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Stevenon’s army, January 2

Under federal law, 5 USC 6103, today is New Year’s Day, a federal holiday for pay and leave purposes, since January 1 was on a Sunday this year. Enjoy it!

Tomorrow, pursuant to the Constitution, the 118th Congress will assemble, take the oaths of office, and try to do business. CRS explains the procedures for the Senate and the House.

The biggest issue is whether Cong. Kevin McCarthy [R-CA] will get the 218 votes needed to become Speaker. His latest ploy is to issue a package of proposed rules for the House, including changes sought mainly by the Freedom Caucus.  Here’s the press release. Here’s the detailed summary. Here’s the text.

In other news, NYT says Russia is still blocking most Ukrainian grain exports, worsening global starvation.

Politico says mail and early voting have benefits for both parties.

NYT also has analysis of new industrial policy for chip making.

Atlantic has a critique of a fascinating new book describing the indigenous tribal empires that fought each other and invading settlers in North America.

Charlie added a bit later:

Now that I’ve read through them, here are the most interesting changes proposed by leader McCarthy:

– The existing PAYGO rule requiring offsets of both spending increases and tax cuts is changed to prohibit only measures with the “net effect of increasing mandatory spending” over 5 or more years.

– Restores a former GOP rule requiring 3/5 vote to increase tax rates.

-Restores Holman rule allowing amendments specifically cutting the pay of government officials.

– Restores rule requiring CBO to consider macroeconomic effects of legislation.

– Creates new select committees on Strategic Competition with China and on “Weaponization of the Federal Government” [the latter as a Judiciary Subcommittee]

– Continues shared jurisdiction over cybersecurity but specifics Homeland Security Committee has jurisidiction over cybersecurity for DHS.

– Renames Oversight and Reform as the Committee on Oversight and Accountability and the Education and Labor Committee as Education and the Workforce.

– Strikes existing language allowing access to the Hall of the House by the DC major and governors of territories.

– Continues ban on access to House gym of former members who are registered lobbyists or foreign agents.

– Ends proxy voting and remote committee proceedings. Mask mandates and security screening for Members’ entry to the House floor are dropped.

The rule also includes rules for considering several top priority GOP bills on: IRS funding, taxpayer funded abortions, and POL exports to China.

My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes this almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I republish here, with occasional videos of my choice. To get Stevenson’s army by email, send a blank email (no subject or text in the body) to stevensons-army+subscribe@googlegroups.com. You’ll get an email confirming your join request. Click “Join This Group” and follow the instructions to join. Once you have joined, you can adjust your email delivery preferences (if you want every email or a digest of the emails).