This report provides a snapshot of the US Executive Branch priorities via daily schedules and the prior day’s press releases. Note: The US Federal Government was closed on Thursday, in observance of Veterans Day. POTUS’ Schedule* 8:30 a.m. EST – THE PRESIDENT participates in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders’ meeting, where Leaders will discuss ongoing … Continue Reading
Talks among party leaders in Washington about a future COVID-19 relief package are at an impasse, with Democrats still adamant about enacting legislation that injects trillions of additional dollars into the American economy, and Republicans seemingly trying to run out the clock in hopes Democrats will consent to passing a “skinny” deal that temporarily addresses … Continue Reading
The enhanced unemployment benefits created by the March 27 CARES Act are set to expire in eight days. The US Congress will need more time than that to determine a path to passage of the next major bipartisan pandemic response legislation – assuming Republicans and Democrats in Washington are able to eventually reach agreement on … Continue Reading
Coronavirus cases in the US are surging. States are closing bars and restaurants. States, local governments, schools and private enterprises are calling upon the federal government for aid, and the US Congress is preparing to craft bipartisan emergency legislation of US$1 trillion or more. It’s March 2020 all over again – only this time, legislators … Continue Reading
Senate Republican leaders have begun to lift the veil on their plans for the next coronavirus response package, acknowledging in a news conference Tuesday that they will support opening the coffers next month to provide another round of aid. The timetable set by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and other Senate GOP leaders means … Continue Reading
Congress is facing renewed pressure to provide hundreds of billions of dollars in “stimulus” money to states, territories, counties and municipalities and to allow such entities the option of using the money to offset revenue lost as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Democratic-controlled US House of Representatives has begun floor consideration of a … Continue Reading
A high-stakes summer is underway in America, where President Donald Trump and the nation’s governors are pushing forward with plans for reopening the nation’s economy even as many nervously eye health indicators that suggest the coronavirus may not be satisfactorily contained. In a vivid illustration of this tension, the Republican National Committee announced Thursday that … Continue Reading
President Donald Trump issued an executive order (EO) Thursday directing federal agencies to streamline their permitting processes to allow for expedited movement on infrastructure projects as a means of contributing to a swift recovery of the American economy as states and US territories emerge from their coronavirus-driven lockdowns. The president’s order came as policymakers prepared … Continue Reading
With the country having passed a grim milestone Wednesday with the 100,000th death from coronavirus, the US House of Representatives will vote today on bipartisan legislation to provide additional flexibility under the March 27 CARES Act’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for businesses reeling from the economic shutdown. For perhaps the first time since the pandemic … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity GOP Sets Out Timeline for Tax Reform Last week, Republican lawmakers traveled to Philadelphia for a retreat to discuss their priorities for the 115th Congress. Among the top priorities for the GOP: tax reform. According to House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI), the House will turn its full time and attention to tax reform … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity The Long March to Tax Reform Continues On June 24, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) released the House GOP’s Task Force on Tax Reform’s long-awaited tax reform “Blueprint,” which lays out the GOP’s tax policy agenda for 2017. Specifically, and as we discuss in greater detail in our alert, … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Coming Soon: The GOP’s Tax Reform “Blueprint” With House Republicans expected to roll out their comprehensive tax “blueprint” this month – and lawmakers set to leave Washington on Friday, June 24 – it is likely that we will see the proposal released this week. It is quite possible, however, that the final product may … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity As June Nears, Tax-Writers Press Forward with Tax Reform Proposals Following last week’s Senate Finance Committee hearing to discuss Chairman Orrin Hatch’s (R-UT) “corporate integration” proposal as relates to the pros and cons of a dividends paid deduction regime, this week, on Tuesday, May 24, the Committee will hold its second in a … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Congressional Tax-Writers Press on With Tax Reform Proposals This week, the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Tax Policy, chaired by Representative Charles Boustany (R-LA), will hold a hearing to examine Member proposals to improve the current U.S. tax system. This hearing is part of a series of hearings on tax reform and … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senate to Consider Business Tax Reform Proposals Following multiple hearings on tax reform thus far this year in the House Ways and Means Committee, this week the Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing on business tax reform. During the hearing, the difference between Republican and Democrat approaches to taxing corporate income, including … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Tax –Writers Plan to Put Out Comprehensive Blueprint by June Last Friday, April 15 (i.e., Tax Day), House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) confirmed that the Tax Reform Task Force (set up earlier in the year by Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI)) plans to release a comprehensive tax reform “blueprint” by … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Tax-Writers Continue Moving Forward with Work on Tax Reform This week, on Wednesday, April 13, the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Tax Policy will hold a hearing to continue the Committee’s efforts to examine “fundamental tax reform proposals.” In March, Ways and Means Committee members examined legislative proposals related to cash-flow … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity International Tax Reform v. Inversions Following up on Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch’s (R-UT) recent acknowledgment that his “corporate integration” proposal has been delayed, at least by “a few weeks,” it now appears that the House Ways and Means Committee may miss its self-imposed goal of March 31 by which to release … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Tax-Writers to Scrutinize Obama’s Budget With President Obama set to release his FY 2017 Budget Proposal on the morning of Tuesday, February 9, House and Senate tax-writers this week have scheduled numerous hearings to review the tax and revenue portions of the Budget. The proposals – at least some of which are sure … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity With Tax Extenders (Mostly) Behind Them, Tax-Writers Likely to Focus on International Tax Reform With Congress (somewhat unexpectedly) having enacted permanent tax extender legislation prior to adjourning the first session of the 114th Congress, tax-writers are now expected to move forward with their efforts on international tax reform – though the substance and … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Lawmakers Moving Toward Resolution on Tax Extenders With potentially only five legislative days remaining before Congress is scheduled to adjourn for the year, tax-writers and congressional leaders are continuing their work to finalize a tax extenders package, with the House having scheduled time to vote on potential legislation this week. Thus far, Republicans … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House to Take Up Short-Term Highway Extension as Lawmakers Work on Tax Title for Longer-Term Bill This week, House lawmakers are set to take up a short-term extension of the Highway Trust Fund, extending the program’s authorization through November 20 in hopes that the House and Senate can come together on a longer-term … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Lawmakers Schedule Markup of Transportation Bill Without Revenue Provisions Last week, on Friday, October 16, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee released a six-year, $325 billion highway funding bill (the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015); a markup of the legislation is scheduled for Thursday, October 22. Notably, while the … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity International Tax Reform-Highway Funding Negotiations Stall Following months of coordination between House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) and senior Senate Finance Committee member Chuck Schumer (D-NY) regarding tying international tax reform to highway funding, aides for the two lawmakers last week announced that negotiations had stalled as a result of … Continue Reading
