Washington in a Flash: GOP takes on Iowa
Abigail White /
Republican presidential candidates are gearing up for the first Iowa presidential debate tonight. FOX News and The Washington Examiner are presenting the debate, which will take place at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. The event leads into Saturday’s Iowa Republican Party Ames Straw Poll, which can be a pivotal moment for campaigns. The Hill reports many Republicans who plan to attend Saturday’s straw poll are still undecided on their candidate, which is highly unusual this close to the event. That makes this evening’s debate even more important.
After backing out of his planned trip to a Virginia trucking business earlier this week, President Obama is expected to travel to Holland, Michigan. He will visit the Johnson Controls Inc. advanced battery facility. This gives him the opportunity to highlight how new technologies can help his Administration’s fuel standard goals. Later, the President will travel to New York City to attend two DNC events.
Speaker John Boehner and minority leader Mitch McConnell have picked their choices for the Joint Select Committee. The Speaker appointed Dave Champ (R-MI), Fred Upton (R-MI) and Jeb Hensarling (R-TX). Senate GOP panel members will be John Kyl (R-AZ), Pat Toomey (R-PA) and Rob Portman (R-OH). Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced Tuesday his picks for the committee: Patty Murray (D-WA), John Kerry (D-MA) and Rob Portman (D-OH).