Newsletter Archive

March 2022

Facing Revolt, Pelosi Pulls Covid Funding From Spending Bill

Lawmakers rolled out a sweeping $1.5 trillion spending bill, looking to have the House pass it quickly, but Democratic leaders faced a revolt over the source of $15.6 billion in additional pandemic funding, forcing them to yank that money…

Plus: Plus, what's in the $1.5 trillion spending package

Ukraine Aid Package Boosted to $14 Billion

Government funding expires at the end of the day on Friday. With the deadline rapidly approaching, congressional negotiators and staff reportedly spent Monday night and Tuesday trying to finalize a sweeping $1.5 trillion spending package…

Plus: Plus, Pelosi takes aim at Rick Scott’s tax plan

Congress Races to Finalize Ukraine Aid, Spending Bill

A bipartisan group of lawmakers announced Monday that they had reached a deal on legislation to ban Russian energy imports and suspend normal trade relations with Russia and its ally, Belarus.

Plus: Plus, gas prices hit a new record

Biden Seeks $32 Billion for Ukraine, Covid Response

TGIAF! The Biden administration is asking Congress for $32.5 billion in additional funding to address two huge priorities of the moment: aid to Ukraine and the pandemic response. Here’s what you should know.

Plus: Plus, a new plan for affordable insulin

Manchin Floats His Own Agenda for Democrats

President Joe Biden didn’t use the phrase “Build Back Better” in his State of the Union speech Tuesday night, further proof that name is dead and buried even as the president sought to revive elements of the bill under slightly different…

Plus: Plus, Biden's new pandemic road map

Republicans Clash Over Their Agenda as Biden Pitches His

President Joe Biden is expected to lay out a lengthy agenda in his State of the Union speech tonight, touting the benefits of the bipartisan infrastructure bill he signed while calling on Congress to enact a host of other plans.

Plus: Plus, your Tuesday news roundup

February 2022

A Battle Over the True Cause of Inflation

Happy Monday and welcome to what’s sure to be a big week in the Biden presidency. The president will deliver his first State of the Union address Tuesday night at a moment when the geopolitical landscape has been changed dramatically by…

Plus: Plus, Biden to tackle inflation, deficit in SOTU

Biden Seeks Billions in Aid for Ukraine

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, the White House on Friday reportedly asked Congress for $6.4 billion in additional funding to deal with the crisis and its humanitarian fallout.

Plus: Plus, inflation could rise further, but recession unlikely, analysts say

Despite Ukraine, Fed Pushes Ahead on Rate Hike

Leaders at the Federal Reserve said Thursday that they expect to start raising interest rates next month as planned, despite the increased economic risk and uncertainty generated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Plus: Plus - Biden's 'Buy American' plan

Republican Tax Plan Falls Flat

We told you yesterday about the "Rescue America" plan released by Sen. Rick Scott that laid out his blueprint for what the GOP should do if it takes back power in Washington in the 2022 and 2024 elections. The Florida Republican made it…

Plus: Plus - Fatter wallets in the USA

Inflation Could Top 10% With Ukraine Conflict

Russia’s military incursion into Ukraine and the threat of a wider war are pushing energy prices higher, threatening the U.S. economic recovery while limiting the options available to the Federal Reserve as the central bank tries to gain…

Plus: Plus - A new GOP agenda?

Child Poverty Rate Soars as Tax Credit Expires

Millions of children in the U.S. fell into poverty in January after a federal program providing expanded child tax credits expired, according to a new analysis by the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University.

Plus: Plus, pandemic funding and the future of BBB

Massive Fraud in Covid Aid Programs

The Senate just approved a stopgap extension of government funding through March 11, buying appropriators more time to work out a full-year spending deal.

Plus: Plus, the Senate passes a bill to avert a Saturday shutdown

Biden Wants More Money for the Pentagon: Report

President Joe Biden’s 2023 budget request to Congress is expected to include more than $770 billion for defense spending, according to a report from Reuters’ Mike Stone Wednesday.

Plus: Plus - Another delay on government funding

White House Eyes Gas Tax Holiday

While we wait for signs of progress there, here’s what else is happening.

Plus: Plus, federal Covid response needs $30 billion more, Becerra says

Crack Pipe Panic Holds Up Government Funding Bill

The federal government’s funding runs out after Friday, meaning that Congress has just days to pass a stopgap bill, known as a continuing resolution, to prevent a shutdown and keep agencies running through March 11. But the Senate’s path…

Plus: Plus, the IRS has a backlog of 24 million tax returns

Biden’s Plan B: A Deficit-Reduction Bill?

The White House is reportedly considering revamping President Biden’s Build Back Better economic plan and making it more of a deficit-reduction package in an effort to win the support of Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), the centrist who has cited…

Plus: Plus, your Friday fiscal news roundup

Soaring Inflation Crushes Biden's Big Plans

Inflation soared over the last year, the Department of Labor reported Thursday, with consumer prices rising 7.5% in January compared to 12 months earlier.

Plus: Plus, the first budget surplus in two years

A ‘Breakthrough’ in Budget Talks

Top negotiators in the budget talks for fiscal year 2022 said Wednesday that a deal is now within sight.

Plus: Plus, time for a gas tax holiday?