America’s top monetary policy official, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell, is urging the US Congress to extend the enhanced unemployment benefits approved this spring that are set to expire at the end of July, intensifying a policy debate that will be pivotal to the negotiations next month that will determine the next phase in … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Infrastructure Bill Could be Packaged with Tax Reform There has been considerable discussion on the Hill and in the Trump Administration about the prospects of combining a large-scale infrastructure bill with comprehensive tax reform. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin recently met with the Problem Solvers Caucus, a group of 20 Democrats and 20 Republicans … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Many Tax Policy Priorities Outstanding as Congress Looks to Home Stretch With Congress back in Washington for several weeks of work before adjourning in advance of the November Election, tax-writers have much work in store – though the lack of legislative days, coupled with the complex and divisive nature of some of the … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Congress to Vote on Short-Term FAA Reauthorization This Week This week, Congress will vote on a short-term Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) authorization that will reauthorize FAA programs through September 30, 2017. The short-term authorization includes some policy changes, but avoids many significant changes the House and Senate had been pursuing. While the Senate … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Short-Term FAA Reauthorization Likely Soon The current short-term Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) extension expires on July 15, leaving just four weeks for Congress to pass another short-term extension or a long term reauthorization bill. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) recently admitted that Congress will have to pass another short-term … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity FAA Reauthorization Deadline a Month Away The current short-term Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) extension expires on July 15, leaving just over a month for Congress to pass a short-term extension or a long term reauthorization bill. While the Senate passed its reauthorization, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2016 (H.R. 636), by an overwhelming … 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 Senate Could Pass FAA Reauthorization Act on Monday On Monday, the Senate is expected to hold a cloture vote on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2016. The Senate considered the FAA Reauthorization Act most of last week, adopting a variety of bipartisan amendments to the bill that would reauthorize FAA programs … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senate to Continue Consideration of FAA Reauthorization Act On Monday, the Senate will resume floor consideration of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2016. Over 100 amendments to the bill have been filed, but it is unclear how many will be offered on the floor this week. Additionally, Senate Leadership and … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senate Commerce Committee to Markup FAA Reauthorization The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee will mark up the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2016 (S. 2658) this Wednesday, March 16. The bipartisan bill would reauthorize Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) programs through September 30, 2017. The text of the bill is available here. … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Shelves AIRR Act, Senate to Pursue Own FAA Reauthorization Legislation Members of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee are moving forward with their own bipartisan Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization legislation in the coming weeks, after House Leadership shelved the Aviation Innovation, Reform, and Reauthorization (AIRR) Act amid diverse opposition to … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity MOBILE NOW Act Introduced in Senate On February 11, Senator John Thune (R-SD), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation (Senate Commerce Committee) and Ranking Member Bill Nelson (D-FL) introduced the S.2555, the Making Opportunities for Broadband Investment and Limiting Excessive and Needless Obstacles to Wireless Act (MOBILE NOW Act). … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House To Consider Transportation Bill on Floor Both chambers passed a short-term extension last week, reauthorizing highway, highway safety, and transit programs through November 20. The House now turns to floor consideration of their six-year surface transportation bill on Wednesday. The House appears determined to make productive use of the 22-day extension. On … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Transportation Bill Marked-Up, But Short-Term Extension Needed Facing the October 29 expiration of surface transportation programs, the House will vote this week on a bill to extend these programs for three weeks, through November 20, buying time for the House to finish work on its six-year bill. The extension legislation also includes … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Congress Concerned with BEPS, International Tax Reform Moves Forward Last week, G-7 leaders (i.e., finance ministers and central bank governors from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States) met in Germany to renew their commitment to coming together on a “feasible” proposal to address base erosion and profit … Continue Reading
Legislative Branch Activity Cybersecurity Legislation In the Senate, the committees with jurisdiction over cybersecurity issues continue to work on drafting legislation that will be introduced in the coming weeks, including the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and the Senate Intelligence Committee. Previous efforts to pass cybersecurity … Continue Reading
