The United States has experienced a sharp increase in the number of new reported cases of coronavirus over the past week, but Beltway media coverage and the policy debate in Washington this week are largely centered on the potential for action in both chambers of the US Congress on police reform legislation. Republicans, emboldened by … Continue Reading
The US Congress is moving urgently to formulate new legislation that goes to the heart of the current policy debate in America, and it has nothing to do with coronavirus. Instead, the focus of Congress’ current short-term agenda is police reform, calls for which have surged across the nation in the wake of the universally … Continue Reading
For the first time since early 2020, the dominant topic in the American policy debate is not the COVID-19 pandemic. With national attention consumed by protests, riots and the state of race relations in the United States, efforts continue in Washington to stabilize and stimulate an American economy that was brought to a screeching halt … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senate Appropriations Process Stalled for Foreseeable Future Both the House and Senate are on schedule to finish voting all 12 appropriations bills out of committee, which if successful would be the first time in six years. However, the process is likely to remain stalled in the Senate, as Senate Democrats are expected to … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House to Consider 21st Century Cures Act Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has announced that the House of Representatives will consider H.R. 6, the 21st Century Cures Act, this week. The House Committee on Rules will meet to consider the rules for the debate on Wednesday, July 8. Amendments to the legislation are … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senate Appropriations Process Stalls as Democrats Look to Force a Budget Deal The Senate appropriations process has stalled, and it is unclear how Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) will proceed this week. Last Thursday, Senate Democrats followed through with their announced strategy to stop appropriations bills from reaching the Senate floor by … Continue Reading
SCOTUS Watch The Supreme Court is expected to issue its opinion in King v. Burwell by the end of the month, though it is unclear when the decision will be handed down. Currently, the Supreme Court has scheduled non-argument days for June 22 and 29, with a conference day scheduled for June 25. The issue … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senate Finance Committee Working Groups to Submit Tax Reform Proposals After having been provided additional time to finalize their proposals for consideration by the full Committee, the Senate Finance Committee Tax Reform Working Groups are due to submit their proposals by this Friday, June 26. The Working Group that appears to have made … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senate Democrats Continue to Push for a Budget Deal In the coming weeks, Senate Democrats will implement a strategy intended to force Republicans into a budget deal. Senate Democratic leadership does not want to rely on President Obama’s vetoes of appropriations bills to force Republicans into negotiations, and will likely prevent any appropriations … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Appropriations Bills Head to House Floor The House will debate the Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) and the Transportation and Housing (T-HUD) FY 2016 Appropriations Bills on the floor this week. Both bills adhere to the sequester’s spending limits, even though President Obama has threatened to veto any appropriations bills that do not adjust the caps. … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Finding a Way to Fund the Nation’s Highways…The Debate Continues Prior to adjourning for the Memorial Day recess, lawmakers passed legislation that extended highway funding authority for a two-month period through July 31. Now, with Congress set to return to Washington this week, lawmakers will yet again be tasked within finding a way to … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senate Joins House in Appropriations Effort Senate Appropriators begin work on their FY 2016 spending bills this week, with subcommittee markups scheduled Tuesday for the Military Construction-Veterans Affairs and Energy-Water appropriations bills. Committee Chairman Thad Cochran (R-MS) has not publicly revealed how he apportions the mandated topline discretionary funding level of $1.07 trillion … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Congress Avoids DHS Shut-Down, Passes Short-Term Funding Measure Funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will again be the top priority on the congressional agenda this week after both a “clean” full-year continuing resolution (CR) and a three-week CR failed to advance in the House, forcing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity President’s Budget, Economic Report in Focus This week, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew is scheduled to testify before the House and Senate Appropriations Committees about President Obama’s FY 2016 Budget Request. On Tuesday, March 3, Secretary Lew, along with Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner John Koskinen and Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration Russell … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity DHS Funding Deadline Nears Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding expires on Friday, February 27, leaving only days for Congress to act to fund DHS. The Senate has not been able to overcome a Democratic filibuster of the House DHS funding legislation (H.R. 240), which includes policy riders blocking the President’s executive actions … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity President Submits Proposed FY 2016 Budget to Congress On Monday, February 2, the President submitted his proposed FY 2016 budget to Congress, kick-starting the annual budget and appropriations process. His $4.066 trillion proposal called for tens of billions of dollars in new spending, arguing that the Federal deficit has been cut and the … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Previewing the President’s FY 2016 Budget The Administration will release the President’s FY 2016 budget later today, Monday, February 2. Federal agencies will host briefings to outline the President’s priorities and provide background on the proposed budget numbers. Congressional budget committees will then kick-off a series of hearings on these proposals starting Tuesday, … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity DHS Spending Bill Slated for Consideration by House Late on Friday, January 9, House Republicans released a draft bill funding the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through September 30, the end of the fiscal year. DHS is currently operating under a short-term continuing resolution passed as part of the Consolidated and Further … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity 114th Congress Prepares for Busy Appropriations and Budget Season Legislators are gearing up for a busy agenda at the start of the 114th Congress, including several key appropriations and budget priorities. On December 16, 2014, President Obama signed the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act (also known as the “CRomnibus”). The CRomnibus funds … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Early Outlook for Tax Activity in Congress As Congress returns to Washington, tax writers will prepare to move forward on several different fronts. As anticipated in our prior coverage, lawmakers were able to pass tax extenders legislation before the 113th Congress adjourned. The legislation, however, only provided a one-year retroactive extension of the … Continue Reading
LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY Farm Bill Conference This Wednesday, October 30, marks the official start to the farm bill conference, which will be a public meeting involving the 41 House and Senate conferees. For months, agriculture leadership and their staff have met behind the scenes on an informal basis to start conversations on reconciling the two farm … Continue Reading
