Every Wednesday, The Ferguson Group blog will be posting a
series of articles published over the previous week that discuss topics of
interest to local governments. Learn about emerging trends and keep up on key
policy issues by browsing the TFG Wednesday News Roundup!
Almost
the Same Cost, Spend Differently: Comparing Farm Bills in House, Senate
Committees
Even
though both the House and Senate Farm Bill drafts look to spend about $500
billion over a five-year period, there are some major differences on how the
money will be allocated. See how the different bills deal with food
stamps, direct payments, crop insurance, price protection and food aid. Read
More…
On
Tech Visas, Orrin Hatch Holds Some Cards
Senator
Orrin Hatch (R-UT), a major tech industry advocate, has been a supporter of
H-1B visas and is being seen as a potential swing vote on the Gang of Eight
immigration bill. With his leverage, Hatch is pushing for his
tech-friendly amendments in the bill, and has stated that he will oppose the
legislation without his provisions. Read
More…
Senate
Votes to Extend Federal Law Overseeing Water Resources Projects
The
Water Resources Development Act of 2013 (WRDA) has jumped its first major
hurtle, sailing through the Senate on Wednesday by a vote of 83-14. The
comprehensive water bill will promote imperative investments in water
infrastructure projects in the new earmark-ban era. This bill is the
first water bill to be passed by the Senate since 2007. Read More…
House
Panel Passes $73.3B Military Construction, Veterans Affairs Bill
The
House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs
moved its first bill from the subcommittee on May 15th. The
$73.3 billion appropriations bill looks to provide $9.9 billion for military
construction projects and $63.1 billion of discretionary spending to the
Department of Veterans Affairs. Read
More…
Has
High-Speed Rail Been Derailed?
In
2008, the Administration made high-speed rail a national priority.
However, with the lack of funding and differing opinions amongst
Congress, the future of high-speed rail in California and the rest of the
United States is slowly becoming an intangible vision. Read
More…
Lower
Health Care Costs May Last
Through
a recent study, Harvard economists have predicted that the lagging growth of
U.S. health care costs could mean significantly less spending on Medicare,
translating in $770 billion worth of savings over the next decade.
The economists point to several factors that explain the recent downshift in
growth and how this relates to projected estimates of health care costs by the
Congressional Budget Office and Medicare and Medicaid Services. Read
More…