Legislative Activity OMB Director-Nominee Rep. Mulvaney’s Confirmation Vote Moves to the Full Senate Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-SC) is one step closer to being confirmed as President Donald Trump’s Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) after being confirmed in a party-line vote by the Senate Committee on the Budget (12-11) and the Senate … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Last week, the Republican Conference held its annual retreat in Philadelphia. Although members left the meeting without a clear path forward on numerous items, it was clear that they intend to have a busy legislative schedule over the next year. With regard to fiscal issues, Republicans remain committed to passing two budget reconciliation … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House and Senate Pass FY 2017 Budget Resolution to Set into Motion the Repeal of Obamacare Last week, Congress passed a budget resolution (S Con Res 3) that will serve as a first step in paving the way for budget reconciliation and eventual repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (P.L. … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Appropriations Path Forward Unclear Congress will return this week for a “lame duck” session without a clear path forward for Fiscal Year 2017 Appropriations. Several possibilities are under discussion, including extending the current Continuing Resolution (CR); an Omnibus; a series of “minibus” bills; or a combination thereof. A consensus on a plan is … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity The text of the Fiscal Year 2017 continuing resolution (CR) was released by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on September 22. The $1.067 trillion spending legislation would provide full fiscal year funding for the Military Construction and Veterans Administration programs and run through December 9, 2016. The bill includes $1.1 billion for … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity No Trucking Rider in Continuing Resolution The current fiscal year ends on September 30, and Congress will need to pass a Continuing Resolution (CR) to continue funding the federal government. The Senate is expected to vote on a CR that Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) introduced last week that does not include a … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Continuing Resolution and Zika Negotiations Persist, Vote Could Occur Early This Week The Senate is likely to take a procedural cloture vote to move onto debate of the vehicle for the Fiscal Year 2017 Continuing Resolution (CR) as soon as Monday afternoon. Negotiations on the legislation occurred throughout the weekend, and compromise language … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Continuing Resolution Likely, with Potential Trucking Rider The current fiscal year ends on September 30, and Congress will need to pass a Continuing Resolution (CR) to continue funding the federal government. The Senate is expected to pass a CR this week that would fund the federal government through December 9. That approach would … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Congress Returns, Appropriations Path Forward Still Unclear Congress returned from a seven week recess, but there is still no clear path forward for a Continuing Resolution (CR), which must pass before September 30. Although the Senate is scheduled to be in session until October 7, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Minority … Continue Reading
Congress to Continue Focus on Appropriations The current fiscal year ends on September 30, and Congress will need to pass a Continuing Resolution (CR) in the next few weeks to continue funding the federal government. Last week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) proposed advancing a CR that would extend funding for the federal government … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Floor Consideration of Interior-Environment Appropriations The House Committee on Rules will meet this evening to review the 157 amendments filed to the Interior-Environment FY 2017 appropriations legislation (H.R. 5538), many of which would halt the implementation of climate and environment rules proposed by the Administration, such as those related to fracking and … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Committee on Education and the Workforce Approves Reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act The House Committee on Education and the Workforce approved H.R. 5587, theStrengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act. Introduced by Reps. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) and Katherine Clark (D-MA), the legislation reauthorizes and … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Passes Legislative Appropriations Bill Last week, the House passed a $3.5 billion FY 2017 Legislative Branch Appropriations bill by a vote of 233-175, largely along party lines, after Speaker Paul Ryan brought the bill to the floor under a “structured rule” to limit amendments. Reversing his stance for an open amendment process, … Continue Reading
Legislative Action Comprehensive Energy Bill As we have previously reported, while the House has voted to go to conference on comprehensive energy legislation and has already appointed its conferees, the Senate has yet to do the same. Work continues in the Senate to clear potential obstacles to agreeing to a conference with the House and … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House to Try Again on Passing an FY 2017 Spending Bill Congress left for its Memorial Day Recess with the failure of the House to pass the typically non-controversial Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill (H.R. 5055) over disputes on amendments related to LGBT anti-discrimination and the Iran nuclear deal, among others. The President … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity FAA Reauthorization Deadline Approaching, Amid Security Concerns The current short-term Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) extension expires on July 15, leaving only 20 legislative days for Congress to pass a long-term reauthorization bill or another short-term extension. This also limits the opportunity that House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) has to … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House and Senate to Continue Appropriations Bills Markups, Floor Consideration The House and Senate Appropriations Committees will continue to markup appropriations bills this week, while the House is expected to consider its FY 2017 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill on the floor. It is unclear which appropriations bill the Senate will consider … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Appropriations Committee to Markup THUD Bill The House Appropriations Committee will mark up its FY 2017 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) Appropriations Act on Tuesday, May 24, after an uneventful Subcommittee markup last week. This comes on the heels of the Senate passing its THUD Appropriations bill last … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senate Considering THUD and MilCon-VA, After Finally Passing Energy-Water Bill This week, the Senate will resume consideration of the FY 2017 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations Act and the FY 2017 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs (MilCon-VA) Appropriations Act, after finally passing the FY 2017 Energy and Water Development (Energy-Water) Appropriations … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House and Senate Work on THUD Appropriations Bills This Week The Senate and House are both expected to make progress on their respective FY 2017 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) Appropriations Acts this week, the Senate on the floor and the House in the Appropriations Committee. A potentially problematic issue … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senate Republicans Hope ‘Third Time is the Charm’ on Energy-Water Bill The Senate will bring up the FY 2017 Energy and Water Development (Energy-Water) Appropriations Act for a third cloture vote on the Senate floor this week. The previous votes both failed to reach the requisite 60 ayes, as Democrats have chosen to … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senate May Consider Combined THUD and MilCon-VA Appropriations Bills This Week This week the Senate is expected to consider the $56.5 billion FY 2017 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) Appropriations Act on the floor, likely by combining the THUD bill with the FY 2017 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senate Continues Consideration of Appropriations Bills, House Process Delayed The Senate is expected to pass the FY 2017 Energy and Water Development (Energy-Water) Appropriations bill as early as this week, after considering numerous amendments on the floor last week. In addition to the Energy-Water bill, the Senate may begin consideration of the FY … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Unclear How House Will Proceed on FAA Reauthorization After the Senate overwhelmingly approved its Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization legislation on April 19 by a vote of 95 to 3, it remains unclear how the House will proceed on its own FAA reauthorization legislation, which continues to be stalled due to objections on … Continue Reading
