Sunlight Foundation

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)

by Justin Lin, policy intern NEWS:

• A bill by Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Tom Udall (D-NM) would create an office that would argue in favor of privacy rights in the FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) courts. This follows a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with several officials from the Obama administration and former judges. In addition, the three senators will be introducing another bill to change the way FISA judges are appointed. (The Hill)
• Gun control groups and gun rights groups have been raising a lot of money in the first half of the year. Gun control groups started by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords have raised over $8.6 million in the first half of 2013. However, gun rights groups have raised quite a lot as well, with the NRA raking in $7.1 million in the first half of the year, up from $4.8 million at this point last year. (Public Integrity)
• Republican Senators Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, and Mike Lee gave speeches to a group of 300 college students, which was received with great fervor. The three gave speeches that attacked certain members of the Republican establishment or of the establishment as a whole, with many students calling on Paul to run for president as he gave his closing remarks. (Politico)
• Usually August is quieter for Congress and both political parties, but Democrats are using August to target many Republicans at their events. Hold them Accountable, a progressive organization, has encouraged their members to show up at local events to talk to these Republicans. Another group, Organizing for Action, was personally encouraged by Obama to be active during the August recess. (Washington Times)
• The deal between Republicans and Democrats regarding the confirmation process nearly fell apart when Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AL) initially voted no to end the filibuster of Obama's nomination of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. However, Majority Leader Harry Reid and Sen. Susan Collins (R- Maine) were able to convince Murkowski to change her vote to end debate. (New York Times)

by Justin Lin, policy intern NEWS:

• Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI), the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, expressed interest in running for the open senate seat following the retirement of Sen. Carl Levin. Camp is the House's strongest fundraiser and many believe that he would turn the Democratic-leaning Michigan into a possible win. However, Camp has to consider a variety of factors, such as the fact former Michigan Secretary of State Teri Lynn Land is also running for the Republican nomination. (Roll Call)
• Two documents detailing the activities on the NSA were released Wednesday: one by the Obama administration acknowledging that the United States tracks all domestic phone calls and another leaked document that shows how the NSA monitors web browsing. The monitoring program, called XKeyscore, is generally used for information mining abroad and has reportedly led to the capture of more than 300 terrorists. (New York Times)
• West Virginia state senator Evan Jenkins has announced that he will change his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican and will challenge Rep. Nick Rahall, who has served in the House for 40 years. The district voted 65% for Romney in 2012 but currently the district is reported as "Likely Democratic," according to the Cook Political Report. (Washington Post)
• Over 100 pro-immigration groups are now targeting House GOP to pass comprehensive immigration reform. Many of these groups are formed at the grassroots level, with the intention to show that ordinary citizens and the general public want immigration reform to pass. However, these groups will be facing some opposition from groups such as NumbersUSA and Federation for American Immigration Reform that do not support the Senate immigration bill. (Politico)
• Alison Lundergan Grimes, the secretary of state for Kentucky, has begun her campaign for the Senate seat with a bang at her campaign rally. Grimes attacked McConnell but tried to distance herself from President Obama, pointing out differences on coal, balancing budgets, and the Affordable Care Act. Grimes is set to deliver another speech Saturday in Graves County. (Politico)

by Justin Lin, policy intern NEWS:

• Might California Republicans make a resurgence in the state legislatures? Democrats in California currently have the governor's seat and supermajorities in both the state Assembly and Senate, but a recent win by Republican Andy Vidak may begin charting the progress for a resurgence in the state. Vidak, who speaks fluent Spanish, beat Leticia Perez for a state Senate seat in a county that was heavily Democratic and had a large Hispanic population. (Washington Times)
• Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is considering running for the Alaska Senate seat, but a recent poll showed her trailing by a 12 point margin. The same poll found that voters in Alaska have a 58% unfavorable rating towards the governor, and nearly the same percentage of people considered her not an Alaskan as those who did consider her an Alaskan. (Politico)
• The FBI addressed a letter to Senator Rand Paul explaining that it does not believe it requires a warrant to use drones for surveillance, citing Supreme Court cases that permitted the use of manned drones. This letter follows a July 19 letter from the FBI's congressional liaison office that stated it had used drones in ten different instances in the past, including eight time for criminal surveillance. (Washington Times)
• It has been long speculated that Hillary Clinton is eyeing another presidential run, but it looks as though she will have a head start. A pro-Hillary super PAC called Ready for Hillary is focused on running a strong ground game early on in the race and has already raised $1 million. For the time being, however, the Clintons remain silent on a presidential bid. (Washington Times)
• Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MA) has begun hosting fundraisers for vulnerable Democrats in the House along with other top House Democrats. Rep. Debbie Wasseman-Schultz (D-FL), the Democratic National Chairwoman, and Rep. Joseph Crowley recently hosted another fundraiser for other vulnerable House Democrats. (Roll Call)

by Justin Lin, policy intern NEWS:

• Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) has called the FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) "anachronistic" and favors comprehensive reform on the issue. The senator expressed grave concerns over the potential that the government has in tracking people's cellphones but could not elaborate, since he is not allowed to disclose information he received as part of the intelligence panel. (Washington Post)
• How secure are the House's information technology systems? According to a memo by two systems administrators, there are many potential points of entry to very sensitive information through a variety of different ways, including finding passwords of representatives' networks or by accessing the Wireless Access Points (WAPs) that are present in obvious yet often private locations. (Roll Call)
• The House Ethics committee is reviewing four members, Michele Bachmann, Peter Roskam, Timothy Bishop, and John Tierney for misconduct relating to campaign finance. Three of the four have disputed the claims by the ethics committee, and the committee is quick to point out that it has not reached any conclusion as of yet. (Roll Call)
• President Barack Obama has narrowed the list of potential nominees for Federal Reserve Chairman, and the main figures that it seems he is considering are Lawrence Summers and Janet Yellen. President Obama recently attended a party for Summers's birthday but Summers is a figure disliked by both Democrats and Republicans, making the situation much more complicated. (Bloomberg)
• The Senate's blank-slate approach to tax reform has been leading to senators proposing new tax breaks. The secret process involved with submitting tax reform proposals has essentially allowed the senators to propose tax breaks for certain industries without any political cost, a process Majority Leader Reid has refused to involve himself. Republicans and Democrats still disagree on whether this tax reform should be deficit neutral or should raise some revenue. (National Journal)

by Justin Lin, policy intern NEWS: Campaigning before the actual campaign? Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey is criticizing those,... View Article

by Justin Lin, policy intern NEWS:

• The Senate Finance Committee is focused on making sure that the senators' submissions for tax reform are kept secret. All submissions will be sealed from the public until 2064, and in addition, each document will be encrypted so as not to give away the senators' names. Only Max Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Orrin Hatch, ranking member, and ten other staffers will be given access to these documents so as to prevent leaks and ensure secrecy. (Politico)
• Some companies are beginning to voluntarily disclose their dark money contributions. Twelve percent of S&P 500 companies voluntarily disclose part of what they contribute to 501 (c)(4) non-profits, and 6.4% of these companies that they don't contribute to 501 (c)(4)'s at all. The Center for Public Accountability's study, which is the "first-of-its-kind", will release the full report laster this month. (Center for Public Integrity)
• Senator John McCain and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell could be poised for more conflicts again. McCain and McConnell have a storied history of battles against one another, and lately, as McCain has been striking deals with the other party, some say McConnell feels his leadership is being subverted. McCain, however, has denied these charges, saying that McConnell has been very involved in negotiations with the other side. (The Hill)
• PRISM, the NSA's data-mining operations that involved major tech corporations, may change its face in the near future. Google and Microsoft have written petitions to FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court) that would allow them to release data on the FISA court orders. However, most of these tech companies have not mentioned much actual legislation reform on surveillance laws (Politico)
• Billionaires Bill Ackman and Carl Ichan are starting to have a lobbying war because of Herbalife, a company Ackman has shorted on the stock market. Ackman has alleged that Herbalife disproportionately targets minorities and has begun lobbying the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to investigate these types of charges. However, Herbalife has also begun lobbying other groups to dispute Ackman's case, making this sure to be a contentious fight. (Politico)

by Justin Lin, policy intern NEWS:

• Senators are looking to take up tax reform once more, but unlike the discussions that led to the Tax Reform Act of 1986, this time, the Senators have less agreement.   Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), the Chairman of the Committee on Finance, says he expects a markup to take place around the autumn, while House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) is moving with his own ideas on tax reform. (Politico)
• Jo Bonner (R-AL) has announced that he is resigning from Congress on August 2nd in order to take up a job with the University of Alabama. His resignation will lead to a contest between eight potential GOP candidates. It is unknown, however, when the special election will take place since under current Alabama law the special elections are under the discretion of the governor. (Roll Call)
• Majority Leader Harry Reid is criticizing the House for moving the bills piece by piece for immigration reform. Reid claims that the immigration bill, which was not brought to the House floor for a vote, would pass the House and has cited former President Bush as someone who pushed for broad immigration reform. (Politico)
• NSA Director Gen. Keith B. Alexander talked to Republicans and Democrats to prevent legislation that would remove funding for the collection of phone records. This  legislation is the first move by Congress to rein in executive power that was vastly expanded as a result of the Patriot Act. Senate chairwoman of the Intelligence Committee Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), ranking member of the Senate Intelligence committee, have issued statements opposing such legislation by the House. (New York Times)

by Justin Lin, policy intern NEWS:

• The American Commitment Action Fund, which is a conservative super PAC, just spent $100,000 on ad buys, which are going toward defeating Newark Mayor Cory Booker, who is running for the New Jersey Senate seat. Booker is projected as a favorite in both the primary and special elections, with a recent Quinnipac poll putting him up around 53-30 against Steve Lonegan, his likely opponent. (Washington Post)
• Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA), who recently lost the 2012 election after serving 20 terms in Congress, hired The Hula Monsters to  play at a party  he held for his staff. Stark spent around $1,800 for the services of the Hula Monsters and still has over $67,000 of cash on hand. After 40 years of Congress, it probably doesn't hurt him too much to spend a bit on a party for the staff, even if doing so is against general protocol. (National Journal)
• Minority Leader Mitch McConnell may face election challenges at the primary  level as well now. Matt Bevin, a wealthy businessman, is running for the Republican nomination against McConnell and will be making eight stops over three days, planning to announce his candidacy at 10 p.m. in Frankfort, Kentucky. (Washington Post)
• Majority Leader Harry Reid is in danger of violating the famous (or infamous) Hastert Rule with the student-loan deal if he doesn't garner enough support for the Bipartisan Loan Certainty Act. The Hastert Rule is a informal principle that a bill that has not garnered support from the majority of the majority party should not be brought to a vote on the floor. This bill would tie the interest rates of student loans to the 10-year Treasury note and is scheduled for a vote this week. (National Journal)
• The National Republican Congressional Committee named nine more members to its Patriot program, which lists members of their own party that could be potentially vulnerable in the upcoming election. Notable additions include Rep. Gary C. Miller, who raised $238,000 in the second quarter after raising what is considered a mere $78,000 the first quarter. These incumbents of the Patriot program join 11 others who have been previously added. (Roll Call)

by Justin Lin, policy intern NEWS:

• Good news for the future of the Senate? Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Dean Heller (R-NV) wrote a letter to Majority and Minority Leader Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell to ask for more activities amongst Senators on both sides of the aisle. Reid has previously said that he would like to have more meetings involving both parties. (Roll Call)
• The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee raised $5.3 million the past month, more than $1.5 million more than the Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), which raised $3.7 million. The DSCC has $9.6 million in the bank and $12.5 million in debt, as compared to the NRSC, which has $7 million in the bank and $6.5 million in debt. (Roll Call)
• Currently 94 of all current senators have a leadership PAC, and 2/3 of all House members have a leadership PAC as well. Members are particularly eager to form leadership PACs because it allows people who contributed to their campaign to then make another contribution to the leadership PAC as well. Leadership PACs were originally used by  leaders of Congress to give out contributions accordingly but is now commonplace. (National Journal)
• One measure that is sure to raise a lot of attention among senators is the business expensing write-off, which allows businesses to receive tax deductions for purchases in equipment. This does, however, means to a loss of $21 billion in revenue each year; despite this, this measure is being heavily lobbied by big and small businesses. (Politico)
• Senator John McCain (R-AZ) has taken to calling on lobbyists to pressure House GOP to act on immigration reform. However, the House has not taken kindly to such calls, and Marco Rubio, a noted member of the "Gang of Eight," has refused to pressure the House to act. Lobbyists also find McCain's calls dubious and potentially ineffective. (National Journal)
• The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) is looking to interview Christine O'Donnell, who was allegedly unfairly investigated by the IRS during her campaign for the Delaware Senate seat. O'Donnell claims that she was previously notified in January by the TIGTA that her tax information may have been inappropriately accessed by a Delaware state employee but that the case was later closed without her knowledge why. (Politico)
• Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) travelled to Iowa to encourage evangelical leaders to become active politically. Both attended an Iowa fundraiser by Reince Priebus, the Republican National Committee chairman, and said they would return for the Iowa GOP Summer Picnic. (Washington Post)