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Critical policy fights sometimes happen long before a bill comes up for a vote.  Legislative process and strategy intersect early to determine the balance of power for a future vote on policy.  Health care legislation is several months away from a floor vote, but the tactical maneuvering has already begun.
Fair warning:  we’re going to work [...]

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the March employment report at 8:30 am.  Here is the least you need to know:

Net payroll employment declined in March by 663,000 jobs.
That’s a terrible number, and in line with expectations.
The unemployment rate increased from 8.1% to 8.5%.

Much of the press coverage talks about “5.1 million jobs lost since [...]

At Tuesday evening’s press conference, Jake Tapper, Senior White House Correspondent at ABC News, asked the President:
Q      Thank you, Mr. President.  Right now on Capitol Hill Senate Democrats are writing a budget and, according to press accounts and their own statements, they’re not including the middle-class tax cut that you include in the stimulus; they’re [...]

In part one of this series, I explained why I think the Obama Administration will soon run out of TARP money and need to ask Congress for more.
Several weeks ago the Obama team began to lay the groundwork for such a request.  Here are four signs.
1.  In his February 24th Address to the Nation, the [...]

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About Keith Hennessey

I served as the senior White House economic advisor to President George W. Bush.  My job was to coordinate economic policy for the President, including macroeconomic issues, financial markets and institutions, tax [...]

Monday the President proposed his budget for Fiscal Year 2009.  This is the first “e-Budget” – it was transmitted electronically as an official document to the Congress, and was digitally signed by the Executive Clerk.
At a press conference Monday, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-ND) said:
But let me emphasize to you what I see [...]