Student Forum Newsletter

SGAP Newsletter April 2024 (nuclear energy + liquefied natural gas)

SGAP Newsletter April 2024 (nuclear energy + liquefied natural gas)

Back in the Saddle Again: U.S. Voters Face Election Rematch

ON MARCH 5, U.S. voters participated in the Super Tuesday contests, resulting in both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump securing their respective parties’ nominations for president, setting up a déjà vu of the 2020 election.

Shortly after Super Tuesday, GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley announced she was suspending her campaign, leaving Trump with no major opponents left to block him from becoming the 2024 Republican nominee.

For the first time in more than 60 years, the 2024 presidential election will be a rematch, forcing U.S. voters to choose between the same two presidential candidates from the 2020 election.

The last presidential rematch came in 1956, when Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower again defeated Adlai Stevenson, the Democratic opponent he had four years prior.

The 2024 general election promises to be a bitter fight, with both candidates facing more negatives than they did in 2020—Trump beset by legal woes and Biden confronting multiple criticisms, including the hyperinflation of today’s economy. Both candidates are older—Biden is 81 and Trump is 77—and deeply polarizing.

As the two campaigns pivot to the general election, voters face a choice between candidates whose differences reflect a nation split not just by political preference but also by profound social, ideological, and cultural divisions.

read more
SGAP Newsletter for March 2024 (Social Media Safety + Daylight Saving Time)

SGAP Newsletter for March 2024 (Social Media Safety + Daylight Saving Time)

Senate Passes National Security Package, but Prospects Look ‘Iffy’ in House
ON FEB. 13, senators passed a national security package to provide military aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. The foreign-aid measure includes $95.3 billion in funding, down from the original $118.3 billion which included funds and policy provisions to secure the southern border. The so-called “Plan B” bill was supported by the White House.

Many Republicans opposed the motion, saying they wanted border measures added back into the bill.

“We should lock in an effort to make the border better,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC). “I think this is a really bad idea. You’re actually losing votes for Ukraine here. Some people believe that the border hasn’t been adequately addressed. I agree.”

read more
SGAP Newsletter for February 2024 (Whole Milk + FISA Surveillance)

SGAP Newsletter for February 2024 (Whole Milk + FISA Surveillance)

House Speaker Mike Johnson Blames Biden for Border Crisis During Texas Visit
ON JAN. 3, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) traveled with 60 other House Republicans to Eagle Pass, Texas, to assess the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border. At the same time, Republican and Democratic senators attempted to negotiate a border agreement as part of a funding package for aid to Ukraine and Israel, and border security.

“If President Biden wants a supplemental spending bill focused on national security, it better begin by defending America’s national security,” Johnson said. “It begins right here on our southern border.”

Border Crisis Stats
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, encounters at the Southwest border in FY2023 increased over 40% since FY2021, 4% compared to FY2022, and more than 100% compared to FY2019, making last fiscal year the highest on record.

read more
SGAP Newsletter for December 2023 (Minimum Wage + Secure the Border Act)

SGAP Newsletter for December 2023 (Minimum Wage + Secure the Border Act)

House Elects Rep. Mike Johnson as Speaker
ON OCT. 25, Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) was elected as Speaker of the House, after weeks of infighting that saw Republicans reject three nominees before turning to Johnson to end the deadlock.

Johnson received votes from all 220 Republicans present. Democrats nominated House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) as speaker; he received votes from all 209 Democrats present.

“The people’s house is back in business,” Johnson said in remarks in the House chamber following his election. He thanked Republicans for their trust in him and vowed to work with Democrats where possible.

read more
SGAP Newsletter for November 2023 (Gas Cars vs. EVs + Student Loan Debt)

SGAP Newsletter for November 2023 (Gas Cars vs. EVs + Student Loan Debt)

McCarthy Ousted as House Speaker, GOP Scrambles to Choose Nominee

ON OCT. 3, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was ousted as House speaker by far-right Republicans along with Democrats, ending his nine months in the position and sending a fractious Congress into further disarray.

The ousting was set in motion by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who followed through on the threat he made to remove McCarthy if he relied on Democratic votes to pass any spending legislation—as he did to narrowly avert a government shutdown on Oct. 1.

McCarthy’s ousting marked the first time in U.S. history that a speaker of the House was removed from office.

read more
SGAP Newsletter for October 2023 (AM radio + Medicare for All)

SGAP Newsletter for October 2023 (AM radio + Medicare for All)

Federal Deficit Explodes Even as Economy Grows

ON SEPT. 3, budget experts announced that the federal deficit is projected to roughly double this year, as bigger interest payments and lower tax receipts widen the nation’s spending imbalance despite overall economic growth.

After the government’s record spending in 2020 and 2021 to combat the impact of covid-19, the deficit dropped by the greatest amount ever in 2022, falling from close to $3 trillion to roughly $1 trillion. But rather than continue to fall to its pre-pandemic levels, the deficit then shot upward.

The federal deficit will likely rise to about $2 trillion for the fiscal year that ends Sept. 30, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan group that advocates for lower deficits.

read more
SGAP Newsletter for May 2023 (32-Hour Workweek + Gas Stoves)

SGAP Newsletter for May 2023 (32-Hour Workweek + Gas Stoves)

President Biden Proposes Stiff EPA Emission Limits to Boost U.S. Electric Vehicle Sales
ON APRIL 12, the Biden administration’s Environmental Protection Agency proposed the nation’s most ambitious climate regulations to date—plans designed to ensure two-thirds of new passenger cars and a quarter of new heavy trucks sold in the United States are all-electric by 2032.

The new rules would require nothing short of a revolution in the U.S. auto industry. The Biden administration is proposing to crack down on vehicle pollution with tailpipe emission limits so tough they will compel automakers to ensure two out of every three cars and light trucks sold in 2032 are electric models. 

The government’s challenge to automakers is monumental. Last year, all-electric vehicles accounted for just 5.8 percent of new cars sold in the United States.

read more
SGAP Newsletter for April 2023 (Dream Act + Universal Child Care)

SGAP Newsletter for April 2023 (Dream Act + Universal Child Care)

U.S. TikTok Ban Legislation Advances in House

ON MARCH 1, Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee forced through a bill that could effectively ban TikTok from all mobile devices in the U.S. despite united opposition from Democrats.

“Everybody knows what TikTok is,” said Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), the bill’s sponsor. “It’s too dangerous to be on our phones as members of Congress. It’s too dangerous to be on our children’s phones. That’s the whole point of this bill.”

The committee ultimately advanced Rep. McCaul’s DATA Act, H.R.1153, by a vote of 24 to 16, with all Democrats voting no.

read more
SGAP Newsletter for March 2023 (Petroleum Reserve + DC Statehood)

SGAP Newsletter for March 2023 (Petroleum Reserve + DC Statehood)

President Biden Delivers State of the Union Address to ‘Interactive’ Audience

ON FEB. 7, President Joe Biden delivered his second State of the Union (SOTU) address since he’s been in office. Speaking to a divided Congress for the first time, an optimistic Biden made the case that the nation was stronger and more stable than when he assumed office two years ago.

Throughout Biden’s speech, tensions were on display in the chamber. On several occasions, Republicans interrupted the President by heckling, despite the attempts of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to shush his congressional colleagues and control the emotion.

The most disruptive moments came when President Biden charged that Republicans wanted to “sunset” Social Security and Medicare as part of their efforts to reduce the deficit. Republicans erupted in almost theatrical outrage. “Liar,” shouted Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) while others booed and jeered.

Many Republican members of Congress, including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), have stated that they are not in favor of cutting the Social Security and Medicare programs.

read more