The Hill Articles: March 5, 2013

Camp to release small business tax draft on Wednesday US moving toward a future of energy ‘Made in America’ OVERNIGHT ENERGY: CEOs from BP, General Motors on deck at major gathering Experts: Bill to give Congress power over regulations is constitutional RNC slams Democratic congressman voicing sympathy for Chavez OVERNIGHT HEALTH: Dems await Ryan’s latest Medicare plan OVERNIGHT TECH: Napolitano to testify on cyber mission Leahy, other lawmakers look to legalize cellphone unlocking State Dept. official: US oil boom won’t sap focus on Middle East stability Senate Intelligence Committee approves Brennan nomination OVERNIGHT MONEY: Wintry forecast accelerates House agenda OVERNIGHT DEFENSE: Senate panel confirms Brennan Coburn to USDA: ‘Cut wine tasting conferences before furloughing meat inspectors’ Report: White House will name new Secret Service chief House to skip town because of storm Rules Committee allows no amendments to 2013 spending bill Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez dies DAY’S END ROUNDUP Dem: Ex-DEA chiefs ‘arrogant’ to press for pot law nullification Armed Services panels begin ‘awkward’ 2014 budget hearings Lawmaker proposes language blocking government spending on Obama golf trips Chinese oil exec attacks ‘misconception’ about country’s global intentions White House holds off threatening veto on Republican spending bill Watchdogs say Chevron made illegal donation to GOP super-PAC Repealing oil industry tax subsidies would be good for taxpayers Donald Trump to speak at CPAC Report: Radical anti-government groups reach all-time high House to challenge Obama next week on streamlining federal jobs programs Senate should move quickly to fill vacancies on D.C. Circuit Kentucky Gov.: Ashley Judd ‘seriously considering’ a Senate run TSA to allow knives on planes for the first time since 9/11 Google reveals data on secretive FBI subpoenas Senate Democrats to accept general spending level set in House bill Former Rep. West to stay involved in 2014 election with nonprofit White House cancels tours due to sequester Section 5 of Voting Rights Act must be protected Reid: Jeb Bush ‘made a fool of himself’ in reversal on immigration reform Kissinger admitted to hospital after fall Democratic Poll: Markey has double-digit lead on Lynch in Mass. Senate primary GOP lawmakers say no hospital cuts for SGR repeal Venezuela expels two US officials accused of plotting overthrow Obama reaching out to Republican lawmakers on budget agreement Gallup: Sequester fight sinks Obama’s approval rating House bill would make Obama cite taxpayer share of budget deficit House to hold heaing waterways funding bill Boustany: Big tax overhaul may include repeal of health law’s taxes Study: Twitter opinion often differs from national survey findings Congress vows to turn the screws on North Korea with tough new sanctions Suicide or sanity: Bush v. Rubio on immigration in a CPAC showdown CEO of oil sands giant ‘very encouraged’ by Keystone report New York Dems warn that Wall St. gains are no sign of healthy economy Canadian official raps greens on oil pipeline in Chicago speech Despite wide support for high-skilled immigration reform, H-1B visas called into question Kerry: ‘Iran will not run any clock on’ nuclear negotiations A silver lining on political gridlock in Italy and US GOP Rep. Boustany touts ‘vigorous oversight’ of health law New budget cuts will short-change public schools Senate Dems consider doing tax reform through budget reconciliation measure Senate votes to fund committees through fiscal year Top oil exec praises Obama’s energy pick Amtrak less reliant on federal funds, CEO says House Dems back down from strongly opposing GOP spending bill Feinstein: White House to share legal opinions on armed drone strikes Top US general sheds light on troop numbers for postwar Afghanistan Senate to hold FCC oversight hearing Selling out women and families in sequestration Sen. Shelby: Time has come to tweak Dodd-Frank ConocoPhillips CEO: Social media is ‘double-edged sword’ Report: US oil-and-gas production up despite drop on federal lands GOP lawmaker says US headed toward ‘Mexico model’ on gun control Waterways Council to honor Sen. Durbin Sequestration could sever lifelines to kidney care McKeon presses Armed Services members to support spending bill Service sector expands at fastest pace in a year Sen. Schumer: Congress won’t pass stand-alone high-skill immigration bill ConocoPhillips chief: ‘Misinformation and fear’ could thwart shale energy boom Dems try to rally troops against GOP bill to prevent shutdown Boehner: I won’t make practice of passing bills without GOP support Jeb Bush: ‘I don’t have a problem’ with offering pathway to citizenship GOP lawmakers say spending bill should target contraception mandate Study shows Super PACs made mockery of campaign law Lawmakers urge Obama to pardon boxing heavyweight champion Reid warns GOP not to filibuster Halligan nomination to DC court Reg roundup: SEC sets higher insider trading fine; FAA moves to curb cockpit distractions Poll: Most Americans believe they will feel sequester cuts Exxon official: Pipelines preferred, but railroads a viable option to move oil sands House to hold hearing on public safety network Dow reaches new record high Giffords group runs ads targeting GOP senators on gun control Dem senator blasts GOP proposals to raise Medicare age Kerry: ‘Clock is ticking’ on Iran nuclear talks Bachmann opponent gearing up for a rematch GOP senator: Obama won’t show respect for Congress New ad promotes flexibility in sequestration cuts House bill would end straight-ticket voting in federal elections If Menendez was framed Tuesday’s global agenda: Kerry wraps it up News bites: Opposed to transportation tax DCCC launches effort to defend vulnerable incumbents Crossroads ad mocks Obama group as ‘Organizing for A¢¢e$$’ Tuesday: Budget deficit, tobacco smuggling, committee budgets News bites: Fannie, meet Freddie News bites: Another Ryan plan News bites: Telecom companies want administration to rethink software carve-out in cyber order News bites: Too soon? Sen. Casey urges action to end ‘epidemic’ of bullying Gov. Christie: ‘Real leadership’ could have prevented sequester News bites: More on Obama EPA, DOE picks Gun talks hit a snag in Senate over universal background checks GOP centrists balk at Ryan Medicare shift Lobbyists predict big rebound in 2013 Environmental activists reeling as Keystone pipeline gains momentum Democrats’ effort to oust Christie puts NJ Senate race on ice Lewis, Holmes Norton urge Washington Redskins to change team name GOP lawmaker: Health law rules will prevent smart hiring MORNING READ Defending paper in a digital age Medicare trustee doubts future funding for Medicaid expansion House government funding bill seeks to soften blow from sequester Dems say sequester will hurt blacks, women more than others Fisker’s sale to Chinese firm better than collapse Player of the week: Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) Two women receive Cabinet nominations Bush puts Rubio on the spot, rejects citizenship path for illegal immigrants With sequester in swing, Obama switches his focus to other priorities Lawmaker: Blaming guns for violence is like blaming pens for misspelled words Pelosi’s new chief of staff no longer on purse duty Kingston steals the show at Girl Scouts event Rubio splits with former mentor Jeb Bush on immigration reform Gun, pot bills attract the most attention online White House worth nearly $300 million Albright breaks bread with Queen Noor Staffers face effects of sequester OVERNIGHT TECH: House Judiciary to focus on high-skill immigration push Bottom Line