Government In Limbo
Congress will miss Friday deadline to pass legislation to fund government. Politico: “In all likelihood, the House will vote Friday on a short-term government funding measure to avoid a shutdown, giving Speaker Paul Ryan and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi more time to negotiate.”
Republicans pushing poison pills. Roll Call: “The top Senate Democratic appropriator, Barbara A. Mikulski of Maryland, said “40 or 42 poison pill riders” are giving senior negotiators headaches, including provisions targeting abortion, campaign finance restrictions and a National Labor Relations Board ruling. Also causing trouble, according to the Maryland Democrat, is the package of tax extenders, which she said is currently ‘linked’ to the catchall agreement.”
Capitol food service workers go on strike. Roll Call: “[Strikers called] on Sen. Ted Cruz, who sits on the committee that oversees their contract, to support their push for better pay and union representation.”
FInal Push For Climate Deal
Obama lobbies world leaders on climate deal. NYT: “The president spoke by phone with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of Indiaon Tuesday about an agreement under consideration here and conferred by phone this week with President Dilma Rousseff of Brazil … [Secretary of State John Kerry] spoke Tuesday with Prince Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud, the deputy crown prince of Saudi Arabia, a country that is seen as a possible spoiler of a deal.”
US seen as driving talks to successful conclusion. Time: “It’s no accident that the high-level U.S. delegation sent to Paris includes four Cabinet Secretaries … These efforts have given the Obama Administration the political capital necessary to forge a strong deal … it has outweighed concerns that Congress — or the next U.S. President, should he or she be Republican — undo whatever is done at Paris.”
Successful agreement hinges on review mechanism. TNR’s Rebecca Leber: “…there’s one area that could make or break a strong agreement: the five-year reviews meant to ramp up domestic climate targets, so the lower ambitions of today aren’t locked in for the next 20 years. The only problem is if the five-year stocktaking comes too late to be meaningful.”
Major utility company American Electric Power quits ALEC. The Guardian: “A spokeswoman for AEP told the Guardian that the decision was made as the company attempts to help implement the Clean Power Plan, the Obama administration’s strategy to curb carbon dioxide pollution from the nation’s power plants.”
Dems Duel With Policies
Sen. Bernie Sanders proposes plan for 10M green jobs. The Hill: “[He] is proposing a permanent extension of tax incentives for wind and solar energy and $41 billion in new programs to help workers in the fossil fuel industry get new jobs.”
Clinton takes on manufacturing and corporate taxation. W. Post: “She would offer a significant new tax credit to encourage investment in areas of the country that are losing manufacturing jobs … Clinton’s proposed new ‘exit tax’ would crack down on U.S. companies that try to shift profits overseas through ‘inversion’ deals.”
