Update 282: A Tree Falls in Queens: House Leader Crowley’s Loss Shocks Party In a surprise on the order of then-House Majority Leader Rep. Eric Cantor’s primary defeat in 2014, Rep. Joseph Crowley, Chair of the House Democratic Caucus was defeated by a first-time candidate, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, in yesterday’s New York District 14 primary. Ocasio-Cortez …
Update 281: Regular Disorder & Policymaking; Appropriations Panel Weighs Rough Riders FY 2019 is turning into yet another novel year for the budget as the Republican majority continues with its fiscal ineptitude. The 2018 Bipartisan Budget Act increased all discretionary spending caps, allowing appropriators to begin to draft spending bills without a formal budget resolution. In …
Update 280: Progeny of S. 2155 Proliferate; Hensarling’s HFSC on a Deregulatory Mission After S. 2155, this year’s wide-ranging banking bill, was signed into law last month, House Financial Services (HFSC) Chair Rep. Jeb Hensarling—perhaps emboldened by the wide margins by which S. 2155 passed—has continued his crusade against the United States’ financial regulatory regime. …
Update 279: Much Ado About the Fed From Systemic Risks To Interest Rates The Federal Reserve made news this week in the usual way, with another interest rate hike, and also in less visible but important ways. Today, the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) — of which the Fed is a key member — met …
Update 278 – June 12 Voting In ME, NV, ND, VA 49% of Dem House Nominees are Women Yesterday’s primary elections marked another big night for Democratic women across the country. After last night, Ds have nominated women in 49 percent of house races — 73 out of 150. On the R side, that number is …
Update 277 – Whither Social Security, on the Vine? Or Really Just in Need of a Fix in Time? This week’s Social Security Trustee Report — little noticed only in part because it was not alarming — was another reminder that the nation is in arrears in maintaining its social infrastructure. This we have long known. Less appreciated …
Update 276 – Eight States in Midterm Voting Yesterday was the Super Tuesday of the 2018 primary season. The most R to D flippable U.S. House seats in the country are in California, where the “jungle” primary system forced strategic recalibration among candidates and campaigns. Did Democrats manage to avoid being locked out of all the …
Update 275 – Bank to the Future or Going Postal? S. 2755 and Postal Banking’s Promise and Pitfalls Last month, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand introduced S. 2755, the Postal Banking Act. The bill would establish retail banking services at every U.S. post office and authorize the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to offer checking and savings accounts, small-dollar loans, …
Update 274 — S. 2155: Critical Backward Glance and a Sneak Peek Ahead on the Bill and Progeny Whatever the merits of S. 2155, the current moment of good feeling surrounding 91 consecutive months of economic growth will not last forever. If the (inevitable) downturn is sharp, the bill and its supporters may come under …
Update 273— Inside/Outside Politics: Texas Draw; History in Georgia Last night’s primary replicated an emerging pattern: contests in which the two top vote-getters are one establishment or party-backed candidate and one insurgent. In Georgia, Stacey Abrams won 76.5 to 23.5 percent, a 54 point margin, and made history by becoming the first black woman to …
