The Hill Articles: February 13, 2013

Under Contract Ways and Means unveils tax reform working groups Include neighbors in immigration plan OVERNIGHT DEFENSE: Senate showdown over Hagel set for Friday Break up the banks Sequester here to stay Poll: McConnell leads Judd for Kentucky Senate, but still vulnerable OVERNIGHT MONEY: Sequester busting OVERNIGHT HEALTH: Walker rejects Medicaid expansion Weyants World: February 14, 2013 Chaplain provides counsel, guidance Wedding dresses are trending traditional Poll: N.H. Sen. Shaheen popular, but Rep. Shea-Porter vulnerable in 2014 Getting creative and taking the mystery out of floral arranging OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Climate advocates seek post-SOTU momentum, House looks at energy costs Using history as a backdrop USPS wants to plan your wedding — sort of Panel chairman aims to spotlight Obama oversteps Congress plays part in wedding timing Support for same-sex marriage gains ground Chefs help to satisfy wedding sweet spot Senate Judiciary hearing highlights call for high-skilled immigration reform Graham tells president to stop ‘cheerleading’ for new gun laws Ralph Nader pans Obama call for higher minimum wage as ‘too little, too late’ Obamas to spend holiday weekend in Fla. Kerry says he’s weighing new options against Syria’s Assad Panetta: Broken bonds with Congress my biggest disappointment Lew: ‘I always reported all income, I always paid all taxes’ Reform CFPB to save it DAY’S END ROUNDUP Poland Spring rep: Rubio ‘seemed very natural’ Poll: Jindal popularity drops, Landrieu leads all Republicans Rubio selling Miami home he touted in State of the Union response Violence Against Women Act holds high stakes for House Republicans in 2014 Intel chairman: Obama’s cybersecurity order paves the way for CISPA Reid files cloture on Hagel-vote after Inhofe blocks the nomination Scott Walker rejects Medicaid expansion Hydropower bill sails through House SEIU launches radio ad campaign against Halvorson GOP senators offer alternative immigration enforcement reforms Report: Fake drugs pose threat to US Rubio prefers Poland Spring; Jackson Lee likes Deer Park Sen. Paul threatens hold on Brennan over armed drone strikes Report: American Airlines, U.S. Airways agree to merger Warren: GOP senators ‘fundamentally wrong’ on consumer bureau LaHood praises Obama State of the Union transportation push Obama renews national emergency with respect to Libya Dems: Postal schedule must protect Rx deliveries Saving Syria before it’s too late Senate votes to approve judicial nomination Union chief: White House delay on silica rule ‘inexcusable, heartless’ Michelle Obama welcomes young Oscar nominee to White House Rep. Broun boasts he’s the first to call Obama a ‘socialist’ House GOP prepares stopgap spending bill to avoid shutdown House GOP blames DOD on sequester House can no longer ignore violence against LGBT community Rubio, Risch demand information on Benghazi suspect Obama: Manufacturing plan will keep middle class ‘thriving’ Lew defends Cayman investment Obama and Murkowski back green tech cash – with one huge difference Lawmakers to renew push for online sales tax Boehner on sequester: ‘Time for the Senate to do its job’ Boehner: ‘Congress does have a responsibility’ to reduce gun violence Scott Brown signs with Fox News Collins joins Leahy, backs recognition of same-sex partners under immigration law House approves bill forcing FEMA to allow churches to apply for aid Dem lawmaker tweets college co-ed, then deletes messages Report: Iraq hiring lobby firm Keystone pipeline protesters arrested at White House Bipartisan group of senators to re-introduce bill aimed at attracting foreign entrepreneurs Obama’s ambassador to NATO to head Chicago foreign policy think-tank Lawmakers say they’re ‘very close’ to deal on post office overhaul Rendell: Gas tax increase ‘inescapable’ Obama touts State of the Union plan to spur US manufacturing Reid sets up judicial vote as negotiations continue on Hagel vote Ryan: Obama delusional on debt Illinois to partner with HHS on healthcare exchange Lynch loses backing of teachers’ union Former wrestling champ congressman: Olympic committee ‘dead wrong’ to nix wrestling from 2020 Games Contentious meat-labeling rule moves to White House Cornyn: Hagel vote could be ‘expedited’ if nominee turns over financial records Obama, ‘Gang of Eight’ duck the hardest question Administration warns cybersecurity order not enough, urges Congress to act US hopes to finish Europe trade deal in two years CFPB moves to help consumers, banks with regulation compliance Boehner balks at Obama’s push to hike minimum wage Politics as usual in State of the Union speech Sen. Harkin ‘upset’ Obama did not give nod to labor in SOTU Obama renominates NLRB members who were ruled invalid in court Sen. Paul delivers Tea Party response to State of the Union Rep. Jackson Lee warns against more spending cuts: ‘We’re at the bone almost’ Rep. Upton unsure of another repeal vote on Medicare cost board Answering the president’s call for active citizenry Boehner says House won’t act on sequester cuts before Senate Ted Cruz slanders war hero, embarrasses Texas and violates Armed Services Committee tradition Obama’s fundamental change? Poll: 53 percent approve of Obama State of the Union speech Partisan, forgettable State of the Union by an overly confident president UN chief briefs Congress on North Korea, Syria McConnell: Obama address ‘pedestrian, liberal boilerplate’ Lew touts bipartisan deal-making at Treasury confirmation hearing Dr. Ben Carson: A star is born Hoyer accuses GOP of ‘enthusiastically’ welcoming sequester Looking down the barrel at the sequester PhRMA slams ‘radical’ proposal on drug pricing in Obama’s SOTU Upton: Obama stalled on permanent ‘doc fix’ Obama joins EU leaders to launch trade talks NRA ad: Obama gun proposals would lead to ‘confiscation’ Republicans: Obama State of the Union dims hopes for deficit-reduction deal News bites: SOTU follow-up News bites: Industries react to Obama’s executive action pledge House GOP to put wind power credit under microscope News bites: ‘Googleport’ Ryan: Sequester will take effect because Obama failed to act Conservative women’s group endorses Capito for Senate Steve King: Karl Rove’s moves pushing him towards Senate run Wednesday: Hagel nomination, not much legislation How sequestration will hurt patients News bites: Yahoo! CEO unhappy with Microsoft search deal Boehner defends questioning Obama’s ‘courage’ Lautenberg: Booker ‘won me a lot of friends’ News bites: The day after Green groups to risk arrest in White House protest against Keystone XL Rubio jokes: ‘I needed water’ while delivering Republican response Rubio reaches for water during GOP response News bites: Cuomo as Hamlet on fracking, and more on Obama’s go-it-alone climate push No court for drone oversight, says GOP MORNING READ Lew’s Citigroup tenure scrutinized Akin says GOP bigwigs ‘kill grassroots heart’ of Republican party Immigration-reform critics fear citizenship pathway will spark rush to cross border From taxes to guns, Obama’s call for action lands silently in Republicans’ laps Top Republican to Obama: Don’t bypass Congress on climate House GOP lawmakers cool on Obama ‘Energy Trust’ proposal Michelle Obama wears Jason Wu to State of the Union address Rep. Polis discusses pot, drug laws on Reddit Sen. Rubio hits Obama on economy during GOP response Obama: Long voting lines are ‘betraying our ideals’ Obama vows to flex executive muscle Rubio plugs GOP Medicare plan Obama: Raise the minimum wage to $9 an hour Obama looks to boost high-skill immigration, education In State of the Union address, Obama fills out his progressive second-term agenda Obama’s unscripted moment: ‘Good job, Joe’ Obama pushes for gun legislation during State of the Union Tax reform effort accelerates in House President Obama delivers the 2013 State of the Union address Obama: ‘Our war in Afghanistan will be over’ by end of next year Obama to ‘stand with’ democracy activists during Middle East trip Obama warns of vulnerabilities in air traffic control system Obama cites Menendez bill in address Obama pledges executive action on climate change if Congress won’t act Obama on gun control: ‘This time is different’ Bipartisan commission to examine national voting problems Obama floats ‘Energy Security Trust’ in State of the Union address Obama endorses women in combat, benefits for same-sex military spouses For first time, Wall Street unscathed in Obama State of the Union address Obama vows to press for further nuclear weapons reductions No new overtures on healthcare Obama announces talks on US-EU trade deal Obama officially announces massive troop cut in Afghanistan Obama: ‘Now is our best chance’ for tax reform ‘Fix It First’ program takes aim at road repair Obama defends use of drone strikes In address, a pledge to fight global warming Highly anticipated executive order on cybersecurity signed President calls for $1.5T deficit bargain Sen. Rubio delivers the GOP response to State of the Union Panel votes to approve Hagel McConnell: Sequester will happen Cantor cites ‘eduction reform’ as possible common ground with Obama Energy Secretary Chu designated as survivor for State of the Union Fix the Debt crusade close to failure Ex-Marine hits the political trenches to help Senate Republicans in 2014 Denying the right to vote Dodd-Frank relief sought from Congress Lobbying World Sequester strategies GOP should support one of its own, confirm Hagel Sequestration puts well-being of families at risk Conservatives’ rejection of online insurance exchanges is perplexing Health insurance exchanges burden states with new slew of regulations Senate panel debates for hours before approving Hagel’s nomination