Here’s a selection of articles the Federal Relations team is enjoying this week.
Mic Drop – Speaker John Boehner has orchestrated an impressive exit package: he’s raised the debt limit until March 2017, he’s lifted budget caps until September 2017, he’s pass a transportation reauthorization, and has generally set the House up for an exponentially easier end of year 2015 and 2016. He’s shown great leadership all the way to the end. Read more at NPR.
Being Speaker – It’s a huge role. Constitutionally mandated and mired in ceremony, history, institution, and politics. It is part landlord, fundraiser, leader, lightening rod, savior, cat-herder, fundraiser, whipping post, and fundraiser. Lots of raising money for everyone — some of it you can keep for your re-election too. A lot of these roles Ryan has never held or operated in. Read more at The New York Times.
New Name – Rep. Paul Ryan asked the Clerk of the House Karen Hass to officially change his name to include the middle initial on all official documents and offices – just one day before Ryan is set to be elected speaker. Read more at Politico.
Polar Opposites – If you think that Congress is only increasing in dysfunction and becoming more politically polarized, you would be correct! Congress is much more polarized. Vox has a graph showing how that’s happened.
Tea Party Ponzi – A number of Tea Party groups function as little more than Ponzi schemes. Republicans attacking Republicans is very lucrative…to the consultants. Read more at The New York Times.
158 – Approximately 158 families have contributed nearly half of the money raised in the 2016 presidential campaign. These families, along with companies they own or control, contributed $176 million in the first phase of the campaign. Most built their own businesses, parlaying talent and an appetite for risk into huge wealth, and not all of them are born in the US. Overwhelmingly (138 to 20) these families lean right, contributing tens of millions of dollars to support Republican candidates who have pledged to pare regulations; cut taxes on income, capital gains and inheritances; and shrink entitlement programs. Read more at The New York Times.
Debate – The consensus of the Republican debate this week was that while Cruz and Rubio were likely winners, the true loser was CNBC. Read more at Slate.
New Old Growth Opportunity – Presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders has an idea to help the failing US Post Office. He’s going to let them offer (once again) basic banking services. Read more at the Washington Post.
Vox has charts on why police in schools is a bad idea.
Oral History – The nonprofit oral history project StoryCorps has launched a new initiative, the Great Thanksgiving Listen , asking high school teachers to encourage their students to sit down over the Thanksgiving holiday and record a meaningful conversation with an older family or community member. StoryCorps, founded in 2003, traditionally has participants come to one of its booths to record conversations with a facilitator. But the group recently used a $1 million prize from TED to develop a mobile app, allowing anyone to record a conversation and upload it to the Library of Congress. Participate here.