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)

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)
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by Justin Lin, policy intern NEWS:

• The Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), the electronic intelligence-gathering agency of  Britain, has been cleared of charges that they illegally accessed content from the American surveillance program Prism. All access to Prism by the GCHQ was accompanied by the necessary warrant from a minister. (New York Times)
• A bipartisan group of Senators led by Richard Durbin (D-IL), Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) is reaching an agreement to tie student loan interest rates to the market. In addition, all undergradudates would pay the same rate on the loans, regardless of income status. The deal, however, has not been finalized and is still subject to change. (Washington Post)
• Estimates for Justice Samuel Alito have quintupled over the past year to put his net worth around $2.3 to $6.2 million in 2012. This boost has come from his PNC bank accounts and Edward Jones investment accounts, which were previously unreported. (National Journal)
• Anthony Weiner's renaissance in the mayoral election appears to be less obvious given new poll data. According to a Quinnipac University poll, Quinn is leading by 9 points, and Weiner's unfavorable rating is at 36%, as compread to his favorable rating, which is at 24%.
• The debt ceiling has returned! President Barack Obama is meeting with Republican senators in order to begin talks for a deal to raise the debt limit, which will be hit this fall. McCain has called the talks as being in its "embryonic stage." (Government Executive)

by Justin Lin, policy intern NEWS:

• The Democratic Congressional Committee raised $6.7 million in June and has paid off all its debts. The committee now has $13.2 million in the bank. This is due both to their success with online fundraising as well as assistance from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and President Barack Obama in raising money.(Roll Call)
• The Senate reached a deal to avert the "nuclear option," which would radically reform the filibuster, Tuesday and will confirm Thomas Perez as Labor Secretary and Gina McCarthy as EPA administrator. Most notably, Richard Cordray, whose appointment President Obama made during the Senate recess, will be confirmed as the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. In return, Cordray has agreed to brief the Appropriations Committee and having an Inspector General. (Government Executive)
• Tom Corbett (R-PA) may want to run for re-election as Governor but may soon face pressure on him from Pennsylvania to not do so, given that his approval rating is at a mere 35%, according to a Quinnipac Survey,  partially  because of scandals within his administration. (National Journal)
• Liz Cheney, daughter of former Vice-President Dick Cheney, announced that she will run against incumbent Senator Michael B. Enzi (R-WY) for the Republican nomination. Republicans had been hoping to avoid such a scenario but will now have to choose between the well-liked Enzi or the passionate Cheney. (New York Times)
• Edward Snowden, the NSA whistleblower, has filed a request for temporary asylum in Russia. He is expected to leave the Moscow airport where he is staying within a few days, according to his lawyers. However, it is unclear whether Russia will grant him temporary asylum. (Georgetown Law Center on National Security and the Law)
• House elections favor the incumbent just as much as before, but they have become many times more expensive over the past few decades. According to data from the Brookings Institution and the American Enterprise Institute spending in 1974, which would amount to $500,000 in today's numbers, has ballooned to around $3.5 million today. (National Journal)
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by Justin Lin, policy intern NEWS:

• Brian Schweitzer, the former governor of Montana, has declared that he will not seek a seat in the Senate. This news comes as big surprise to Democrats, who expected Schweitzer to run and now must find candidates to run for the seat. Schweitzer's decision may also encourage Rep. Steve Daines (R-MT) to vie for the Senate seat. (Washington Post) 
• A GAO report criticized the construction plan of a uranium plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee that recently increased estimates of the cost of building the plant by over half a million dollars. The plant, which will not be fully functional until at least 2025, has seen its estimated maximum cost rise from $1.1 billion to $6.5 billion. (National Journal)
• Pennsylvania's voter-ID law faced trial Monday and involved three groups against the state: the Pennsylvania League of Women Voters, the NAACP, and the Homeless Advocacy Project. The law may reach the state supreme court and the rulings could hold great significance for the nation. (Washington Post)
• Senator Mark Begich (D-AL) raised over $1 million in the second quarter for his Senate re-election bid. Begich, still in his first term, faces potential GOP challengers from Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell and Joe Miller, the 2010 nominee. (Politico)
• The relationship between Majority leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is pulling apart at the seams. Though the two have been cordial for many years, Reid is becoming increasingly frustrated with McConnell's delay of President Obama's nominations, threatening to use the "nuclear option." Meanwhile, McConnell has been piqued by Reid's willingness to violate old Senate traditions. (Politico)
• This is a man who takes college elections a little bit too seriously. Matthew Weaver, a Cal State San Marcos student, has been sentenced to one year in prison for stealing the passwords of 745 of his fellow students to rig a college election. (Yahoo)  

by Justin Lin, policy intern NEWS:

• House Speaker John Boehner has raised over $6 million during the second quarter. Individuals from Elliott Management gave $225,000 in total to Boehner, and employees from Swisher International were close behind, giving a total of $180,000. (Roll Call)
• In addition, to Boehner, Senators and House members have been reporting second quarter donations in the past week. They include Newark Mayor Cory Booker, who is running for an open Senate seat, raising $4.5 million in the past quarter and Paul Ryan, who raised $1.1 million, surprisingly large amounts even in an age when candidates raise money so quickly. (Roll Call)
• The ceiling fan industry is turning its back on regulations it once supported, enacted by the Bush administration in 2005. Most recently, Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) offered an amendment to HR 2609 (Energy-Water Appropriations) that would restrict funding specifically for writing the regulations. (Roll Call)
• The Foreign Aid Transparency and Accountability Act, originally re-introduced by two Republican and two Democratic Senators, has passed the House by a 390-0 vote. This bill would increase transparency on the funding for foreign aid, forcing the President to provide guidelines on "goals, performance metrics, and monitoring and evaluation plans to be applied to U.S. foreign assistance activities." (Roll Call)
• Cora Carper, a secretary for the Insulators PAC in Maryland, has been sentenced to 37 months in prison for embezzling over $500,000. That's quite a significant amount of money, especially considering the PAC raises around $500,000 each election cycle. (Roll Call)
• Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon (R-Calif.), the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, has raised over $18,000 alone from employees of Northrup Grumman, a major defense contractor. It must be nice for him to receive all that money from companies that his committee oversees. (Roll Call)