Congressional Climate Archives

Congressional Climate December 6, 2017

A ferocious wildfire threatens thousands of homes in Southern California

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Today’s Hill Action
Senate Floor Schedule
10:00am: Convene and begin a period of morning business.

Committee Hearings
Aging
9:30am – SD-562

Environment and Public Works
10:00am – SD-406

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
10:00am – SD-342

Judiciary
10:00am – SH-216

Indian Affairs
2:30pm – SD-628

Environment and Public Works
Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Management, and Regulatory Oversight
2:30pm – SD-406

Foreign Relations
Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism
2:30pm – SD-419

House Floor Schedule
10:00am: House will meet for morning hour.
12:00pm: House will meet for legislative business.
First votes expected 1:45pm-2:45pm. Last votes expected 4:15pm-5:15pm.

Committee Hearings
Foreign Affairs
Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations
10:00am – 2172 Rayburn HOB

Natural Resources
10:00am – 1324 Longworth HOB

Energy and Commerce
Subcommittee on Environment
10:00am – 2123 Rayburn HOB

Financial Services
Housing and Insurance
10:00am – 2128 Rayburn HOB

Science, Space, and Technology
Subcommittee on Research and Technology
10:00am – 2318 Rayburn HOB

Science, Space, and Technology
Subcommittee on Space
2:00pm – 2318 Rayburn HOB

Foreign Affairs
Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats
2:00pm – 2200 Rayburn HOB

Foreign Affairs
Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific
2:00pm – 2172 Rayburn HOB

Rules
3:00pm – H-313 Capitol
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McConnell ‘almost certain’ GOP will pass tax reform

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said on Wednesday that it’s “almost certain” Republicans will be able to pass a tax-reform plan, as lawmakers are gearing up for negotiations over the House and Senate bills.

“Well, almost certain. I mean, I can’t imagine having come this far we’re not going to finish the job,” he told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt.

The Senate is expected to vote on Wednesday to go to conference on their tax legislation, after the House held a similar vote on Monday.

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Freedom Caucus and Ryan near truce to avoid Friday shutdown

House GOP leaders and conservatives, eager to avoid a “distraction” that might derail tax reform legislation, appear close to reaching a reluctant truce on an agreement to avoid a government shutdown on Friday.

House Freedom Caucus leaders, who have so far refused to back a two-week funding bill, emerged from a closed-door meeting Wednesday morning sounding open to the idea.

“I think the real focus for all of us is tax reform and getting tax reform done,” Freedom Caucus chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) said exiting the meeting. “That was the crux of the conversation we had today: that we gotta get across the finish line on tax reform. Any distraction from that is a problem.”

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3.6 million people signed up for ObamaCare in one month

More than 3.6 million people have signed up for ObamaCare plans during the first month of open enrollment, according to new numbers released Wednesday by the Trump administration.

In week five of open enrollment, which spanned from Nov. 26 through Dec. 2, 823,000 people signed up for plans, including 271,200 new customers.

That’s up from week four of enrollment, when 504,000 people signed up and week 3 when just under 800,000 people signed up.

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Until tomorrow,
Lobbyit.com
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December 6, 2017/0 Comments/by interns@lobbyit.com

Congressional Climate December 5, 2017

Congressional Climate

Supreme Court Allows Full Enforcement Of President Trump’s Travel Ban: Including Syria, Yemen

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Today’s Hill Action
Senate Floor Schedule
10:00am: Convene and proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the nomination of Kirstjen Nielsen, of Virginia, to be Secretary of Homeland Security.

Committee Hearings
Appropriations
Subcommittee on Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
10:00am – SD-124

Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
10:00am – SD-538

Energy and Natural Resources
10:00am – SD-366

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
10:00am – SD-430

Energy and Natural Resources
Subcommittee on Energy
2:30pm – SD-366

Foreign Relations
2:30pm – S-116

Intelligence
3:00pm – SH-219

House Floor Schedule
10:00am: House will meet for morning hour.
12:00pm: House will meet for legislative business.

Committee Hearings
Rules
2:00pm – H-313 Capitol
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House forges ahead with Dec. 22 spending bill

House Republican leadership is forging ahead with a stop-gap bill to keep the government funded through Dec. 22 and avoid a shutdown, despite a Monday night push from the conservative Freedom Caucus to move the date past Christmas.

Lawmakers emerged from a House GOP conference meeting on Tuesday morning indicating that leaders are leaning toward a two-week continuing resolution (CR). Current funding for fiscal 2018 runs out Friday at midnight.

“Leadership is locked in on Dec. 22,” Freedom Caucus Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) told The Hill.

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House conservatives almost topple tax vote

House conservatives threatened to derail a key tax vote on Monday in an attempt to win more influence over the GOP’s spending strategy, just four days before the deadline to fund the government.

In a dramatic political stunt, more than a dozen members of the House Freedom Caucus withheld their support for a crucial procedural vote on the GOP’s tax bill, threatening an embarrassing blow to GOP leadership.

The conservatives eventually relented, approving what had been thought to be a formality — a motion to appoint negotiators to hammer out a final tax bill with the Senate.

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Trump, Democrats restart talks to avert shutdown

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Monday they will meet with President Donald Trump to resume high-stakes negotiations to avoid a government shutdown at week’s end.

The Thursday sit-down at the White House with Trump and GOP leaders would amount to a do-over of the meeting Democrats ditched last week over a fiery Trump tweet that slammed the Democrats and cast doubt on the prospect of reaching a deal. The boycott caused a political spectacle and temporarily halted talks on a broader spending deal congressional leaders have been negotiating behind the scenes.

“We hope the President will go into this meeting with an open mind, rather than deciding that an agreement can’t be reached beforehand,” the Democratic leaders wrote in a joint statement.

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Until tomorrow,
Lobbyit.com
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December 5, 2017/0 Comments/by interns@lobbyit.com

Congressional Climate December 4, 2017

Congressional Climate

Senate Passes GOP-Backed Tax Plan In Late-Night Vote

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Today’s Hill Action
Senate Floor Schedule
3:00pm: Convene and proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the nomination of Kirstjen Nielsen, of Virginia, to be Secretary of Homeland Security.

Committee Hearings
No committee hearings scheduled.

House Floor Schedule
None.

Committee Hearings
No committee hearings scheduled.
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This week: Congress seeks to avoid a shutdown

Four days remain until government funding expires and it still isn’t entirely clear how Congress will avoid a shutdown.

House GOP leaders are still forging ahead with a plan to pass a two-week stopgap measure to keep the government’s lights on through Dec. 22 once current funding expires after Friday, despite opposition from conservatives and uncertainty of whether Democrats would support it.

The House Rules Committee is scheduled to meet on Tuesday to set up floor debate on the two-week spending patch.

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Week ahead: Republicans close in on ObamaCare mandate repeal

Republicans are closer now than they’ve been all year to scoring a win on health care.

Republicans in the Senate passed a tax code overhaul that would also repeal one of ObamaCare’s most unpopular provisions — the individual mandate.

It’s not the full-fledged repeal of ObamaCare they have promised voters for seven years, but that could come next year after tax reform, they say.

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Scalise: House, Senate ‘pretty close’ on tax bill

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) said Sunday the House and Senate are “pretty close” on the key aspects of each chamber’s tax bill, despite what he acknowledged are “significant” differences.

“If you look at the House and Senate bill, both of us are pretty close on that. There are some areas where we disagree,” Scalise said on “Fox and Friends,” pointing to agreement over cutting the corporate tax rate.

The Senate passed legislation early Saturday morning to overhaul the tax code, approving the plan by a 51-49 vote.

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Until tomorrow,
Lobbyit.com
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December 4, 2017/0 Comments/by interns@lobbyit.com

Congressional Climate November 30, 2017

Congressional Climate

Trump: GOP tax bill ‘will be really, really special’

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Today’s Hill Action
Senate Floor Schedule
10:30am: Convene and resume consideration of H.R.1, Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

Committee Hearings
Foreign Relations
10:00am – SD-419

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
10:00am – SD-430

Armed Services
10:30am – SD-G50

Judiciary
10:30am – SD-226

Intelligence
2:00pm – SH-219

House Floor Schedule
10:00am: House will meet for morning hour.
12:00pm: House will meet for legislative business.
First votes expected 1:30pm-2:30pm. Last votes expected 5:00pm-6:00pm.

Committee Hearings
Appropriations
Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
9:30am – 2007 Rayburn HOB

Appropriations
Subcommittee on Homeland Security
10:00am – 2359 Rayburn HOB

Financial Services
Capital Markets, Securities, and Investment
10:00am – 2128 Rayburn HOB

Energy and Commerce
Subcommittee on Health
10:00am – 2128 Rayburn HOB

Homeland Security
10:00am – HVC-210 Capitol

Natural Resources
10:00am – 1324 Longworth HOB

Energy and Commerce
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
10:15am – 2322 Rayburn HOB

Oversight and Government Reform
1:00pm – 2154 Rayburn HOB

Natural Resources
2:00pm – 1324 Longworth HOB

Judiciary
Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet
2:00pm – 2141 Rayburn HOB

Energy and Commerce
Subcommittee on Communications and Technology
2:00pm – 2123 Rayburn HOB

Financial Services
Monetary Policy and Trade
2:00pm – 2128 Rayburn HOB

Natural Resources
2:30pm – 1334 Longworth HOB

Appropriations
Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
3:00pm – 2358-A Rayburn HOB

House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
3:00pm – HVC-304 Capitol

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GOP places risky bet on trickle-down tax cut

Republicans are on the cusp of passing the biggest corporate tax cut in American history, betting it will ignite an economic boom that creates better jobs and fatter paychecks for middle-class Americans.

That boom may never trickle down.

Some economists and corporate executives are already warning that simply lowering tax bills won’t necessarily cause companies to hire more people and pay them better. Instead, they could just wind up returning the extra cash to shareholders.

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Insurance officials mandate repeal will damage markets

Many state insurance officials, even some in red states, are warning that repealing ObamaCare’s individual mandate in the GOP tax-reform bill would cause damage to their markets.

Insurance commissioners warn that premiums would rise, insurers could drop out of the market and more people would go without coverage if the mandate is repealed, as Senate Republicans are poised to do as part of their tax bill this week.

In addition to fulfilling a longtime GOP policy goal, repealing the mandate also helps Republicans pay for tax cuts in the bill, as the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that ending the rule would save about $338 billion over 10 years.

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GOP could punt funding fight to January

Chatter among Republicans grew louder Wednesday that Congress may punt its government-funding fight into January rather than tackle a massive, trillion-dollar omnibus package right before the holidays.

With lawmakers scrambling to avert a government shutdown on Dec. 8, GOP leadership has been weighing the length of a continuing resolution, or CR, to keep the government’s lights on while they hash out a broader fiscal 2018 spending deal.

The lawmakers in charge of writing the spending bills prefer a one- to two-week CR, which they think will give them their best shot at finishing their 2018 omnibus package before Christmas.

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Until tomorrow,
Lobbyit.com
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November 30, 2017/0 Comments/by interns@lobbyit.com

Congressional Climate November 29, 2017

Congressional Climate

Trump: ‘I would absolutely blame the Democrats’ if there was a government shutdown

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Today’s Hill Action
Senate Floor Schedule
12:00pm: Convene and begin a period of morning business.

Committee Hearings
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
9:30am – SD-430

Environment and Public Works
10:00am – SD-406

Judiciary
10:00am – SD-226

Joint Economic Committee
10:00am – 1100 Longworth HOB

Commerce, Science, and Transportation
10:30am – SR-253

Veterans’ Affairs
2:30pm – SR-418

Intelligence
3:00pm – SH-219

House Floor Schedule
10:00am: House will meet for morning hour.
12:00pm: House will meet for legislative business.

Committee Hearings
Energy and Commerce
Subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection
10:00am – 2123 Rayburn HOB

Appropriations
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
10:00am – 2362-A Rayburn HOB

Appropriations
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
10:00am – 2007 Rayburn HOB

Financial Services
Subcommittee Housing and Insurance
10:00am – 2128 Rayburn HOB

Foreign Affairs
Subcommittee on Middle East and North Africa
10:00am – 2172 Rayburn HOB

Judiciary
10:00am – 2141 Rayburn HOB

Natural Resources
10:00am – 1324 Longworth HOB

Oversight and Government Reform
Subcommittee on Interior, Energy, and Environment
10:00am – 2154 Rayburn HOB

Energy and Commerce
Subcommittee on Energy
10:15am – 2322 Rayburn HOB

Appropriations
Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies
11:00am – 2362-B Rayburn HOB

Foreign Affairs
Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations
2:00pm – 2172 Rayburn HOB

Appropriations
Financial Services and General Government
2:00pm – 2358-C Rayburn HOB

Financial Services
Multiple Subcommittees
2:00pm – 2128 Rayburn HOB

Rules
3:00pm – H-313 Capitol

Natural Resources
4:00pm – 1324 Longworth HOB

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Senate Republicans round up more votes for tax plan

One by one, the GOP holdouts on the Senate tax bill are falling into place for Republican leadership.

Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma, who had raised concerns about the tax measure’s red ink, said Wednesday morning that he would support the overhaul, particularly with a backstop measure meant to help guard against a ballooning deficit. Lankford’s support comes after another wavering GOP senator — Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas — said he would back the bill, too.

“I want to see the good economic growth that’s coming with it,” Lankford said on CBS on Wednesday. “But I also want to make sure that we’re protecting future taxpayers as well, in debt and deficit.”

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Lawmakers, conservative groups don’t want ‘trigger’ in tax bill

Some GOP senators and outside conservative groups are raising concerns about the potential inclusion of a “trigger” in the Senate tax bill if the measure fails to meet economic growth projections.

GOP deficit hawks in the Senate have been pushing for a backstop that would scale back tax cuts if they add more to the deficit than Republicans expect. Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) said Tuesday that he has reached an agreement with leadership to include a trigger in the bill, though he did not provide any details about the provision.

But others are wary of automatic tax increases.

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Trump backs bipartisan fixes to ObamaCare markets

President Trump at a closed-door meeting with GOP senators on Tuesday said he would support two proposals meant to stabilize ObamaCare’s insurance markets in exchange for a repeal of the law’s individual mandate, several Republicans in attendance said.

The two bills would fund key ObamaCare insurer payments, and provide billions to help states create reinsurance programs for high-cost patients.

Passage of the measures could prove crucial to winning support for the Senate tax bill, which includes repeal of ObamaCare’s mandate, from Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine).

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Until tomorrow,
Lobbyit.com
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November 29, 2017/0 Comments/by interns@lobbyit.com

Congressional Climate November 28, 2017

Congressional Climate

Republican Senators Who May Oppose the Tax Bill

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Today’s Hill Action
Senate Floor Schedule
12:00pm: Convene and proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the nomination of Gregory G. Katsas, of Virginia, to be United States Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Committee Hearings
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
9:45am – SH-216

Environment and Public Works
Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety
10:00am – SD-406

Foreign Relations
10:00am – SD-419

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
10:00am – SD-430

Judiciary
10:00am – SD-226

Budget
2:30pm – SD-608

Intelligence
2:30pm – SH-219

House Floor Schedule
12:00pm: House will meet for morning hour.
2:00pm: House will meet for legislative business.
Votes postponed until 6:30pm.

Committee Hearings
Homeland Security
Subcommittee on Transportation and Protective Security
10:00am – City Council Chambers, Trenton City Hall, Trenton, NJ

Oversight and Government Reform
12:30pm – Johns Hopkins Hospital, Chevy Chase Auditorium, Baltimore, MD

Rules
5:00pm – H-313 Capitol

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Trump: ‘I don’t see a deal’ to avoid a government shutdown

President Trump on Tuesday cast doubt on Washington’s ability to avoid a government shutdown, writing on Twitter that he didn’t believe a deal could be reached with Democrats.

The tweet came hours before Trump is to meet at the White House with GOP congressional leaders as well as Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

“Meeting with “Chuck and Nancy” today about keeping government open and working,” Trump tweeted.

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Lawmakers making progress in talks on children’s health care

Congressional negotiators are making progress towards a bipartisan deal to reauthorize children’s health insurance and several other important health-care programs, sources say.

Staff from the relevant committees in both parties and chambers met over the Thanksgiving break and are getting closer to an agreement, according to lobbyists and aides.

The package would include funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and community health centers, and an extension of a range of other expiring Medicare programs. It could also include a bipartisan bill from the Senate Finance Committee known as the Chronic Care Act that seeks to make Medicare spending more efficient and save money.

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Mulvaney imposes temporary hiring, regulations freeze on CFPB

Mick Mulvaney, President Donald Trump’s pick for acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, said Monday he has no immediate plans to dismantle the agency, but he nonetheless implemented a temporary freeze on hiring and new regulations.

“Rumors that I’m going to set the place on fire or blow it up or lock the doors are completely false,” Mulvaney, a longtime critic of the bureau, told reporters during a briefing at CFPB headquarters.

He insisted that his first day at the CFPB was “extraordinarily smooth and professional” despite an unfolding fight for control of the bureau between himself and Leandra English, who on Friday was appointed acting director by outgoing chief Richard Cordray.

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Until tomorrow,
Lobbyit.com
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November 28, 2017/0 Comments/by interns@lobbyit.com

Congressional Climate November 27, 2017

Congressional Climate

President Donald Trump’s Consumer Agency Pick Mick Mulvaney Challenged in Court

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Today’s Hill Action
Senate Floor Schedule
4:00pm: Convene and proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the nomination of Dabney Langhorne Friedrich, of California, to be United States District Judge for the District of Columbia.

Committee Hearings
No committee hearings scheduled.

House Floor Schedule
None.

Committee Hearings
No committee hearings scheduled.

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Congress returns to nightmare December

Lawmakers are bracing for chaos in December as they plunge into several high-stakes legislative fights.

Both chambers are expected to be in session for roughly 15 days before leaving town until January, but the looming battles could push their exit date closer to Christmas.

Republicans want to get a key agenda item, tax reform, to President Trump’s desk by the end of the year.

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CBO: Senate tax bill would hurt poor

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) found that the proposed Senate tax legislation would hurt Americans in the lowest income brackets if passed, The Washington Post reported late Sunday.

The bill would negatively impact individuals who make less than $30,000 per year by 2019, the CBO said, while most of those making under $75,000 would be negatively affected by 2027.

The update from the nonpartisan CBO comes as the Senate pushes its version of tax-reform legislation, which reportedly could see a vote as early as Thursday.

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Trump wants ‘a few changes’ to tax plan

President Trump on Monday appeared to call for changes to the Republican tax plan even as he claimed it has “great support.”

Trump tweeted that he wants “just a few changes” that would help “the middle class and job producers,” as well as small businesses that are taxed through the code for individuals.

“The Tax Cut Bill is coming along very well, great support,” the president wrote. “With just a few changes, some mathematical, the middle class and job producers can get even more in actual dollars and savings and the pass through provision becomes simpler and really works well!”

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Until tomorrow,
Lobbyit.com
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November 27, 2017/0 Comments/by interns@lobbyit.com

Congressional Climate November 20, 2017

Congressional Climate

Mick Mulvaney says the Trump administration wants “the best tax bill that can pass”

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Today’s Hill Action
Senate Floor Schedule
None.

Committee Hearings
No committee hearings scheduled.

House Floor Schedule
None.

Committee Hearings
No committee hearings scheduled.

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Collins: Pass bipartisan ObamaCare bills before mandate repeal

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said Sunday that she wants two bipartisan ObamaCare bills to pass before the Senate takes up a tax bill that repeals the health law’s individual mandate.

Collins, a key swing vote on the tax bill, said on CNN’s “State of the Union” that she did not think the mandate repeal should be in the tax bill, but she indicated she thinks the rise in premiums from repealing the mandate could be mitigated if two other bills passed first.

Those other bills are an ObamaCare stabilization bill from Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) that would fund key payments to insurers for two years, and a bill she introduced with Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) that would provide funding for “reinsurance” programs aimed at bringing down premiums. Reinsurance provides funding to help pay the cost of some especially sick enrollees, allowing insurers to lower premiums.

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Congress faces growing health care crisis in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico’s Medicaid funding crisis is deepening, adding yet another issue for Congress to deal with in what is sure to be a hectic December.

Hurricane Maria caused serious damage to Puerto Rico’s health-care system, and none of the federal disaster relief money to date has been earmarked for the Medicaid program.

A $44 billion supplemental payment request from the White House on Friday said the administration was “aware” that Puerto Rico needed Medicaid assistance, but it put the onus on Congress to act.

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In Democrat-led state capitals, GOP tax reform push could scramble fiscal plans

The Republican tax reform push in Washington is setting off budgetary alarm bells in high-tax states like New York, California and New Jersey, in the latest political skirmish to pit national Republicans against Democratic state and big-city leaders.

With Republicans intent on shrinking or repealing the state and local tax deduction, California officials are worried that the House-passed tax bill, and the emerging Senate measure, would force local governments to reduce taxes and make big cuts to schools and social services. In New York, where New York City and state revenues are heavily reliant on just a handful of wealthy tax filers, budget watchdogs fear federal tax changes could trigger the flight of those residents. And in New Jersey, plans for a new millionaire’s tax, one of incoming Gov. Phil Murphy’s biggest campaign promises, are already being reined in as the Democratic-led New Jersey Senate waits on the outcome of any federal tax plan.

“We’re going to have to re-evaluate everything” if a federal bill repealing the state and local tax deduction becomes law, New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney said Wednesday in Atlantic City. Just days before, Sweeney had said he would make passage of a millionaires tax his chief priority in the new administration. “I’m just saying that what’s happening in Washington is concerning the hell out of me,” he added.

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Until tomorrow,
Lobbyit.com
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November 20, 2017/0 Comments/by interns@lobbyit.com

Congressional Climate November 16, 2017

Congressional Climate

Sen. Ron Johnson Is The First Republican To Oppose Tax Bill: A Sign Of Trouble For The GOP

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Today’s Hill Action
Senate Floor Schedule
9:30am: Convene and proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the nomination of Joseph Otting to be Comptroller of the Currency.

Committee Hearings
Finance
9:00am – SH-216

Armed Services
10:00am – SD-G50

Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard
10:00am – SR-253

Judiciary
10:00am – SD-226

Intelligence
2:00pm – SH-219

House Floor Schedule
9:00am: House will meet for legislative business.
First and last votes expected 1:30pm – 2:30pm.

Committee Hearings
Energy and Commerce
Subcommittee on Communications and Technology
10:00am – 2123 Rayburn HOB

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The Easter eggs hidden in the new Senate tax bill

The headline changes in the new Senate tax bill released late Tuesday night were a bigger child tax credit and the sunset of all individual tax cuts after 2025—but behind those, the new version of the bill includes dozens of carveouts and special provisions that will arrive like a gift for some industries and taxpayers.

Thanks in part to the complexity of the tax code, and in part to Congress’s need to stuff lots of priorities into any law likely to pass, the bill contains measures that touch on almost every part of U.S. society. Congress hasn’t legally been able to dole out pork since earmarks were banned in 2011, but there are other ways to pack goodies into a law. The newest draft of the Senate bill includes everything from a new tax credit for paid family leave to a tax break for citrus growers to a big reform of craft beer regulations—even a gift to the three largest U.S. airlines in their ongoing fight against the Gulf airlines.

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Mandate repeal sparks fears of premium hikes

The move by Senate Republicans to repeal ObamaCare’s individual mandate could plunge insurance markets into uncertainty, leading to premium hikes or insurers dropping out of the market, experts say.

The mandate requires most people to either have health insurance or pay a fine. It was designed to ensure that people don’t wait until they are sick to buy health insurance, since ObamaCare also bars insurers from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions.

If the mandate is repealed in the tax-reform bill, as Senate Republicans propose, the fear is that only sick people would remain enrolled in the individual market, causing premiums to spike or insurers to simply drop out of the market.

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Conservatives fear end-of-year “Christmas tree” spending bill

Conservatives are growing worried that an end-of-year spending bill will be loaded up with extraneous, expensive provisions as lawmakers rush to prevent a government shutdown and get home for the holidays next month.

“Loading up the Christmas tree right before the end of the year is never good,” said Rep. Dave Brat (R-Va.), a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus. “Push it off to next year, there’s too much in flux right now.”

“Once people get ready to get out the door, a lot of things become acceptable that wouldn’t in other seasons,” added Rep. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.), another Freedom Caucus member.

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Until tomorrow,
Lobbyit.com
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November 16, 2017/0 Comments/by interns@lobbyit.com

Congressional Climate November 15, 2017

Congressional Climate

GOP senators consider cutting individual mandate in tax reform effort

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Today’s Hill Action
Senate Floor Schedule
9:30am: Convene and proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the nomination of David G. Zatezalo to be Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health.

Committee Hearings
Energy and Natural Resources
9:00am – SD-366

Finance
9:00am – SH-216

Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe
9:30am – SD-124

Environment and Public Works
10:00am – SD-406

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
10:00am – SD-430

Judiciary
10:00am – SD-226

Appropriations
Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
2:30pm – SD-124

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
2:30pm – SD-430

House Floor Schedule
10:00am: House will meet for morning hour.
12:00pm: House will meet for legislative business.
First votes expected 1:30pm – 2:30pm. Last votes expected 3:45pm – 4:45pm.

Committee Hearings
Appropriations
Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
9:30am – 2362-A Rayburn HOB

Oversight and Government Reform
10:00am – 2154 Rayburn HOB

Science, Space, and Technology
10:00am – 2318 Rayburn HOB

Judiciary
10:00am – 2142 Rayburn HOB

Natural Resources
10:00am – 1324 Longworth HOB

Energy and Commerce
Subcommittee on Environment
10:00am – 2123 Rayburn HOB

Financial Services
10:00am – 2128 Rayburn HOB

Foreign Affairs
10:00am – 2172 Rayburn HOB

Natural Resources
10:30am – 1334 Longworth HOB

Homeland Security
Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection
2:00pm – HVC-210 Capitol

Oversight and Government Reform
Subcommittee on Information Technology
2:00pm – 2154 Rayburn HOB

Foreign Affairs
Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific
2:30pm – 2172 Rayburn HOB

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GOP chairman releases modifications to tax bill, including mandate repeal

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) released modifications to the Senate tax bill late Tuesday, including the effective elimination of ObamaCare’s individual mandate and the expiration of tax changes for individuals after 2025.

Hatch said in a statement that by repealing the mandate “we not only ease the financial burdens already associated with the mandate, but also generate additional revenue to provide more tax relief to [middle-class] individuals.”

Hatch’s “modified mark” would essentially repeal the individual mandate by reducing to zero the penalty people pay if they don’t have health insurance.

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House panel sets up floor debate on GOP tax reform bill

House Republicans’ tax reform bill is set to reach the floor with no amendments, despite a push from some conservatives to include a repeal of the individual mandate.

The House Rules Committee, which determines how legislation is considered on the floor, approved parameters late Tuesday for four hours of debate and no opportunity for lawmakers to amend the bill before an expected vote at the end of this week.

The House is expected to debate the legislation on Wednesday, but wait until Thursday to vote on final passage.

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Trump admin to reveal rules on cyber vulnerabilities: report

The Trump administration is set to make public on Wednesday its rules for deciding whether to disclose cyber vulnerabilities or keep them under wraps, according to a Reuters report.

The revised rules are intended to shed light on how the government determines whether to reveal cybersecurity flaws so that manufacturers can patch holes in computer systems.

The government has faced criticism that it often fails to warn manufacturers about cyber vulnerabilities, so as to exploit such gaps to launch its own cyberattacks.

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Until tomorrow,
Lobbyit.com
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November 15, 2017/0 Comments/by interns@lobbyit.com