This report provides a snapshot of the US Executive Branch priorities via daily schedules and the prior day’s press releases. POTUS’ Schedule* 9:30 a.m. EDT – The President receives the President’s Daily Brief | The White House… Continue Reading
This report provides a snapshot of the US Executive Branch priorities via daily schedules and the prior day’s press releases. POTUS’ Schedule* *The US President (POTUS) and Vice President’s (VPOTUS) daily schedules are subject to change. 12:30 p.m. EST – The President has lunch with the Vice President | Private Dining Room 2:30 p.m. EST … Continue Reading
Will Congress complete fiscal year 2021 appropriations before government funding expires on December 11? What challenges do House and Senate negotiators face in reconciling competing versions of spending bills? Will President Trump sign an Omnibus funding package? … Continue Reading
Will former Vice President Joe Biden prevail in his quest to become president, or does President Trump once again defy conventional wisdom as he did in 2016? Do Democrats attain majority status in both chambers of Congress, or will Republicans maintain a Senate firewall? What lies ahead with regard to fiscal year 2021 … Continue Reading
Are COVID-19 economic stimulus negotiations between the Trump Administration and Congressional Democrats hopelessly deadlocked? Will the US experience a government shutdown prior to the November election? What steps will Congress take to address these issues in September?… Continue Reading
How has COVID-19 altered the US federal appropriations process? What steps is Congress taking to adopt must-pass fiscal year 2021 spending bills? Will the United States experience another government shutdown this year? Attention in Congress will soon turn to the annual appropriations process and passage of fiscal year 2021 spending bills. In addition to funding … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity AHCA’s Final Act? On Friday, April 28, Congress passed a short-term continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government until Friday, May 5. The extension gives Republicans until the end of the week to fund the government through the end of the fiscal year. Then, House Republican leadership will likely turn again to addressing … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Government Shutdown Looms as Current CR Expires Friday; White House Expresses Interest in Bipartisan Negotiations Congress faces a short time frame to pass a spending package for the remainder of the current fiscal year and prevent a government shutdown as the current FY 2017 Continuing Resolution (CR/P.L. 114-254) expires Friday at midnight. House … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Hearing Examines Enforcement of US Immigration Law On Tuesday, March 28, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security held a hearing titled “Restoring Enforcement of our Nation’s Immigration Laws” that featured the following witnesses: The Honorable Thomas Hodgson, Sheriff, Bristol County, Massachusetts; Jessica Vaughn, Director of Policy Studies, Center for … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Lawmaker Predicts Bigger Pentagon Budget, Chance of BRAC Round Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), believes that Congress will ultimately agree to fund the Department of Defense above the $603 billion requested by President Donald Trump for FY 2018, but not as high as some Republican … Continue Reading
Executive Branch Activity Trump Releases FY 2018 Budget Blueprint Last week, President Donald Trump released his FY 2018 “skinny budget,” intended to serve as the blueprint for his full budget request expected in May. As anticipated, the $1.1 trillion budget request adheres to the topline discretionary spending cap of $1.1 trillion mandated by the Budget … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity FY 2017: House Passes Defense Appropriations Bill, What About the Rest? The House passed its $577.9 billion FY 2017 defense appropriations bill (H.R. 1301) last week by a vote of 371-48 which included a $6.8 billion increase in procurement funding above the Obama Administration’s budget request for the fiscal year. The chamber still … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity FY 2017 Defense Appropriations Bill The House is expected to vote on its FY 2017 defense spending bill this week. The legislation, released by appropriators on Thursday, totals $577.9 billion, which is $5.2 billion higher than the FY 2016 level, and in line with the parameters contained in last year’s National Defense Authorization … Continue Reading
Executive Branch Activity Trump’s FY 2018 “Skinny Budget” Expected Mid-March The Trump Administration is reporting it will release its FY 2018 budget proposal by mid-March, according to White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer. The proposal is expected to be a “skinny budget” and provide an outline of the President’s fiscal goals, while a more comprehensive … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senate Panels Prepare for Trump Cabinet Confirmation Hearings This week, Senate lawmakers will begin a number of hearings to consider President-Elect Trump’s Cabinet nominees. On Wednesday, January 11, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will hold a hearing to consider the nomination of Gen. John Kelly to be Secretary of the … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Continuing Resolution Although Congress is set to be in session for another two weeks, it is likely the House will adjourn for the year as soon as this Thursday afternoon. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has promised the House will vote on a Continuing Resolution (CR) before the current CR expires on … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Appropriations Outlook It increasingly appears that the House will approve a Continuing Resolution (CR) in lieu of an Omnibus or a series of Minibuses before the current CR expires on December 9. This approach is easier for Republican leadership because it will placate members of the Freedom Caucus who do not want to … 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 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 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
