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BPC's December 2014 Highlights

BPC had a very busy December to close out 2014.

We welcomed Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and International Energy Agency Director Maria van der Hoeven for an in-depth review of U.S. energy policy, traveled to Ohio to discuss prospects for electoral reform with Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted, held events examining topics like mobile payments and the future of health information technology and much more.


Ernest Moniz


In-Depth Review of U.S. Energy Policy

Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and International Energy Agency Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven headlined a presentation of the In-Depth Review of U.S. Energy Policy 2013 .



John Husted


Making Ohio’s Electoral System a National Model

BPC hosted Secretary of State Jon Husted and a panel of experts for a conversation about prospects for electoral reform in Ohio. The secretary, who was recently re-elected to a four-year term, focused on his vision for making redistricting reform a reality in 2015.



Renewable Fuel Standard


Options for Reforming the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS)

In a new report, BPC explored a middle ground where tangible progress can be made to reform?but not repeal?the RFS.



Blckburn


Advancing Use of Technology in Health Care

Senior leaders from government and the private sector shared insights on actions taken to improve health and health care through the use of technology, and to promote innovation and protect patient safety.



_GG22520


Payments Policy in the 21st Century: The Promise of Innovation and the Challenge of Regulation

BPC hosted a discussion analyzing how innovations like Bitcoin, ApplePay and mobile payments will impact consumers, businesses, financial institutions as well as state and federal oversight.



Concord Coalition


Tough Fiscal Choices for the 2016 Campaign

BPC hosted former Senators Bob Kerrey and Jack Danforth as they released the 20-year anniversary update of their commission on entitlement and tax reform, and called for a new generation of leaders and voters to take up the cause of fiscal sustainability.


Upcoming Events

Lights, Camera? Hack! Strategic Implications of the Sony Cyber Attack
January 15 l 1:00PM ET l Bipartisan Policy Center

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2015 Outlook for Health Information Technology
January 23 l 12:15PM ET l U.S. Capitol Visitor Center

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Stakeholder Perspectives on EPA’s Proposed Clean Power Plan
January 29 l 10:00AM ET l Bipartisan Policy Center

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Press Highlights

Budget Battle Is Likely to Heat Up Next Year
The Wall Street Journal

Congress last week barely managed to approve a funding bill negotiated by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, working under spending guidelines set by each party’s budget gurus… “This is the great vulnerability of the Republican party,” said Steve Bell, a former Republican staff director of the Senate Budget Committee, now the senior director of economic policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Bill Frist: Time to advance a new oversight framework for health IT
The Hill

Given the pace of technology in every other field, it is embarrassing to report that we are just now seeing a significant penetration of online communication between doctors and patients. However, it is imperative to the efficient delivery of modern medical care.

How the new Congress can speed U.S. energy independence
MarketWatch

“In energy policy, there’s a lot of good news,’’ said Byron Dorgan, an former U.S. senator and now a senior fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center. “This is much less difficult than when you’re trying to fix something.”

Ex-Senate leaders explain why Congress can’t get things done
USA TODAY

“It’s gone beyond 24/7 ? it’s explosive,” said Trent Lott, a Mississippi Republican who served as Senate majority leader from 1997 to 2001. Lott and Tom Daschle, a South Dakota Democrat who followed Lott as leader, said new laws and ubiquitous media give everybody a close look at the sometimes unappealing sausage making that becomes legislating.


Top Blog Posts

BPC Recommendations for Quick Action on Voting Technology
By Matthew Weil

Long-term reforms are important, but there exist three immediate actions that could be taken that are reasonable and responsible and would provide more certainty to the voting systems market.

Kline-Miller: Making Tough Choices to Improve Solvency for Retiree Plans
By Alex Gold

The spending bill that passed the House last week included a bipartisan provision that would allow certain underfunded pension plans to reduce benefits that were promised to retirees.

HSYK Elections and the Future of Judicial Independence in Turkey
By Blaise Misztal and Jessica Michek

While U.S. policymakers’ attention has been focused on Turkey’s response, or lack thereof, to the conflict raging in Iraq and Syria, there have also been significant developments in the country’s domestic politics worthy of attention.

Data Shows “Nuclear Option” Had an Impact on Financial Regulatory Appointments
By Justin Schardin

This year there will be no last-minute votes for high-level jobs at the major independent financial regulatory agencies. Why? None are pending.

The Health and Housing Nexus
By Henry Cisneros

Determining how best to care for an elderly loved one is a challenge facing millions of families throughout America.

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