GAO Report finds Billions in Unemployment Overpayments

A report released last week by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has found that states and territories overpaid billions in unemployment benefits during the pandemic.  Reporting shows that GAO identified $12.9B in overpayments made between March 2020 and April 2021 and noted the final total would be higher as several states had yet to report numbers for the period.

Debt Ceiling Deadline Approaches

Amid discussions on plans for nearly $5T in federal spending, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) last week reminded lawmakers that the 2019 suspension of the federal government’s statutory debt limit—the debt ceiling—was set to expire on July 31.  Without further Congressional intervention to raise or suspend the limit, the CBO expects the U.S. to be unable to meet its obligations in October or November.

Delaware County Rep. Margo Davidson, Charged with Theft, Resigns

Last Thursday, Rep. Margo Davidson (D-164) resigned her seat in the state House of Representatives shortly after Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced that she would be prosecuted on theft charges.  The charges stemmed from a Grand Jury investigation that found Davidson had fraudulently filed per diem and reimbursement requests, failed to report campaign finance information, and encouraged witnesses to lie to investigators.

President Nominates Comcast’s Cohen to Ambassadorship

President Biden announced last week his intent to nominate David Cohen, Senior Advisor to the CEO at Comcast Corporation, to serve in the role of U.S. Ambassador to Canada.  The White House also broadcast the intended nominees to head up missions in Austria and Slovenia.