Two long weeks until August recess - This is the last week with both chambers in session until September, and things are relatively slow as lawmakers count down the days to the month-long August recess. With reconciliation...more
The House and Senate are in session this week, with both chambers set to recess in the coming weeks for the entire month of August. However, President Trump has called on Congress to cancel August recess in a bid to advance...more
Below is this week’s congressional update by BakerHostetler’s Federal Policy team. We’ll continue to post in weeks when both chambers of Congress are in session....more
THIS WEEK’S DOSE - - OBBBA implementation begins. While the administration focuses on implementing the new law, some lawmakers are already discussing adjustments to health provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act...more
On Tuesday, July 15, the Senate voted 51-50, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote, on the motion to proceed with debate on H.R.4, the Rescission Act of 2025. Democrats used 10 hours of the statutorily...more
The U.S. House of Representatives returns from a district work period. The U.S. Senate is expected to consider the $9.4 billion rescissions package that passed the House last month. If not passed by July 18, 2025, the...more
THIS WEEK’S DOSE - - President Trumps signs OBBBA into law. After months of debate, Congress passed and President Trump signed H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), into law on July 4, 2025. - Senate HELP...more
In Brief - - The Senate passed H.R. 1, as amended, 51-50 on July 1, 2025 (legislative day began on June 30, 2025). Vice President JD Vance broke the tie by voting for the measure and presiding over the closing of the vote....more
Welcome to what technically was supposed to be a congressional recess week in advance of the Fourth of July. The Fourth also has been Republicans’ internal deadline for having a reconciliation package on the president’s desk,...more
Republicans currently control the White House and both chambers of Congress. As the majority power controlling both the House and Senate, the GOP holds the reins of the congressional oversight and investigations agenda....more
Senate HELP Committee Holds Hearing on Labor Nominees; Announces Committee Votes - On June 18, 2025, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a hearing on four nominees for a number of...more
The U.S. Senate will likely release additional sections of the reconciliation package this week. It is unlikely the Senate Committee on Finance, which has jurisdiction over Medicaid, will hold a markup on its portion of the...more
Both chambers are in session this week. Senate Republicans will continue to revise the House-passed reconciliation package. Disagreements remain over the overall size of the package as well as a host of outstanding issues...more
Both chambers are in session this week after the Memorial Day recess. The Senate will begin putting its mark on the House-passed reconciliation package, evaluating what sections will likely not survive the parliamentarian’s...more
On May 15, 2025, the House released the draft FY 2025 budget bill. As currently drafted, the budget bill does not limit or otherwise change the tax treatment of carried interest. Following the release of the budget bill,...more
On May 22, 2025, the House of Representatives voted along party lines (with one Republican member voting present and two Republican members not voting) to advance the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act (the OBBB) to the Senate for...more
Reconciliation Hits a Speedbump - As of May 6, 2025, it will not be what was anticipated on Capitol Hill. Multiple committees, including the House Energy and Commerce Committee, reportedly had planned to spend this week...more
Each week while Congress is in session, our Policy team delivers a key update to highlight a topical benefits, health, or retirement news item from the Hill, such as a newly introduced bill, a summary of a committee hearing,...more
Final Week Before Easter Recess - Focus this week on Capitol Hill will remain on reconciliation, as Republicans aim to pass the unified budget resolution in the House before leaving on Thursday for the two-week Easter...more
Reconciliation Watch - Reports indicate that the Senate will move as soon as Wednesday to begin advancing a unified budget plan. The Senate hopes to be able to advance the budget resolution by having the two chambers...more
In November 2023, we pondered whether 2024 might be “the year” for medical marijuana legalization in North Carolina. Well, it wasn’t. Why, you ask? How can a state whose population has expressed overwhelming bipartisan...more