by Justin Lin, policy intern

NEWS:

• President Obama is going to Phoenix today to talk about making reforms to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Obama says that he would endorse proposals that wind down government assistance to the two companies, which were put under government conservatorship during the 2008 financial crisis. President Obama has chosen Phoenix as the place to make his pitch because it has shown quite good improvement after suffering a great fall in housing prices. (New York Times)
• Newark Mayor Cory Booker made his first appearance in the Senate Democratic primary debate, where many challengers hoping to score an upset began attacking him for his support of school vouchers. Booker responded by saying that his fellow Democratic primary candidates have supported similar programs that give vouchers to low-income students. Booker also has an enormous fundraising advantage over other primary candidates, with $4.6 million in cash on hand while Rep. Frank Pallone, second in cash on hand, had $2.6 million. (Washington Post, Bloomberg)
• A bipartisan piece of legislation proposed by Senators Tom Carper (D-IL) and Tom Coburn (R-OK) would overhaul the Postal Service and is similar to the bill proposed by Darrel Issa (R-CA). Issa’s bill, which did not receive any votes from Democrats in committee, like the bill proposed in the Senate, would end mail-to-door and Saturday delivery. (Washington Post)
• Clinton is still considering a run for public office-Chelsea Clinton that is. When asked about running for public office, Clinton said that she was still considering such a possibility. She has also stated that she has tried to change from living a private life to beginning to live a more public life. (Washington Times)
• Former Rep. Steven LaTourette says he misses Congress like he misses “an abcessed tooth,” saying that a lack of the ability to compromise has stalled congress from having anything done. LaTourette, who served in congress for 18 years, is now consulting at a lobbying firm and says he is still friends with many in Congress. (National Journal)
• Elise Stefanik, an aide for the Bush administration who also helped Rep. Paul Ryan prepare for his vice-presidential debate, is running for Congress against Rep. Bill Owens. This district should prove to be a very close race, especially as Owens won re-election last year by a mere two points. Many in the Republican party are helping her in her run, including a former chief of staff and a former Republican National Committee Chairman. (Politico)