McConnell Triggers “Nuclear Option” Over Gorsuch Vote

March 30, 2017

Today, Representatives Paul Gosar (R-AZ) and Linda Sánchez (D-CA) began circulating a “Dear Colleague” letter asking their fellow House members to join them in writing to Appropriations Committee leaders in support of the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP).  Gosar and Sánchez have led similar efforts in prior years, all of which have garnered the bipartisan backing of a large number of lawmakers.

March 30, 2017

This week, the Trump administration sent to Capitol Hill a detailed list of suggested cuts that could be used to partially offset its recent fiscal year 2017 supplemental spending request.  All told, the president is asking Congress to approve $18 billion in current-year spending reductions to help pay for $30 billion in new defense and border security funding.  The administration’s proposal would substantially reduce, or in some cases eliminate, fiscal-year 2017 funding for a number of programs that are of importance to California’s counties. 

March 16, 2017

Earlier this week, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its highly anticipated analysis of the House Republican healthcare reform bill (HR 277).  In a potential blow to the legislation, the CBO projects that the measure – entitled the American Health Care Reform Act (AHCA) – would shift significant health care costs to states and counties and dramatically reduce the number of individuals with health insurance. 

March 9, 2017

House Committees Work to Advance Health Care Repeal Bill

Key congressional committees worked through the night Wednesday and into the afternoon Thursday in an attempt to expedite passage of legislation that would repeal and replace significant portions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  House GOP leaders unveiled the 168-page bill, called the American Health Care Act, on Monday night and urged committee leaders to move quickly to advance the measure.

Members of the House and Senate were on recess the week of February 20 in observance of the President’s Day holiday, but the Trump administration continued advancing the president’s domestic policy agenda via Executive Order this week. For starters, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released guidance memoranda implementing the president’s January 25, 2017 executive orders (EOs) on immigration.

January 12, 2017

Senate Takes First Step Toward ACA Repeal; Still A Long Way to Go

November 10, 2016

Lawmakers Returns Next Week to Begin Lame Duck Session

Key Committee Assignments for the 115th Congress

President-elect Trump will start his term with a Republican House and Senate, bringing unified party control to Washington for the first time since the early days of the Obama administration. While Democrats were able to net six seats in the House and cut into the Republican majority, it was far short of what party leaders had predicted. 

September 2, 2016

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) has unveiled draft legislation that would allow states to enforce local sales and use-tax laws on remote sales.  Under the proposed measure, entitled the Online Sales Simplification Act (OSSA), remote sales would be taxable according to the tax base of the retailer’s state, at a rate set by the buyer’s home state. 

July 14, 2016

June 23, 2016

With the latest extension of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spending authority slated to expire on July 15 – and with Congress still a long way off from finalizing a multi-year reauthorization bill – key lawmakers have been actively discussing the need to pass another extension.  While several short-term and long-term options have been floated, committee leaders appear ready to embrace a proposal that would keep aviation programs running into 2017.

May 12, 2016

Following a one week recess, lawmakers in both chambers returned to the nation’s capital looking to find common ground and bipartisan support for legislation to address the opioid addiction epidemic, the Puerto Rican debt crisis, and supplemental funding to combat the spread of the Zika virus.  In addition, congressional leaders looked to make progress on the fiscal year 2017 budget front. 

April 15, 2016

The majority of the Senate’s floor time this week was devoted to consideration of a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill (S 2658).  The $33.1 billion measure would extend the FAA’s authorization for an additional 15 months, carrying it through the end of fiscal year 2017.  The current aviation patch is slated to expire on July 15.

April 15, 2016

On April 13, the House Energy and Water (E&W) Development Appropriations Subcommittee approved its draft fiscal year 2017 spending legislation.  The bill, which funds the Department of Energy, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation, and several independent agencies, was cleared on a voice vote.

USDA Releases Secure Rural Schools Payments

On March 18, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Forest Service officially announced the release of $272 million in Secure Rural School (SRS) payments to counties. It should be noted that the payments were slated to be released in February but were delayed as the administration sought clarification as to whether the program would be subject to sequestration. It was ultimately determined that the payments would not be subject to a sequester reduction.

Payments-in-Lieu-of-Taxes

February 5, 2016

As the nation’s capital continued to dig out from a historic blizzard, both chambers of Congress returned to action this week. In the lower chamber, Republicans attempted to override the president’s veto of legislation (HR 3762) that would have repealed key provisions of the Affordable Care Act and stripped federal funding from Planned Parenthood. As expected, the final vote of 241 to 186 was well short of the required two-thirds majority. However, despite the setback, Republicans are still expected to target the law in 2016.