This is a weekly post spotlighting labor topics in focus by the US legislative and executive branches during the previous week. In this issue, we cover: Biden Administration Labor Leadership Updates Budget Reconciliation Spending Package Agreed to in Principle House Appropriations Committee Advances Labor Spending Bill Farmworker COVID-19 Vaccination Effort Urged Federal Funding for Workers … Continue Reading
This is a weekly post spotlighting labor topics in focus by the US legislative and executive branches during the previous week. In this issue, we cover: American Jobs Plan Unveiled Responses to the Plan Joint Employment Rule Update Form T-1 Trust Annual Report Filing | Non-Enforcement Decision… Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Next Stop: The Senate After an uphill battle and much compromise, H.R. 1628, the American Health Care Act (AHCA), passed the House of Representatives on Thursday, May 4, by a vote of 217 ayes to 213 nays. At the beginning of the week a favorable outcome for the AHCA seemed unlikely. Speaker Ryan … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Budget Reconciliation and FY 17 Appropriations The House FY 17 budget reconciliation measure- the American Health Care Act, aimed at “repeal and replace” of the Affordable Care Act- did not receive a floor vote last week, and its future is now uncertain. Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) said the House Republican party “will need … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity The Repeal and Replace Effort Moves to the House Budget Committee After two marathon markups, the Republican repeal and replace effort is expected to continue on to the House Committee on the Budget. The House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the House Committee on Ways and Means endured partisan markups due to … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Potential for Reconciliation Language to Move Through Committees This Week With reports that reconciliation language was available for House Republicans to review last week, sources indicate that the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the House Committee on Ways and Means may mark up their respective reconciliation language this Wednesday, March 8, … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Repeal and Replace or Repair and Rebrand? With reconciliation instructions in the FY 2017 spending bill that initiate the House and Senate committees with health care jurisdiction to reduce the deficit, Republicans in both chambers are eager to use the fast-track, fifty-vote process to repeal and replace as much of the Affordable Care … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity President Trump’s FY 2018 Budget Proposal The Trump Administration intends to release a FY 2018 budget proposal within the “next several weeks” according to President Trump’s Press Secretary, Sean Spicer. It is likely that this submission will be an outline (“skinny budget”) which will lay the groundwork for a more complete budget plan … 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 Senate Prepares for Vote-a-Rama This week, the Senate begins 50 hours of debate on the budget resolution, moving towards the repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) through the budget reconciliation process. While Republicans make final policy decisions on the language and continue to discuss their repeal and replace strategy, Democrats are working … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Appropriations Process in Full Swing as House and Senate Mark Up Bills Both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees will hold subcommittee and full committee appropriations bill markups and release 302(b) suballocations this week, even without an approved budget resolution in either chamber. The budget process has stalled in both the House and … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Budget Resolution Markup Possible This Week House Budget Committee Chairman Tom Price (R-GA) has kept the Budget Committee’s schedule open this week in the hopes of marking up an FY 2017 budget resolution. While the markup has not yet been scheduled, it would likely take place on Tuesday or Wednesday. Chairman Price and … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Republicans Look for Mandatory Cuts to Make Passage of a Budget Resolution Possible House Budget Committee Chairman Tom Price (R-GA) and House Republican Leadership continue to look for cuts to mandatory spending to offset the $30 billion increase in discretionary spending for FY 2017 called for in last year’s bipartisan budget deal. … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Republicans Work Towards an Agreement on Spending Republicans may be nearing a deal that will make passage of a budget much easier in the House. Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) recently told House Republicans the best way to advance conservative policy priorities during the upcoming appropriations process is to approve a budget, and … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity President to Release Budget Tuesday, to Republican Opposition On Tuesday, February 9, the White House will release President Barack Obama’s fiscal year (FY) budget request, his final one. The President’s budget will be dead on arrival in Congress but can be an important messaging document, particularly heading into a presidential election year. The … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Congress Kicks Off Budget Process This week, the Congressional fiscal year (FY) 2017 budget process begins in earnest, as the House and Senate Budget Committees hold budget hearings and various committees mark up their “Views and Estimates.” While President Barack Obama will not release his budget until February 9, Congress is not waiting … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity President to Release Budget on February 9, Starting FY 2017 Appropriations Process The White House recently announced they will release the President’s budget request for FY 2017 on February 9. This will be the final budget request of his presidency, and is expected to adhere to the discretionary spending levels put in place … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Omnibus Negotiations Continue, Funding Runs Out This Friday Despite having a budget deal, negotiations over policy riders in the forthcoming $1.1 trillion omnibus bill continue this week. Last week, Congressional Republicans proposed an omnibus bill that included several contentious policy riders, which the Democrats were quick to reject and make a counter-offer. The … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Omnibus Negotiations Continue As Deadline Approaches The House and Senate continue to negotiate an omnibus spending bill, though time is running out as the current continuing resolution (CR) only funds the Federal government through December 11. Complicating the negotiations are disagreements over several policy riders that Republicans would like to include in the … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senate and House to Focus on Appropriations Bills Under New Caps Following the recent two-year budget and debt ceiling agreement, The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, the House and Senate are now working under new discretionary caps, increased by $50 billion for FY 2016 and equally divided between defense and non-defense programs. The … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Two-Year Budget Agreement Approved Late last week, the House and Senate sent to the President a two-year bipartisan budget/debt ceiling agreement, The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (House vote 266-167; Senate vote 64-35). In addition to suspending the debt limit through March 15, 2017, the proposal raises sequestration-level discretionary budget caps by $80 … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Debt Ceiling Looms Over House Speaker Elections According to the Treasury Department, the debt ceiling will be reached on November 3, leaving the House only five more legislative days to increase it. Complicating the issue, the floor vote for a new House Speaker is scheduled for Thursday, October 29, with Rep. Paul Ryan … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Budget Negotiations Continue Amidst Busy Congressional Calendar Budget negotiations between staff for Republican leadership, the White House, and Democrats are ongoing, but there have been few signs of progress. Democrats have recently announced they will not accept changes to entitlements as part of a budget deal to increase government spending, increasing the likelihood … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Budget Negotiations Begin Recently, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) began discussions with President Barack Obama on a budget deal. The three of them participated in a conference call to lay the foundation for negotiations, and while Majority Leader McConnell reportedly pushed to keep Democratic Leadership in … Continue Reading
