Negotiations led by Vice President Joe Biden continued during a two-hour meeting in the US Capitol on Thursday afternoon, where Congressional Republicans and Democrats discussed taxes and entitlements with White House representatives and Treasury Department officials. The sixth round of talks designed to reach a deal to raise the debt ceiling were reported to have been "constructive and positive," and explored potential new revenue sources that Democrats say will be central to winning their support for any debt ceiling Congressional measure.
With about two to three more weeks of true negotiating time left before a looming August 2 debt ceiling deadline, the White House has said it wants three meetings a week with lawmakers for the remainder of the month to settle upon a deficit-reduction agreement before Congress recesses for a week over the July 4 holiday. That end-of-June target would allow time for President Barack Obama and Congressional GOP leaders, including House Speaker John Boehner to settle on any agreement that the negotiators hammer out, and would leave the remainder of July for Congress to write the complex bill raising the federal debt ceiling.
The Biden bipartisan negotiation sessions are set to resume next Tuesday. Republicans have said they want the deal to include spending cuts equal in size to the increase in the debt limit, and the Treasury Department has indicated that it would need a debt-ceiling increase of at least $2 trillion to allow the Federal government to operate through the end of the next Fiscal Year. A smaller debt-ceiling agreement allowing for a shorter spending time extension also remains a possibility, however, and Republicans are rumored to have signaled that they would agree to $1 trillion in spending cuts.
While the House has begun work on its Fiscal Year 2012 appropriations bills, similar activity on the Senate side has effectively been put on hold, as Senate leaders wait for a resolution of the debt-ceiling issue. The nature of that deal will undoubtedly influence the levels of spending that would be allowed under any Fiscal Year 2012 spending bills.
Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week:
Floodplains, Dams and Navigation -
- GAO report: Management, organization among National Flood Insurance Program's many problems http://1.usa.gov/jhz0m3
- Senate Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs Committee holds hearing on bankrupt National Flood Insurance Program http://1.usa.gov/itXbgX
- As Missouri River rises, control efforts take shape http://tinyurl.com/3hntp2b
- Iowa Towns brace for flooding along Missouri River http://tinyurl.com/3r235rb
- Swollen Missouri River threatening to leave Iowa town under several feet of water http://wapo.st/mmV1tW
- Mississippi River Commission member: River flood control performed 'admirably' http://bit.ly/kSMi4E
- LA officials urge White House & Congress to fund Army Corps Mississippi River dredging http://bit.ly/lJ3I8H http://usat.ly/jurerA & http://bit.ly/m7naF2
- Chemicals in Farm Runoff Rattle States on the Mississippi River http://tinyurl.com/4xuf82j
- USDA announces "Watershed Condition Framework" for watershed evaluation, prioritization & protection http://1.usa.gov/m0VMyF
- 2011 Floods Raise a Question: What's in all that Flood Water? - U of MN River Life Blog http://bit.ly/iCGtrO
- CEQ Releases Draft Plan to Protect Water Quality & Availability from Climate Change Impacts ; comments due July 15 http://1.usa.gov/iVp23W
- Chicago Metropolitan Water Reclamation District approves stricter water quality standards for Chicago River & tribs http://trib.in/kBR4Sa
- Slides and audio of briefing on Managing Nutrients to Protect Water Quality posted at http://bit.ly/luCJzc
- California conservation and fishing groups plan Clean Water Act suit over agricultural runoff http://bit.ly/ji9Afi
- NY Times: Temperature Rising: A Warming Planet Struggles to Feed Itself http://nyti.ms/levu6W
- Sen Grassley's (R-IA) "Rural American Preservation Act" would cap USDA payments to farmers http://bit.ly/j6MYh0 & http://1.usa.gov/kdMDbK
- Full House could take up agricultural appropriations bill as early as next week http://bit.ly/k7nEFe
- Drought in some areas; heavy rain in others keeping world food prices near record levels http://bit.ly/iH1bjv
- DTN blog: demand for food at risk of outstripping supply-could get worse if not addressed comprehensively http://bit.ly/iq0vVX
- Wisconsin-based company creates new type of biofuel NOT derived from crops used as food sources http://bit.ly/lcAi9c
- Sen Coburn (R-OK) forces June 21 ethanol vote on amendment repealing tax incentives http://politi.co/krFJbT
- Summary of all USDA-selected proposals awarded 2011 Greenhouse Gas mitigation Conservation Innovation Grants http://1.usa.gov/j4iUp4
- Wet weather that delayed US corn planting may send global inventories to lowest in 37 years http://bloom.bg/myVAAd
- Federal forecasters: Low corn supplies are here to stay http://on.wsj.com/m1Ln7v
- New framework looks to integrate agroforestry into USDA's conservation & economic work http://1.usa.gov/mKntWs (top link)
- Agriculture’s most potent pesticides rapidly losing effectiveness as weeds evolve chemical resistance http://bit.ly/jeJUxR
- Illinois Pollution Control Board order: Chicago river cleanup required http://tinyurl.com/4295hoh
- Democratic chairman of the KY state House Natural Resources & Environment Committee: Feds declaring war on coal http://tinyurl.com/3temcp5
- US Office of Surface Mining Reclamation & Enforcement: KY coal industry compliance drops http://bit.ly/jOSGCA
- Louisiana Land and Water Co. owner sentenced to 21 months jail time; fined $310,000 for Clean Water Act violations http://bit.ly/jCZ9CJ
- IA bill 'streamlining' DNR permit process for projects near streams draws criticism http://bit.ly/mftmZl
- IA state committee votes to cut land preservation fund by $26M a year http://bit.ly/j1ljLL
- MN DNR to fund Asian Carp eDNA testing this summer in upper Mississippi River http://bit.ly/kuETD6
- Biodiversity loss does not get the attention the problem deserves http://ow.ly/59a0p
- Protected and endangered fish & birds may benefit from flooding Missouri River http://yhoo.it/kyhsxT
- WI Asian carp harvesting/angling rules questioned as invasive enters state waters http://bit.ly/l2SaAB
- Opening Morganza & Bonnet Carre spillways may move Asian carp from Mississippi River into other Louisiana waters http://bit.ly/mOfGpL
- Republicans consider short-term debt-ceiling deal if Biden talks fail http://bit.ly/ireDZW
- GOP may push for two-year budget as price of debt deal http://bit.ly/jnYdCh
- Full House could take up agricultural appropriations bill as early as next week http://bit.ly/k7nEFe
- VP-led negotiators discuss taxes & entitlements in 6th round of talks to reach budget-debt ceiling deal http://bit.ly/mITuyJ
- New USGS study: Louisiana is losing a football field of coastal wetlands an hour http://tinyurl.com/3r34r86
- USGS map & analysis show Coastal Louisiana to be "fastest disappearing land mass on earth" http://bit.ly/lF3RGh
- Minnesota River basin documentary to be aired statewide Sunday (6 pm CDT) http://bit.ly/lyL6Oz
- June 21 webinar: Adaptation in a Changing Climate and its impact on National Security http://bit.ly/mNBsJV
- “America’s Grasslands: Status, Threats, & Opportunities” conference, Sioux Falls, SD; August 15-17 http://bit.ly/kmHLXV
- CIG Showcase in conjunction with Soil & Water Conservation Society International Conference; Washington, DC, July 17-20 http://bit.ly/lmsY2Z
- Mississippi River and Mekong River stakeholders exchange river conservation ideas and views http://bit.ly/jE6Iwv
- Essay on growth, development, sustainability, water resources & climate change http://bit.ly/iYQ7WX
- Acting Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Water blogs on "Waters of the US" jurisdiction issue http://1.usa.gov/kCvQAH
- President will create advisory council to recommend ways to boost US rural economy & quality of life http://wapo.st/mDyd0B
- Former Sen. Russ Feingold (D) will decide whether to enter WI US Senate contest by Labor Day http://tinyurl.com/4xty9el
- Poll: Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) would beat her only declared Republican opponent in 2012 US Senate run http://bit.ly/lYDSJk
- House seat redistricting case in Louisiana seen as crucial test of Voting Rights Act http://tinyurl.com/44s5acf
- Republicans targeting Rep. Jerry Costello with TV ad set to air in newly redistricted IL House district http://bit.ly/imSZAP
- Unions occupy middle political ground on environmental policy issues http://nyti.ms/jaRBCY
- New poll: In KY governor race Gov. Beshear (D) has 21-point lead over Republican state Sen. Williams http://bit.ly/mQQTjJ
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