by Justin Lin, policy intern

NEWS:

• Rep. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), an Iraq war veteran and first-term representative is reportedly going to run for the Arkansas Senate seat, though Cotton’s spokeswoman has not confirmed nor denied such reports. Cotton faces incumbent Democratic senator Mark Pryor, but he has received a lot of support from both the establishment and conservative wings of the party. (Washington Post)
• Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), the Democratic National Committee Chairwoman, has set a goal to give $2.5 million to Democrats in the House, putting her on par with Minority Whip Steny Hoyer in terms of amount donated. She has spent a lot of time in her position talking to important donors, and though some are enthusiastic about her leadership, others in the party say that she has not built enough strong relationships with members of her own party. (Politico)
• House Majority Leader Eric Cantor is leading the push to save $40 billion with the food stamp program by imposing more stringent regulations on the work requirement and forcing able-bodied persons off the rolls. However, many Democrats have expressed misgivings about Cantor’s approach, saying that he has alienated Democrats and has even put Republicans in a tough position to compromise. (Politico)
• Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is going to face two more primary challengers, State Sen. Lee Bright, and Nancy Mace, who was the first female to graduate from The Citadel, a senior military college. Graham faces another challenger, Richard Cash, who has also run for congress before, and unlike many other states, South Carolina holds a runoff if no candidate receives a majority of the votes in the primary. (Washington Post)

TODAY: