Reid Readies Filibuster Ultimatum
"Sen. Harry Reid ready to go nuclear on executive branch nominations" reports Politico: "Reid appears to have enough support within the Democratic Caucus to go forward with the proposal, several Democratic senators and aides said. Reid will use a senators-only meeting on Thursday to lay out his plans ... "
Sen. David Vitter backs off threat to filibuster EPA nominee. Politico: "Vitter’s announcement comes amid speculation that Majority Leader Harry Reid could move to change Senate rules to allow McCarthy’s nomination to clear the chamber on a simple majority vote ... [He] took the action after saying the EPA had satisfied major concerns he’d raised about the agency’s handling of data, transparency on decision-making and dealings with environmental groups."
A "hold" on her nomination still remains. Roll Call: "There was still no announcement of a resolution to a disagreement between the Obama administration and Missouri Republican Sen. Roy Blunt regarding delays in implementation of the St. Johns Bayou-New Madrid Floodway Project. The dispute prompted Blunt to place a hold on McCarthy’s nomination."
Student Loan Impasse Continues
WH, Senate mtg fails to break student loan impasse. Politico: "White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan came to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s office to meet with Democrats on how to move forward on an issue that has divided the caucus. Most Democrats prefer a one-year extension of subsidized loan rates at 3.4 percent, a proposal set to get a vote at noon Wednesday and to almost certainly fail ... divisions among Democrats deepened after Reid panned a bipartisan proposal in the Senate that would peg student loan rates to Treasury notes but lacks a cap on rates that Reid prefers."
Sens. Warren and Manchin spar. The Hill: "The clash, which is highly unusual among party colleagues in the upper chamber, came at a private caucus meeting about a subject that is helping Republicans land blows against their Democratic opponents. 'Elizabeth came out very strong against Manchin,' said a Democratic senator who requested anonymity to discuss the exchange. 'She said, "They’re already making money off the backs of students, and this adds another $1 billion."'"
House GOP to try delaying ObamaCare's individual mandate. NYT: "House Republican leaders on Tuesday seized on the Obama administration’s one-year delay of a mandate for larger employers to offer health insurance or face penalties, demanding the same postponement for the mandate on individual insurance purchase ... Some Republicans raised the possibility that a provision ... could be attached this fall to legislation raising the government’s statutory borrowing limit ...
Fractured GOP Convenes On Immigration
House GOP caucus to meet on immigration today. W. Post: "The session is expected to last hours, and, if recent history is any guide, a lot of it is likely to be contentious and unpleasant ... House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) signaled last week that the chamber may be ready to begin considering the narrower proposals that have advanced from committees. But one question that has yet to be settled is whether a bipartisan 'Group of Seven' proposal from members of Congress, one that is likely to contain a new path to citizenship, can attract substantial support from House Republicans."
Sen. Bob Corker expresses optimism. Roll Call quotes: "I think once they [in the House] realize what this bill says, the border security issue goes away. And I think what the speaker has brought up is the sequencing. If the House passes any kind of border bill, or security bill, or any other element, it still gives an opportunity for a [House-Senate] conference to occur. And I think if a conference occurs, we still have a chance at getting a more comprehensive piece of legislation, and I hope we will.”
"White House touts economic benefits of immigration reform" reports The Hill: "[The report builds] build off a Congressional Budget Office projection that estimated enacting the Senate's bipartisan immigration bill would increase gross domestic product by 0.3 percentage points over the next 20 years. According to the analysis, the Senate bill would encourage more job creation and job growth while increasing worker productivity."
