Washington

Tax-exempt advance refundings are unlikely to be included in a FY22 budget, but two bills that would restore the popular tool remain alive.

Municipal bonds' relative value has increased dramatically as rates have risen and credit fundamentals have improved, with municipal-to-Treasury ratios now on par with their five-year averages.

Republicans on the Senate Banking Committee skipped its scheduled vote on five Federal Reserve appointees, preventing a quorum. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell echoed concerns raised about nominee Sarah Bloom Raskin, saying she wants the Fed to become an “ideological left-wing activist body” that interferes with private-sector credit decisions.

“It’s important for the economy and the entirety of the American Rescue Plan that we see each county doing what it can for workers," Biden Senior Advisor Gene Sperling told the National Association of Counties.

From fund flows to Fed policy, investing in munis requires a more thoughtful strategy.

GOP lawmakers are considering a plan by Sen. Pat Toomey, the top Republican on the Senate Banking Committee, to boycott Tuesday’s committee votes on Raskin and President Biden’s four other Federal Reserve nominees. Such a move would deny Democrats a quorum to move forward.

A crucial centrist vote among Democrats, the Montana lawmaker and Senate Banking Committee member predicts the full chamber will support Raskin's nomination for vice chair for supervision of the Federal Reserve Board if she advances out of committee on Tuesday.

Texas Sen. John Cornyn urged counties to continue to lobby for a bill that would allow ARPA funds to be used for transportation infrastructure and disaster relief.

Dennis Gingold, co-founder of the Reserve Trust company, says Republican allegations that central bank nominee Sarah Bloom Raskin behaved unethically in interacting with the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City while serving on the company's board are “completely false.”

Municipal yields rose up to 10 basis points on the short end, playing catch up to the volatility of Treasuries' moves on Thursday. Rising UST rates will inevitably be more significant for munis until they settle into more stable levels.