MORNING MESSAGE

Terrance Heath

Police Violence Against Blacks Has An Economic Context

Police violence against unarmed African Americans occurs against a too-often-ignored backdrop of economic disparity that both fuels and informs the resentments and racial tensions behind the events … Thirty years of Republican policies led to the economic abandonment of black communities. The remnants and results inform the mistrust and resentment between predominantly white police forces and African-American communities in cities all over the country … In 2009, McKinney settled a large housing discrimination lawsuit, alleging that the city was blocking the development of affordable housing for tenants with Section 8 vouchers, in the whiter, more affluent west side of the city …

Fast Track Vote Friday?

GOP aiming for Friday vote, but nothing is firm. Politico:“Senior aides and lawmakers in GOP leadership are intent on scheduling the vote at the moment they believe they have the votes locked up — ideally by Friday, to spare supportive lawmakers the possibility of another weekend of attacks by trade foes back in their districts … Still, the state of play remains fluid, GOP lawmakers and aides cautioned, and there’s a chance the vote will slide into next week.”

Medicare offset for Trade Adjustment Assistance “a last-minute sticking point.” Politico:“Pelosi privately pressed Boehner to drop a proposal, already passed by the Senate, that would prolong a cap on Medicare spending to pay for TAA. But late Tuesday night, the two sides appeared to be in agreement. The measure will now be offset by increasing penalties on companies that file incorrect 1099 tax returns, and by stepping up enforcement of fraudulent higher-education tax credit claims.”

Some holdouts angling for concessions. The Hill:“Some members may be genuinely undecided, while others may want to keep their heads down to avoid the ire of whichever side they are disappointing. And others might want to see what they can get. Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.) on Tuesday said her support is contingent on whether the House includes language in the trade package that would help steel producers in her district … Another undecided member, Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), has repeatedly said he has gripes about how trade policy gives an edge to Canadian poultry and dairy producers.”

GOP Spending Bills Face Filibuster

GOP ignores filibuster threat on spending bills to keep government open. Politico:“Their reaction suggests the GOP is in no mood to negotiate, at least not yet, making it increasingly likely that senators will spend weeks, perhaps even months, working on appropriations legislation that has little chance of becoming law … McConnell in the coming days plans to call up a massive defense spending bill, daring Democrats to vote against money supporting troops …”

And rejects bipartisan “budget summit.” The Hill:“McConnell’s dismissal creates a fiscal standoff in the Senate months earlier than expected over whether spending limits, known as the sequester, should be lifted … Democrats have warned that they will block the Senate from taking up the annual defense spending bill unless the GOP agrees to lift the sequester on both defense and nondefense spending.”

WH, GOP Duel Over Climate

WH prepares slew of climate policies for summer. WSJ:“The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to announce as soon as Wednesday plans to regulate carbon emissions from airlines, and soon after that, draft rules to cut carbon emissions from big trucks … In the coming weeks, the EPA is also expected to unveil rules aimed at reducing emissions of methane—a potent greenhouse gas—from oil and natural-gas operations. And in August, the agency will complete a suite of three regulations lowering carbon from the nation’s power plants…”

And lays groundwork for international accord in December. WSJ:“Mr. Obama and the other leaders of the world’s largest industrialized democracies emerged from two days of meetings in the foothills of the Bavarian Alps with consensus that greenhouse-gas emissions should be reduced by as much as 70% by 2050 … Obama departed Germany having moved one step closer to finalizing the global climate pact that sits high on his agenda.”

While GOP plans climate counterattack. The Hill:“Legislation coming before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Wednesday would effectively block the EPA’s latest proposal, a rule defining which waterways it can regulate … The House Appropriations Committee released an Interior and Environment spending bill Tuesday that would block potential EPA rule-making on everything from the power plant regulations to oversight of lead in fishing tackle. McConnell has previously endorsed using appropriations riders to target EPA policies where possible.”

WH wins climate court ruling. The Hill:“The Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the energy companies and states that filed the lawsuit had jumped the gun, and the court cannot yet review a regulation that has only been proposed, but not made final.”

Obama aims to help poor countries deal with climate change. The Hill:“The Obama administration launched a $34 million public-private effort [to] ‘provide needed climate services — including actionable science, data, information, tools, and training’… the White House said in a fact sheet.”

Breakfast Sides

Hillary Clinton should use kickoff rally to build on FDR’s “Four Freedoms,” says W. Post’s Katrina vanden Heuvel:“This is Hillary Clinton’s historic opportunity. The greatest threat to freedom now is posed by the entrenched few that use their resources and influence to rig the rules to protect their privileges. She would do a great service for the country — and for her own political prospects — by offering a far more expansive American view of what freedom requires, and what threatens it.”

Wall Street ties of new SEC chief of staff questioned by AFL-CIO. McClatchy:“The AFL-CIO on Tuesday wrote to SEC Chair Mary Jo White demanding to know what sort of perks Andrew Donohue received when he left the Wall Street titan for a job as a regulator … Of particular interest to opponents of Donohue’s appointment is the Stock Incentive Plan at Goldman Sachs. It reportedly has a clause allowing the accelerated vesting of stock awards or equivalent cash payments when a Goldman exec resigns to enter government service.”