This morning's "Morning Money" tipsheet from Politico featured comments from Thorn Run’s Jason Rosenstock on what sort of legislative activity we could see from Congress in 2018. Rosenstock astutely notes that while there is potential for “big swing” legislation such as infrastructure, the compressed 2018 legislative calendar and the upcoming mid-term elections make it more likely that Congressional Republicans will be looking to pass "small ball" bills that can generate broad bipartisan support. “This will be especially true in the House, where there is a palpable, growing fear that there could be a flip in November," said Rosenstock. "Possible agenda items for this strategy could include other areas of financial services regulatory relief, as well as a data breach bill, CFIUS reform and possible housing reform and flood insurance.”
Month: January 2018
Financial Services Report
Our Take
Welcome to 2018!
Hard to believe but there are only 303 days between now and the mid-term elections. As has been the case of late, Congress starts the year looking to finish many of the issues that were punted at the end of last year – such as a long-term funding bill, a DACA fix, disaster relief, and CHIP funding. Once those are dealt with Congress can immediately turn to its 2018 agenda, and while the conventional wisdom holds that not a lot can be done in an election year, it seems that like its predecessor, 2018 could shape up to be an unconventional year.
This Week on The Hill: Slow Progress in Funding Talks; House Starts 2018 Session
Both chambers will convene this week to start their 2018 legislative work in earnest. Most policy attention will focus on funding negotiations to keep the government open past Jan. 19, with disaster aid emerging as a new divisive issue between the two parties. The House passed an $81 billion relief package before the holidays, but Senate Democrats are opposing that measure in the upper chamber over concerns that it doesn’t provide enough support for disaster-struck areas, most notably Puerto Rico. Republicans have accused the minority of slow-walking desperately needed aid, adding another wrinkle to the funding debate with just two legislative weeks left before the next government shutdown deadline.
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Health Policy Report
The Week in Review
The second session of the 115th Congress got off to a slow start as the House elected to take the week off and the Senate’s work was hampered by severe weather along the Atlantic Coast. The week’s most significant legislative development saw the swearing in of two new Democratic senators, Tina Smith (D-MN) and Doug Jones (D-AL). Sen. Smith, formerly the lieutenant governor of Minnesota, was selected by Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton to replace Al Franken and is expected to run in the special election for Franken’s permanent replacement this fall. Sen. Jones takes the normally Republican-held seat in Alabama after winning the state’s special election in December, narrowing the Republican advantage in the Senate to 51-49.
TRP’s Shea McCarthy Discusses Political Dynamics of Healthcare Reform in 2018
In an Inside Health Policy article published yesterday, Thorn Run Partners Senior Vice President Shea McCarthy discussed the next steps for Republicans in Congress on healthcare reform, as well as the politics of Affordable Care Act (ACA) replacements in the upcoming 2018 midterm elections. “With health care promising to be a top issue for voters again in 2018, Republicans in Congress are prone to tread lightly on anything that could potentially alienate their base,” said McCarthy. McCarthy said that this dynamic is likely to translate to more rhetoric over "repeal and replace" and the shortcomings of ACA, as well as a focus on Graham-Cassidy as a primary ACA replacement plan. "While some in the GOP will suggest that repeal of the individual mandate will necessitate market stabilization reforms this year, many more see it as an incremental step towards Graham-Cassidy,” said McCarthy.
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Politico Influence: Thorn Run Teams up with Rockingstone Group
In today's Politico Influence newsletter — the leading government relations beat in Washington D.C. — Thorn Run Partners was cited following the announcement of its strategic partnership with Rockingstone Group. “Partnering with Rockingstone offers Thorn Run’s clients access to an even deeper level of health policy expertise than ever before," said TRP's Andy Rosenberg. "It allows us to better serve our clients by providing them a seamless means of pairing our advocacy expertise with sophisticated research and in-depth policy projects."
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Thorn Run Partners and Rockingstone Group Announce New Strategic Partnership
Thorn Run Partners (TRP) (thornrun.com) and the Rockingstone Group (rockingstonegroup.com) today announced the formation of a strategic alliance to link their leading health care policy and tactical capabilities. The two firms will share intelligence, collaborate on policy analysis, and jointly serve on new client projects.
Founded in 2010, Thorn Run Partners features one of Washington’s leading health care lobbying, communications, and policy practices, and proudly represents some of the nation’s leading companies, trade associations, and nonprofits. Rockingstone provides industry and health system clients with deep-dive, project-based policy counsel and expertise in the design and implementation of forward-thinking, value-based solutions. Rockingstone is composed of former Senate staffers who were instrumental in the development of the Affordable Care Act.
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