Insights: Policy

Tech / Media / Telecom

Broadband (BEAD)

Secretary Lutnick said in testimony to the Senate Appropriations Committee yesterday that he expects to “shortly” issue a new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the $42b BEAD program (i.e., guidance on how funding can be used). This is consistent with mid-May comments from Sen. Capito (R-WV), Chair of the Senate Broadband Caucus, that new...

Energy, Financials, Healthcare, Macro, Tech / Media / Telecom

Senate Republicans have indicated that the committees responsible for various components of their emerging reconciliation legislation will be releasing draft text in the next couple of days. The Senate Finance Committee, which is responsible for taxes and entitlement programs (e.g., Medicaid, ACA) is likely to be last, with release of its text...

Financials, Housing

GSEs Exiting Conservatorship

Over the last week, President Trump has made two notable statements regarding a GSE exit from conservatorship. Last week, he posted that he is giving “serious consideration to bringing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac public.” This week, he posted that the government “will keep its implicit guarantees.” Separately, Secretary Bessent reiterated prior...

Russia Sanctions

President Trump is considering imposing additional sanctions on Russia following its recent attacks on Ukraine and its intransigence in negotiations, which Trump is threatening to abandon. Meanwhile on Capitol Hill, 80 senators have co-sponsored legislation that would impose new sanctions on Russia. G7 leaders also want to increase pressure on...

Despite the Court of International Trade (CIT) throwing out the “reciprocal” tariffs the Trump administration imposed (and subsequently suspended) via the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), National Economic Council (NEC) Director Hassett this morning said that he expects negotiations that are underway with various countries to...

IEEPA/Reciprocal Tariff Litigation

In a unanimous decision, a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) has ruled against President Trump’s imposition of tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The decision (involving two cases, V.O.S. Selections v. U.S. and Oregon v. U.S.) orders the Trump administration to cease...