WASHINGTON — At least they have college football.
That appeared to be the only subject of agreement between congressional Republicans and President Barack Obama on Tuesday as they met for the first time this year.
Huge differences over energy and immigration policy continue to dominate the debate on Capitol Hill in the run-up to Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday, and the White House has promised to veto legislation that tries to roll back the president’s recent changes in immigration policy. The GOP-controlled House is expected to pass a spending bill Wednesday doing just that.
Veto threats also have been issued against the Keystone XL oil pipeline that passed the House last week and that will be debated in the Senate for the coming days.
“The president seems to think we should start only by presenting the ideas that he likes,” Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., said Tuesday. “He’s the president of the United States — he’s not the emperor of the universe.”
But at the White House on Tuesday, the only common ground seemed to be on the football field.
“To the speaker, I just wanted to point out, I said there are going to be some things that we agree on,” Obama said of House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. “Having a college football playoff is clearly something we can agree on.”
Obama reminded lawmakers that he advocated a college football playoff system in 2008. Boehner, an avid Ohio State fan, was happy about the Buckeyes’ victory over Oregon in Monday’s championship.
Obama is working on a new authorization for military action against the Islamic State militants operating in Iraq and Syria, according to administration and congressional aides. GOP leaders have pressured Obama to request the authority formally so Congress can launch a fresh war debate.
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Dems look to score points with Keystone opposition
WASHINGTON — Democrats hoped to use Senate consideration of the Keystone XL oil pipeline to get Republicans on the record about climate change.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent who caucuses with Democrats, said he’ll offer an amendment that would have Congress acknowledge global warming is real and is caused by human activities. Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass, said he’ll push for an addition that would bar oil from the pipeline and products refined from it from being exported. Both are long shots.
IRS: Funding cut could mean shutdown
WASHINGTON —Budget cuts could force the IRS to shut down operations for two days this year, resulting in unpaid furloughs for employees and service cuts for taxpayers, IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said.
He says the agency’s $10.9 billion budget is the lowest level of funding since 2008.
Denver Post wire services
