Countdown to Election Day: Six Months to Go

Today marks six months until Election Day, and the battle for congressional control begins in earnest, with primaries in four key states that will test whether Democrats can turn the president’s low approval ratings to their advantage, or if the favorable map, especially in the Senate, will sufficiently protect Republican leadership. We are keeping a close eye on five policy issues that rise to the top of importance in the next six months, and another five political issues that could impact this election, but, first, a quick reminder about the electoral map and a peek at the primaries.

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Claire Washburn
Spring 2018 Congressional Agenda

Members of Congress return this week from a two-week recess with a full agenda and without much time in which to accomplish their goals before turning their attention fully to the midterm elections. The Senate is scheduled to be in session for 104 days between now and Election Day, and the House, 71. We've rounded up issues we think will receive floor time prior to the election.

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David LeiterLitke, Leiter, Spanjich, Congress, FY18, FY19, Agenda, congressional agenda, congressional calendar, Trump, Administration, election day, FAA, flood insurance, farm bill, NDAA, appropriations, dodd-frank, banking, financial reform, opioids, Coast Guard Authorization, coast guard, WRDA, water, net neutrality, nominations, nominees, rescissions, infrastructure, immigration, border security, privacy, data security, postal reform, pension reform, Midterm Elections, trade, Iran, Syria, North Korea
2018 Midterm Elections Update: 10 Developments We're Watching

Voters in Texas officially kicked off the 2018 midterm election season this week and brought many of the issues we’re watching into sharper focus, while also muddling some of the national party strategies.

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David LeiterLitke, Leiter, Spanjich, Midterms, Midterm Elections, 2018, Republicans, Democrats, Capitol Hill, Campaign, Incumbent, poll, congressional vote, Congress, Administration, women, ballot, enthusiasm, Mueller, Youth, Gun control, gun violence, retirements, Pennsylvania, redistricting, congressional ma, congressional map, immigration, tax reform, tweeting, tweets, tweetstorm, policy, politics, Independents, ballot box
Crystal Balling the Fiscal Year 2018 Omnibus for Authorizations

Congress is staring down a March 23 deadline to pass legislation to fund the government once the current continuing resolution (CR) expires. While it is always difficult to predict exactly what will happen on a must-pass funding bill, there is always the possibility the measure becomes a vehicle for a myriad of authorizations.

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Claire WashburnLeiter, Litke, Spanjich, FY18, omnibus, authorizations, CR, FAA, flood insurance, Pentagon, FCC, DHS Reauthorization, Obamacare, stabilization, opioids, autonomous vehicles, tax extenders, gun control, immigration, tax reform technical corrections, FY16, FY17
The FY19 NDAA: National Defense Priorities and Opportunities for Non-Traditional Defense Companies

Although it seems the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) cycle just came to an end, the FY19 NDAA process is already underway. Because the annual defense policy bill is one of few “must pass” pieces of legislation, it is not only used to advance national security priorities, but in recent years, has also created opportunities for non-traditional defense companies.

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Georgette (Spanjich) KerrSpanjich, Litke, Leiter, NDAA, National Defense Authorization Act, Armed Services, FY18, Trump, defense, national defense priorities, defense spending, Mattis, FY19, National Security Strategy, National Defense Strategy, China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, nuclear, alliances, Nuclear Posture Review, Army, cybersecurity, BRAC, Defense Innovation Unit, TRICARE
The Immigration Debate: Easy to Fix or Impossible to Solve?

he immigration debate has always pitted Democrats’ desire for legalization and a pathway to citizenship against Republicans’ advocacy for more stringent border security and interior enforcement. Will there actually be a deal on DACA before the new February 8th deadline?

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Georgette (Spanjich) KerrSpanjich, Litke, Leiter, immigration, daca, border wall, border security, Trump, Schmer, Schumer, Ryan, McConnell