Category: What We’re Reading

Keep up with what’s happening in DC. Below is a selection of articles the Federal Relations team read this week.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: It was announced on Friday that Associate US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has passed away. She had a long and successful legal career, culminating in over 30 years on the Supreme Court. Justice Ginsburg was widely respected for her tireless pursuit of equality, especially for women.

Health Officials Warn Public: In a Senate hearing, top public health officials testified that the US won’t return to a pre-COVID normal anytime soon. More here.

Iranian Hackers Charged in Criminal Case: Two Iranian nationals were charged by the FBI with hacking and selling data on the black market to the Iranian Government. The data included nuclear and national security information, personal data, and intellectual property. Full story at Politico.

737 MAX Updates: The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee pulled a bipartisan air safety bill from consideration following disagreement over various amendments. The bill was prompted by investigations into the 737 MAX crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia. Meanwhile, a House report found that a “spectacular” regulatory failure at the FAA and a culture of profit over safety at Boeing contributed to the crashes. Story here and here.

TikTok Ban: The Department of Commerce has ordered that TikTok be banned from US mobile store apps beginning Sunday, pursuant to an Executive Order halting US business with TikTok’s Chinese parent company. The President indicates a deal could be reached to keep the app on the market. More.

President Chastises FBI Director: President Trump expressed dissatisfaction on Twitter after FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before the House Homeland Security Committee. Director Wray testified that antifa is “more of an ideology or a movement than an organization”, and confirmed that Russia is actively working to undermine Joe Biden in the Presidential race and sow discord. President Trump said later that he “did not like his answers”. Full story here.

Puerto Rico Aid Package: The White House announced an almost $12 billion aid package for Puerto Rico to rebuild critical infrastructure, following severe damage by Hurricane Maria in 2017. Full story.

Keep up with what’s happening in DC. Below is a selection of articles the Federal Relations team read this week.

DOJ Seeks to Defend President: Lawyers for the Department of Justice have stepped in to try and take over President Trump’s defense in a defamation lawsuit related to sexual assault allegations. Full story at New York Times.

Middle East Diplomacy Wins: President Trump announced Bahrain will establish normal relations with Israel, following a similar move by the United Arab Emirates. Both countries are US allies, and were not at war with Israel, however disputes over Palestinian territory have previously marred their relations. The move signals stronger cooperation between US allies in the region. Full story at Washington Post.

FBI Announces Arrest in North Korea Sanctions Violation: The Department of Justice announced Ri Jong Chol, who was previously arrested on suspicion of killing Kim Jong Un’s half brother, has been arrested for violating sanctions against North Korea and purchasing commodities on behalf of the DPRK. More here.

GOP Skinny Bill Fails: A “skinny” COVID-19 Relief Bill introduced in the Senate by GOP leaders failed to advance. Democrats criticized the bill for being too lean to be effective. Full story.

Russian Interference: Microsoft announced in a blog post that Russia-backed entities continue hacking in order to interfere in the 2020 US elections. Read more.

9/11 Anniversary: The US acknowledged the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Both President Trump and Presidential Candidate Joe Biden paid their respects at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania. Read the full story.

Keep up with what’s happening in DC. Below is a selection of articles the Federal Relations team read this week.

CDC Guidance to States: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has requested states begin developing plans to distribute a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as late October. More here.

Facebook Counters Voting Misinformation: Facebook said in a press statement it will remove statements from the President urging North Carolina voters to cast their ballot twice, saying it violates their policies on encouraging voter fraud. Statements made with full context, or to correct misinformation, will remain intact. Full story at Politico.

Unemployment Rate Drops: According to the Department of Labor, the US unemployment rate dropped to 8.4% in August, marking another month of decline. However, unemployment remains significantly higher than before the pandemic. More here.

OMB Examines Federal Race Training: A memo from the White House Office of Management and Budget is requesting federal agencies review race-related training given to employees, calling out “anti-American” and “divisive” content. More at Washington Post.

CR in the Works: Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin have reportedly reached an informal deal to pass a continuing resolution, which would prevent a government shutdown at the end of the month. Details, including length, are unknown. As for a 4th COVID supplemental, the two will reportedly not resume negotiations until a topline number is agreed upon. More at Roll Call.

Keep up with what’s happening in DC. Below is a selection of articles the Federal Relations team read this week.

March on Washington: The March on Washington is Friday, August 28th, marking the 57th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech on the National Mall. This comes amidst protests following the death of Jacob Blake at the hands of police in Kenosha, WI. Live updates at CNN.

RNC: At the Republican National Convention, President Trump received the Republican nomination for a second term. Updates at CNN.

Russia and US in Syria: The Russian Government and the White House disagreed over accounts of how 4 US service members were injured during a skirmish in Syria. Each side blamed the other for breaching protocol. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mike Milley, spoke with his Russian counterpart about the incident. More at Politico.

Presidential Tax Returns: Speaker of the House, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), has stated that if Democrats take the White House in the election, they will release President Trump’s tax returns, a source of major political contention. Full story here.

House Passes USPS Relief: On Saturday the House passed legislation 257-150 that would reverse operational changes at USPS and provide the Service $25 billion to sustain itself through COVID-19. More at Roll Call.

Pompeo Faces Contempt Charges: The House Foreign Affairs Committee is drafting a resolution holding Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Contempt of Congress, accusing him of misusing government resources and ignoring subpoena requests. Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel (D-NY) said in a statement, “He seems to think the office he holds, the Department he runs, the personnel he oversees, and the taxpayer dollars that pay for all of it are there for his personal and political benefit”. Full story.

COVID Relief Not Moving: White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Speaker of the House, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), resumed talks today on the stalled COVID-19 stimulus package, however they were unable to reach any agreement on a dollar figure. While Pelosi insists that Republicans meet halfway, Senate Majority Leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), is attempting to move forward with a smaller package consisting of a more narrow set of bipartisan priorities. More at AP.

Aid for Airline Workers: The White House is purportedly considering using executive orders to prevent hundreds of thousands of airline workers from losing their jobs at the end of September. The payroll support program which was signed into law in March expires on 9/30/2020. Without the relief, or a serious rebound in demand for air travel, airlines say they will be forced to furlough staff. Various unions note that executive orders cannot appropriate funds, which means ultimately Congress will have to act, however they appreciate that the White House is seeking action. Full story at Roll Call.

Keep up with what’s happening in DC. Below is a selection of articles the Federal Relations team read this week.

DNC: At the Democratic National Convention, Joe Biden officially became the Democratic nominee for President. Kamala Harris accepted the nomination for Vice President.

USPS: Postmaster General DeJoy has decided to halt changes to mail servicing until after the election, however in a call with Speaker of the House Pelosi, he acknowledged that USPS won’t replace already removed machines. This is part of ongoing tensions regarding mail-in (absentee) voting. More at The Hill. Live updates on DeJoy’s Senate testimony here.

Iran Sanctions: The Department of State has announced that the US will move to impose full sanctions on Iran in the UN. More at Politico.

Russia Meddling Report: The Senate Intelligence Committee released a bipartisan report in which it acknowledged Paul Manafort, former Trump campaign chairman, had several secret contacts with persons affiliated with Russian intelligence agencies. The report described his behavior as a “grave counterintelligence threat”. More at Politico.

Kanye West Candidacy: Rap star and aspiring Presidential candidate Kanye West will not appear on the Illinois ballot this November after failing to receive enough qualified signatures. This is after a federal judge reduced the total number of required signatures from 25,000 to just 2,500. West has already failed to qualify in several other states. More at NBC Chicago.