Both Parties Struggle With Populism
529 reform backlash ominous sign for populist Dems, argues NYT's Thomas Edsall: "If such a simple and straightforward proposal as the shift of government dollars from affluent families to far less advantaged families scraping to pay college tuition gets an instantaneous thumbs down from Pelosi, Schumer and Van Hollen, the realistic prospects for a middle-class agenda, if the Democrats return to power, are marginal at best."
"Reformicons" try to spur Republicans to try new ideas. WSJ: "A group of young conservatives, dubbed 'reformicons,' are making inroads among Republican presidential candidates by arguing the party’s traditional reliance on broad-based tax cuts, GOP orthodoxy for a generation, isn’t enough to cure middle-class woes ... Other GOP economists argue that focusing on specific tax subsidies also is a losing strategy. Democrats are bound to outbid Republicans when it comes to, say, raising the tax credit for children..."
Republicans Stuck On Immigration
Senate Dems filibuster bill repealing Obama's deportation relief. The Hill: "Most of the Senate’s 55 Republicans backed the motion to proceed to the House bill in a 51-48 vote, but GOP Sen. Dean Heller (Nev.) voted against even considering the legislation ... All of the chamber’s Democrats voted against proceeding to the bill ... The next step for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is unclear ... Without a new funding bill [Homeland Security] would partially shut down after Feb. 27."
"Nobody really has a strategy yet, I’m sorry to say," Sen. John McCain tells Roll Call.
Obama steps up pressure on Republicans to fund Homeland Security. W. Post: "...five immigrants, known as 'dreamers,' ... will meet with the president [today] in the Oval Office [who] have received protections from deportation under a program Obama implemented in 2012 ..."
House Continues To Do Nothing Productive
House yet again votes to repeal Obamacare. NYT: "Democrats said it was the 56th time since 2011 that the House had voted to repeal or undermine some or all of the law ... This time the repeal vote was different because millions of Americans have gained coverage through provisions of the law ..."
New far right House Freedom Caucus forms with 30 congresspeople. Roll Call: "...the HFC could be a real thorn in leadership’s side ... mainstream Republicans ... fear the faction is less about imparting a conservative vision and more about preventing anything from getting done. 'They’re not legislators, they’re just [expletive],' a senior GOP aide [said]..."
Breakfast Sides
EPA review argues against Keystone. NYT: "...the recent drop in global oil prices might mean that construction of the pipeline could spur increased development of the Canadian oil sands — and thus increase planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions ... Secretary of State John Kerry asked eight other agencies to weigh in on the project. The deadline for those responses was Monday, and the State Department has not publicly released comments from all of the agencies."
Obama goes around Dem leadership in trade push. Politico: "...Obama sent a letter directly to Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), arguing that reaching new trade agreements is the only way to stop China from dominating the global markets ... many Democrats on Capitol Hill, and among the president’s labor and progressive base, are already in open revolt ... [Obama is] still engaged with the leadership, but going after the rank-and-file now too in a search for whoever’s ready to work with him ..."
