Monday Morning eBriefing

John Kelly gave an impressive performance during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Homeland Security Committee, earning bipartisan praise from Committee members. Kelly was introduced by former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who called the DHS nominee "a reliable, competent leader, capable of managing a complex, multipart operation." Kelly showed a firm grasp of the issues and was very straightforward in his responses. Committee Democrat Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) commented that the Committee had clearly "won the lottery" of Cabinet nominees. The hearing focused on security issues, with no mention of CBP or trade-related matters. Kelly's confirmation is expected to proceed smoothly.

The Senate is moving forward quickly to confirm Trump's cabinet nominees. During the week of January 9, eight confirmation hearings are scheduled, including:

House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) insists that the Committee's tax reform bill will eliminate the so-called "Made in America" tax (which is part of the current tax code), despite concerns from the business community about its impact. Calling it a "backwards feature of our nation's tax code," a committee document described an example of how the tax code penalizes companies who manufacture products in America:

The FMC has approved an amendment to THE Alliance Agreement to go into effect that permits establishing a contingency fund to help member carriers manage through, and recover from, the insolvency or financial distress of a participating line.