THE LONG GAME: Biden and McCarthy talk debt ceiling; Calls increase for police reform
While U.S. officials grapple with the possibility of a default instigated by GOP demands for budget cuts, President Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) will meet for their first face-to-face meeting since McCarthy was elected to his post. As lawmakers drag their feet on raising the debt limit, the Treasury Department has been forced to undertake extraordinary measures to allow the government to keep paying its bills. “I want to sit down together, work out an agreement that we can move forward to put us on a path to balance at the same time, not put any of our debt in jeopardy at the same time,” McCarthy said Sunday on CBS. The White House countered with a statement saying that Biden “will ask what the Speaker’s plan is, since the first bill he put on the floor would increase the deficit by more than $100 billion in order to protect wealthy tax cheats and other proposals from House Republicans would cut Social Security, Medicare, and other critical programs that working families and seniors have earned.” McCarthy on Sunday vowed that cuts to Social Security and Medicare would not be considered, although reductions in Pentagon spending were a possibility.
After the release of a video showing the killing of Tyre Nichols at the hands of five Memphis police officers, several lawmakers renewed calls for policing reform, including measures that stalled in the previous Congress. The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act passed the House in 2021 but was blocked in the Senate. The package, sponsored by Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) would, among other things, limit qualified-immunity for police officers accused of misconduct, ban chokeholds, and limit no-knock warrants. A narrower bill proposed by Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) also failed in the Senate. Senate Judiciary Chairman Richard J. Durbin (D-IL) said that lawmakers should go further, saying that those proposed reforms would represent a good “starting point” but are ultimately “not enough.” However, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), the new chair of House Judiciary Committee, dismissed the calls for congressional action, saying that a federal law would not have prevented Nichols’ death. “The Democrats always think that it’s a new law that’s going to fix something that terrible,” he said, adding that there has been “this attack on law enforcement.”
Washington Watch is published weekly when Congress is in session. Published monthly during extended recess or adjourn
Spotlight on Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico officially privatizes energy production, announces new contractor
Last week, it was reported that the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) had officially voted to privatize power generation in Puerto Rico, but specific details were forthcoming. Following a lengthy news conference late last week, it is now known that Genera PR, an independent subsidiary of New York energy company New Fortress Inc., has been awarded a 10-year contract. PREPA and Genera PR have begun a transition process that will take 100 days, with the private company to start formally operating in July. The contract stipulates that the company will be paid a yearly fee of $22.5 million by the Puerto Rican government during the first five years. Genera PR can also receive up to $100 million in incentives if it achieves savings in operating costs and complies with occupational safety, environment and fuel purchase guidelines. Genera PR said that it supports Act 17-2019, which sets various benchmarks for Puerto Rico to achieve 100% renewable electricity by 2050.
Study finds Puerto Rico should go solar to achieve fully renewable energy
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released a report last week with recommendations for transforming Puerto Rico’s electric grid. The report is part of the PR100: Puerto Rico Grid Resilience and Transitions to 100% Renewable Energy Study initiative, a two-year study to analyze pathways to a clean energy future for the Island. This follows President Biden’s request in November 2022 to provide $3 billion for low-income households in Puerto Rico to purchase and install solar and battery storage systems and energy distribution technology. Government officials vowed to ramp up the Island’s reliance on renewable energy from 3% to 40% by 2025, and 60% by 2040, though the Island government hopes to reach 100% renewable by 2050. The study found that the Island’s energy transmission system can accommodate anticipated renewable energy growth for the next 5 to 15 years, but will require significant upgrades to hit the 100% renewable energy goal. This week, Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm will visit Puerto Rico for a series of events to tout Puerto Rico's new energy future. She will hold meetings in San Juan, Loíza, Culebra, Vieques and Salinas, plus host two press conferences: one in San Juan with FEMA and Fortaleza on Monday and another on Friday at the Salinas Medical Center.
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds $23 million in water infrastructure grants
On Friday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that $23 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will be used for water infrastructure projects in Caguas, Coamo, Jayuya, Naranjito and Orocovis. Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources will take the lead in bringing the projects to fruition. The money will come through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund program, which provides low-cost financing for local projects. Specific projects include the development of sewer systems in Coamo, Jayuya, Naranjito and Orocovis, and eliminating private septic systems and sewer discharge polluting the Island. In Caguas, the money will be used to transform a wastewater treatment facility into a wastewater pump station.
Rio Piedras Neurosurgery Program moves closer to reaccreditation
The Neurosurgery Residency Program of the Medical Sciences Campus at Rio Piedras Medical Center is one step closer to reaccreditation following the arrival of new equipment at one of the endovascular neurosurgery rooms. The program lost accreditation in 2021 after spending two years on probation due to equipment and medical staff shortages. The accreditation renewal process is beginning in earnest with the acquisition of new technology for neurointerventional treatment that can facilitate diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of cerebrovascular diseases. The machine arrived in late 2022 and has already been used to treat more than 100 patients.
View From The White House
Secretary of State Antony Blinken landed Sunday in Egypt as he began a three-day trip to the Middle East, which will also included talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials at a time of increased violence in the region.
The Biden Administration unveiled a “Blueprint for a Renters Bill of Rights” and outlined efforts to curtail egregious rent increases at properties backed by certain federal mortgages.
The White House announced changes to the way the U.S. Census Bureau asks questions about race and ethnicity, adding new categories such as “Middle Eastern or North African” and enabling people to identify as Latino without having to also selecty a separate race, such as Black or White.
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