Influence Alley

Good morning and welcome back to the Alley. Ready for the headlines? Thought so.

Skirmishing between Congress and the White House over government spending last summer cost taxpayers $1.3 billion, according to a Government Accountability Office report, the Washington Post writes.

Mitch McConnell sat down with The Hill and promises that the Senate under Republicans would be much "busier" if the GOP takes the upper chamber in the fall. (Shameless plug: The Alley sat down with McConnell earlier this month. Read it here, if you like.)

Democratic Party chairwoman Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz tells Buzzfeed that GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney is playing politics with America's relationship with Israel. Her comments were in response to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor's criticism of President Obama of the White House's announcement that President Obama would visit Israel in a second term.