“There have been signs recently that Sen. Joe Manchin is ready to resume negotiations on the massive climate and social spending package he torpedoed late last year,” E&E Daily reports.
Congress Clears $1.5 Trillion Spending Bill
“Congress cleared the first major federal spending legislation of President Biden’s administration on Thursday, approving a $1.5 trillion measure with substantial increases for domestic and national security programs, along with $13.6 billion in emergency aid for Ukraine as it battles Russia’s invasion,” the New York Times reports.
“The Senate approved the 2,700-page measure by a vote of 68 to 31 less than two days after it was finalized and pushed through the House, a rapid timetable that reflected strong bipartisan support for assisting Ukraine and a sense of urgency to avert a government shutdown within days.”
“The bill, which funds the government through September, includes generous spending on domestic programs long prioritized by Democrats and military investments championed by Republicans.”
IRS Plans to Hire 10,000 New Workers
“The IRS said Thursday it plans to hire 10,000 new workers to help reduce a massive backlog that the government says will make this tax season the most challenging in history,” the AP reports.
“The agency released a plan to work down the tens of millions of filings that includes speeding up the traditionally slow hiring process, relying more on automated processes and bringing on more contract workers to help with mailroom and paper processing.”
Feds Report $8 Billion In Pandemic Relief Fraud
“Since the U.S. government first marshaled its historic economic response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Justice Department has uncovered a vast array of alleged fraud, resulting in charges and investigations involving more than $8 billion in federal aid,” the Washington Post reports.
“The extent of the fraud alleged and uncovered by the Justice Department is vast, touching nearly every major facet of the roughly $6 trillion that Congress adopted over a two-year period to support families, workers and businesses.”
House Passes $1.5 Trillion Spending Bill
“The House on Wednesday passed a sprawling $1.5 trillion federal spending bill that includes a huge infusion of aid for war-torn Ukraine and money to keep the government funded through September, after jettisoning a package to fund President Biden’s new Covid-19 response effort,” the New York Times reports.
“Bipartisan approval of the first major government spending legislation of Mr. Biden’s presidency marked the first time since he took office that Democrats were able to use their congressional majorities and control of the White House to set funding levels for their priorities, including climate resilience, public education and child care.”
“But the exclusion of the $15.6 billion pandemic aid package, amid disputes about its cost that threatened to derail the broader legislation, infuriated the White House and frustrated Democratic leaders, leaving the fate of the Biden administration’s coronavirus strategy uncertain.”
CNN: Spending fight leaves Democratic emotions raw.
Democrats Drop New Covid Relief from Spending Bill
“Democratic leaders abruptly abandoned efforts to win approval of $15.6 billion in emergency pandemic response aid to fund the Biden administration’s new coronavirus strategy, announcing they would drop the package from a sprawling, $1.5 trillion spending bill amid disputes about how to cover the cost,” the New York Times reports.
“With Republicans refusing to devote any new money toward federal efforts to address the continuing toll of the crisis, top Democrats had agreed to take the funding from existing programs…”
“But as rank-and-file lawmakers began to comb through the package Wednesday morning, only hours before it was slated for a vote, some Democrats objected to that proposal, particularly the idea of clawing back assistance that states have been counting on.”
What’s Tucked Inside the Massive Spending Bill
“You can be sure that tucked in a 2,700-page spending bill (that members will not have time to read before they vote for it) will be some little-noticed policies,” Politico reports.
Here’s some of what made it in: Funding for Israel’s Iron Dome defense system, re-authorization of the Violence Against Women Act, a new health agency and a big pay boost for congressional staff.
Democratic Governors Call for Gas Tax Suspension
Six Democratic governors have asked congressional leaders to suspend the federal gas tax as fuel prices spike to unprecedented highs in the midst of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, The Hill reports.
Lawmakers Reach Deal on Spending Bill
Congressional leaders reached a bipartisan deal early Wednesday to provide $13.6 billion to help Ukraine, as part of a $1.5 trillion measure funding the government, the AP reports.
Ukraine Aid Growing In New Budget Bill
“Proposed U.S. aid for Ukraine and its European allies has grown beyond $12 billion, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday, as congressional bargainers worked toward a bipartisan government-wide spending deal that would also contain fresh sums for battling Covid-19,” the AP reports.
Punchbowl News: “The Ukraine aid package – perhaps the most important political issue in Washington right now – has increased from $6.4 billion last week to $10 billion over the weekend to $12 billion as of Monday night. There’s enormous support for this all across the Hill, and that popularity is being used as leverage to push through the broader omnibus package, which will be criticized from the right and left when it’s finally unveiled.”
Congress Faces Another Shutdown Deadline
Playbook: “Once again, Congress is facing down a possible shutdown showdown this week — surprise, surprise — with current government funding expiring at midnight Friday. But even though lawmakers have delayed passing new appropriations bills during the Biden presidency and instead simply extended Trump-era policies, this time, there’s new pressure to get the so-called omnibus nailed down.”
“The top motivator? Ukraine money. The White House recently asked Congress for $10 billion to help Ukraine defend itself against the Russian invasion — substantially more than the $6.4 billion it had requested a week ago. The plus-up has bipartisan support, and Democrats are hoping that Zelenskyy’s weekend plea to lawmakers will push a deal over the finish line.”
Decades of Neglect Leave IRS in Tax Season ‘Chaos’
New York Times: “Officials have warned of another rocky tax filing season ahead, saying it could be a ‘very frustrating tax season for both tax payers and tax professionals.’ Democrats have pointed to the tumult as evidence that the agency needs more funding. Mr. Biden has called for investing $80 billion in the agency over a decade to help crack down on tax cheats, estimating that would raise $400 billion in tax revenue.”
“But tax-averse Republicans, who have spent years cutting the agency’s budget, have seized on the I.R.S.’s problems as proof it should not be given more money or responsibility, with at least one lawmaker calling for the tax collector to be abolished.”
“Much of the agency’s current woes can be traced to those budget cuts, which have eroded the agency’s ability to function at a critical moment.”
Republicans Demand Accounting for Pandemic Relief
“Three dozen Republican senators told the White House on Wednesday that they may be unwilling to approve new coronavirus aid until they first learn how much money the U.S. government has already spent,” the Washington Post reports.
“The early warning arrived in a letter led by Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), just days after the Biden administration asked Congress to approve $30 billion to boost public health as part of a still-forming deal to fund the government and stave off a shutdown at the end of next week.”
Manchin Lays Out a Bill He Can Support
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) “laid out a basic party-line package that could win his vote, lower the deficit and enact some new programs, provided they are permanently funded,” Politico reports.
“It may be Democrats’ best and last chance to get at least some of their biggest domestic priorities done before the midterm elections, but would require everyone in the party — particularly liberals — to concede that what’s possible doesn’t come close to the $1.7 trillion package Manchin spurned in December.”
“Manchin said that if Democrats want to cut a deal on a party-line bill using the budget process to circumvent a Republican filibuster, they need to start with prescription drug savings and tax reform. He envisions whatever revenue they can wring out of that as split evenly between reducing the federal deficit and inflation, on the one hand, and enacting new climate and social programs, on the other — ‘to the point where it’s sustainable.'”
House to Vote on Massive Spending Bill Next Week
“House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) told Democrats on a private caucus call Tuesday that he plans to tee up a vote on March 8 — a week from today — to pass a catchall spending package to fund the government into the fall,” Politico reports.
“It would be a huge bipartisan win; for Democrats and President Joe Biden because it’s the first spending bill with his stamp on it, and for Republicans as they’ve fought for a massive hike in defense spending.”
Treasury Asked to Probe Accounting Firm Hires
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Rep. Primila Jayapal (D-WA) “asked the Treasury Department’s inspector general to investigate the revolving door between the country’s biggest accounting firms and key policy positions at the Treasury,” the New York Times reports.
Late last year, the New York Times “found at least 35 examples in which lawyers at the country’s biggest accounting firms left to join the government, largely in the Treasury’s tax policy office, and then returned to their old firm…”
“While in the government, many of those lawyers granted tax breaks to their former firms’ clients, softened efforts to clamp down on tax shelters and approved loopholes used by their former firms.”
IRS Will Allow Taxpayers to Forgo Facial Recognition
“The IRS said that it would allow taxpayers to opt out of using facial recognition technology to gain access to their online accounts and would shift to an entirely different identity verification system next year as the agency tries to alleviate backlash over its use of biometric data,” the New York Times reports.
States Eye Tax Cutting Spree
“Less than a year after Democrats approved a half-trillion dollars in aid to state and local governments, many are now considering cutting taxes,” Politico reports.
“In red states as well as purple and blue ones, governors and state legislators are contemplating a long list of tax cuts: in personal income taxes and corporate levies, in property taxes and grocery taxes.”
“That’s sparking criticism Democrats in Washington gave too much money to states as part of their $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, signed into law one year ago next month.”
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