Here’s a selection of articles that the Federal Relations team is reading this week.
International Optimism? – The international community is cautiously optimistic that the 114th Congress will be more productive that the 113th…at least a little more productive…hopefully. Read it in The Economist.
Problem Before It Starts – A national college rating system is facing tough criticism before the draft framework has been announced. First announced by the President in 2013 as an accountability measure, both for profit and nonprofit institutes expressed concern with the idea. The framework has taken over 15 months of discussion and there is still no public plan. Most non-profit colleges are concerned, not about rankings showing value, but about unintended consequences from the rankings. Read more at the LA Times.
Toot, toot – Obama Administration touts their accomplishments for 2014. Read it here.
Game On! – Adding to the may-lay of the 2016 elections (which only was going to be a presidential election, the House of Representatives, and the re-election of 20 Republican Senators in Democratic states), US Senate liberal institution, Senator Barbara Boxer, announced her retirement at the end of 2016. Boxer was first elected to the US House in 1983 and the US Senate in 1992. California has not seen an open Senate seat since 1992, when George H.W. Bush was president. This race is expected to be one of the most expensive, due to the make up of California, and contentious, due to the deep bench of Democrats expected to vie for the seat. Read more about it from The LA Times and The Washington Post.