113th Session of Congress

Today in Washington, D.C. - Jan 3, 2013
Some may of noticed that we did not report on any of the bills passed in the final two days of Congress which were not going to be passed by the houses of Congress and presented to the President. Reason: these bills are dead with the ending of the 112th Session of Congress. All former unsigned bills, if considered worthy, will have to be reintroduced, debated, and voted on in the new 113th Session of Congress which begins today.

Speaker John Boehner

The House just completed their voting on the Speaker position. With only one round of voting, Speaker John Boehner was re-elected with 220 votes as speaker of the U.S. house easily defeating the the democrat nominee Nancy Pelosi.Pelosi will have to again pass the gavel to Speaker Boehner.

Today, U.S. Senate Republicans announced committee assignments for the 113th Congress were made. These assignments are pending ratification by the Conference and the Senate. Members of each committee will meet to elect their Ranking Members.

Appropriations Thad Cochran, Miss. Mitch McConnell, Ky. Richard Shelby, Ala. Lamar Alexander, Tenn. Susan Collins, Maine Lisa Murkowski, Alaska Lindsey Graham, S.C. Mark Kirk, Ill. Dan Coats, Ind. Roy Blunt, Mo. Jerry Moran, Kan. John Hoeven, N.D. Mike Johanns, Neb. John Boozman, Ark.

Armed Services John McCain, Ariz. Jim Inhofe, Okla. Jeff Sessions, Ala. Saxby Chambliss, Ga. Roger Wicker, Miss. Kelly Ayotte, N.H. Deb Fischer, Neb. Lindsey Graham, S.C. David Vitter, La. Roy Blunt, Mo. Mike Lee, Utah Ted Cruz, Texas

Finance Orrin Hatch, Utah Chuck Grassley, Iowa Mike Crapo, Idaho Pat Roberts, Kan. Mike Enzi, Wyo. John Cornyn, Texas John Thune, S.D. Richard Burr, N.C. Johnny Isakson, Ga. Rob Portman, Ohio Pat Toomey, Penn.

Foreign Relations Bob Corker, Tenn. Jim Risch, Idaho Marco Rubio, Fla. Ron Johnson, Wis. Jeff Flake, Ariz. John McCain, Ariz. John Barrasso, Wyo. Rand Paul, Ky.

Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Pat Roberts, Kan. Thad Cochran, Miss. Mitch McConnell, Ky. Saxby Chambliss, Ga. John Boozman, Ark. John Hoeven, N.D. Mike Johanns, Neb. Chuck Grassley, Iowa John Thune, S.D.

Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Richard Shelby, Ala. Mike Crapo, Idaho Bob Corker, Tenn. David Vitter, La. Mike Johanns, Neb. Pat Toomey, Penn. Mark Kirk, Ill. Jerry Moran, Kan. Tom Coburn, Okla. Dean Heller, Nev.

Commerce, Science, and Transportation John Thune, S.D. Roger Wicker, Miss. Roy Blunt, Mo. Marco Rubio, Fla. Kelly Ayotte, N.H. Dean Heller, Nev. Dan Coats, Ind. Tim Scott, S.C. Ted Cruz, Texas Deb Fischer, Neb. Ron Johnson, Wis.

Energy and Natural Resources Lisa Murkowski, Alaska John Barrasso, Wyo. Jim Risch, Idaho Mike Lee, Utah Dean Heller, Nev. Jeff Flake, Ariz. Tim Scott, S.C. Lamar Alexander, Tenn. Rob Portman, Ohio John Hoeven, N.D.

Environment and Public Works Jim Inhofe, Okla. David Vitter, La. John Barrasso, Wyo. Jeff Sessions, Ala. Mike Crapo, Idaho Roger Wicker, Miss. John Boozman, Ark. Deb Fischer, Neb.

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Tom Coburn, Okla. John McCain, Ariz. Ron Johnson, Wis. Rob Portman, Ohio Rand Paul, Ky. Mike Enzi, Wyo. Kelly Ayotte, N.H.

Judiciary Chuck Grassley, Iowa Orrin Hatch, Utah Jeff Sessions, Ala. Lindsey Graham, S.C. John Cornyn, Texas Mike Lee, Utah Ted Cruz, Texas Jeff Flake, Ariz.

Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Mike Enzi, Wyo. Lamar Alexander, Tenn. Richard Burr, N.C. Johnny Isakson, Ga. Rand Paul, Ky. Orrin Hatch, Utah Pat Roberts, Kan. Lisa Murkowski, Alaska Mark Kirk, Ill. Tim Scott, S.C.

Aging Bob Corker, Tenn. Susan Collins, Maine Orrin Hatch, Utah Mark Kirk, Ill. Dean Heller, Nev. Jeff Flake, Ariz. Kelly Ayotte, N.H. Tim Scott, S.C. Ted Cruz, Texas

Budget Jeff Sessions, Ala. Chuck Grassley, Iowa Mike Enzi, Wyo. Mike Crapo, Idaho Lindsey Graham, S.C. Rob Portman, Ohio Pat Toomey, Penn. Ron Johnson, Wis. Kelly Ayotte, N.H. Roger Wicker, Miss.

Ethics Johnny Isakson, Ga. Pat Roberts, Kan. Jim Risch, Idaho Indian Affairs John Barrasso, Wyo. John McCain, Ariz. Lisa Murkowski, Alaska John Hoeven, N.D. Mike Crapo, Idaho Deb Fischer, Neb

Intelligence Saxby Chambliss, Ga. Richard Burr, N.C. Jim Risch, Idaho Dan Coats, Ind. Marco Rubio, Fla. Susan Collins, Maine Tom Coburn, Okla.

Joint Economic Committee Dan Coats, Ind. Mike Lee, Utah Roger Wicker, Miss. Pat Toomey, Penn.

Rules and Administration Lamar Alexander, Tenn. Mitch McConnell, Ky. Thad Cochran, Miss. Saxby Chambliss, Ga. Pat Roberts, Kan. Richard Shelby, Ala. Roy Blunt, Mo. Ted Cruz, Texas

Small Business David Vitter, La. Jim Risch, Idaho Marco Rubio, Fla. Rand Paul, Ky. Tim Scott, S.C. Deb Fischer, Neb. Mike Enzi, Wyo. Ron Johnson, Wis.

Veterans Affairs Richard Burr, N.C. Johnny Isakson, Ga. Mike Johanns, Neb. Jerry Moran, Kan. John Boozman, Ark.

Speaking on the Senate floor today, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said, “Four straight years of trillion-dollar deficits and projected spending that no realistic amount of tax revenue could cover have put us at a crossroads: either we tackle our nation’s spending problem, or it tackles us. It’s that simple. And there is no better time to do the work we need to do than now. The bipartisan agreement we reached earlier this week was imperfect. I’m the first to admit it, especially the process. But aside from shielding 99 percent of my constituents and many of yours from the painful effects of a middle-class tax hike the President seemed all too willing to impose, it gave us something else: it settled the revenue debate for good.”

He continued, “So it’s time to move on. The President got his revenue, now it’s time to turn squarely to the real problem, which is spending. We all knew that the tax hikes the President campaigned on were never going to solve the problem. . . . The President knows as well as I do what needs to be done. He can either engage now to significantly cut government spending or force a crisis later. It’s his call. But for the sake of the country, we must have this debate, now.”

Politico

writes today, “The staggering national debt — up about 60 percent from the $10 trillion Obama inherited when he took office in January 2009 — is the single biggest blemish on Obama’s record, even if the rapid descent into red began under President George W. Bush. Obama has long emphasized Bush’s role in digging the immense hole. But he owns it now, and it’s a significant political liability as he girds for a fast-approaching brawl with the GOP over how to deal with converging deadlines of a new debt ceiling fight and the need to come up with $1 trillion in deficit reduction mandated by the so-called ‘sequester.’ . . . Obama and his team has said they won’t negotiate over the debt ceiling again after last year’s fiasco, which led to a national credit downgrade. But by extending the sequester for a scant two months, they have guaranteed that fight will happen, several White House allies said. ‘I think that a lot of his leverage is gone,’ said a top aide to a senior Hill Democrat involved in the negotiations over the fiscal cliff. ‘By agreeing to a short-term deal, he’s set up a flashpoint with Democrats.’”

In an op-ed for Yahoo News today, Leader McConnell writes, "Predictably, the President is already claiming that his tax hike on the ‘rich’ isn’t enough. I have news for him: the moment that he and virtually every elected Democrat in Washington signed off on the terms of the current arrangement, it was the last word on taxes. That debate is over. Now the conversation turns to cutting spending on the government programs that are the real source of the nation’s fiscal imbalance. And the upcoming debate on the debt limit is the perfect time to have that discussion. We simply cannot increase the nation’s borrowing limit without committing to long overdue reforms to spending programs that are the very cause of our debt. The only way to achieve the balance the President claims to want is by cutting spending.”

As he concluded, “The President claims to want a balanced approach. Now that he has the tax rates he wants, his calls for ‘balance’ mean he needs to join us in the effort to achieve meaningful spending reform. The President may not want to have this debate, but it’s the one he’s going to have, because the country needs it. Republicans are ready to tackle the spending problem, and we start today.”

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