Suspending The Rules

With less than three weeks left before government funding runs out, negotiators from the Republican-led Senate and Democratic-controlled House have agreed to topline spending figures for the 12 annual appropriations bills. Lawmakers will work to finalize details in the bills before a potential government shutdown begins after Dec. 20. On this episode of “Suspending the Rules” from Bloomberg Government, budget and appropriations reporter Jack Fitzpatrick breaks down the state of budget negotiations and previews what’s to come. Contact the BGOV podcast team at BGOVpodcast@bgov.com. Listen and subscribe to Suspending the Rules from your mobile device:  Via Apple Podcasts | Via Overcast | Via Stitcher | Via Spotify Hosts: Adam M. Taylor, Sarah Babbage Audio Editor: RJ Jewell

Congress plans to vote this week on a continuing resolution to fund the government through Dec. 20. The move buys time for Democrats and Republicans to, potentially, conclude negotiations over spending allocations and the details of the 12 annual appropriations bills. On this episode of “Suspending the Rules,” Bloomberg Government’s podcast, budget and appropriations reporter Jack Fitzpatrick breaks down the state of play in the spending fight. Legislative analyst Michael Smallberg also joins the show to discuss a few other bills the House has scheduled for this week. Contact the BGOV podcast team at BGOVpodcast@bgov.com. Listen and subscribe to Suspending the Rules from your mobile device:  Via Apple Podcasts | Via Overcast | Via Stitcher | Via Spotify Hosts: Adam M. Taylor, Sarah Babbage Audio Editor: RJ Jewell

Congressional campaigns are taking stock of off-year election results in Kentucky, Virginia, and Mississippi as they ramp up their plans for the next 12 months. They'll also be watching how Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards fares in Louisiana's Nov. 16 runoff election.   On this episode of “Suspending the Rules” from Bloomberg Government, in-house elections experts Greg Giroux and Kyle Trygstad discuss the races that will make or break the parties' majorities and the effects President Donald Trump is having on the races.  Contact the BGOV podcast team at BGOVpodcast@bgov.com. Listen and subscribe to Suspending the Rules from your mobile device:  Via Apple Podcasts | Via Overcast | Via Stitcher | Via Spotify Hosts: Adam M. Taylor, Sarah Babbage Audio Editor: RJ Jewell

Artificial intelligence, digital privacy, and other technology policy debates are all issues Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.) plans to address as a leader of the Congressional AI Caucus and a member of the House committee with jurisdiction over tech. On this episode of “Suspending the Rules” from Bloomberg Government, technology policy reporter Rebecca Kern sits down with McNerney to discuss AI, privacy legislation, the “Section 230” liability shield for tech companies, and Twitter’s recent decision not to accept political ads on its platform. Contact the BGOV podcast team at BGOVpodcast@bgov.com. Listen and subscribe to Suspending the Rules from your mobile device:  Via Apple Podcasts | Via Overcast | Via Stitcher | Via Spotify Hosts: Adam M. Taylor, Sarah Babbage Audio Editor: RJ Jewell

The House this week will vote on condemning the Ottoman Empire’s slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians during and after World War I under a nonbinding resolution. The event is widely known as the Armenian Genocide, a term Turkey disputes. On this episode of “Suspending the Rules,” a podcast from Bloomberg Government, legislative analyst Naoreen Chowdhury and congressional reporter Emily Wilkins discuss the resolution, why it’s coming up now, and why Turkey objects. The two also break down a separate bill the House will vote on this week which would impose sanctions on Turkish officials in response to attacks on Kurdish forces in Syria. Contact the BGOV podcast team at BGOVpodcast@bgov.com. Listen and subscribe to Suspending the Rules from your mobile device:  Via Apple Podcasts | Via Overcast | Via Stitcher | Via Spotify Hosts: Adam M. Taylor, Sarah Babbage Audio Editor: RJ Jewell

Foreign offers of assistance to federal campaigns would have to be reported to law enforcement under a bill the House plans to take up this week. Other provisions in the “SHIELD Act” would require disclosures on online political ads similar to those in print or on television and would make social media platforms keep records of ad requests. On this episode of Bloomberg Government’s “Suspending the Rules” podcast, legislative analyst Michael Smallberg and senior editor for money and politics Ken Doyle break down the bill, Republicans’ opposition to it, and its prospects in the Senate. Contact the BGOV podcast team at BGOVpodcast@bgov.com. Listen and subscribe to Suspending the Rules from your mobile device:  Via Apple Podcasts | Via Overcast | Via Stitcher | Via Spotify Hosts: Adam M. Taylor, Sarah Babbage Audio Editor: RJ Jewell

Hong Kong Protests Poised for Boost from House (Podcast) The House plans to show its support for ongoing protests in Hong Kong by considering two bipartisan bills. The measures would block sales of crowd control equipment, impose sanctions, and require an annual certification that Hong Kong is sufficiently independent from Beijing to justify the city's special treatment under U.S. trade law. On this episode of Bloomberg Government’s “Suspending the Rules” podcast, Bloomberg News congressional reporter Daniel Flatley and BGOV legislative analyst Naoreen Chowdhury discuss the protests and congressional action, as well as China’s response to the House bills. Contact the BGOV podcast team at BGOVpodcast@bgov.com. Listen and subscribe to Suspending the Rules from your mobile device:  Via Apple Podcasts | Via Overcast | Via Stitcher | Via Spotify Hosts: Adam M. Taylor, Sarah Babbage Engineer: RJ Jewell

Voters in Louisiana will go to the polls Saturday for the state’s open gubernatorial primary, as incumbent Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) tries to hold off two Republican challengers. President Donald Trump will hold a rally in the state Friday ahead of the election in an attempt to keep Edwards from winning 50% of the vote tally and force a runoff election next month against the top Republican vote-getter. On this episode of “Suspending the Rules” from Bloomberg Government, deputy news director Loren Duggan and staff correspondent Jennifer Kay preview the election and its potential national implications. Contact the BGOV podcast team at BGOVpodcast@bgov.com. Listen and subscribe to Suspending the Rules from your mobile device: Via Apple Podcasts | Via Overcast | Via Stitcher | Via Spotify Host: Adam M. TaylorEngineer: Nico Anzalotta

Reps. Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.) and Tom Graves (R-Ga.) are leading a bipartisan panel of lawmakers developing recommendations to improve the workings of the Capitol. The House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress is looking at improvements in areas ranging from staffing and technology to members’ relationships across the partisan divide. On this episode of Bloomberg Government’s “Suspending the Rules” podcast, congressional reporter Emily Wilkins sits down with Kilmer and Graves to discuss their work. Also on this episode, BGOV budget and appropriations reporter Jack Fitzpatrick breaks down the stopgap funding measure signed by President Donald Trump last week to keep the government open through Nov. 21, as well as the status of full-year appropriations bills and how they could be affected by the House’s impeachment inquiry. Contact the BGOV podcast team at BGOVpodcast@bgov.com. Listen and subscribe to Suspending the Rules from your mobile device: Via Apple Podcasts | Via Overcast | Via Stitcher |

Tech needs a made-in-America data privacy standard, House Energy and Commerce ranking member Greg Walden (R-Ore.) told the audience at the Bloomberg Law Leadership Forum in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 18. On this episode of “Suspending the Rules” from Bloomberg Government, hear Walden’s conversation with technology policy reporter Rebecca Kern, discussing the progress lawmakers are making on nascent privacy legislation. Also on this episode, BGOV legislative analyst Michael Smallberg breaks down two bills the House has teed up that would impose additional oversight requirements for border enforcement and immigration detention. Contact the BGOV podcast team at BGOVpodcast@bgov.com. Listen and subscribe to Suspending the Rules from your mobile device: Via Apple Podcasts | Via Overcast | Via Stitcher | Via Spotify Hosts: Adam M. Taylor, Sarah BabbageEngineer: Nico Anzalotta

Companies wouldn’t be able to require employees or consumers to resolve disputes through arbitration rather than court under a bill the House plans to take up this week. On this episode of “Suspending the Rules” from Bloomberg Government, legislative analyst Adam M. Taylor and Bloomberg Law congressional labor policy reporter Jaclyn Diaz break down the bill, the debate around it, and its prospects moving forward. Contact the BGOV podcast team at BGOVpodcast@bgov.com. Listen and subscribe to Suspending the Rules from your mobile device: Via Apple Podcasts | Via Overcast | Via Stitcher | Via Spotify Hosts: Sarah Babbage, Michael SmallbergEngineer: Nico Anzalotta

Congress faces a long to-do list as it returns from its summer recess this week. Lawmakers will need to extend federal funding past Sept. 30 to avoid a government shutdown, and could take up legislation to address recent shootings, drug pricing, and trade. On this episode of Bloomberg Government’s podcast “Suspending the Rules,” budget and appropriations reporter Jack Fitzpatrick joins legislative analysts Danielle Parnass, Sarah Babbage, and Adam M. Taylor to preview the fall slate. Download the Fall 2019 Hill Watch for a closer look at the wide range of policy issues that could arise in Congress. Contact the BGOV podcast team at BGOVpodcast@bgov.com. Listen and subscribe to Suspending the Rules from your mobile device: Via Apple Podcasts | Via Overcast | Via Stitcher | Via Spotify Hosts: Adam M. Taylor, Sarah Babbage, Danielle ParnassEngineer: Nico Anzalotta 

A special election in North Carolina is being watched as a potential bellwether for the 2020 campaign. The state’s 9th Congressional District will vote on Sept. 10 to fill a vacant seat in the House after the 2018 results were nullified following evidence of absentee ballot fraud.  On this episode of “Suspending the Rules” from Bloomberg Government, BGOV campaigns and elections reporter Greg Giroux and Andrew Ballard, a staff correspondent based in Raleigh, break down the race between Democrat Dan McCready and Republican Dan Bishop. Contact the BGOV podcast team at BGOVpodcast@bgov.com. Listen and subscribe to Suspending the Rules from your mobile device: Via Apple Podcasts | Via Overcast | Via Stitcher | Via Spotify Hosts: Adam M. Taylor, Danielle ParnassEngineer: Nico Anzalotta

Legislation to regulate autonomous vehicles got hung up in Congress last year, but that hasn't stopped developers from rolling test vehicles onto the streets. This special episode of Bloomberg Government’s “Suspending the Rules” looks at how the industry is evolving without firm federal rules. The episode features Senate Majority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) and Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), who are looking to restart momentum for an autonomous vehicle bill that stalled in the last Congress, as well as stakeholders from Toyota Motor Corp. and safety advocate groups. It also includes a trip to a pilot project in Houston delivering Kroger Co. groceries in autonomous vehicles. Hosts: Sarah Babbage, Shaun CourtneySupervising Producer: Adam SchankAudio Editor: Nico AnzalottaExecutive Producer: Josh BlockContact the BGOV podcast team at BGOVpodcast@bgov.com. 

Republicans and Democrats are increasingly discussing potential changes to the law that protects social media platforms and other internet companies from liability for their users’ content. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has said that companies should face more accountability for their privacy practices and moderation of harmful content, while conservative lawmakers have introduced bills to prevent what they say is censorship of conservative voices. The White House is also reportedly drafting a proposal to require social media companies not to censor viewpoints in a politically biased way. On this special episode of Bloomberg Government’s “Suspending the Rules,” technology reporter Rebecca Kern speaks with Elizabeth Banker, vice president and associate general counsel at the Internet Association, about the law, known as "Section 230," and her group’s views on proposed changes. The association represents online companies like Facebook, Google, and Yelp. This is the second of two episodes

With public and congressional attention increasingly focused on social media companies, lawmakers and other stakeholders are discussing changes to the obscure provision of law that’s been credited with the rise of online companies. The “Section 230” shield protects online platforms from liability for user-generated content. Members of Congress including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said they’re open to changes to create more accountability for companies’ privacy and moderation practices. On this special episode of “Suspending the Rules” from Bloomberg Government, technology reporter Rebecca Kern sits down with Public Knowledge Legal Director John Bergmayer to discuss how Section 230 helped create the current internet landscape and his group’s views on proposed changes to the law.Contact the BGOV podcast team at BGOVpodcast@bgov.com. Listen and subscribe to Suspending the Rules from your mobile device: Via Apple Podcasts | Via Overca

With the House scheduled to leave town for a six-week recess Friday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin are negotiating a budget deal to address spending caps and the debt ceiling. On this episode of Bloomberg Government’s “Suspending the Rules,” budget and appropriations reporter Jack Fitzpatrick breaks down the talks and issues at stake in the deal. He also previews what to look for when the annual appropriations process resumes this fall. Contact the BGOV podcast team at BGOVpodcast@bgov.com. Listen and subscribe to Suspending the Rules from your mobile device: Via Apple Podcasts | Via Overcast | Via Stitcher| Via Spotify Hosts: Danielle Parnass, Adam M. TaylorEngineer: Nico Anzalotta

The House last week easily passed a bill to eliminate the per-country cap on employment-based green cards, a move that would reduce the backlog of applicants from China and India. The measure faces a rockier road in the Senate, however, where concerns over specific occupations and the broader system of legal immigration are holding up action. On this episode of “Suspending the Rules” from Bloomberg Government, legislative analyst Adam Taylor and Bloomberg Law immigration reporter Laura Francis break down the legislative proposals and prospects moving forward. Contact the BGOV podcast team at BGOVpodcast@bgov.com. Listen and subscribe to Suspending the Rules from your mobile device: Via Apple Podcasts | Via Overcast | Via Stitcher| Via Spotify Hosts: Danielle Parnass, Michael SmallbergEngineer: Nico Anzalotta

The House this week will take up its version of the annual National Defense Authorization Act amid opposition from Republicans and potential defections from progressives. The Senate passed its version of the bill, which will need to be reconciled with the House’s version. On this episode of “Suspending the Rules,” Bloomberg Government defense reporters Roxana Tiron and Travis Tritten break down the House bill, highlight key difference with the Senate’s bill, and preview the measure’s prospects. Contact the BGOV podcast team at BGOVpodcast@bgov.com. Listen and subscribe to Suspending the Rules from your mobile device:  Via Apple Podcasts | Via Overcast | Via Stitcher| Via Spotify Hosts: Adam M. Taylor, Adam SchankEngineer: Nico Anzalotta

Lobbyists have been just as busy as lawmakers halfway through 2019, as industries and interest groups mobilize around drug pricing, mergers, and other hot-button topics. Democratic proposals like “Medicare-for-All” have spurred industry groups to hire lobbyists to oppose or blunt those initiatives. On this episode of “Suspending the Rules” from Bloomberg Government, lobbying reporter Megan Wilson breaks down the biggest stories in the industry, including the effects of candidates forgoing lobbyist donations and how some influence peddlers are finding new ways to sway the Trump administration. Contact the BGOV podcast team at BGOVpodcast@bgov.com. Listen and subscribe to Suspending the Rules from your mobile device:  Via Apple Podcasts | Via Overcast | Via Stitcher| Via Spotify Hosts: Adam M. Taylor, Adam SchankEngineer: Nico Anzalotta