Politico
Senior congressional reporter for Politico
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Manu Raju
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FROM Manu Raju
To the Point
Senate Votes to Salvage Obama's Trade Deal A major turnaround on Capitol Hill today means that President Obama's top legislative priority is not be dead after all. The Senate appears to be paving the way for the Trans-Pacific Partnership , a massive free trade deal. Manu Raju is senior congressional correspondent for Politico .
To the Point
Political Theater and NSA's Data Collection Program President Obama isn't the only one warning that, if a key provision of the Patriot Act is allowed to expire, Americans will be in danger. Republican Senator John McCain called the program “as critical as it's ever been.” But fellow Republican Rand Paul , who's now getting the credit — and the blame — for the fact that Section 215 of the Patriot Act has been allowed to expire, says the real issue is the intrusion of big government on individual Americans. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell also comes from Kentucky, and he's endorsed Rand Paul's presidential campaign while opposing his reforms to the NSA program. Now he's come around to allowing a vote on the compromise USA Freedom Act , already passed by the house, saying it strikes a critical balance between privacy and national security.” While all three senators assume that the Patriot Act gives the NSA broad powers it wouldn't have otherwise and that allowing it to expire will make a real difference, others say that's not necessarily so.
To the Point
Can the Republican Congress Get Anything Done? Winning the Senate put Republicans in charge of both houses of Congress, and leaders promised an end to gridlock. But the major accomplishment so far -- Keystone XL Pipeline approval — was vetoed and homeland security funding barely passed. Now, protection of sex-trafficking victims and confirmation of the first black woman Attorney General are being delayed, and the big challenge: will contrasting proposals for Pentagon spending hold up passage of the entire federal budget? Can the Republicans actually govern? The answer could be crucial for next year's presidential election.
To the Point
The Grand Old Party Takes Charge on Capitol Hill Republicans now control both houses of Congress for the first time since 2006 — with their biggest Congressional majority since the end of World War II. They might try for some compromises with the Obama White House — to prove they really can govern, or they might choose continued gridlock — assuming that voters will blame the President when things inevitably go wrong. Guaranteed points of contention are the Keystone XL Pipeline, Obamacare and executive actions on immigration and climate change. Many new members have their own agendas, and today we begin to learn what they’ll demand of their more experienced leaders.
To the Point
Cromnibus Drama Moves to Senate It was a chaos last night on Capitol Hill as both parties in the House scrambled to pass a one trillion dollar spending bill to keep the government open. Republicans faced flak from their right wing, while liberal Democrats including Speaker Nancy Pelosi bucked the White House and balked at approving the measure. In the end, it passed by a small bipartisan majority. But the drama isn't over. Now it's hung up in the Senate, as we hear from Manu Raju, senior congressional reporter for Politico .
To the Point
Will Obama’s Immigration Reform Delay Pay Off… and For Whom? Less than three months ago, in a speech from the Rose Garden, President Obama made a promise about immigration reform, stating "I’m beginning a new effort to fix as much of our immigration system as I can on my own, without Congress." Then came tens of thousands of Central American children to America’s southern borders. This past weekend, Obama said the following on NBC's Meet The Press: “The truth of the matter is that the politics did shift midsummer because of that problem. I want to spend some time, even as we’re getting all our ducks in a row for the executive action, I also want to make sure that the public understands why we’re doing this, why it’s the right thing for the American people, why it’s the right thing for the American economy.” The underlying message is that promised executive action on immigration reform will now be postponed until after the mid-term elections.
Which Way, L.A.?
Moderate Republicans Fight Harder against Their Own Right Wing In the aftermath of Republican defeats last week in Virginia and Alabama elections, moderate Republicans are strategizing to resist the pressure from their own right wing to run Tea Party candidates. Is it a new level of Republican civil war? Manu Raju is senior congressional reporter for Politico .
To the Point
Moderate Republicans Fight Harder against Their Own Right Wing In the aftermath of Republican defeats last week in Virginia and Alabama elections, moderate Republicans are strategizing to resist the pressure from their own right wing to run Tea Party candidates. Is it a new level of Republican civil war? Manu Raju is senior congressional reporter for Politico .
To the Point
Boehner, Obama and Who’s “Winning” the Shutdown President Obama has now cancelled his upcoming trip to Asia to deal with the government shutdown. But Republicans continue to attack him for refusing to negotiate. House Speaker John Boehner seized on a quote attributed to a “senior administration official” to say the President’s not really serious. Manu Raju is a senior Congressional Reporter for Politico .
To the Point
Senate Advances Short-Term Spending Bill to Uncertain Fate The US Senate today voted to end debate on the Continuing Resolution to keep the government funded and send the measure back to the House. It was 79 to 19, with just half the Republicans voting "no" in hopes of stopping Obamacare. They've had several votes since then. Manu Raju is senior congressional reporter for Politico .
To the Point
Republicans Keep Up Pressure to Defund Obamacare Having removed the provision that defunded Obamacare, the Senate is expected to send the federal funding bill back to the House, where attention has shifted from shutting the government down next Tuesday to threatening default on paying the national debt. Manu Raju is senior congressional reporter for Politico .
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KCRW Features
What you need to know about the Gas Tax Last year, California legislators increased California’s gas tax by 12 cents a gallon. The revenue raised from the increases, over $5 billion a year, is supposed to be spent on improving transportation in the state. But there’s been a backlash to the gas tax increase, resulting in Proposition 6 on the November ballot. If passed, it would roll back the tax and require all future fuel tax increases to get voter approval.
KCRW Features
The Asian American voter in OC In Orange County the population is changing. While the numbers of most ethnic groups have grown slowly over the past 10 years, the number of Asian Americans is up 41 percent since 2010. And don't think the politicos haven't noticed. What kind of impact will Asian American voters have on Orange County's representation in Congress? Will they help keep the county Republican, or could they turn Orange County blue?
To the Point
The Kavanaugh Factor and the Midterm Elections Republicans have secured their long-term goal: a right-wing majority on the U.S. Supreme Court. There are conflicting expectations for rulings on abortion, immigration, voting rights--and the powers of both the White House and Congress. In this divided nation, public trust in the rule of law is also at stake. How will the bitter battle over Brett Kavanaugh impact next month’s midterm elections?
The 805
Implicit bias training discriminates against white people, anonymous parents say Author Pico Iyer returns to Santa Barbara to preview his upcoming speaker series. Columnist Starshine Roshell brings us inside the surprisingly large world of local trivia nights. And more controversy at the Santa Barbara Unified School District, as a group of anonymous parents threatens to sue school leaders over an implicit bias training program it claims discriminates against white people.