Weekly Trek: October 16, 2015

Weekly Trek

October 16, 2015

 

Top Political News

• Paul Ryan is seen as just a 50-50 bet to run for Speaker of the House after a week of pleading by his colleagues and GOP heavyweights. The Hill
• Team Boehner: debt ceiling deal ‘certainly possible’. Roll Call
• A handy Venn diagram of the very different debates Republicans and Democrats are having. Washington Post
• Biden closes in on decision, but doubts multiply. The Hill
• Insiders: A runaway victory for Clinton in Democratic debate. Politico
• Dennis Hastert reaches plea deal in bank withdrawals case. New York Times
• Through executive orders, Obama tests power as purchaser-in-chief. USA Today

Transportation

• House schedules highway bill markup. The Hill
• House unveils six-year, $325B highway bill. The Hill
• Larry Summers: Fixing America’s roads would essentially pay for itself. Washington Post
• Big 3 airlines flexing their political muscle in Washington. AP
• Nashville mayor wanted to bring two parts of his city together then was crushed by state legislators. Boston Globe

Energy & Natural Resources

• Feds check out unmanned aircraft for fighting wildfires. KPLU
• Massive wildfire rehabilitation underway in Oregon, Idaho. Spokesman-Review
• Floods, fires, slides: Experts at Seattle summit bracing for disasters. Seattle Times
• Bill Gates has committed his fortune to moving the world beyond fossil fuels and mitigating climate change. The Atlantic

Labor

• Dems’ labor rule tweak would trip up ‘majority’ voting. Washington Examiner
• Cadillac Tax necessary, White House economic chief says. BNA
• Lawmaker says Central States rescue not only option. BNA
• Don’t repeal the ‘Cadillac tax’ — modify it. The Hill

Taxation, Trade, & Defense

• White House wants trade vote before lame duck. The Hill
• Murphy re-introduces Buy American Act. Hartford Courant
• Inside the secret push to save the Export-Import Bank. The Hill
• Year-Long CR could mean big cuts to major programs, US Army leaders say. Defense News
• How much do American exporters need Ex-Im Bank? The Hill

 

If you would like to receive the Weekly Trek in your inbox, please sign up here.