US Congress – Secular Policy Institute staff are busy attending briefings on the Republican’s plans for the new 114th Congress that kicked off last Tuesday amidst snowfall. Republicans lost Congressional dominance in 2007 and have waited eight years for that day. ┬áSenate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is wasting no time and pushing ahead with the Keystone pipeline (with a veto threat) and adjustments to the Affordable Care Act (such as the roll backs in medical device tax and the individual mandate). ┬áBy all accounts, the Republicans begin the year with a commanding majority so many advocacy groups are trying to reposition their access and goals for this Congress. ┬áSenate Democratic Leader Harry Reid held meetings at home Tuesday with his Senate Leaders as he is recovering from an exercise accident.
In the House, Speaker Boehner survived a challenge from the conservatives as two dozen members of the Republican Party did not vote for his leader position. ┬áNext week, House Republicans will try to curtail Obama’s immigration executive action by limiting funding in the Department of Homeland Security appropriation’s bill. ┬áFunding for DHS runs┬áuntil February 27.┬á┬áObama will surely veto but runs a risk of shutting down Homeland Security. The House Republicans also plan to address the US policy on Iran. ┬áThis week President Obama and Congressional leaders met on Tuesday to find areas of agreement like trade and tax reform.
White House -┬áOn January 20th┬áPresident Obama will deliver his State of the Union. ┬áCurrently the White House is dribbling out proposals that will be unveiled that day. ┬áLast week the President conducted a three-state tour to highlight his initiatives. ┬áWednesday was the economic and jobs recovery speech in Detroit. ┬áThursday was a new affordable housing plan that was highlighted in a speech at Central High School in Phoenix and then the final stop in Knoxville addressed college affordability. ┬áWe should expect executive action and not legislation where possible in the State of the Union proposals. ┬áThis week, the President hosted Congressional leaders on Tuesday and then traveled to Atlanta for a briefing on the Ebola crisis at the CDC. ┬áWednesday he was in Tampa for a briefing at US Central Command as the military begins a more aggressive assault on Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. ┬áThe Secular Policy Institute has secured a Fellow that is a leading expert on the Islamic State – Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, Ph.D. ┬áHe advises numerous governments on the intricacies and complexities undergirding the rise and operation of the Islamic State.