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Republicans Begin Turning to National Security Issues

House Republicans will begin taking up national security issues next week, in addition to continuing their drumbeat on economic issues.

Republican leaders in the House are slated to offer legislation next week to extend expiring provisions of the PATRIOT Act as well as the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act. The provisions allow law enforcement agencies to gain access to business records and establish “roving” wiretaps on suspects, among other things. The extension would be until Dec. 8.

House Republicans will also continue their focus on the effects of federal regulations on jobs.

“Every action that House Republicans take is to foster economic growth and spur private sector job creation and most people inherently understand that the repeal of ObamaCare is about jobs, that cutting spending is to create jobs, and that [reining] in out-of-control federal regulation is to grow jobs,” Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s (R-Va.) spokesman Brad Dayspring said in a statement.

To that end, Republican leaders will advance a resolution directing Congressional committees to produce an inventory of the economic growth effects of regulations in the federal agencies they oversee.

Senators return Monday night to vote on two district court nominees, the first to be considered since Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) reached an agreement to approve nominations at a faster pace this year.

The Senate will then continue working through a host of amendments to the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill, which has been on the floor this week. The chamber will be out of session after Tuesday, as Democrats leave Wednesday for Charlottesville, Va., for their annual issues retreat.

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