Arizona Immigration Law To Get First Major Court Hearing
The Associated Press reports: “A federal judge is scheduled to hear arguments Thursday over whether Arizona’s new immigration law should take effect later this month, marking the first major hearing in one of seven challenges to the strict law. U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton also will consider arguments over Gov. Jan Brewer’s request to dismiss the challenge filed by Phoenix police Officer David Salgado and the statewide nonprofit group Chicanos Por La Causa. The judge said last week she wasn’t making any promises on whether she will rule on the officer’s request to block enforcement of the law before it takes effect July 29.”
Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama will receive the presidential daily briefing at 9:30 a.m. ET, and will meet at 10 a.m. ET with senior advisers. He will depart from the White House at 10:45 a.m. ET, and depart from Andrews Air Force Base at 11 a.m. ET, arriving at 12:35 p.m. ET in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He will deliver remarks at 1:30 p.m. ET at the groundbreaking of the new Compact Power plant, an electric vehicle battery company funded by the stimulus program. He will depart from Grand Rapids at 3:15 p.m. ET, arriving at Andrews Air Force Base at 4:45 p.m. ET, and back at the White House at 5 p.m. ET.
Biden’s Day Ahead
Vice President Biden will meet at 9 a.m. ET with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) at the White House. At 11:30 a.m. ET, he will chair a regular meeting of senior officials to assess progress in Iraq. At 1:15 p.m. ET, he will hold a conference call with mayors from across the country to discuss stimulus implementation. He will meet in the afternoon with senior advisers.
NRCC’s Pete Sessions Uses Gibbs Tape to Inspire House GOP
CQ reports: “National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (Texas) sought to fire up his colleagues at Wednesday morning’s House Republican Conference meeting by playing a video of White House spokesman Robert Gibbs’ appearance on “Meet the Press” in which Gibbs acknowledged that Democrats could lose control of the House this fall…’We now know what Nancy Pelosi had for breakfast,’ Sessions told his fellow Members.”
McConnell: We’ve ‘Got Our Groove Back’
The Washington Post reports: “In a speech to a group of young Republicans today, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) will cast the GOP as the party of change and checks and balances — a preview of the Republican message heading into the fall campaign.”
Reid Fuels Anxiety With Energy Debate
Roll Call reports: “With just a week and a half before Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s planned energy debate, many Senators in the Democratic Conference are getting nervous that the Nevada Democrat is putting them in a politically perilous position for a bill that seems destined to be filibustered. Senators and aides said they are concerned that with so little time before floor action, Reid has yet to settle on either the policy or the political strategy for the package.”
Pentagon Developing ‘Emergency Plan’ In Absence Of War Funds
The Hill reports: “The Pentagon is ‘seriously planning’ for the possibility that Congress will not pass emergency war funding before lawmakers head to the August recess, said Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell. The Pentagon is developing an ’emergency plan’ to deal with the lack of supplemental funds for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Morrell said at a press briefing Wednesday. Morrell did not disclose any details of the plan, because Defense Secretary Robert Gates has yet to consider the options under that plan.”
