Passed in 1996 as part of the so-called Contract with America, the Congressional Review Act (CRA) provides Congress with an expedited legislative process to overrule "major" regulations (those with an annual effect on the...more
On January 31, President Trump nominated Judge Neil Gorsuch, a 49-year-old federal appeals court judge on the Tenth Circuit in Denver, as his choice to fill the Supreme Court seat of the late-Antonin Scalia. The position,...more
It will be a busy year for congressional budget and appropriations work. Currently, the FY16 appropriations remain in effect under a continuing resolution (CR). Additionally, the FY18 budget and appropriations cycles are...more
Because of a deal struck in Fall 2015 to avoid a debt ceiling showdown during the 2016 election season, the statutory debt limit expiration is suspended through March 15, 2017. If Congress fails to raise the debt limit by...more
Wednesday, the Trump Administration released its first proposed regulation seeking to stabilize the individual insurance market – in particular, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance exchange market (or marketplace). Amidst...more
With Congress back in session, attention in the health care policy universe is directed squarely at Washington, where Republicans in Congress and the Trump Administration are debating how to repeal and replace the Affordable...more
1/19/2017
/ 1115 Waivers ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Block Grants ,
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) ,
Health Insurance ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
Medicaid Expansion ,
Medicare ,
Repeal ,
Trump Administration
With the last-minute passage of a Continuing Resolution (CR) to stave off a government shutdown, the 114th Congress has come to an end. When Congress returns in January, it will be faced with a number of immediate challenges,...more
12/28/2016
/ 21st Century Cures Initiative ,
Continuing Resolution ,
Drinking Water ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Government Shutdown ,
Medical Devices ,
National Institute of Health (NIH) ,
NDAA ,
Obama Administration ,
Trump Administration ,
Water Resources Development Act
After more than four years of halting progress, Congress approved and the President signed the 21st Century Cures Act. The legislation, which passed the Senate 94 to 5 and the House 392-26, authorizes $6.3 billion in...more
On December 8, the Senate voted 92 to 7 to send the wide-ranging National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to President Obama's desk. The House approved the bill by a margin of 375 to 34 the week before. If signed by the...more
With the changeover in administration from President Obama to President-elect Trump, congressional Republicans hope to roll back at least 50 major regulations finalized in the waning days of the Obama Administration. Targeted...more
After months of back and forth, the House and Senate agreed on passage of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), a nearly $12 billion measure authorizing 30 new infrastructure projects around the country. The bill, which...more
On Friday, December 9, the Senate passed a Continuing Resolution (CR) extending fiscal year 2016 funding until April 28, 2017, narrowly avoiding a government shutdown. The bill passed by a vote of 63 to 36 after having passed...more
Defying all prognostications and polling, Donald J. Trump is President-elect of the United States. Fueled by his surprising strength in the industrial Midwest, Donald Trump was able to capture states that had voted Democrat...more
In the rush to head back to their districts before the November election, Congress elected to defer a number of issues to the post-election "lame duck" session. However, with the exception of appropriations, it remains...more
In July, after months of negotiation, Congress overwhelmingly passed compromise legislation authorizing nearly $900 million in spending to help fight the growing opioid abuse crisis. The measure, which passed the Senate 92 to...more
As part of the agreement over the CR, Congress agreed to spend $500 million to help Louisiana and other states recover from recent flooding. At least $400 million is expected to go to Louisiana, where August flooding killed...more
After months of back and forth, Democrats and Republicans reached an agreement to spend $1.1 billion in the fight against the spread of the Zika virus. The bill includes $933 million for domestic efforts through the...more
On September 15, the Senate overwhelmingly approved the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which included $220 million for lead contamination relief nationwide, of which at least $100 million is expected to be spent in...more
As part of the agreement to pass the continuing resolution, Congress approved the FY17 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs (MilCon-VA) Appropriations Act. The bill was the first and so far only one of the 12 annual...more
Just 36 hours before the end of fiscal year 2016 (FY16), Congress passed and the President signed H.R. 5325, a continuing resolution (CR) extending the existing FY16 appropriations through December 9. The bill, which passed...more
Usually during the summer of an election year, presidential candidates slowly announce the appointment of leadership and staff for their presidential transition teams. These transition teams are provided office space and...more
Perhaps no issue has dominated the headlines during the Obama Administration more than the fight over the future of the American health care system. And while Secretary Clinton and Mr. Trump disagree over many health care...more
Like in other sectors, Mr. Trump and Secretary Clinton have diametrically opposed policy priorities when it comes to energy and the environment. For the most part mirroring their parties, Mr. Trump is a strong supporter of...more
Outside of their widely divergent tax plans, Secretary Clinton and Mr. Trump emphasize similar issues when discussing their priorities for economic development, including denunciation of Wall Street and the need for more...more
Reflecting a growing disillusionment with free trade on the left and right of the political spectrum, Secretary Clinton and Donald Trump have both come out against ratification of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)...more