- As lawmakers headed home to their districts for a two-week recess, many were already getting an earful of grievances from constituents about the sequester’s impact—and were bracing to hear far more in meetings and town halls in coming weeks. Read more Rank-and-file lawmakers have been equipped by their leaders with pre-written tweets, Facebook posts, sample op-eds, event suggestions, and ready-to-go answers to anticipated press inquiries during the two-week recess.
- Immigration reform has become the No. 1 policy priority at both the AFL-CIO and the Business Roundtable, proof that the issue will be a major focus. Look for the Senate to begin debating a sweeping reform bill sometime this spring that would legalize some 11 million undocumented immigrants and create a new way for foreign workers to come into the country legally. Read more
- In a rare moment of bipartisan consensus, the Senate voted 99-0 in favor of an amendment that would end federal subsidies for the nation’s biggest banks. Read more
- Despite brightening economic conditions, enrollment in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program has soared 70 percent since 2008, The Wall Street Journal reports. Read more
The National Journal Toolbox is produced every Thursday by Glen Justice, Jonathan Miller, Ben Schreckinger, Erin Mershon, and Cory Bennett with National Journal’s Daily Briefings Team. Read the full March 28 edition here.