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Month: December 2017

Health Policy Report

Posted on by Thornrun

The Week in Review

Lawmakers temporarily avoided a government shutdown by passing a two-week continuing resolution (CR) in both chambers last week, setting up Dec. 22 as the new deadline to fund the government. That effort is expected to be a lot more contentious as Democrats will be seeking policy concessions in exchange for their votes, most notably on the deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA) program. Conservatives have also threatened to sink a possible package over the continued use of CRs and what they see as excessive government spending. The government funding fight will coincide with expected legislative packages addressing the expiration of funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), and a slate of so-called health care “extenders.”

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Financial Services Report

Posted on by Thornrun

Looking Ahead

Near Term

  • The House and Senate will commence the first formal conference for a major tax reform bill since the showdown in Gucci gulch.  At this point the conference is anticipated to last around a week to give both sides enough time to get a bill to the President before the end of the year.
  • There will be two financial services bills up on the floor this week, both requiring a rule for passage.   The first, would broaden the registration exemption for merger and acquisition brokers (H.R. 477), while the second aims to provide regulatory relief on escrow requirements for community financial institutions (H.R. 3971).  Both are expected to pass.
  • The Senate Banking Committee will vote on the nomination of Jerome Powell on Tuesday and then move to take up the Crapo Reg Relief bill.
  • Funding for the government is set to expire on Friday.

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This Week on the Hill: Tax Reform Goes to Conference; Gov’t Funding Expires Friday

Posted on by Thornrun

Even after the Senate’s approval of tax reform legislation last week, the issue will remain in the headlines. The House returns ahead of schedule today to consider a motion to go to conference on the tax reform bill, allowing for lawmakers to reconcile the differences between the two versions of the legislation. Republicans hope that the conference process will last about a week, giving lawmakers time to get a bill to the president’s desk before the Christmas holiday.

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Health Policy Report

Posted on by Thornrun

The Week in Review

The tax reform debate in the Senate consumed nearly all of the political oxygen in Washington last week, ultimately culminating in a 51-49 passage of the proposal in the wee hours of Saturday morning. Despite many Republican senators expressing reservations, the only “no” vote from the majority came from Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), who has been adamant that he would not vote for a tax bill that adds to the deficit without measures that could boost revenues in the future. The Senate’s approval marks a significant step forward in the tax reform effort and prospects for its enactment look good barring a serious reversal of fortunes.

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