After Speech Obama And Republicans Face Budget Battle
Reuters reports: “President Barack Obama and Republicans are headed for a fight over deficit reduction and spending cuts despite a conciliatory State of the Union speech that set the tone for a looming budget debate.”
Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama will depart the White House at 9:15 a.m. ET, and depart form Andrews Air Force Base at 9:30 a.m. ET, arriving at 11:35 a.m. ET in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He will tour Orion Energy Systems in Manitowoc at 12:35 p.m. ET, and deliver remarks on the economy at 1 p.m. ET. He will Skana Aluminum Company at 1:30 p.m. ET, and tour Tower Tech Systems at 2:50 p.m. ET. He will depart from Green Bay at 4:10 p.m. ET, arriving at Andrews Air Force Base at 6 p.m. ET, and back at the White House at 6:15 p.m. ET.
Biden’s Day Ahead
Vice President Biden will visit Greenfield, Indiana, to tour Ener1, Inc., a manufacturer of advanced lithium-ion battery systems. He will hold a discussion with workers there at 11:45 a.m. ET. He will return to Washington in the afternoon.
Senate Moderates Hope Seating Is Just The Start
Roll Call reports: “Sitting together is a start, but a depleted group of Senate moderates is looking for more concrete ways to rebuild relationships across the aisle — including more bipartisan lunches, a Camp David summit and maybe even getting rid of the aisle altogether. Looking to advance the bipartisan seat-sharing for the State of the Union address further, Sen. Ben Nelson said Tuesday that he wants to do away with partisan seating permanently as part of an effort to renew cross-party coordination.”
New Seats But No Spats On Congressional Date Night
The Hill reports: “After all the hoopla and the last-minute fretting, congressional date night – also known as this year’s State of the Union address – went off without a hitch. Sens. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) exchanged laughs and whispers in adjacent seats, while the House whips, Reps. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), ribbed each other over when to applaud a few rows back. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) sat across the chamber from her scorned counterpart, Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), but neither seemed to be holding a grudge.”
Senate Rerun Victories Very Rare
Roll Call reports: “Former Virginia Sen. George Allen (R) is running against history as he makes a bid for his old seat in 2012: Just one former Senator in the past 50 years was defeated after serving a full term and then elected again to the chamber.”
