Obama signs $956 billion farm bill

Sen. Jon Tester, MT-D

President Obama risks muddling his message when he heads to Michigan on Friday to sign a farm bill that cuts $8 billion in funding for food stamps.

The NRCC also announced Tuesday that Schock will serve as chairman of the NRCC’s March dinner — one of the committee’s top fundraising events of the year. Schock pledged to raise an additional $1 million for the committee before the March 26 event.

The funds will go toward aiding the NRCC’s efforts to keep control of the GOP’s House majority. Republicans have boasted they want to expand their 17-seat advantage over Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections.

Coburn is resigning at the end of 2014 

The House Ethics Committee is reviewing allegations that one of the House GOP’s rising stars violated ethics rules by mingling taxpayer and political money during a competitive campaign for a party leadership position, according to several sources.

House Republican Conference Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who delivered the GOP response to the State of the Union address, is accused of hiring political operatives to work alongside her official staff during her bid for the chairmanship.

At an afternoon panel moderated by GOP leaders and former Congressional Budget Office Director Doug Holtz-Eakin, members expressed support for tying a one-year increase to the nation’s borrowing limit to a repeal of the health law’s so called risk corridors, a provision that mitigates risk for insurance companies.

Rep. Chris Van Hollen, (MD)

One of those members, Rep. John Fleming of Louisiana, said he thought leadership would cool its efforts to push an immigration rewrite this year.

“My sense is that the consensus here is that we should not move forward and that leaders will abide by that,” Fleming told CQ Roll Call. “On a political basis, this is a suicide mission for Republicans. Why would we want to change the topic for a very toxic problem Democrats have with Obamacare?”

Fleming said Financial Services Chairman Jeb Hensarling of Texas, Science Chairman Lamar Smith of Texas, and Budget Vice Chairman Tom Price of Georgia — all of whom are influential in conservative circles — spoke in front of the conference to say an overhaul should not move forward this year.

A proposal by Sen. Rand Paul to allow guns in post offices is being met with skepticism by the chairman of the committee that oversees the Postal Service.

Senior appropriator and progressive stalwart James P. Moran will step down at the end of this year, making him the third House Democrat in just three days to announce his retirement.

Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon, R-Calif., announced on Thursday that he will not seek a 12th term in California’s 25th District.

“For me, it’s time to walk away,” McKeon, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said at a hearing Thursday morning.

Re: Finance Committee

Wyden is in line to become chairman following the departure of Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., who has been tapped by President Barack Obama to be ambassador to China.

Oklahoma GOP Sen. Tom Coburn plans to leave the Senate early and will resign his seat at the end of the current Congress.

“Nothing would have been possible without Sen. Mikulski and her determination to get the green light on because people … in my state are tired of yellow and red,” said Sen. Mary L. Landrieu, D-La.