1. Six weeks from now, we will know a lot more about where American politics is heading. The September agenda in Congress is packed. I drew this flowchart a few days ago to lay out some of the big pieces of the agenda: Some of the agenda consists of so-call Must Pass items: legislation that, if not approved or otherwise dealt with, would have large negative substantive or political consequences. These include raising the debt limit (to avoid default), passing appropriations for FY2018 (to avoid a government shutdown), and reauthorizing the Children's Health Insurance Program (to avoid a large number of kids losing health insurance). By their very nature, must-pass items create a very different politics than other issues (such as health care repeal or tax reform); once the status-quo is not an option, everyone who is a player in the game---individual Senators, coalitions of Members, interest groups---shifts their focus to getting their stuff into the bill. And skillful brinksmanship becomes a negotiating asset.
FIVE POINTS: Wake Me Up When September Ends
FIVE POINTS: Wake Me Up When September Ends
FIVE POINTS: Wake Me Up When September Ends
1. Six weeks from now, we will know a lot more about where American politics is heading. The September agenda in Congress is packed. I drew this flowchart a few days ago to lay out some of the big pieces of the agenda: Some of the agenda consists of so-call Must Pass items: legislation that, if not approved or otherwise dealt with, would have large negative substantive or political consequences. These include raising the debt limit (to avoid default), passing appropriations for FY2018 (to avoid a government shutdown), and reauthorizing the Children's Health Insurance Program (to avoid a large number of kids losing health insurance). By their very nature, must-pass items create a very different politics than other issues (such as health care repeal or tax reform); once the status-quo is not an option, everyone who is a player in the game---individual Senators, coalitions of Members, interest groups---shifts their focus to getting their stuff into the bill. And skillful brinksmanship becomes a negotiating asset.