After a bruising week for progressive Democrats that ruled out including a minimum wage hike in the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill, Congressional business on the legislation will continue next week. This is your Washington Week Ahead for the week of March 1.
Trump Speaks
Former President Donald Trump will speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference, commonly referred to as CPAC, in Orlando on Sunday. It will be his first major public appearance since leaving office and comes after a series of high-profile rebukes from Democrats, including an impeachment trial, while the Republican Party seems divided on how it moves forward. Plus, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) keeps flip-flopping in his support, pledging to support Trump if he runs for the White House again in 2024, just days after holding him responsible for the January 6 insurrection on the Capitol building. Trump has pledged a return of his Make America Great Again movement and CPAC will provide a friendly platform for that exact messaging, further highlighting the hold he still has on his party.
Stimulus Stalemate
The Senate will begin debate on the American Rescue Plan on March 1, marking the first time the chamber is officially taking up the latest round of coronavirus relief spending. The nearly $2 trillion rescue package includes $1,400 stimulus checks for Americans, billions in federal relief for state, local, and tribal governments, and a huge bucket of money for vaccine rollout. Because the Senate has a legislative filibuster, the bill must adhere to the Byrd Rule, a parliamentary procedure that allows budget reconciliation legislation to pass without being subject to the filibuster. One thing we know for sure is that the final Senate version of the bill, expected to pass next week, will not include a federal minimum wage increase after the parliamentarian determined it would be against the rules. The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 and has remained unchanged since 2009.
Voting Rights in the Spotlight
Now that the House of Representatives has finished with COVID relief, it’s on to other priorities. In the last Congress, House Democrats passed H.R. 1, the For the People Act, a sweeping election reform bill. It languished in a Republican-controlled Senate. This is a chance for the chamber to try again — but expect a lot of amendments from Republicans, looking to strike down provisions like universal vote-by-mail and extended early voting periods, as well as a national holiday for Election Day. At the same time, the United State Supreme Court will hear arguments on a pair of Voting Rights Act cases that could further erode protections for disadvantaged voters. So in the first week in March, 20 months before the 2022 midterm elections, all eyes in Washington will be on voting rights.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Tuesday signaled a cautious approach to future interest rate cuts, in sharp contrast with other Fed officials who have called for a more urgent approach. In remarks in Providence, Rhode Island, Powell noted that there are risks to both of the Fed’s goals of seeking maximum employment and stable prices. His approach is in sharp contrast to some members of the Fed’s rate-setting committee who are pushing for faster cuts.
President Donald Trump’s efforts to reshape the American media landscape have led to the suspension of late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel.
Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield is leaving the ice cream brand after 47 years. He says the freedom the company used to have to speak up on social issues has been stifled
The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate by a quarter-point Wednesday and projected it would do so twice more this year as concern grows at the central bank about the health of the nation’s labor market. The move is the Fed’s first cut since December and lowered its short-term rate to about 4.1%, down from 4.3%. Fed officials, led by Chair Jerome Powell, had kept their rate unchanged this year as they evaluated the impact of tariffs, tighter immigration enforcement, and other Trump administration policies on inflation and the economy. The only dissenter was Stephen Miran, the recent Trump-appointee.
After a late-night vote and last-minute ruling, the Federal Reserve began a key meeting on interest rate policy Tuesday with both a new Trump administration appointee and an official the White House has targeted for removal.
The Trump administration has issued its first warnings to online services that offer unofficial versions of popular drugs like the blockbuster obesity treatment Wegovy.
Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama says his new Cabinet will include an artificial intelligence “minister” in charge of fighting corruption. The AI, named Diella, will oversee public funding projects and combat corruption in public tenders. Diella was launched earlier this year as a virtual assistant on the government's public service platform. Corruption has been a persistent issue in Albania since 1990. Rama's Socialist Party won a fourth consecutive term in May. It aims to deliver EU membership for Albania in five years, but the opposition Democratic Party remains skeptical.
The Trump administration has asked an appeals court to remove Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve’s board of governors by Monday, before the central bank’s next vote on interest rates. Trump sought to fire Cook Aug. 25, but a federal judge ruled late Tuesday that the removal was illegal and reinstated her to the Fed’s board.
President Donald Trump's administration is appealing a ruling blocking him from immediately firing Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook as he seeks more control over the traditionally independent board. The notice of appeal was filed Wednesday, hours after U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb handed down the ruling. The White House insists the Republican president had the right to fire Cook over mortgage fraud allegations involving properties in Michigan and Georgia from before she joined the Fed. Cook's lawsuit denies the allegations and says the firing was unlawful. The case could soon reach the Supreme Court, which has allowed Trump to fire members of other independent agencies but suggested that power has limitations at the Fed.
Chief Justice John Roberts has let President Donald Trump remove a member of the Federal Trade Commission, the latest in a string of high-profile firings allowed for now by the Supreme Court.
