The tax plans proposed by the candidates are perhaps the most conventional element in an unconventional election year as both plans hew closely to their parties' proposals. In the broadest sense, Secretary Clinton's tax plan,...more
After months of delays, on June 15, the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed H.R. 2646, the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act, by a vote of 53 to 0. Representative Tim Murphy (R-PA) originally introduced the...more
On June 10, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) committed $10 million over the next three years to fund a second round of the Support and Alignment Networks under the Transforming Clinical Practice Initiative...more
For the first time in 40 years and after years of negotiation, on June 22, the President signed the compromise legislation updating the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) of 1976. The bipartisan bill, H.R. 2576, the Frank R....more
On May 20, President Obama signed the American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act of 2016. The bipartisan, bicameral legislation, which was passed overwhelmingly in the House and by unanimous consent in the Senate, reforms the...more
Emergency supplemental financing to fight the Zika virus appears to be delayed after the Senate failed to overcome a Democrat filibuster of a $1.1 billion compromise measure negotiated between House and Senate Republicans....more
Election year politics and the aftermath of the Orlando shootings have slowed floor progress on the FY17 appropriations process, but trouble looms. Combined with the abbreviated election-year calendar and other factors,...more
On June 22, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Republican House members released their official proposal to replace the Affordable Care Act. The proposal is the first comprehensive plan floated by congressional Republicans...more
1. As we head into a new Administration and the new Congress, what do you see as the opportunities and challenges for the Affordable Care Act?
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is much greater than a single legislative action....more
In Washington, the Government Relations and Public Policy Group focuses on serving our clients by helping to design and implement government relations and public policy strategies. As part of that effort, we have launched a...more
With the national party conventions less than eight weeks away, the House and Senate continue to push forward on Fiscal Year 2017 (FY17) appropriations legislation (despite possible floor obstacles detailed below) and other...more
6/2/2016
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FY17 Appropriations -
The House and Senate Appropriations Committees continue to move forward on individual FY17 spending measures based on discretionary spending levels enshrined in last fall's bipartisan budget deal....more
5/2/2016
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
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Medicaid ,
Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization (MACRA) ,
Mental Health ,
Opioid ,
Prescription Drugs ,
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Urban Planning & Development ,
Zika
With only a handful of items currently active on the House and Senate agendas, FY17 appropriations legislation is the major legislative game in town. The House and Senate Appropriations Committees are moving forward with...more
4/1/2016
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Appropriations Bill ,
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Telemedicine ,
TRICARE ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions ,
Zika
Entering 2016, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) agreed to make FY17 appropriations the centerpiece of this year's legislative agenda. Both pledged "regular order" in the FY17...more
2/29/2016
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Having completed the first session of the 114th Congress, many in Washington are quickly turning toward the 2016 elections. In the coming year, the headlines will undoubtedly be dominated by electioneering but, after a...more
2015 Year-End Appropriations and Tax Measures -
On Friday, December 18, the House and Senate completed work on the omnibus appropriations legislation funding the federal government for the 2016 fiscal year and a series...more
In the final week of October, congressional leaders and the White House reached an agreement on a wide variety of measures to "clean the barn" for Speaker John Boehner's (R-OH) successor. The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015...more
On October 7, President Obama signed into law H.R.1624, the Protecting Affordable Coverage for Employees Act. The act amends a provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to allow states to opt out of the scheduled expansion...more
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center intends to award $840 million in grants to test methodologies to improve clinical practices and care. CMS's Transforming Clinical Practice Initiative (TCPI)...more
Wednesday morning, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule regarding adopting the 2012 edition of the Life Safety Code (LSC). CMS states the updated code contains new provisions that are...more