by Justin Lin, policy intern

NEWS:

• Senator Bob Corker (R-TN), who uttered a clearly audible expletive while Minority Leader Mitch McConnell criticized the deal to avert the nuclear option, says he has no regrets about what he said that day. He and many other Republicans, including John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC), were involved in making the deal possible. (Roll Call)
• House Speaker John Boehner called charges that Congress has been unproductive “total nonsense,” despite the fact that the 113th Congress is on pace to have the fewest number of bills signed into law. Boehner has pointed out that when the Republicans took over the House he promised the Congress would not spend all its time with “commemorative legislation.” (Roll Call)
• Rep. Paul Ryan, the Republican Vice-Presidential nominee is heading to Iowa to attend Gov. Terry Branstad’s birthday fundraiser. A recent Iowa poll showed Ryan third amongst possible Republican candidates for president, behind Senator Rand Paul and Governor Chris Christie. (Politico)
• The NSA has installed new rules that will restrict the access of information from within the organization. One of the most important procedures is the “two-man rule,” which requires two system administrators working simultaneously in order to access highly classified information. (New York Times)
• A Republican Super PAC, the Kentuckians for Strong Leadership, launched another ad against Alison Lundergan Grimes, the Kentucky Secretary of State running against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is also hard at work, with online and social media ads labeling McConnell as “obstructionist.” (Roll Call)

BILLS: