News from Washington, D.C. 01/14/2011
The 112th Congress commenced with much fanfare the week of
January 3 as Republicans took control of the House after a
four-year hiatus. With the biggest shift in power on Capitol Hill
in the past 70 years, GOP House leaders enthusiastically welcomed
87 Republican freshmen into the fold.
For their part, Democrats scrambled to pass several pieces of
legislation before handing the gavel over to incoming House
Speaker John Boehner (R-OH). Among the bills signed into law by
President Obama on the last day of the 111th Congress (January 4)
was the Food and Drug Administration Food Safety Modernization
Act. The measure is an overhaul of federal food safety
legislation aimed to improve prevention of food-borne illness and
response to food-related outbreaks.
Members of Congress were sworn into office on January 5, marking
the official start of the 112th Congress. On the heels of the
swearing-in ceremony, ambitious House Republican leaders quickly
set forth their agenda for the coming weeks. Topping their list
of priorities is the repeal of the controversial Patient
Protection and Affordable Care Act (PL 111-148, PL 111-152). The
measure (HR 2), dubbed the “Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care
Law Act,” would essentially abolish the health care reform law
approved by Congress last year.
While the repeal bill is expected to sail through the House, it
is highly unlikely to get much attraction in the
Democratic-controlled Senate. Nevertheless, Republicans will
march forward with the repeal, though many see the vote as mostly
a symbolic move. With Congress unlikely to approve a repeal of
the law, GOP lawmakers are planning to attack the health care law
on other fronts, such as restricting spending on discretionary
programs enacted in the bill, as well as limit funding for the
Department of Health and Human Services, which serves as the
primary executor of many of the health care regulations.
According to House Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations
Subcommittee Chairman Denny Rehberg (R-MT), de-funding the health
care reform bill will be a top priority under his
reign.
The repeal measure was originally scheduled to be taken up by the
House on January 12. However, action on the bill was stalled due
to the shooting incident that occurred in Tucson, Arizona on
January 8. Representative Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) was meeting
with constituents in front of a local supermarket when she was
shot and critically injured. The vicious attack killed six people
and injured 14. With the Arizona tragedy, it was unclear at press
time when House leaders will proceed with its legislative agenda,
though it has been reported that the health care repeal vote will
occur the week of January 17.
In other news, Republican lawmakers will have to decide soon when
to move forward with the fiscal year 2011 appropriations bills.
Currently, the federal government is running on a continuing
resolution (CR) that temporarily funds federal government
operations. With the current CR (PL 111-322) set to expire on
March 4, lawmakers have a short timeframe to work on a compromise
package. Sure to ruffle Democratic feathers is the GOP’s proposal
to rescind non-military spending amounts to fiscal year 2008
levels.
The fiscal year 2011 spending bills, as wells as the repeal of
health care reform, will be early tests for the new House GOP
majority. The Republicans will now have to reconcile their
campaign pledges with the realities of Washington as they set out
to deliver on the various promises made to constituents. Heading
the list of promises is reducing “big government,” rolling back
federal spending and, as noted above, repealing the health care
overhaul. The GOP will map out its strategy for the new Congress
when Republicans hold their annual retreat in Baltimore, Maryland
on January 13. Democrats will also hold their retreat this month
as they are scheduled to meet on January 20 in Cambridge,
Maryland.
In another development, CSAC President John Tavaglione and
Executive Director Paul McIntosh traveled to Washington the week
of January 10 for the National Association of Counties’ State
Association Presidents and Executive Directors meeting. In
conjunction with the conference, the CSAC officials, along with
CSAC’s Washington representatives, met with a number of
congressional offices to discuss the association’s federal
priorities for 2011. The group met with Congressman Ken Calvert
(R-CA) and staff members from the offices of Representatives Zoe
Lofgren (D-CA), who chairs the California Democratic
Congressional Delegation; David Dreier (R-CA), who heads the
California Republican Congressional Delegation; Jerry Lewis
(R-CA); Mike Thompson (D-CA); and Senator Dianne Feinstein
(D-CA).
Additionally, CSAC leaders met with officials from the White
House’s Office of Intergovernmental Affairs to discuss the
organization’s federal agenda for the upcoming year.