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☆ Senate votes to roll back Biden administration clean water rule
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Senate has approved a resolution to overturn a Biden administration rule that would expand federal protections for the country's waterways, a measure Republicans have criticized as overbearing and burdensome to business. The vote comes after the Biden administration last year issued a rule that more broadly defined which types of waterways in the U.S. are eligible for federal water quality protections under the 1972 Clean Water Act. The White House said the revised rule is based on definitions that were in place before 2015, when the Obama administration sought to expand federal protections. The Biden administration argued that rolling back the rule would make federal regulations unclear for businesses and farmers and that increased uncertainty would threaten economic growth for agriculture, and local economies. However, a federal judge this month paused the Biden administration's waterway protections in Texas and Idaho, marking a victory for Republican challengers.

☆ Josh Hawley splits Senate GOP over 'duplicative' idea to create a new office tracking US aid to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Senate rejected a bill from Josh Hawley to establish a new office to oversee Ukraine aid. Many Republicans said they were confident in the Biden administration's aid tracking efforts. "We already have a very extensive operation to oversee spending in Ukraine," said Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah. Hawley's bill did win over at least one Republican who's a vocal supporter of aiding Ukraine: Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. The underlying AUMF repeal bill, which is backed by a large bipartisan majority of senators and has been endorsed by the White House, is expected to pass the Senate on Wednesday.

☆ Exclusive: Biden nominee to head FAA withdraws after Republican criticism
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, March 25 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's nominee to head the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is withdrawing his nomination after Republican criticism that he was not qualified to serve as the top aviation regulator. Last year, Biden nominated Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington to serve as FAA administrator. A White House official had earlier told Reuters "politics must not hold up confirming an administrator to lead the FAA, and we will move expeditiously to nominate a new candidate for FAA administrator." Some industry officials think the White House could name acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen as a new nominee. Nolen, who was named head of the FAA's aviation safety office, has been the acting FAA administrator since April 2022 and has received backing from many Republicans in Congress.

☆ Biden’s pick to lead FAA withdraws amid shaky Senate support
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Phillip A. Washington speaks at a nomination hearing with the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on Capitol Hill on March 01, 2023 in Washington, DC. Democrats and allied independents still might have pushed the nomination through, but key senators on their side balked at supporting Biden's pick. "The FAA needs a confirmed Administrator, and Phil Washington's transportation & military experience made him an excellent nominee," Buttigieg tweeted Saturday night. He has strong ties to the administration, however — he led Biden's 2020 transition team for the Transportation Department, which includes the FAA. "Given the significant challenges facing the FAA, this wasn't the time for an administrator who needed on-the-job training," he said.

☆ Republicans are seeking wealthy, self-funding candidates to help the party win a Senate majority in 2024, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

GOP leaders are seeking out wealthy Senate candidates to counter Democratic fundraising successes. In recent cycles, some GOP candidates have used outside spending to mitigate spending disparities. Last year, Democratic Senate nominees in the six most competitive races outraised their GOP counterparts by $288 million, per Politico. The well-known doctor poured $26.8 million of his own funds into his unsuccessful Senate campaign, according to OpenSecrets. Dolan, who put more than $10.5 million into his 2022 Senate bid, could face Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown.

☆ Republican senators could be stuck in the minority 'for the rest of the decade' if GOP doesn't flip chamber in 2024, campaign chair warns
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The head of the Senate GOP's campaign arm spoke this week about the stakes of the 2024 Senate races. Sen. Steve Daines said his party could be in the minority for the "rest of the decade" if they don't win in 2024. "We either deliver a majority in '24, or we are in the minority as Republican Senate for the rest of the decade," said Daines. In addition to those states, the GOP has potential pick-up opportunities in swing states like Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Yet despite a general geographical advantage in the Senate, Republicans have struggled to attain a lasting majority.

☆ Biden used first veto to save a 401(k) investment rule. Here's what it does
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

watch nowFew 401(k) plans — about 5% — offer an ESG fund, according to PSCA survey data. The [Biden] rule doesn't force you to consider ESG. Under the Biden rule, employers must still consider ESG factors within the context of what is in investors' best interests. "The [Biden] rule doesn't force you to consider ESG," Chao said. The Biden administration issued the final text of its investment rule in November, shortly before Republicans assumed control of the House.

WASHINGTON, March 20 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday rejected a Republican proposal to prevent pension fund managers from basing investment decisions on factors like climate change, in the first veto of his presidency. "I just signed this veto because the legislation passed by the Congress would put at risk the retirement savings of individuals across the country," Biden said in a video posted on Twitter. Two Democratic senators, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Jon Tester of Montana, voted with Republicans. Manchin countered that it was the Biden administration that was pushing its "radical policy agenda" on this issue. "Despite a clear and bipartisan rejection of the rule from Congress, President Biden is choosing to put his administration’s progressive agenda above the well-being of the American people," Manchin said in a statement.

☆ Biden issues his first veto, nixing measure blocking new investment rule
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Zoë Richards | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during the annual Friends of Ireland luncheon in honor of Ireland's Prime Minister (Taoiseach) Leo Varadkar at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., March 17, 2023. President Joe Biden on Monday issued his first veto since taking office, rejecting a bipartisan measure that would nullify a new administration rule for retirement plans. In the Senate vote, Democratic Sens. Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., introduced the measure in February, about two months after the Labor Department issued the investment rule. Following the Senate vote, Barr tweeted: "President Biden should abandon the radical climate activists and join us in putting middle-class savers ahead of politics."

☆ House Democrats push back against GOP bill to abolish IRS, impose national sales tax
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

WASHINGTON — Three Democrats in the U.S. House introduced a measure to push back against a controversial Republican tax proposal that would abolish the IRS, eliminate income taxes and impose a national sales tax. House Republicans introduced the Fair Tax Act in January shortly after Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif, was voted in as speaker. The three Democrats introduced a House resolution opposing a national sales tax on working families and, instead, supporting a tax cut to benefit middle-class families. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., who introduced the Fair Tax Act, said it would simplify the tax code. Pettersen said the sales tax would hurt the most those who are unable to save, such as seniors and low-income families.

☆ Biden’s First Veto Is Revealing
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Republicans in Congress are forcing President Biden to issue his first veto, and they’re getting bipartisan help. The Senate and House this week voted to overturn a Labor Department rule that lets retirement fund managers use worker savings for political causes. Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin and Jon Tester on Wednesday joined Republicans to pass a resolution repudiating the DOL rule. As Mr. Manchin explained, the rule lets retirement plan fiduciaries consider environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) factors and “prioritizes politics over getting the best returns for millions of Americans’ retirement investments.”

☆ Biden’s ESG Veto Is Revealing
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Biden is set to use his first veto to save what Republicans call a "woke" rule that lets retirement fund managers consider companies' social and environmental records
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Jason Lalljee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Senate voted to overturn a Labor Department measure allowing investment managers to make socially and environmentally conscious investing decisions. "Republicans' hypocritical resolution to nullify @USDOL's ESG rule ties investors' hands & would force their extremist views on investors," she wrote on Twitter following the vote. It's the latest back-and-forth in an ESG debate triggered by former President Donald Trump, who prohibited financial managers from making such considerations when he was in office. However, the White House has said that Biden will use his first veto as president to protect ESG considerations. As CNBC's Brian Schwartz reported this week, Trump allies and wealthy donors have funded Republicans' fight against ESG investing.

☆ U.S. Congress votes to block ESG investing, Biden veto expected
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Republicans said their resolution would prevent fund managers from basing investment decisions on ESG factors primarily. But they acknowledged that it would not stop funds from considering ESG issues altogether. The Labor Department said the Trump-era rule failed to account for the positive impact that ESG investing can have on long-term returns. In 2022, ESG funds were hit by fallout from the Ukraine war, tumbling financial markets and U.S. political backlash against the industry. Republicans used a tool called the Congressional Review Act that allows them to bypass the customary 60-vote Senate threshold to challenge the Labor Department rule.

☆ 2 Senate Democrats join GOP in rejecting socially conscious investing rule, rushing it back to Biden for a promised veto
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The US Senate voted down a Biden-backed socially conscious investing rule 50-46. Two Democratic senators up for reelection in 2024 joined Republicans in opposing ESG. Wednesday's defectors, both of whom are facing tough reelection bids this cycle in states Donald Trump won by double digits in 2020, include Democratic Sens. The absence of Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein of California, Jeff Merkley of Oregon, and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania left Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer three votes down before deliberations even started.

☆ Republican drive against Biden ESG investment rule gains momentum
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Approval could open the door to other Republican efforts to overturn Biden administration regulations. "We 100% have the votes," a Senate Republican aide said after Tester released a statement. The Democratic-led Senate was due to vote on the Republican resolution at 4 p.m. EST (2100 GMT). The Labor Department said the Trump-era rule failed to account for the positive impact that ESG investing can have on long-term returns. Industry has been split on the Biden rule, with fossil-fuel companies opposed and other businesses voicing support.

☆ Senate overturns federal rule on ESG investments, Biden vows to veto
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Christina Wilkie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) talks to reporters during a news conference following the weekly Senate Republican policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on February 28, 2023 in Washington, DC. WASHINGTON — The Senate on Wednesday voted to overturn a Labor Department rule that permits fiduciary retirement fund managers to consider climate change and other factors when making investments on behalf of pension plan participants. The final vote in the Senate was 50-46, with two Democratic senators crossing party lines to support the repeal bill: West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin and Montana Sen. Jon Tester. President Joe Biden said Monday that he will veto the Senate bill if it comes to his desk — the first veto of his presidency. ESG funds are designed to attract socially conscious investors with stock picks that promote renewable energy, inclusive policies, or good corporate governance.

☆ A Bad Start for the GOP in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Being the opposition party can have its political advantages, but if Republicans are hoping for victory next year, they might want to look around. Montana Sen. Jon Tester said this week that he’ll run for re-election in 2024, meaning no open race there to boost the GOP’s chances of taking the state and the Senate majority. Wisconsin’s primary Tuesday, with state Supreme Court candidates on the ballot, brought record turnout of nearly 21% of the voting-age population, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Compare that with 16% for a similar primary in 2020 and 12% for one in 2018. This could signal that abortion is still spurring Democrats to the polls, and the effect from the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade last year hasn’t entirely faded.

☆ U.S. Senator Jon Tester will again run in 2024, in boon for Democrats
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Moira Warburton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Senator Jon Tester will run for reelection, he said on Twitter on Wednesday, in a major win for Democrats who are defending seats in several battleground states in 2024. Tester, who has represented Montana in the U.S. Senate since 2007, is a reliable moderate who has won three tight races in the past in the increasingly Republican state. Even with an incumbent's advantage, Tester will likely still face a tough battle for reelection. Upcoming races in states like Montana, West Virginia, Ohio and Arizona all present challenges to the Democrats' ability to hold onto their Senate majority going into 2025. Reporting by Moira Warburton in Washington; Editing by Richard Cowan and Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Jon Tester’s Decision to Run Again Boosts Hopes of Senate Democrats
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Andrew Ackerman | Eliza Collins | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

‘Montanans need a fighter holding Washington accountable and I’m running to defend our Montana values,’ said Sen. Jon Tester. WASHINGTON—Sen. Jon Tester said Wednesday that he would seek reelection in 2024 in solidly conservative Montana, boosting Democrats’ hopes of hanging on to control of the Senate in what is expected to be a difficult landscape for the party. “I am running for re-election so I can keep fighting for Montanans and demand that Washington stand up for our veterans and lower costs,” Mr. Tester said in a statement. “Montanans need a fighter holding Washington accountable and I’m running to defend our Montana values.”

REUTERS/Evelyn HocksteinWASHINGTON, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Democratic and Republican U.S. lawmakers sharply criticized the U.S. military and the Biden administration on Thursday for failing to shoot down a Chinese spy balloon when it first entered U.S. airspace, instead of waiting a week to do so. Pentagon officials said they were able to monitor the balloon's path and protect and conceal areas sensitive to U.S. national security. Republican Senator Susan Collins said the decision to let the balloon trek across the United States sent the wrong message to China and other U.S. adversaries. "In my judgment, U.S. deterrence was weakened when the spy balloon was permitted to transverse Alaska and several other states, included hovering over sensitive military bases and assets," Collins added. Separately, the House of Representatives on Thursday unanimously backed a resolution condemning the incursion of the balloon as "a brazen violation of United States sovereignty."

☆ Angry senators grill Pentagon officials over Chinese spy balloon response
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Christina Wilkie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Rear Admiral Fred Kacher, director for operations of the Joint Staff, during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) questions witnesses during a Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill about the suspected Chinese spy balloon that was shot down in Washington, U.S., February 9, 2023. The hearing was part of a series of events Thursday morning in Congress, all related to the spy balloon. In the House, a resolution condemning "the Chinese Communist Party's use of a high-altitude surveillance balloon" passed unanimously, 419-0. That vote took place shortly after House members received a classified briefing about the balloon and the recovery efforts from defense and intelligence officials.

“We see those as really strong opportunities to flip from Democrat to Republican,” McIntosh said. In West Virginia, McIntosh name checked two Republicans, Attorney General Patrick Morrissey and Rep. Alex Mooney, as possible candidates. Mooney has already announced his bid and Morrissey could run again after he fell short against Manchin as the party's 2018 nominee. Of Rosendale, another unsuccessful 2018 nominee who could run again (against Democratic Sen. Jon Tester), McIntosh said, “we know his record. She’s not really, as far as I can tell, an economic conservative.”The conservative group has already announced its endorsement of Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.

☆ Montana senator Jon Tester says he will defeat the GOP's 'awful plan' for a national sales tax
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Republicans have proposed replacing the income tax with a national consumption tax. Their legislation would get rid of the income tax, estate tax, and payroll tax — and abolish the IRS. Democratic Senator Jon Tester, whose home state of Montana has no sales tax, is vehemently against it. Buddy Carter's Fair Tax Act, the income tax, alongside the payroll tax and estate tax, would be replaced by a 23% consumption tax on gross payments — and the IRS would be abolished. A national sales tax would likely be more regressive than the current income tax, hitting lower- and middle-income Americans harder.

CLEVELAND — Matt Dolan, who lost a raucous Republican Senate primary in Ohio last year, will run again in 2024, this time seeking to unseat longtime Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown. Dolan will announce his candidacy this week, he told an Ohio GOP official in a voicemail Sunday that the official shared with NBC News on the condition of anonymity. Dolan, a state senator whose family owns the Cleveland Guardians, would likely be the first candidate on the GOP side to officially declare. Other Republicans closely looking at the race include Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and Bernie Moreno, a businessman who briefly was a Senate candidate in 2022. Ohio State Senator Matt Dolan, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Ohio, speaks in Cleveland, on April 28, 2022.

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