Ryan's First Week
First test for Speaker Ryan is highway bill. Roll Call: "The House starts working through a six-year highway bill Monday in anticipation of going to conference with the Senate ... Ryan will have to decide just how far he wants to go in living up to his pledge to open up the amendment process and let the House 'work its will.'"
Ryan eyes tax reform. Politico: "Sweeping tax change won’t happen this year, supporters say, with lawmakers still staring at a stack of unfinished business — or next year, when the 2016 election will loom even larger. But they say it’s suddenly a lot more likely in the early years of the next presidency, especially if the Republicans win the White House."
And rules out immigration reform. NYT quotes: "I think it would be a ridiculous notion to try and work on an issue like this with a president we simply cannot trust on this issue."
Bernie On Air
Bernie airs his first TV ad. NYT: "[The ad is] a biographical spot that describes his up-by-the-bootstraps childhood in Brooklyn, incorporates imagery of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and paints him as 'an honest leader.' The spot is part of a $2 million purchase of airtime in Iowa and New Hampshire..."
Sanders looks to beef up staff presence in NH. Bloomberg: "As of Sunday, 5,500 people had volunteered for the Clinton campaign in New Hampshire, and she'd secured the endorsement of 9 of 10 Democratic state senators ... The campaign has been looking for a data director since July and several key staffers ... have joined in the past few weeks..."
Republicans Try To Dictate Debate Questions
Republican candidates try to soften their debates. NYT: "They emerged with a modest list of demands, including opening and closing statements of at least 30 seconds; “parity and integrity” on questions, meaning that all candidates would receive similarly substantive questions; no so-called lightning rounds; and approval of any graphics that are aired during the debate. The campaign representatives also moved to take the Republican National Committee out of the debate negotiating process..."
NYT's Paul Krugman explores why the economy does better under Democrats. NYT: "Democrats can afford to be cautious in their economic promises precisely because their policies can be sold on their merits. Republicans must sell an essentially unpopular agenda by confidently declaring that they have the ultimate recipe for prosperity — and hope that nobody points out their historically poor track record."
Obama Offers Help To Freed Prisoners
Obama tackles recidivism. NYT: " President Obama plans to announce a series of small initiatives on Monday intended to make it easier for former prisoners to find jobs and live in subsidized housing ... Obama will direct the federal Office of Personnel Management to delay inquiries into criminal history until later in the hiring process for federal jobs, so that applicants are not rejected before having a chance to impress ... Mr. Obama will also announce several grants and initiatives to provide job training for those with criminal records..."
Shift away from long drug-related sentences. NYT: "Over the next few years, as a result of an across-the-board adjustment of federal drug penalties by the United States Sentencing Commission, tens of thousands more inmates may benefit from reductions in their terms, and new sentences will be somewhat shorter than they were in recent decades."
Breakfast Sides
Obamacare "Cadillac tax" opponents signal compromise. The Hill: "In a fly-in visit with key members and committee staff, employer benefits lobbyists went in seeking a more politically viable solution than full repeal. Rather than eliminating the tax entirely, they pitched exempting the contributions that are made to employers’ health savings accounts, which could otherwise be subject to the 40 percent excise tax."
Weak manufacturing weighs down economy. WSJ: "Economic trouble overseas has cut into demand for manufactured goods while also pushing the value of the dollar higher, making it harder for U.S. factories to compete..."
