For immediate release: April 15, 2016
Contact: Andrew Rosenberg, (202) 247-6301
Thorn Run Partners (TRP) announced today the addition of lobbyist Stuart Chapman as Partner. A veteran legislative and public affairs strategist with over 15 years of policymaking experience as a senior congressional aide in both the Senate and House of Representatives, Stuart maintains a deep reservoir of strong relationships with lawmakers, staff, and stakeholders.
This morning, Portland's major daily newspaper, The Oregonian, published an article on the City Club of Portland's report on housing affordability in the city, featuring comments from Thorn Run's Nels Johnson. Mr. Johnson played an integral role in the drafting of the report and noted that there was a "broad agreement on the underlying issue" of providing more 'middle housing' for the city. For Mr. Johnson, the housing issue in Portland requires more urgent action than currently proposed in the state's legislature. "This is a problem that can't wait," Johnson said. "And it's going to require some government intervention."
Continue reading “TRP’s Nels Johnson Talks Portland Housing in The Oregonian”
Both chambers are back in session this week for what is essentially the start of a four-month period of intense work on a “three weeks in, one week out” schedule until the party conventions in late July. This week, the House looks to tackle a series of financial and broadband regulatory bills, while the Senate aims to finish legislation that would reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through September 2017.
Near Term
The Week in Review
While the House remained in recess, the Senate returned to approve a bill related to trade secrets and begin negotiations on a reauthorization for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). On Monday, senators approved a measure (S. 1890) addressing the misappropriation of trade secrets that would allow effected companies to seek civil penalties as redress for stolen trade secrets rather than relying completely on federal law enforcement. The bipartisan bill was passed on a unanimous vote of 89-0, clearing the way for work on another bipartisan cause – reauthorization of the FAA.
The Senate well spend the day debating whether to move forward on legislation to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Yesterday, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) filed for cloture on a motion to proceed to a House-passed tax bill (H.R.636) that would serve as a vehicle for a measure reauthorizing the FAA through Sept. 30, 2017. Using the tax bill as the shell would ease the way for Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) to offer a floor amendment that would extend Airport and Airway Trust Fund excise taxes that finance aviation system improvements. The FAA bill approved by the Senate Commerce Committee didn’t include the tax provisions, which would normally be marked up by the Finance Committee. Last week, President Obama signed into law a temporary extension, through July 15, of the FAA’s operating and revenue-collection authority.
Continue reading “Today on the Hill: FAA Debate; Wisconsin Primary”
This post, penned by Thorn Run's Billy Wynne and Max Horowitz, originally appeared in Health Affairs Blog.
The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) established a new framework for Medicare physician payment. Under the law, beginning in 2019, health care professionals participating in the program will come to a crossroads on their path to reimbursement.
In one direction—the default direction—they will be subject to the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), a revamp of Medicare’s fee-for-service (FFS) payment system that consolidates existing quality programs into a unified reimbursement component. The MIPS is examined in considerable detail in another Health Affairs Blog post.
Continue reading “Brave New World: Medicare’s Advanced Payment Models”
After a two-week recess, the Senate reconvenes today and hopes to enjoy a week of bipartisanship through the consideration of two bills that are unlikely to meet serious opposition from either party on the chamber floor. Senators plan to first vote this evening on a measure (S. 1890) that would provide American businesses with new legal remedies to combat the theft of trade secrets. While current law dictates that owners of misappropriated trade secrets must rely on law enforcement agencies or state courts for recompense, the measure would allow owners to sue for damages directly in federal courts. The bill was passed by the Judiciary Committee on a voice vote, signaling that it will likely pass on the chamber floor with limited debate.
The Week in Review
Both chambers of Congress were in recess last week for the Easter holiday. The Senate will return today, while the House is expected to reconvene next week on Monday, April 11.
