Sarah Mahmood  //  5/7/17  //  Topic Update

The Senate passed a $1.1 trillion spending bill to ensure the government averts a shutdown. (WSJ).

• Congress’ spending bill handcuffs the Internal Revenue Service, contends Andy Grewal at the Yale Journal on Regulation.

• President Trump was reportedly infuriated that the coverage of the proposed spending bill presented the Democrats as the winners (Politico).

• Despite the proposed spending bill explicitly prohibiting the allocation of money for the border wall, President Trump argued that the bill includes a “down payment on the border wall” (Politico).

Republican Senators reacted to the President's Twitter comments about shutting down the government and ending the filibuster (The Hill).

• Senator Lindsey Graham said he might have been willing to shut down the government because the proposed spending bill inadequately funded the military and did not fully restore the Export-Import Bank (Politico).

• Senator Mitch McConnell stated that the Senate will not end the filibuster for legislation (The Hill).

President Trump’s tweets led to an unexpected win for the White House: saving the filibuster, argues Carl Hulse (NYT).

Trump's tweets attacking the Senate’s rules are an attack on democracy, writes Victoria Bassetti.

Senator Warren expressed concerns about the Administration replacing the Comptroller of the Currency (The Hill).

The House Financial Committee is expected to vote on the Choice Act this week, a bill aimed to overhaul financial regulations (Consumer Law & Policy Blog).

• Bob Bryan, at Business Insider, analyzes the main provisions of the bill.

• Who would protect against illegal student loan schemes if the Choice Act is passed?  So wonders Jeff Sovern at the Consumer Law & Policy Blog.

Congress, not the President, has the power to split up the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, but it would be extremely difficult (WaPo).

Tags: