1974 Congressional Budget Act requires passage… Read More
January 14, 2013
Washington, DC is gearing up for the Presidential Inauguration, scheduled to take place on Monday, January 21st (MLK Day). The Senate will remain in recess until then (they were in recess last week as well), while the House is in session today through Wednesday. The big issues facing this new Congress continue to be fiscal… Read More
January 7, 2013
Congressman Derek Kilmer (D-6th) has been named to the House Science, Space & Technology Committee. The Committee has jurisdiction over all energy research, development, and demonstration, and all federalland all federally owned or operated non-military energy laboratories; astronautical research and development; civil aviation research and development; environmental research and development; marine research; commercial application of energy… Read More
January 4, 2013
Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) has received her second committee assignment for the 113th Congress and will be serving on the House Agriculture Committee. The committee tackles a wide variety of issues ranging from agricultural research and development, rural economic development, crop insurance, food safety, international trade, and commodities regulation. Read more…
January 4, 2013
Yesterday marked the first day of the 113th Congress. For the 84 freshmen members, including Suzan DelBene (D-1st), Derek Kilmer (D-6th), and Denny Heck (D-10th), the real work starts (even though DelBene is a 6-week veteran as she filled the remaining term in Jay Inslee’s old seat). They join Congress at a time when the… Read More
January 3, 2013
The 113th Congress will be sworn in at noon today but will take no break from fighting over fiscal priorities with the opening weeks and months likely to be dominated by partisan fights over the size of a multibillion-dollar disaster aid package (Super Storm Sandy relief package), how to raise the nation’s debt ceiling before… Read More
January 1, 2013
Early this morning, the Senate rang in the New Year by approving legislation to avert the economic impacts of the fiscal cliff. The bipartisan agreement makes changes to tax policy by allowing for the first income tax rate increase in nearly two decades and also delays the sequester by offering $24 billion in other spending… Read More
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 21, 2012
Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi yesterday announced that the Democratic Caucus approved a series of appointments of new and returning Members of Congress to House committee seats in the 113th Congress. The newest members of the Washington State Delegation received favorable committee assignments, as follows. Armed Services – Congressman-elect Derek Kilmer The House Armed Services committee… Read More
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
