With President Donald Trump in the White House and Republican majorities in both the House and Senate, 2017 will see Republicans looking to undo much of President Obama's legacy and advance longstanding policy priorities....more
In addition to its other legislative priorities, the Senate has and will continue to move forward with confirmation hearings and votes for 1,212 of the roughly 4,000 presidential appointments in the federal government. Senate...more
Long near the top of the priority list, congressional Republicans now have an opportunity to move forward with tax reform. In fact, Republican leaders have committed to utilizing one of this year's two budget reconciliation...more
The number one priority of Republican leaders in the House, the Senate and the White House, repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) remains at the very top of the political agenda. On Capitol Hill, Republicans have elected to...more
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
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
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
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
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
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