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Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) expressed concern with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and its plan to institute mandatory furloughs for civilian workers. These furloughs will amount to 11 days of unpaid leave starting July 8 until the end of the fiscal year. Nearly 800,000 workers will be affected in order for DOD to meet the required budget cuts set by sequestration. However, navy shipyards will be exempt from these mandatory furlough days.
The Hill - Kevin Bogardus and Keith Laing
Lawmakers flooded the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with letters this spring pleading with the agency to keep open their local contract air traffic control towers, documents obtained by The Hill show.
Roughly 100 letters obtained under a Freedom of Information Act request show members of Congress were “letter marking” on the planned budget cuts from sequestration at the FAA.
The Hill - Russell Berman
Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said Wednesday that he wants to see the IRS employees responsible for targeting conservative groups behind bars.
“My question isn’t about who’s going to resign, my question is, who’s going to jail over this scandal?” Boehner said at a Capitol press conference, as Republicans seized on the tax agency’s admission that it inappropriately singled out Tea Party groups seeking tax-exempt status for higher scrutiny.
Huffington Post - Garance Burke
When Liz DeRouen needs any kind of health care services, from diabetes counseling to a dental cleaning, she checks into a government-funded clinic in Northern California's wine country that covers all her medical needs.
McAlester News-Capital - James Beaty
Members of the McAlester Defense Support Association, along with other community representatives, are back in the McAlester following their trip to the nation’s Capitol last week.
MDSA members who helped organize the trip said their purpose is to show community support for the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant and the rest of the defense industry in the McAlester area,
The Oklahoman - Chris Casteel
Rep. Tom Cole called Monday for a special committee to investigate the terrorist attack that killed four Americans, including a U.S. ambassador, in Libya last year.
Cole, R-Moore, said he had signed on to legislation that would create a select committee to review the killings in Benghazi, which are the subject of an ongoing investigation by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
New York Times - John Harwood
Ask around the White House and the Capitol, and you will quickly find reasons to doubt that Republicans will compromise with President Obama on a budget deal that includes more tax increases and entitlement spending cuts.
So why does Mr. Obama keep talking to Republicans about a deal? Because Republicans still have powerful incentives to strike one.
The Hill - Peter Schroeder and Erik Wasson
Recent glimmers of hope that the economy is gaining strength are both helping and hindering the prospects for President Obama’s second-term agenda.
A strong April jobs report headed off fears of another “spring swoon.” Renewed optimism may help efforts to enact immigration reform, but it could also make it harder for Republicans and Democrats to strike a broad fiscal deal.
Bloomberg Businessweek - David J. Lynch
A shrinking U.S. federal deficit is undermining the favorite tax-and-spending arguments of both Republicans and Democrats.
During the recurring fiscal crises of the past few years, Republicans have pressed for deep budget cuts, including fundamental changes to programs such as Medicare and Social Security. Democrats have called for increasing the tax burden on the wealthiest Americans.
Both will be harder sells in an unfamiliar era of falling deficits.