Tag: Congress
Stevenson’s army, September 15
– SFRC reports Taiwan bill. More from The Hill.
– Senators push terrorism designation on Russia.
– Members criticize new Egypt aid.
– Administration set up Afghan aid bypassing Taliban.
– Uncertain schedule for NDAA.
Charlie wrote later:
[I have grandparent duty most Fridays, so let me upload some extra items now]
– WaPo report on Xi & Putin comments.
– More Senate staff will get top clearances.
– Biden’s Asia trade program IPEF gets some movement. Here’s CRS background.
– In addition to Taiwan bill [text here], SFRC yesterday reported what it calls a State Dept Authorization bill. Since it’s 68 pages long and covers a lot of territory, it could be the first significant such measure in 20 years [though flimsy bills with that title have been enacted since.]
– Beware: there is a faction among GOP candidates who have a scary view of civilian control of the military. For example.
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. 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).
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Stevenson’s army, September 13
Busy week, sorry about the delays.
– NYT has background on the Ukraine offensive.
– Pro war Russians are angry, as reported by WaPo, and Daily Beast, and FP.
– WSJ says Ukraine wants more weapons.
– Some conservative groups oppose more aid.
– RAND analysts urge US restraint.
– NYT suggests Members do insider trading.
– Staffers comment on working for old members.
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. 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).
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Stevenson’s army, September 10
I like Josh Rogin’s phrase that Putin is building an “axis of autocrats.”
– WSJ reports on the Ukrainian offensive.
– WaPo has videos of Ukraine fighting.
– CRS has new reports on how committee assignments are done — in the House, and in the Senate.
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. 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).
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Stevenson’s army, September 7
– 538 notes how many election deniers are running for office.
– AP finds policy, other officials as members of Oath Keepers.
– WaPo says Mar-a-Lago documents included information on foreign nuclear capabilities and highly limited access material.
– Putin has a new doctrine about a Russian world. [DPS note: is isn’t new]
– Apple can’t shift production of iphone out of China
– House GOP plans rerun of 1994 tactic
– Despite increase in budget for House pay, Legistorm reports:
85% of representatives haven’t touched their MRA increase, LegiStorm data shows
Posted by Keturah Hetrick on Sept. 6, 2022
Months after an unprecedented increase to the Members’ Representational Allowance, 85% of representatives haven’t used even a dollar of those additional funds, according to a LegiStorm analysis.
In March, Congress authorized a 21 percent increase to the House’s office budgets for the 2022 fiscal year. That increase – the highest since the MRA’s creation in 1996 – gave the average office an extra $317,241 to spend in 2022 year, equivalent to $79,310 per quarter.
For most of Congress, the old funds would have been enough: 85% of representatives disclosed Q1 and Q2 spending at rates that would have been sustainable without any MRA increase.
The MRA increase was intended to bolster staffers salaries in order to attract and retain talent. The average personal office spent just 36.34% of its budget in the first six months of the year, leaving the average office more than $91,000 shy of even touching the increase.
Democrats on average have spent 1.72% more of their office budgets than Republicans, a difference of about $32,500 per office.
The House’s minimum salary of $45,000 per year went into effect on Sept. 1. The extent of staffer pay increases from the new salary floor won’t be clear until the House releases its Q3 expense data in late November.
As Politico reported this morning, the House Select Committee on Modernization of Congress and the House Administration Committee plan to announce a resolution today that includes a reevaluation about how the MRA is calculated.
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. 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).
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Stevenson’s army, September 6
– WOTR has major joint statement by several former SecDefs and CJCSs Background in WaPo.
– WaPo has Tom Ricks op-ed, less worried about civil war.
– Sebastian Mallaby is hopeful about Liz Truss.
– Politco discusses the congressional agenda this month.
– NYT explains where CHIPS money is going.
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. 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).
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Stevenson’s army, September 3
– In addition to the regular pending bills, Congress faces September fight over new $47 Billion request for emergency spending.
– NYT says Biden democracy speech is linked to analysis that “MAGA Republicans” can be isolated from other GOP voters.
– Congress notified of new arms for Taiwan.
-WSJ says Chinook fires came from using mis-catalogued O-rings.
–Russia keeps NordStream closed.
-In Atlantic, two former officers blame generals for Afghan failings.
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. 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).
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