The following opinion column by Arizona �鶹��ýӳ�� of Commerce & Industry President and CEO Danny Seiden originally appeared in The Arizona Republic earlier today.

It’s hard to remember a time when our nation was as deeply divided as it is today.

Now more than ever, we need elected leaders who are willing to buck party politics and work toward finding common-ground, commonsense solutions to address our challenges, bridge our division and begin to move our country forward.

Unfortunately, examples of this kind of leadership are becoming fewer and farther between. Nowhere is that more apparent than in Washington, D.C., where political expediency and pandering to the party base increasingly take precedent over the pursuit of broadly supported bipartisan solutions.

Then there’s Sen. Kyrsten Sinema – a refreshing independent voice amid a chorus of deafening partisan rancor. Throughout her first term, Sen. Sinema has demonstrated the kind of bold and brave public service many people may have thought died with the late Sen. John McCain.

That maverick spirit has been on full display in recent days, as Sen. Sinema held her ground in supporting the long-standing Senate filibuster amid intense and incendiary political pressure from her own party.

The senator’s stance on this issue should have come as a surprise to no one. In a from last June, Sinema wrote: “If anyone expected me to reverse my position because my party now controls the Senate, they should know that my approach to legislating in Congress is the same whether in the minority or majority.”

She reiterated that position during a recent , reminding her colleagues that “we have but one democracy. We can only survive, we can only keep her, if we do so together.”

You would think that message of bipartisanship would be widely embraced, welcomed and celebrated in this time of severely fractured politics. After all, it’s exactly what politicians, pundits – and yes, opinion columnists who appear on these pages – have been preaching for years.

Not so. Rather than praising Sen. Sinema as a profile in courage, the same chattering class that has been crying for civility has laid bare its hypocrisy – spewing vile, threatening and dishonest attacks on the senator’s character and distorting her record.

Ironically, some people – all of whom know better – have resorted to the same overheated, hateful rhetoric that they’ve longed claimed has no place in the public square.

“Worse than the ‘Ku Klux Klanner’ of the 1960s.”

“Killing [Dr. Martin Luther] King’s legacy” and “turn[ing] America back to the Jim Crow era.”

These are dripping off the pages of Arizona’s newspaper of record.

Nationally, the backlash has been equally repugnant, with MSNBC talking heads calling Sen. Sinema – among other things – “” and her staff “.”

These accusations are not only ridiculous – not to mention flat-out false – but they are also corrosive. If anything is a threat to democratic discourse, it’s language like this.

This is about more than a single policy issue. We are at a place where working across the aisle to advance bipartisan solutions – the very thing the Senate was designed to do – is now met with vitriol, and decried as failure.

If we are truly going to heal our fractured country, we must first start by toning down the dangerous and divisive rhetoric. And we must realize that the consistent pursuit of bipartisan agreement is not a threat to democracy, but an asset.

We’re grateful to have that in Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. We would hope our entire delegation – and all of our elected leaders – would follow her example.  

Danny Seiden is the president and CEO of the Arizona �鶹��ýӳ�� of Commerce and Industry. On Twitter: .

The post If we say we want bipartisanship, why are we skewering Sen. Kyrsten Sinema? appeared first on �鶹��ýӳ��.

Latest news from Washington, D.C. produced by Total Spectrum/SGA exclusively for members of the Arizona �鶹��ýӳ�� of Commerce & Industry

More Info: Michael DiMaria | Partner and SW Regional Director | 602-717-3891 | mdimaria@totalspectrumsga.com

Heard on the Hill covers the continuing and changing-by-the-minute story of the President’s traditional and social Infrastructure agenda. We also wade into the President’s 20-page executive order on competition.  writes about six tax incentives that will play a major role in the President’s agenda.  brings us up to speed on the appropriations process for the 2022 fiscal year.  reviews a recent House Small Business Agriculture and Rural Development Subcommittee hearing on economic recovery in rural America.

We will return on in two weeks on July 28^thfor the next issue of This Week. Stay well.

, Managing Partner

Heard on the Hill

By Steve Gordon, Total Spectrum Managing Director

The most important thing that happened in Washington over the July 4^th recess was that nothing important happened. 

Tourists took over the town.  Most of us in Washington who spend our time on policy, politics, or both shut down our minds for a while and kicked back. Local restaurants were not busy because most Washingtonians left town, but the important thing was that restaurants, bars, and museums were open. 

The 15-month pandemic was a confining and confusing time for most of us, and a terrible time for those who became a COVID statistic.  Maybe we will not snap back immediately to the normal life we had before the pandemic. Maybe we find a new normal, maybe we are already there. Whatever it was and whatever you call it, kicking back a little felt pretty darn good.

President Biden’s leadership and legacy are on the line this summer.

As a candidate in the 2020 election, Joe Biden was projected as an experienced legislator who was used to working with his Republican and Democratic Senate colleagues. He stressed his knowledge of foreign affairs as the former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and he committed to getting COVID vaccines into Americans’ arms.

But in today’s base politics, those things are a good start – but only a start. The enthusiasm of the liberal and progressive base provided the energy for the campaign.

Now, President Biden is trying to project steadiness and calm while proposing a very expansive legislative agenda that plays to the base of his party. A midwestern Democrat told me recently that “Senator Biden watched both President Carter and President George H. W. Bush lose their base and then their reelection. There is no education in the second kick of the mule… and even less the third time.”

Working on traditional infrastructure through a bipartisan approach plays to the calm, steady, and predictable President. Working on social infrastructure plays to his base. Senate Majority Leader Schumer sent a Dear Colleague  to his Democratic Caucus on July 9^th in which he spoke about a two-track approach in July – a bipartisan traditional infrastructure bill and a resolution out of the Senate Budget Committee – setting the table for a social infrastructure bill which Democrats could try to pass this fall through the reconciliation process.

Some people on Capitol Hill will tell you that a traditional infrastructure bill costing somewhere between $600 billion and $1 trillion can be written by the bipartisan group of senators, and can get the votes of every Democrat and ten Republican senators.  Just as many people on Capitol Hill will tell you why it will not happen. For example, some Senate Republicans – including a few of the moderates who negotiated the bill – are concerned about the fuzzy revenue numbers proposed to fund the bipartisan bill, others are concerned about raising taxes to help pay for the bill. Still others are torn between passing a traditional infrastructure bill that we certainly need that is part of the President’s agenda. Senate Minority Leader McConnell has not commented publicly on the bipartisan proposal.

Senator Bernie Sanders, Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, proposed a budget resolution of $6 trillion for social infrastructure. Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), a moderate member of the Senate Budget Committee, felt that $3 trillion would be more like it. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) said Tuesday that the social infrastructure bill – whatever the number – must be paid for and should not be put on the country’s credit card.

Tuesday night, the Senate Budget Committee passed a resolution that included $600 billion for traditional infrastructure and $3.5 trillion in new spending for social infrastructure. Budget Committee Democrats propose to pay for their program in large part by raising taxes on corporations and individuals.

The budget resolution passed Tuesday night by the Budget Committee has not yet been written, but early details came out Wednesday. Included is a significant climate provision and funding to provide universal prekindergarten, childcare, and community college. The proposal also increased funding for historically black colleges and universities, paid family and medical leave, and new Medicare provisions. The revenue to pay for this agenda would come from three ‘buckets’: increasing corporate and international taxes, health savings by lowering prescription drug costs and by repealing the Trump Administration’s rebate rule, and from new taxes to be generated by anticipated long-term economic growth. 

Again, the budget resolution has not been formally written yet, and it will take some time for it to go from bullet points to legislative language. Democrats can and ultimately will pass the resolution out of the Budget Committee on a party line vote, but the real work will be writing a budget resolution for social infrastructure that can be agreed to by each of the 50 Senate Democrats and House Democrats. 

Senate Democrats are a long way from agreement and in an evenly divided Senate, every Democratic senator is a king or a queen – and every senator has leverage.

The calendar also counts. The legislative packages need to be written and vetted. A budget resolution will require about a week of Senate floor time, and any infrastructure bill will require two weeks of floor time. The target start date for the summer recess is August 9^th, though Majority Leader Schumer is threatening to keep the Senate working beyond that date.

Majority Leader Schumer surprised many people this week by scheduling for next week the first procedural votes – technically a motion to proceed – on the bipartisan traditional infrastructure proposal. It is surprising because he knows full well that the bipartisan group of senators led by Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) have not finished agreeing to their proposal and then writing the bill.

The President’s legislative agenda and legacy hangs on how these two infrastructure bills do in Congress. I cannot see any Democratic senator being willing to be a final no vote on the social infrastructure bill that will be brought up through reconciliation, so I have four questions in my mind:

1. Will the bipartisan group of Senators find a way to pay for their traditional infrastructure bill? The good news is that they are still talking, but they must agree on how they will pay for the program, and that is always a rocky road.
2. If the bipartisan group of senators can find a way to pay for their traditional bill, will their proposal get the support of all 50 Democrats and 10 Republicans in the Senate? (Odds are less than 50-50.)
3. If the bipartisan infrastructure bill fails in the Senate, Democrats will include traditional infrastructure in their final budget resolution, thereby recoupling the President’s original proposal. The amount to be spent in that resolution will be decided through the push and pull of party moderates and party progressives and liberals. (The end number will almost assuredly more than $2 trillion, and will go up to the point where moderate Democrats will not spend any more.)
4. Congress has about four weeks and change until the scheduled start of the August recess. The Budget Act will take up a lot of time on the Senate floor, and there will be amendments aplenty. Look for a vote on the budget right before the start of the August recess, committee activity in the fall, and a final reconciliation bill sometime this fall.

The Debt Ceiling

The COVID relief legislation of the last two years has put additional pressure on raising the debt ceiling, which will need to be raised around August 1^st. But the Treasury Secretary traditionally finds loose change between the sofa cushions that will delay a vote to sometime in September. Most if not all Republicans will not vote to raise the debt ceiling, so it will be up to Majority Leader Schumer and Senate Democrats. 

The President’s Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy

On July 9^th, the White House issued a 20-page  designed to foster competition in labor, healthcare, transportation, agriculture, internet, technology, and banking/finance. It is a lengthy document, and an important one. But what is not clear is why the package was released on Friday – a traditionally bad day to release press releases if you want maximum exposure. 

The White House’s fact sheet on the executive order is available .  We will review the details of the executive order and provide more information in an upcoming Heard on the Hill.

Appropriations Update

By Steve Ruhlen, Total Spectrum Partner

Congress is marching through its annual appropriations process, putting together the dozen bills that provide for federal spending for fiscal year 2022, which starts October 1.  The House Appropriations Committee this week considered several of these bills, hoping to meet the goal of House Democratic leadership to pass all twelve government funding bills before the August recess.

Two factors complicate the outlook for the appropriations process:  the $600 billion infrastructure bill being considered in the Senate, and Democrats’ efforts to approve trillions in additional spending via a partisan legislative strategy.  

Given the jockeying over the infrastructure deal and the possibility of trillions in additional spending outside of the appropriations process, the House postponed consideration of its annual budget resolution – which spells out specific categorical spending limits – and instead passed in June a general topline spending limit of $1.5 trillion for FY2022.  This was a $200 billion increase from the FY2021 topline. 

The Senate appropriations timeline is more delayed.  With a 50-50 Democrat-Republican split in the Senate, it will be hard to get approval for many of the funding levels and policy initiatives that are expected to be included in the appropriations bills that pass in the Democrat-controlled House.  For example, House Democrats are expected to remove several bans on federal funding for abortions, increase the Education Department spending by over 40%, increase Labor Department spending by nearly 20%, and keep defense spending essentially flat.  

Keep in mind, however, that while the Democrats control the House, they only have a five-vote margin over the Republicans, so passage of any highly controversial spending bills is not assured.  

The outcome of the still ongoing infrastructure negotiations in the Senate and the potential of Democrats to push through several trillions in additional spending through the reconciliation process are muddying the appropriations outlook.

While House appropriators are looking to boost transportation spending by $17 billion over the Biden Administration’s budget recommendation, it is still not clear how much of the total transportation appropriations would be covered in the infrastructure package – a deal for which details are currently being hashed out in the legislative process.  And although 11 Republican senators previously signaled support for the framework of the infrastructure agreement, some have said they won’t be on board if the President and congressional Democrats try to ram though trillions in additional spending on a separate reconciliation bill through a party line vote. 

Reconciliation is a legislative procedure that could allow congressional Democrats to pass massive increases in social spending on their own. Reconciliation cannot be filibustered in the Senate, meaning it – as opposed to other bills that come before the Senate – would only need a majority of 51 votes to pass, with Vice President Harris casting the tie-breaking 51^st vote.

The first step in the reconciliation process requires both the House and Senate to pass a budget plan for FY2022.  This week, the Senate Budget Committee introduced a $3.5 trillion spending plan that Democratic leadership believes will fund their social spending priorities.  It is not the $6 trillion plan that many Democrat progressives, including Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders, wanted.  It is expected that the President’s calls for two years of free community college, increasing the child tax care credit, subsidies for childcare, and paid leave will be in the budget proposal.  The House is expected to follow suit, with both bodies looking to pass a final budget resolution before the August recess.

Senate Majority Leader Schumer still needs to ensure the support of all his Democratic senators.  With an evenly divided Senate, passage of the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package is not a done deal.  Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) have expressed concerns about using the reconciliation process to pass any massive controversial spending plan on a party line vote, and Sen. Manchin said that the budget proposal will need to be paid for and not rely on deficit spending. 

Senate Majority Leader Schumer announced this week that he wants to move forward with the infrastructure bill and hold a necessary procedural vote next Wednesday.  Republicans question how Leader Schumer can expect to advance a bill when there is no legislative language and no firm agreement on the specifics of the bill.  Seeing that it would require 60 votes to clear the procedural hurdle – needing at least ten Republicans to join in support – many Republicans see Schumer’s maneuver as a deliberate attempt to sink the bill, blame Republicans for its demise, and then wrap it into a reconstituted reconciliation bill which they hope to pass on a party line vote. 

Democrats enjoy control of the White House, the House, and the Senate, but they must reconcile the strong push for additional spending from their considerable progressive base with extremely slim majorities on both sides of Congress.  The implications of this year’s appropriations process, the infrastructure negotiations, and the potential of huge social spending through the reconciliation process will almost certainly reverberate into next year’s midterm elections.

President Biden’s Proposed Clean Energy and Community Development Tax Incentives Will Play a Major Role in his Infrastructure Plan

By Congressman Erik Paulsen, Total Spectrum Strategic Consultant

President Biden’s $2.3 trillion American Jobs Plan released in March includes a number of community development and clean energy tax incentives which build upon existing incentives that have traditionally enjoyed bipartisan support. Examples of these include an expansion of the low-income housing tax credit, creation of a neighborhood homes investment tax, permanence for the new markets tax credit, authorization of new tax-exempt bonds for schools and infrastructure, extensions and enhancements of the renewable energy production and investment tax credits, and extensions and modifications of the energy efficiency tax incentives.

President Biden also proposes in the American Jobs plan to repeal all tax credits, deductions and other special provisions that aim to encourage oil, gas, and coal production. Eliminating tax incentives to produce fossil fuels is a fundamental goal of Congressional progressives.

Almost all Republicans in Congress believe in an “all the above” approach to energy production and support incentives to produce both renewable energy and energy from fossil fuels. Any bill put up by Senate Democrats that includes the President’s infrastructure and clean energy tax incentives but eliminates fossil fuel tax incentives will be filibustered by Republicans. 

That is exactly why Senate Democrats will try to unite their caucus and pass this legislation – including the Biden tax rate increases – through the budget reconciliation process, which allows certain bills to be passed with a simple majority and cannot be filibustered.

Below, my summary of the tax credits that will receive the greatest attention:

Expansion of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit

The Biden Administration proposes to significantly expand this credit to incentivize affordable rental housing development in high opportunity areas. This proposal would create an additional allocation of low-income housing tax credits for these areas, which would be based on a formula that would take into consideration the cost of constructing and operating affordable housing. 

The New Neighborhood Homes Investment Tax Credit

There are currently no federal tax provisions that directly support building or renovating owner-occupied housing. The Biden Administration’s proposal would create the Neighborhood Homes Investment Tax Credit, which would provide approximately $2 billion in credit authority to support new construction and substantial rehabilitation for existing homeowners. It would be allocated to states with an emphasis on populations living in distressed urban, suburban, or rural neighborhoods.

The New Markets Tax Credit

This tax credit is for qualified equity investments made to acquire stock in a corporation, or a capital interest in a partnership, that is a qualified community development entity. The credit totals 39% of the original investment and can be claimed over seven years. The Biden proposal would permanently extend the New Markets Tax Credit and allow community development entities to continue generating investments in low-income communities, but now with greater certainty.  

Schools and Infrastructure

It is generally agreed we need to renovate some older educational facilities and to encourage the construction of new structures. This proposal would create tax-exempt School Infrastructure Bonds, which would be similar to the Build America Bonds that were authorized under the Obama Administration. The proposal would authorize up to $50 billion in these bonds, with $16.7 billion authorized in each of 2022, 2023, and 2024.

The proposal would also expand the category of private activity bonds by allocating an additional $15 billion for use by the Secretary of Transportation. The proposal would allow private activity bonds to be issued for public transit, passenger rail, and infrastructure for zero emissions vehicles. 

Extend and Enhance the Production Tax Credit and the Investment Tax Credit

The Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit would be extended in its entirety for projects that begin construction after December 31, 2021, and before January 1, 2027. Beginning in 2027, the credit rate would begin to phase down to zero over five years.

The Renewable Energy Investment Tax Credit, much like the Production Tax Credit, would be extended for 1) solar and geothermal electric energy property; 2) qualified fuel cell power plants; 3) geothermal heat pumps; 4) small wind properties; 5) offshore wind properties; 6) waste energy recovery properties; and 7) combined heat and power properties. Starting in 2022, the Renewable Energy Tax Credits would be expanded to include stand-alone technology that stores energy for conversion to electricity and has the capacity of not less than five kilowatt hours.

Taxpayers would have the option to receive a cash payment instead of a credit from either the Production Tax Credit or the Renewable Energy Investment Tax Credit. The Department of the Treasury has not specified the amount of the cash payment or how that option might work. This promises to be an area where intense input from policy makers will be needed.

New Electricity Transmission Tax Credit

The proposal would provide a credit equal to 30% of a taxpayer’s investment in qualifying power transmission property placed in service in any given year. Qualifying electric power transmission property would include overhead, submarine, and underground transmission facilities meeting certain criteria, including a minimum voltage of 275 kilovolts and a minimum transmission capacity of 500 megawatts. Qualifying property would also include any ancillary facilities and equipment necessary for the proper operation of the transmission facility. This new credit also has a direct pay option. The New Electricity Transmission Tax Credit would be effective for property placed in service after December 31, 2021, and before January 1, 2032.

The current discussions on potential infrastructure legislation have focused thus far on the definition of infrastructure, its cost, and how it would be financed. But the tax issues related to community development, clean energy, and fossil fuels will soon take center stage. Both the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee have started assembling the proposed legislation.

I would be pleased to visit with anyone who has questions; I can be reached via email by clicking on my name above.

Hearing Report

By Ramona Lessen, Total Spectrum Executive Director

House Small Business Agricultural and Rural Development Subcommittee hearing on the economic recovery efforts in rural America

Tuesday, July 13, 2021; 1:00 p.m.

To view a livestream of the hearing please .

Congressman Jared Golden (D-ME-2^nd)

Congressman Roger Williams (R-TX-25^th)

Witnesses:

Mr. Nathan Ohle
Chief Executive Officer
Rural Community Assistance Partnership
Washington, DC

Ms. Jessica Campos
Women’s Business Center Director
Center for Rural Affairs
Lyons, NE

Mr. Brett Challenger
Senior Vice President of the Regional Agribusiness Banking Group
CoBank
Greenwood Village, CO

Mr. Alan M. Crawford
Owner and President
Rangaire Manufacturing Company
Cleburne, TX

BLS data shows Covid still affecting service and other sectors

What you need to know about Drugged Driving

Companies scramble to enter the cropland carbon marker

A record number of women are serving in state legislatures

Vaccine tracker:  67.8% of U.S. adults have received first dose

Delta variant causing more than half of new U.S. coronavirus cases

Congressional Calendar

All times EDT

Monday, July 12, 2021

• 10 a.m. House Judiciary Courts-IP-Internet Subcommittee virtual  on diversifying the federal judiciary.
• 11 a.m. House Appropriations Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee  of the Labor-HHS-Education spending legislation for fiscal 2022.
• Noon. House Agriculture Oversight Subcommittee virtual  on SNAP benefits.
• 1 p.m. House Administration Committee virtual  on the Elections Clause of the Constitution. 
• 1 p.m. House Appropriations Energy-Water Development Subcommittee  of the Energy-Water Development budget proposal for fiscal 2022.
• 3 p.m. House Appropriations Commerce-Justice-Science Subcommittee  of the Commerce-Justice-Science budget bill for fiscal 2022.
• 5 p.m. House Appropriations Transportation-Housing-Urban Development Subcommittee  of the Transportation-Housing-Urban Development budget proposal for fiscal 2022.
• 6 p.m. Senate Foreign Relations Committee closed  – S. J. Res. 10: Repeal of the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force as well as Discussion of Recent US Military Strikes in Iraq and Syria.

Tuesday, July 13, 2021

• 9:30 a.m. Senate Armed Services Committee  to examine five pending nominations for the Department of Defense.
• 10 a.m. House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security  – Facial Recognition Technology: Examining Its Use by Law Enforcement.
• 10 a.m. House Veterans Affairs Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee virtual  to discuss efforts to modernize the VA appeals program.
• 10 a.m. Senate Banking Committee  on the nominations of Arun Venkataraman to be assistant secretary of Commerce and director general of the Foreign Commercial Service and Damon Smith to be HUD general counsel.
• 10 a.m. Senate Foreign Relations Committee  to examine four pending nominations for the Department of State.
• 10 a.m. Senate HELP Committee  to examine three pending nominations for the Department of Education.
• 10 a.m. House Appropriations Committee  of the proposed Defense and Homeland Security spending bills for fiscal 2022.
• 11 a.m. House Energy and Commerce Committee virtual  for a member day.
• 11:30 a.m. Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship  to consider the nomination of Dilawar Syed to be deputy administrator of the Small Business Administration.
• 1 p.m. House Natural Resources National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee virtual  to examine five bills, including H.R. 3132 (117), which would reauthorize the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act.
• 1 p.m. House Small Business Agricultural and Rural Development Subcommittee virtual  on economic recovery efforts in rural America.
• 2 p.m. House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship – Oh Canada! How Outdated US Immigration Policies Push Top Talen to Other Countries.
• 2 p.m. House Veterans Affairs Oversight Subcommittee virtual  on modernizing the VA police force and boosting accountability.
• 2 p.m. Senate Appropriations Committee  to examine Biden’s proposed fiscal 2022 budget for the USPS Office of Inspector General and USPS service issues. 138 Dirksen.
• 2:30 p.m. Senate Judiciary Antitrust and Competition Subcommittee  on anti-competitive behavior among prescription drug companies. 226 Dirksen.
• 3 p.m. House Armed Services Airland Subcommittee virtual  to discuss provisions in the fiscal 2022 defense spending proposal for the Fixed-Wing Tactical and Training Aircraft Program.

Wednesday, July 14

• 9:15 a.m. Senate Homeland Security Committee  to consider 15 bills, including S. 1917 (117), which would establish a K-12 education cybersecurity initiative.
• 9:45 a.m. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee to consider the nominations of Jane Nishida to serve as assistant administrator for international and tribal affairs of the Environmental Protection Agency, Jeffrey Prieto to be general counsel of the EPA and Alejandra Castillo to be assistant secretary for economic development of the Department of Commerce. The meeting will immediately be followed by a hearing to examine the nomination of Michael Connor to be an assistant secretary of the army for civil works at the Defense Department.
• 10 a.m. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee  to consider energy infrastructure legislation by Chair Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.).
• 10 a.m. Senate Appropriations Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee  to examine Biden’s proposed fiscal 2022 budget for the Department of Labor. Sec. of Labor Marty Walsh testifies.
• 10 a.m. Senate Judiciary Committee  to examine pending nominations.
• 10:30 a.m. Senate Foreign Relations Committee  to examine Biden’s fiscal 2022 budget request for USAID. USAID Administrator Samantha Power testifies.
• 11 a.m. House Transportation and Infrastructure Water Subcommittee on Biden’s fiscal 2022 budget request.
• 11:30 a.m. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittees on Energy and the Environment and Climate Change  – “Keeping US Safe and Secure: Oversight of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.”
• Noon. House Financial Services Committee virtual  on monetary policy and the state of the economy. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell testifies.
• Noon. House Agriculture Committee  to consider HR 4374, the Broadband Internet Connections for Rural American Act.
• 2 p.m. House Foreign Affairs Committee virtual  on the Biden administration’s foreign assistance priorities and the fiscal 2022 USAID budget request.
• 2 p.m. House Veterans Affairs Health Subcommittee virtual  on nine bills, including H.R. 913, the Build a Better VA Act.
• 2:30 p.m. Joint Economic Committee virtual  to examine corporate power in the U.S.
• 2:30 p.m. Senate Judiciary Constitution Subcommittee  on restoring the Voting Rights Act after the Supreme Court’s Brnovich and Shelby County decisions.
• 2:30 p.m. Senate Indian Affairs Committee  to consider the nomination of Bryan Todd Newland to be assistant secretary of Indian affairs for the Interior Department. The meeting will be immediately followed by a legislative hearing to consider three bills, including H.R. 1688 (117), which would amend the Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Act.
• 3:30 p.m. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee  on modernizing the VA’s electronic health records.
• 4 p.m. House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness  – FY22 Budget Request for Military Construction, Energy, and Environmental Programs. 

Thursday, July 15

• 9 a.m. Senate Judiciary Committee  to consider the nominations of Eunice Lee to be United States Circuit Judge for the 2nd Circuit, Veronica Rossman to be United States Circuit Judge for the 10th Circuit, and David Estudillo, Lauren King and Tana Lin to each be a United States District Judge for the Western District of Washington.
• 9:30 a.m. Senate Aging Committee  on savings opportunities for elderly Americans.
• 9:30 a.m. Senate Agriculture Committee  on the nomination of Jennifer Lester Moffitt to be undersecretary of Agriculture for marketing and regulatory programs.
• 9:30 a.m. Senate Banking Committee  on the semiannual monetary policy report to Congress.
• 10 a.m. Senate Commerce Committee  on supply chain resiliency.
• 10 a.m. Senate HELP Committee  to examine the nominations of David Weil to be administrator of the Wage and Hour Division at the Department of Labor and Gwynne Wilcox and David Prouty to both join the National Labor Relations Board.
• 10:15 a.m. Senate Homeland Security Committee hybrid  to examine the nominations of Robert L. Santos to be director of the census and Ed Gonzalez to be an assistant secretary of Homeland Security.
• Noon. House Homeland Security Committee virtual  on reform efforts within DHS.
• House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investment – CDBG Disaster Recovery: States, Cities and Denials of Funding.
• 1 p.m. House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations  – Oversight: Are Toxic Chemicals From Tires and Playground Surfaces Killing Endangered Salmon?
• 2:30 p.m. House Climate Crisis Select Committee virtual  on environmental justice.

Friday, July 16

• 9 a.m. House Appropriations Committee  of the Energy-Water Development and Transportation-Housing-Urban Development budget proposals for fiscal 2022.
• 10 a.m. House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery  – DHS Management.
• 12 noon. House Financial Services Committee Task Force on Artificial Intelligence : Verifying Identity While Preserving Privacy in the Digital Age.
• 1 p.m. House Judiciary Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Subcommittee virtual  on the Supreme Court’s Brnovich v. DNC decision and potential legislative responses.

The post This Week in Washington appeared first on �鶹��ýӳ��.

Senator Martha McSally, a former fighter pilot who went on to fight on behalf of businesses and citizens on Capitol Hill, has won the endorsement of both the U.S. �鶹��ýӳ�� of Commerce and the Arizona �鶹��ýӳ�� of Commerce & Industry in the U.S. Senate race for Arizona. 

With one of the strongest bipartisan records in Congress, a history of working on behalf of small businesses, and effective leadership on national issues like the pandemic, trade and water in the West, McSally has proven she can “get the work done” in Washington, chamber officials said upon announcing their dual endorsement at a press conference Friday.

“In difficult times, we are reminded of the importance of having leaders that understand the genius of the American system of government and free enterprise and who are willing to tackle the hard problems that confront our nation,” U.S. �鶹��ýӳ�� CEO Thomas Donohue said. 

Past year’s performance “extraordinary”

Glenn Hamer, president and CEO of the Arizona �鶹��ýӳ��, said McSally’s track record on behalf of job creators and the competitive standing of the U.S. has been “extraordinary.”  

“We can always count on Martha McSally,” Hamer said. “When the Arizona �鶹��ýӳ�� looks at the challenges facing our state and country and the issues facing job creators during this unprecedented moment in our history, we believe the U.S. Senate needs someone who knows how to lead; who will stand up for economic growth; who will advocate for U.S. manufacturers and innovators on the global stage; and who will help us reenergize this economy.”

McSally, a Republican, was appointed to the U.S. Senate in December 2018 by Arizona Governor Doug Ducey following the resignation of Jon Kyl. Now, she is facing off against Democrat Mark Kelly in a special election Nov. 3 for the U.S. Senate in Arizona. 

This race important to nation, not just Arizona 

This election is not just about Arizona, it’s about the balance of power in Washington, chamber officials said. Right now, each house is controlled by a different political party, providing checks and balances on issues like spending. 

McSally, whose election would help maintain that partisan balance, has shown she can work across the aisle to push legislation forward, they said. 

Record on the Hill impressive  

In less than two years as Arizona’s junior senator, she has proven her worth many times over, said Hamer, calling her record on issues important to the business community at “100 percent.” 

Hamer listed three major issues important to businesses that McSally championed and pushed forward: 

-Passage of the new United States Mexico Canada Agreement, which allows the three countries to continue their partnership as the world’s most powerful tariff-free trading bloc. 

-The seven-state-and-Mexico Colorado River Basin Drought Contingency Plan (DCP) that was enacted into federal law last year to protect the most important water resource in the Southwest for years to come.

-Pandemic relief packages including the massive CARES Act that has helped the nation stay afloat during COVID-19 shutdowns. Included in the act are the Paycheck Protection Program that provides a lifeline for small businesses, increased unemployment benefits for people out of work due to the pandemic and stimulus checks for American citizens.   

In addition, McSally and her staff have been a “virtual MASH unit, responding to constituent needs day and night” to help them weather the health crisis, Hamer said. 

“Workhorse” on behalf of small business

At the event, state Sen. Sine Kerr, R-Buckeye, and leaders of chambers of commerce across the state also express their thanks and appreciation for McSally, including the Greater Phoenix, Chandler, Gilbert, Greater Flagstaff and Lake Havasu chambers. 

McSally highlighted some of her accomplishments and her vision for the future. 

To illustrate her effectiveness, she pointed out that she and vetaran senator Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, tied for the No. 1 spot for getting more bills signed into law than any other senator, including historic measures like the DCP as well as smaller efforts like the approval of land transfers to spur economic development in rural Arizona. 

“Ranking No. 1 shows I’m a workhorse, more than any other senators — senators who have been there a lot longer than I have,” she said.

Top rankings for bipartisanship 

McSally also spoke of her record for reaching across the aisle. She has received high marks for bipartisanship in both the Senate and the U.S. House where she served two terms from 2014 to 2018.  

Earlier this year, McSally was among the top scoring lawmakers to receive from the U.S. �鶹��ýӳ�� for bipartisan leadership to support businesses and entrepreneurs.

Vision for future 

McSally said that if elected she will continue to be a “pragmatic problem solver” to support small businesses and pro-growth policies to help the economy recover. 

“I come from a philosophy of limited but effective federal government, of the free enterprise system, of (business owners) being able to meet their full potential with less taxes and regulation so if you have an economic idea you can bring it to market.” 

Among the issues she will continue to fight for are:

-Relief packages for the smallest businesses harmed by the pandemic 

-Legislation to help tourism and other industries recover

-Bringing manufacturing to Arizona and the U.S. to spur job growth 

-Protection from frivolous COVID-19 liability lawsuits 

-Association health care plans to allow groups like local chambers to provide affordable health insurance for members and their employees

-Tax credits for companies that are helping to fill workforce gaps to stimulate economic recovery

In closing, Dawn Grove, chair of the Arizona �鶹��ýӳ��’s board of directors said:

“Whether it’s been her bipartisan work on the Drought Contingency Plan to preserve clean water for future generations or her and her staff’s commitment to her constituents through regular communication and accessibility, her work on Capitol Hill has been absolutely exemplary…She accomplishes more than others because she works nonstop and she doesn’t care who gets the credit.” 

The post Arizona and U.S. chambers endorse Sen. Martha McSally for U.S. Senate appeared first on �鶹��ýӳ��.

The Arizona �鶹��ýӳ�� of Commerce and Industry hosted its annual Legislative Forecast Luncheon on Friday, offering members of the business community the chance to meet with and hear from the governor and state legislators about the most pressing issues for the state.

Susan Anable, chair of the Arizona �鶹��ýӳ�� executive board of directors and vice president of public affairs for Cox Communications, welcomed 1,200 guests during the event at the Arizona Biltmore hotel in Phoenix.

“As I stand here reflecting today on the year ahead, as we kick off 2020 as a state, it strikes me that there’s some irony — the irony of the frustrations that we as a business community face today — and they are truly indicators of how successful our economy is, and how strong our growth is right now,” Anable said.

“As businesses, we have an ever-tightening labor market, low unemployment, more-than-ever jobs to be filled to keep up with a booming economy; it’s harder than ever,” she said.

New businesses and new residents — including employees, students and retirees — are entering the state at a rapid pace, tightening the labor market and making it more challenging to get building and construction permits, she said.

“And there’s money to fight over: I don’t envy the job of the governor and the legislators who have to figure out how to spend those surplus revenues that we haven’t seen in a very long time,” Anable said. “But don’t get me wrong; these are good problems to have, and I’m grateful for them.”

The highlight of the luncheon was a fireside chat with Gov. Doug Ducey hosted by Glenn Hamer, president and CEO of the Arizona �鶹��ýӳ��.

“How’s the economy?” Hamer asked to start off the discussion.

“It’s pretty good; it’s pretty good,” Ducey said. “It’s booming, and in addition to the growth that we’re seeing, I would say the biggest difference is our economy is diversified.

“We’ve got more manufacturing jobs in the state of Arizona today than construction jobs, so this is all very positive,” he said. “And I think the future is bright — blue skies ahead.”

Ducey said he’s not losing any sleep about a possible recession, because the Arizona state government is prepared for it.

“The first time [I spoke at the Legislative Forecast Luncheon] we had a $1 billion deficit, and our state was still coming through the Great Recession,” he said. “Today, we’re in a completely different position. We’ve planned ahead.”

Ducey said an eventual economic downturn is inevitable and often unexpected.

“We’ve been able to repeal a lot of regulations; we have not been able to repeal the law of economics,” he said.

But $1 billion in the state’s Rainy Day Fund, lower debt and a balanced budget will make any future recession easier to navigate, he said.

Ducey said the state’s reputation has also improved since the Great Recession, turning Arizona State University from “the No. 1 party school in the country” into “the No. 1 most innovative university in the nation.”

The state economy has contributed to that as well, he said.

“If you look at Arizona when the Recession did come, and we were so dependent on homebuilding and construction, it was seen as an economic basket case,” Ducey said. “Today, we’re seen as a jobs juggernaut, and we’re locking down companies and cutting ribbons and making announcements like never before. So, that reputation and brand of the state really matters.”

The governor said he is looking forward to a productive legislative session in 2020 that is “brisker” than normal.

“We want to give the appropriate time to conduct the people’s business, but I don’t think we have to spend more time than is necessary,” he said.

Public education for kindergarten through 12^th grade is another major topic for the upcoming session.

“We’re always going to talk K-12 education, and of course we’re going to complete the teacher pay raise — the 20×2020 teacher pay raise will be completed in this next budget,” Ducey said. “I think we can also talk about how we have some targeted spending where it’s needed most. We have such great examples in the state of Arizona of public schools — both district and charter — that are excelling, and we’re doing this in all parts of our state — not just Maricopa and Pima, but our rural areas and lower-income areas — and taking those best practices and finding the right way to structure the funds so that we can replicate that.”

Ducey said he made a promise when he was first elected that he would lower or simplify taxes every year he is in office, and he said he remains committed to that pledge.

When asked about his legacy after office, the governor said he has too much to do in his remaining days — 1,085 as of the State of the State address — to have “the legacy discussion.”

“If you think these first five years have been transformative to our state, you should have the same expectation for what happens in these next three years, and that’s what we’re going to kick off on Monday afternoon,” he said.

The luncheon ended with a panel discussion between four Arizona legislators, hosted by Arizona 360’s Lorraine Rivera. All four panelists noted education as a pivotal issue for 2020.

House Minority Leader Charlene Fernandez, D-Yuma, said House Democrats would like to see a raise in pay for public school teachers and support staff.

“This is an issue that, when we’re knocking on doors throughout Arizona, the people that we talk to, no matter who they are — whether it be a mom with a child in a play pen right behind her or a 75-year-old man that comes to the door — they tell us that they want to see significant investments in public education, and that is the message we’re taking back,” Fernandez said.

Speaker of the House Rusty Bowers, R-Mesa, said the state’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs across the state have provided a very important function by increasing graduation rates and helping kids focus on the important aspects of school, both academically and socially.

“But CTED is supposed to bring us something at the end, that these kids can be ready to plug into a working economy, which we all in the room have expressed interest in having, and more employees,” he said. “So, getting the jump on that is always important to us.”

Bowers said the way additional CTE funding is structured is “very critical” but that he will look at outcomes to determine how to proceed.

There are 14 CTE Districts, or CTEDs, across Arizona.

Senate Minority Leader David Bradley, D-Tucson, warned that any budget surplus could quickly be eaten up by paying off the capital needs of K-12 and higher education institutions. Instead, he proposed the Legislature stop making tax cuts that could damage long-term education goals.

“There are needs that are enormous, and we have to stop the cuts in order to start to attend to those needs,” Bradley said.

Senate President Karen Fann, R-Prescott, said her one-on-one conversations with members of the state Senate of all parties revealed that education is the No. 1 priority for 2020 — especially K-12 — and right behind that is infrastructure.

“We know that for goods to move, for us to have a good economy, that means we have to have a good infrastructure system with our highways. So, I think those two are going to be right at the top of the agenda,” Fann said.

In response to a question from Rivera about higher education funding, Fann said state legislators had met with the Arizona Board of Regents and lobbyists for higher education to learn more about their request for additional funding for state universities.

“I think the number was somewhere close to $200 million that they want, and we know that investing in education is huge; it’s very important,” Fann said.

One thing to watch out for, though, is separating ongoing funding with one-time funding in order to protect the state’s robust economy, she said.

“We cannot afford to be put in the position where we allow too much ongoing funding, and then that recession hits and we cannot sustain it,” Fann said. “We’re going to be very, very careful about figuring out how to spend that money.”

The post Annual Legislative Forecast Luncheon sets stage for 2020 state legislative session appeared first on �鶹��ýӳ��.

U.S. Sens. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, who serves as chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, held a Senate field hearing Friday to discuss Alzheimer’s disease and its impact on the elderly at both the state and national levels.

The at Granite Reef Senior Center in Scottsdale, titled “Alzheimer’s and Other Cognitive Diseases: An Arizona Perspective,” featured guests from the senior community as well as a panel of health care experts.

Collins emphasized the severity of Alzheimer’s disease and its growth in the U.S. With a cost of roughly $290 million per year, Alzheimer’s is the most expensive disease in the nation, and about $195 million of that impacts Medicaid and Medicare programs.

By 2050, Alzheimer’s is projected to impact the lives of roughly 14 million American senior citizens and cost roughly $1 trillion annually.

“We all know someone who has suffered from cognitive impairment, and the impact is immeasurable,” McSally said. “Of the nearly 6 million estimated Americans aged 65 and older affected, 140,000 live in Arizona. My uncle was one of them, as he suffered for many years before passing away from Alzheimer’s.”

Arizona has the fastest-growing rate of Alzheimer’s in the nation. The death rate from Alzheimer’s in the state is 20 percent higher than the national average. Alzheimer’s deaths in the U.S. increased 89 percent between 2000 and 2014. 

Health care professionals like the ones at the panel continue to strive for a solution.

Dr. Roberta Diaz Brinton, director of the Center of Innovation in Brain Science at the University of Arizona, researches late-onset Alzheimer’s prevention and potential cures. Another panelist, Alireza Atri of the Banner Sun Health Research Institute, has contributed developments in patient evaluation.

Caregivers are also making waves in Alzheimer’s treatment. McSally said that in 2017 the nation had more than 300,000 caregivers providing more than 376 million hours of unpaid care to patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

Lisa Capp, a caregiver for patients with dementia, also served on the panel. Capp serves on the Alzheimer’s Association Leadership Board for the Desert Southwest and is a member of the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement (AIM) and AlzAuthors.

In tandem with health care leaders, McSally and Collins have helped enact policies to assist patients with Alzheimer’s disease:

• , McSally highlighted the impact Alzheimer’s disease has on Arizona families.
• , McSally introduced a bipartisan package of legislation to provide and enhance support systems for elder Americans.
• , McSally introduced bipartisan legislation allowing U.S. Postal Service customers the option of purchasing a semipostal (or fundraising) stamp to benefit awareness about elder abuse and support efforts to protect seniors. 
• , McSally helped introduced the Anti-Spoofing Penalties Modernization Act of 2019 to aid Americans inundated with robocalls.

“Sen. Martha McSally’s commitments and contributions to the Aging Committee’s work are many, and today’s hearing is a testament to her work to advance research and care for families facing Alzheimer’s disease,” Collins said.  “Alzheimer’s is one of the greatest public health priorities not only to seniors in the Grand Canyon State, but also throughout our nation.

“As the founder and co-chair of the Congressional Alzheimer’s Task Force in the Senate, I have worked to boost funding for Alzheimer’s research,” she said.  “With increased federal investments and public-private partnerships, we are beginning to see hope. It was a pleasure to join my friend and colleague today to learn more about the progress we are making to combat this disease.”

The post Sens. McSally and Collins host hearing on Alzheimer’s disease and treatment methods appeared first on �鶹��ýӳ��.