The Week in Review
Both chambers took on full schedules last week as lawmakers considered measures ranging from a comprehensive energy bill in the Senate to an override of the President’s veto on budget reconciliation legislation in the House. In the upper chamber, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) attempted to shepherd energy legislation (S.2012) through the open-amendment process without attracting any controversial add-ons, but her efforts were thwarted over the ongoing water crisis in Flint, Michigan. Democrats have blocked the bill until it includes more federal aid to help Flint remedy its lead-polluted water supply. Last Thursday, a vote to end debate on the measure failed in the Senate on a count of 43 to 54, as a number of Republicans joined their Democratic colleagues in wanting to extend consideration of the bill.
Month: February 2016
Financial Services Report
Our Take
What was supposed to be a slow start to the 2016 Congressional calendar was further delayed by a snow storm that dumped historic accumulations on our nation’s Capital causing the House to cancel work for the week and the Senate to delay votes. While many pundits criticize members of Congress for not living and working in DC and returning back to their home districts / states each weekend, this past week may have been an example of why the so-called “Tuesday-Thursday” lifestyle is so detrimental to the health of Congress. With the DC metro region snowed in, and almost all area schools shut down for the entire week, it would be a safe bet that if Members of Congress and their families lived in, or near, the District of Columbia (as they had in years past) the politicians would have been willing to cut any deals just to get out of the house.
Health Policy Report
The Week in Review
A severe snowstorm struck Washington last weekend, disrupting the schedules of both chambers. The House elected to delay all legislative business due to the weather, in part because Democrats were already scheduled to head to Baltimore for an issues conference on Wednesday and Thursday. The snow only held off the Senate until Wednesday, when the upper chamber started work on a wide-ranging energy bill. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Chairwoman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, has labored to ensure the bill moves forward in a bipartisan fashion and the Senate will likely finish their consideration of the measure this week. The legislation (S. 2012) is designed to boost energy efficiency, speed construction of electric transmission lines, and streamline permitting for natural gas exports. Specific provisions of the bill include strengthening building codes, increasing cybersecurity protections for the electricity grid, and expediting the licensing process for hydropower projects.