Government (Probably) Staying Open
Deal nears to keep government open. Politico: "...the goal was to file the giant measure by late Monday and then push for quick floor action before the current funding runs out Thursday night. Details were closely held given the tense political climate. But the formula for the compromise was direct: Freeze domestic appropriations at home and direct the most dollars and punch to counter new threats from overseas ... from Amtrak to Head Start and low-income fuel assistance, much of the domestic budget is flat. Modest increases are allowed to hire more immigration judges and make good on promises to beef up child care grants. Funding for Pell Grants is preserved and new steps begun to address the problem of college affordability ... The bill provides an estimated $10.9 billion for the IRS and $8.1 billion for the EPA — real cuts from current funding, especially for the IRS."
"There is one wild card, though." notes Politico: "If Republicans drag the bill further to the right in a bid to pick up conservative support — for instance, by trying to load it up with controversial riders on environmental or labor policy — Democrats will vote against it and the White House will quickly issue a veto threat.
Republicans Hamstrung On Immigration
Republicans still don't know what to do. Politico: "...it’s not at all clear how Congress will be able to revise or alter the president’s unilateral action. One option would be to begin passing immigration reform bills, but there’s still hefty disagreement among Republicans over the politically charged topic. But a GOP majority that has vowed new levels of efficiency in governing is unlikely to allow DHS funding to lapse, meaning that Obama and Democratic leaders will very likely be able to call the Republican bluff."
W. Post explains "why Congress can’t stop a federal hiring blitz tied to Obama’s immigration actions": "Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) last week expressedoutrage when U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced plans for hiring 1,000 full-time employees to carry out President Obama’scontroversial new immigration actions ... But Republican lawmakers have little power to stop the hiring spree ... USCIS survives largely on fees rather than legislative appropriations, meaning the agency is largely immune to the power of the purse."
McConnell downplays any immigration reform legislation. Roll Call: "Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said in an interview Friday not to expect the sort of big immigration package that moved with bipartisan support under Democratic leadership in the current Congress. 'Well I can tell you for sure that what the president did after the election makes it unlikely that it is an early item for this conference...'"
"Obama's Immigration Plan Is a Game Changer for Undocumented Construction Workers" says TNR's Konrad Putzier: "Illegal immigrants in the U.S. tend to avoid contact with authorities out of fear of being caught and deported. In the construction industry, this reluctance has left them with a disproportionate risk of injury or death. Fearful of reporting unsafe working conditions, they are vulnerable to negligent and abusive employers ... By protecting more than four million undocumented immigrants from deportation and offering the prospect of work permits to some, it provides undocumented construction workers the leverage needed to fight for safer working conditions. The result could be far fewer deaths on job sites."
Breakfast Sides
Krugman compares the Bush and Obama recoveries: "...by any measure you might choose — but especially if you compare rates of job creation in the private sector — the Obama recovery has been stronger and faster. Oh, and its pace has picked up over the past year, as health reform has gone fully into effect."
Progressive push for 2016 state ballot initiatives. Politico: "... after achieving success on progressive ballot initiatives with an older and more conservative bloc of voters in 2014, the younger and more liberal electorate expected to turn out in the upcoming presidential contest will produce some major triumphs. It’s widely expected that referendums on gun control, marijuana legalization and economic fairness issues, including paid sick leave and equal pay, will outnumber those in 2012, a sign that liberals are embracing a state-based model that allows them to circumvent legislatures and Congress. Conservatives, though, are taking notice, and vowing to blunt the momentum, potentially with competing ballot propositions."
Conservative state attorneys general in secret alliance with fossil fuel industry to fight federal regulations. NYT: "Attorneys general in at least a dozen states are working with energy companies and other corporate interests, which in turn are providing them with record amounts of money for their political campaigns, including at least $16 million this year ... never before have attorneys general joined on this scale with corporate interests to challenge Washington and file lawsuits in federal court. Out of public view, corporate representatives and attorneys general are coordinating legal strategy and other efforts to fight federal regulations..."
