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Cory Booker

Booker's Senate Bid Provides Early Test For Obama Campaign Veterans

The primary in New Jersey's Senate special election will be the first to pit President Obama's campaign veterans against more established Democrats.

Fueling The Nation: The Transportation Transformation

Tuesday, June 18, 2013, National Journal will host "Fueling The Nation: The Transportation Transformation," an in-depth policy summit on the future of American energy and how the nation will continue to meet its transportation fuel needs.

TUESDAY - Fueling the Nation: The Transportation Transformation

Tuesday, June 18, 2013, National Journal will host "Fueling The Nation: The Transportation Transformation," an in-depth policy summit on the future of American energy and its relationship with our nation's transit systems. Speakers will explore a range of issues that are central to future transportation planning decisions. Among them: The success potential of different types of alternative fuels; the impact of private-sector initiatives versus government policies; the role of environmental protection in energy and transportation development, and more.
La Cygne Generating Station

How Green Groups Make the EPA Issue New Rules

By suing the agency—which is only too happy to settle—green advocates have compelled it to issue a raft of regulations. 
GE Appliance Park

Reviving Manufacturing

General Electric Appliance Park; K'nex Brands; Edison Welding Institute; Dow Chemical.
Chris Christie

Three Signs Republicans Haven't Learned Any Lessons From 2012

After their drubbing in 2012, Republicans vowed to change their ways. But as 2013 wears on, they're sticking to the script that got them in trouble. 
Domino's Pizza

Domino’s Pizza Delivers Big for Eric Cantor

As the pizza giant's stock soared, Eric Cantor's wife sat on Domino's board of directors and made off with a financial windfall.
INDUSTRY

Defense Industry Focused on Sequestration

No one has been able to successfully wrangle Congress into reaching a grand bargain to reduce the deficit. But it’s not for lack of trying.
Roger Zakheim

Roger Zakheim, Majority Deputy Chief of Staff/Counsel

Roger Zakheim, deputy chief of staff and counsel for the majority on the House Armed Services Committee, got his first taste of Hill life at age 14.
Debra Wada

Debra Wada, Democratic Staffer, Military Personnel

Debra Wada, who previously served as deputy staff director on the House Armed Services Committee when Democrats held the majority, now specializes in military-personnel issues.
Bob Simmons

Bob Simmons, Majority Staff Director

Majority Staff Director Bob Simmons retired after spending 26 years in the defense industry, ultimately serving as the CEO of Senior Aerospace in California, when former Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., the House Armed Services chairman at the time, called him up.
Leonor Tomero

Leonor Tomero, Counsel

Leonor Tomero, counsel for the House Armed Services Committee, has a portfolio that includes strategic forces, missile defense, military space, nuclear weapons, and nuclear cleanup.
NSA

The Surveillance State: How We Got Here and What Congress Knew

The National Security Agency's tracking programs were pushed by the Senate, House and executive branch after 9/11.
Nuclear Plant

What Happens When Our Nuclear-Power Fleet Is Older Than You Are?

America’s best source for zero-carbon energy is slowly withering, and it’s unlikely to be replenished. 
John Dingell

Congress Could Use a Few More Members Like Rep. John Dingell

The fair-mindedness and diligence of the legendary lawmaker starkly contrasts the unfairness in the response to the activities at the IRS conferences.
walnut way home

Changing an Urban Neighborhood, One Peach Orchard at a Time

A Milwaukee couple's nonprofit combats poverty with block parties and community gardens.
Bellingham coal

The Obscure County Election That Could Change the Planet

A little-watched race in Washington state will determine how America uses its coal—and the future of the global climate. 
Catfish

The U.S. Wants to Inspect Your Catfish, Twice

The farm bill has a reputation, and it’s not a good one.
hydraulic fracturing

Proposed 'Fracking' Rules Anger Environmentalists, Annoy Industry

The Obama administration on Thursday unveiled a new proposal for its first major regulation of hydraulic fracturing on public lands, attempting to address at least a portion of the controversial drilling practice that’s unlocked vast new supplies of U.S. oil and gas but has also raised fears about its environmental impact, particularly on local water supplies.
COP Foreclosure Hearing

How Many House Committees Are Currently Probing the Obama Administration?

A look at which House committees have inquiries into Obama Administration issues
Orrin Hatch

H-1B Visas to Have Their Day in Committee

The tech community will have its first chance Tuesday to weigh in, carefully, on major immigration legislation being debated in the Senate. The influential lobbying force that has for years scrambled for access to highly skilled foreign workers must now carry out a rough balancing act: making sure lawmakers know that the bill, as written, does not work for it, but that it doesn’t want to kill the process, either.
stethoscope

How Much Big Insurance Paid a Small-Business Group to Fight a Premium Tax

The nation’s leading health insurance industry group gave $850,000 to a top small-business trade association as part of a campaign to repeal a key provision of President Obama’s health care law, National Journal Daily has learned.
Jennifer Cox

5 Staffers to Watch Among House Freshmen

Running an office of a freshman member of Congress is never easy, but certain lawmakers and their top aides have especially unique challenges. Meet the chiefs of staffs of five House members whose election to Congress is somehow notable or newsworthy.
Fracking

New Fracking Rules Have Environmental Groups Worried

The energy industry is optimistic about new regulations for hydraulic fracturing expected to be issued as soon as Tuesday.
Linda Bloss-Baum

Bloss-Baum Pushes for Artists' Rights in Her New Public-Affairs Firm

As lawmakers mulled legislation to safeguard the rights of performing artists in 2010, two musicians sat in the office of then-Rep. Charlie Gonzalez, D-Texas, hopeful that he would support the bill.
telephone operators, cell phone

Why We Need to Move Ahead on IP

When it comes to communications technology, federal regulations shouldn’t discourage innovation. They have to keep up with the times.
Boston bombing memorial

The White House Is Right: Tsarnaev Should Be Tried As a Civilian

The only surviving suspect in the Boston Marathon bomb case will be represented by counsel and arraigned, just like any other criminal defendant.
Lynch and Markey

Democrats Argue Over Who's Tougher on National Security After Boston Bombings

National security was a contentious topic at Monday night's Democratic debate.
James Carney

Get Ready To Be Taxed on Internet Purchases

The Senate is scheduled to debate the Internet sales-tax legislation this week. The bill is expected to pass.
Goodlatte

Immigration Debate May Grow More Complicated

With Congress focused on immigration reform this week, the national security aspects of the issue are moving to the forefront amid efforts by some conservatives to inject the Boston Marathon bombing suspects into that debate.
AP618772796574

Previewing the Sunday Shows

Friday night's capture of the second suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing will be the prominent topic for the Sunday shows, including the national security implications of the attack. Sunday Meet the Press hosts Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin. Face the Nation h...
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev

Is it Illegal to Impersonate the Boston Marathon Bombing Suspects (or Anyone Else) on Twitter?

After video of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects were released, journalists and citizen-sleuths turned to social media to find their digital footprint. They were greeted with a wealth of information. Not all of it was true.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA)

After Boston Marathon Bombings, What Next For Immigration Reform?

“We screwed up. We can’t afford to screw up again,” said Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said on Friday. 
Boston Marathon Runner

The Boston Bombings Could Help a State Get Beyond Its Liberal Stereotype

Massachusetts really did invent America, so stop making fun of it.
Gary Andres

Gary Andres, Majority Staff Director

In leading a staff of almost 70, Gary Andres says he gets the best of all the previous jobs he’s held throughout his career.
Michelle Ash

Michelle Ash, Minority Chief Consumer Protection Counsel

A Pittsburgh native, Michelle Ash, 45, had originally planned to go into law. But after a year at a local law firm, she decided on the world of policy instead.
Mike Bloomquist

Mike Bloomquist, Majority General Counsel

Lobbying may earn more money, but Mike Bloomquist is drawn to other things Capitol Hill has to offer. And as general counsel to the Energy and Commerce Committee—which has jurisdiction over everything from health and energy policy to amusement-park safety—there’s a lot.
Karen Christian

Karen Christian, Majority Chief Counsel, Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee

Karen Christian, chief counsel for the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, is best known for her lead role in the Solyndra investigation, which dominated much of the GOP agenda on the committee during the last Congress.
First Solar Manufacturing Plant

Manufacturers Focus on Reforming Tax Code and Reducing Barriers to Trade

Manufacturers are, naturally, the biggest stakeholders in the committee’s discussion of improving the manufacturing sector.
Cars at GM Assembly Plant

Manufacturers, Ag Interests Will Lobby for Trade Deal

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership won’t be focused on already-low tariffs between the U.S. and European Union. It will be focused on so-called “behind the border” measures, like regulation—and that means there will be plenty of stakeholders with strong opinions.
Antenna broadcasts spectrum

Companies Fight to Influence Auction Rules

On spectrum issues, wireless carriers and cable companies account for the most active lobbying. The top three are AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast, followed by trade groups such as the National Cable and Telecommunications Association.
Keystone XL White House Protest

Keystone Pits Oil Companies Against Environmentalists

It’s likely that more corporations, coalitions, and advocacy groups have lobbied, rallied, and written letters about the Keystone XL oil pipeline than about any other pipeline ever built in the United States.
100113_agriculture_496w.jpg

Long List of Lobbies Oppose Renewable-Fuels Standard

It’s hard to rival the diversity and sheer number of groups and companies with a vested interest in the renewable-fuels standard, from food and livestock businesses to those in the environmental and energy sectors.
capitol

How Can Congress Help Manufacturers?

The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade kicked off 2013 with a focus on its middle name. It’s fitting. After all, Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., who chairs the committee, changed the subcommittee name when he took over in 2011 to include an explicit reference to manufacturing.
Fred Upton

5 Things Immigration, Gay Marriage, and Gun Control Have That Climate Change Doesn't

The amount of change happening in Washington is impressive, but this kind of sea change can’t happen right now with energy and climate policy. Here's why.
Rep. Fred Upton

A Polarized Congress Tests Fred Upton’s Instincts

In the final days of the last Congress, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton spoke out against a bill to provide roughly $50 million to aid the victims of superstorm Sandy.
New U.S. citizens are sworn-in at an induction ceremony in Pomona, Calif., in January.

Why a Messed Up Immigration Bill Could Still Pass

Only one thing really matters in the immigration bill that a bipartisan group of eight senators will unveil this week—11 million immigrants living in the United States without papers who fear deportation every day. Give them a break, and the rest will sort itself out.
Stormy Bradley, Maya Bradley

Why Those Wellness Programs Don't Work

Obama's workplace health incentive was supposed to save money and make you fit. Instead it penalizes the poor. 
President Barack Obama

GOP Health Experts Agree: Don't Count on 'Obamacare' to Fail

Is the Obama administration totally bungling implementation of its signature universal health care law? The White House gets some surprising backup from top health officials from two GOP administrations.
130103_Bloom_8851

What's Next for Immigration Reform

With Congress back in session, House and Senate working groups will be putting finishing touches on their immigration plans. But there are many issues still outstanding.
Denis McDonough

The Man Who Could Put Climate Change on the Agenda

White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough has a record against global warming—and the president's ear.
Marydale Deborah

Healthy Benefits

Nonprofit hospitals could reap credit for improving the eating habits of their patients and communities.
Financial regulators

Mary Schapiro and Lanny Breuer Give Us the Ultimate Dog-Bites-Man Story

They failed to prosecute a single Wall Streeter over the 2008 disaster. Now it's home to mama.
Gas station

EPA Finds Sweet Spot to Release Controversial Gas Rule

After facing election-year delays, the Obama administration on Friday announced a controversial rule that requires cleaner gasoline.
Waxman Upton

Ethanol Debate Has Glimpse of Bipartisanship

The top Republican and Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee are finally on the same page about a controversial energy policy after reading from two completely different playbooks the last four years.
New U.S. citizens are sworn-in at an induction ceremony in Pomona, Calif., in January.

Big Labor and Big Business Have One Big Issue: Immigration Reform

It's a sign of the times: Immigration reform is now the number one issue for both the AFL-CIO and the Business Roundtable.
Obama naturalization

Why the Fight Over Work Visas Won't Doom the Immigration Bill

Make no mistake. The immigration bill being crafted by the “Gang of Eight” senators will include foreign work visas despite warnings from both business and labor that their talks over the issue have broken down.
Fred Upton

Upton, Waxman Launch Debate on Biofuels Mandate

For the first time since President Obama won the White House in 2008, the top Republican and Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee are working collaboratively on a controversial piece of energy policy: the renewable-fuels standard.
Keystone XL Pipeline

Why the White House Loves Natural Gas

While green groups protest outside, the president huddles inside the White House with oil and gas executives.
Scott Walker

Opinion: Immigration Reform Faces Hurdles, but Steadily Moves Forward

The debate over immigration reform may have been overshadowed by coverage of the sequester and Washington dysfunction, but the issue has hardly disappeared. In fact, the immigration reform bill is marching steadily forward.
Busboys and Poets

What Undocumented Workers Really Want

It's not always citizenship. They just want to do their jobs, cash their paychecks, and be left alone. A view of the immigration debate from the kitchen of your favorite restaurant.
Alamo Academy Students in San Antonio

How Did These Kids Score Good Jobs Right Out of High School?

A public-private partnership in San Antonio lets students earn college credits--and a job in the aerospace industry.
Gina McCarthy

Gina McCarthy, Obama's 'Green Quarterback,' Has a History of Working With Industry

Gina McCarthy, President Obama’s pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, has been called the president's "green quarterback." But she also has a reputation as a political pragmatist who works well with industry and listens to concerns. If confirmed she will become the face of Obama’s sweeping ambitions to tackle climate change as a legacy issue and will write rules to force the coal industry to change its ways. 
Sandy Potomac river flooding

Can Climate-Change Denier Ken Cuccinelli Win a Swing State?

In storm-battered Virginia, the Republican candidate for governor still doubts the science.
dna

What Is a Gene And How Does it Apply to the Law? The Supreme Court Still Doesn't Know.

DNA was  discovered 60 years ago this week, and since then it's been muddling up the legal system.
Alamo Academy Students in San Antonio

How Did These Kids Score Good Jobs Right Out of High School?

Frank Pena doesn’t have much time to chat, because he’s repairing a jet engine. The 24-year-old technician at Lockheed Martin is a big guy, but even he looks tiny compared with some of the engines—from the Air Force’s C-5 to the commercial 727—arrayed in the factory. Pena is here, and not flipping burgers at McDonalds, because of a decision he made when he was a sophomore in high school. He enrolled in the Alamo Area Aerospace Academy.

Rumors Over Food Aid Spark Controversy Among Groups Fighting World Hunger

There is no nobler cause than feeding hungry people in poor countries and helping them develop their own farms so they can produce more of their own food.
US-Mexico Border

The Hidden Obstacles to Legal Immigration Reform

If you think questions of legalization, border security, and fundamental party politics are the biggest obstacles to immigration reform, think again.
Barack Obama, Valerie Jarrett

The Valerie Jarrett Moment

As other inner-circle players move on, this longtime friend of the Obamas is poised to gain even more influence in the White House.
Voting Rights

Voting Rights Act Faces a Supreme Test

The Supreme Court’s conservative majority may modify a key part of the Voting Rights Act. But it’s unlikely to eviscerate it.
Rep. John Mica at House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Meeting

Mica to U.S. Chamber Chief: Find a New Job

Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., the former chairman of the House transportation committee, said Wednesday that the head of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce should “seek other opportunities for employment” after advocating for a gas-tax increase to solve the nation’s transportation needs.
John Kerry applauds Obama at State of the Union

Obama Cites Storms, Drought to Build Case For Climate Action

Fifteen years ago, when President Clinton raised the specter of climate change in his State of the Union address, he spoke of a “gathering crisis” that would need to be stopped “at some point in the next century.” Now scientists say that crisis is starting to arrive – and President Obama has noticeably shifted his rhetoric, describing an urgent problem that’s here now, already harming American people.
Oil Rig

Breakthrough Nears on Tapping Offshore Energy Supply

In a season of political gridlock, a breakthrough could be near on legislation to promote energy production off the nation’s coastlines.
Pittsburgh

Health Care: Great for the Economy Today, Terrible Later

Hospitals like Pittsburgh’s UPMC created enough jobs to end the recession. If they keep it up, they’ll wreck the economy.

New Issues and Crisis Comms Firm Launches

A bipartisan team of Washington messaging veterans is launching a new public affairs and crisis communications firm today, National Journal has learned.

Gasoline Rule Emerges From Election-Year Obscurity

After facing election-year delays, an environmental rule requiring cleaner gasoline is now back in the regulatory pipeline, and a top Environmental Protection Agency official said Wednesday the agency expects to propose the rule by March.

Graphs: American Colleges Don't Reflect American Diversity

In the last 30 years, the country has become steadily more racially diverse -- and so have many American colleges. In 1980, more than 80% of the country was white, and whites accounted for about eight in ten students at Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. Today, less than 65% of the country is white, and it's non-whites who now account for a majority at all three of those institutions.

Team Boehner Announces Political Staff Assignments

John Boehner names longtime aide Kevin McGrann as executive director of his political operation, one of several personnel changes announced this week by the House speaker.

Previewing the Sunday Shows

The Sunday shows will preview President Obama's second term this week on the eve of the inauguration. White House adviser David Plouffe will appear on Face the Nation, This Week, Fox News Sunday and State of the Union to discuss the challenges ahead in Obama's second term. Meet the Press will host...

For 9/11 Relatives, Newtown Brings Grim Sense of Deja Vu

Three relatives of people killed on 9/11 describe their reactions to the Sandy Hook shootings. 
Immigration Reform

6 Potential Roadblocks to Immigration Reform

There's no shortage of political will to get immigration reform done in this Congress, but attempts at an overhaul of the system have failed before, and lawmakers still have several major hurdles to overcome this time.
Hispanic kid

What Gets in the Way of Immigration Reform

There's no shortage of political will to get immigration reform done in this Congress, but there are still some major roadblocks that could get in the way. Here's a look at the hurdles ahead.
Retreat

Who Pays for Congress’s Big-Money Party Retreats?

It boils down to this catch-22: Either the special interests pay, or you do.
Immigration Protest

Is There Truly a Path to Major Immigration Reform?

President Obama is moving full speed ahead on a broad immigration proposal that Congress will debate in the coming months.
Immigration

How a Big Immigration Bill Could Actually Pass

President Obama is proceeding full speed ahead on a broad immigration proposal that Congress will debate in the coming months. The plan from the White House will be comprehensive, seeking a path to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants, creating new temporary-visa programs for low-skilled foreign workers when American workers aren’t available, mandating electronic verification of all new hires, and giving more green cards to foreign math and science graduates at U.S. universities.

Citi Hires Tax Lobbyist

Bill Rys has joined Citi's lobbying shop to help build Citi’s tax and revenue advocacy in Washington.

Lots of Holdovers on DCCC Staff

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s retention of so many staffers from the last election cycle indicates that, by and large, House Democrats were happy with a performance that saw them gain eight seats last year. Here's the DCCC staff announcement.

Matt Walker Heads to the National Restaurant Association

The National Restaurant Association picks former Senate aide as its new vice president of government affairs. Matt Walker will lead the group’s advocacy efforts in the Senate.

Battle Over Wind Subsidy Leaves Industry Bruised

The battle to get Congress to renew the wind-energy production tax credit before year’s end strained relationships among utilities, splintered support within the industry’s biggest trade group, and is setting up the industry—and its supporters in Congress—for a 2013 that's even more contentious than 2012.

Congress Pushes to Prevent Spike in Milk Prices from 'Dairy Cliff'

It was one of the best-received bits of news on Sunday, a day that saw little progress in talks to avert the fiscal cliff: Congress may yet avoid the “dairy cliff.”

4 Ways to Increase Immigration, Cultivate Highly Skilled U.S. Workforce

Immigration, long the backbone of American innovation, entrepreneurism, and human talent, has become a dirty word in recent years.  This is unfortunate, because strategically conceived and well-targeted immigration should be seen as a precision tool for America to insure the best, optimal human capital needed to compete in the 21st century.
Heitkamp

Heitkamp to be Key Energy Voice Among Moderate Democrats

Heidi Heitkamp—the Democrat who surprised everyone and beat her Republican challenger Rick Berg to win the North Dakota Senate seat in this year’s election—will be an important leader in a growing group of moderate Democratic senators hailing from energy-rich states.

Today's Influence Ads: Clinical Oncologists, Aerospace Industries Tackle Sequester

With the sequester looming, several agencies took to advertisements to remind Congress what's at stake. The American Society of Clinical Oncologyhighlighted the effects of sequestration on cancer patients who could lose access to care and research in two new ads Friday, and the Aerospace Industries Association pushed against defense cuts.

Job Moves: American Health Care Association GR Shop Grows

The American Health Care Association has grown its government relations shop with the addition of three new employees.

When It Comes to Fiscal-Cliff Policy, Boehner and Obama Are Close

The dirty little secret about the current state of play of the fiscal-cliff negotiations is that Democrats and Republicans aren’t very far apart in their proposals.

Transit to Jobs Equals Economy

"Trying to market a city without transit is like trying to sell a cell phone without a camera." That was one of the take-home messages from a speaker at an urban planning conference earlier this year, according to my friend who was there. The room was full of city planners who are trying to convince businesses to settle in their areas. Transit is considered key not just because it gives people an easy way to get to work, but it also signals to the private sector that a city is healthy enough to invest in itself.
cargo ship

Against the Tide

Republicans are almost always in tune with the oil and gas industry, but they’re singing a different song on the drydocked Law of the Sea Treaty. 
Canola

Hot Ticket

On the agenda this week: Talking natural gas at the Newseum, artsy cocktails at the Corcoran, and a new film on black Republicans.
KING KONG VS. GODZILLA

The New Goliaths

The health care reform law, which was designed to lower costs, could end up raising them instead. The law is triggering a wave of hospital mergers and acquisitions, and decades of data show that hospital consolidations almost always lead to higher prices for patients.

Nuclear Industry Hails Approval of First New U.S. Plant in 34 Years

A decades-long freeze on construction of new nuclear reactors in the United States thawed suddenly on Thursday, when the Nuclear Regulatory Commission voted 4-1 to approve a license for two new reactors at Southern Company’s Vogtle plant in Georgia.
Pills move through a precision weighing machine

Lipitor Fights Back

Pfizer’s strategy to fend off competition from generics may be paving a path for the pharmaceutical industry.
Ken Salazar

Obama Threads the Needle With Drilling Plan

Nobody is really happy with the Obama administration’s new five-year oil-and-gas drilling plan, which took a few steps back from the president’s pre-BP-spill drilling proposal of 2010 but also a few steps forward from what environmentalists wanted by allowing more exploration off the coast of Alaska. But neither is anyone really all that angry about the new proposal, which Interior Secretary Ken Salazar unveiled on Tuesday.

Hot Ticket

Who turns down a free lunch? The Pulmonary Hypertension Association is hoping that members of Congress just can’t say no to its Congressional Luncheon on Wednesday.
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