Congressional Glance
President Barack Obama's international trade agenda is dead in the water if he doesn't do a better job engaging with Democrats in Congress, and his administration appears to be getting that message, Democrats said Friday.
Congressional Democrats have often been frustrated by his lack of attention to their concerns, but they've been especially disturbed lately that in his grand pivot to Asia and push for a 12-nation trade pact dubbed the Trans-Pacific Partnership, they and the rest of Congress largely have been cut out of negotiations.
"We want transparency. We want to see what's going on there," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told reporters. "We have a problem with that."
Why House Democrats Might Kill Obama's Big Trade Deal
White House Dares Democratic Senators Pushing Iran Sanctions To Admit They Want War
"If certain members of Congress want the United States to take military action, they should be up front with the American public and say so," Bernadette Meehan, National Security Council spokeswoman, said in a statement. "Otherwise, it’s not clear why any member of Congress would support a bill that possibly closes the door on diplomacy and makes it more likely that the United States will have to choose between military options or allowing Iran’s nuclear program to proceed."
Jobless bill stalls in Senate
Legislation to resurrect long-term jobless legislation stalled in the Senate on Thursday, triggering angry recriminations from both sides of the political aisle despite earlier expressions of optimism that benefits might soon be restored for more than 1 million victims of the recession.
Gridlock asserted itself after majority Democrats offered to pay for a 10-month extension of a scaled-back program of benefits — then refused to permit Republicans even to seek any changes.
Instead, Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., accused Republicans of "continually denigrating our economy, our president and frankly, I believe, our country."
Senate’s Warren Seeks Disclosure Over Firms’ Wrongdoing
U.S. government agencies would have to provide “accessible and detailed” disclosure of settlements over corporate wrongdoing under a bill proposed by Senators Elizabeth Warren and Tom Coburn today.
“Anytime an agency decides that an enforcement action is needed, but it is not willing to go to court, that agency should be willing to disclose the key terms and conditions,” Warren said in a statement. “Increased transparency will shut down back-room deal-making and ensure that Congress, citizens and watchdog groups can hold regulatory agencies accountable for strong and effective enforcement.”
Senate moves ahead with measure to extend long-term unemployment benefits
The Senate voted narrowly Tuesday to move ahead with a measure to extend unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless, despite Republican demands for corresponding budget cuts.
Immediately after the surprise vote, President Obama urged Congress to quickly finish the job of providing “a vital economic lifeline” to millions of Americans, part of a public and private campaign to sway wavering Republicans to come aboard. “We’ve got to make sure this recovery leaves nobody behind,” he said, stressing that the deep recession that gripped the nation at the beginning of his first term “was so devastating that there are still a lot of people who are struggling.”
Janet Yellen confirmed as Fed chief
Janet Yellen will make history as the first woman to lead the Federal Reserve, becoming its chairwoman at a key moment for the central bank as it attempts to unwind its unprecedented efforts to boost the economy in the aftermath of the financial crisis.
The Senate voted 56 to 26 on Monday to confirm Yellen to replace Chairman Ben Bernanke, whose term expires Jan. 31. Yellen, who has been vice chairwoman of the Fed since October 2010, is expected to begin her new post Feb. 1.
NSA Does Not Deny Spying On Congress
Hours after Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) questioned whether members of Congress are subject to the NSA's spying, the agency response revealed anything but a denial.
In a statement obtained by the Huffington Post on Saturday, an NSA spokesperson said that members of Congress "have the same privacy protections as all U.S. persons," adding that "transparency" is present between the two entities.
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