Month: December 2019

House lawmakers have convened for legislative business to close out the week. On the floor, the House is considering a resolution out of the Foreign Affairs Committee that would express support for a negotiated two-state solution in Israel and Palestine. The lower chamber will also take up a bill that would amend the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to create a new way to measure if states require oversight for violating minority voting rights. In the upper chamber, Senators have adjourned for the week and will return Monday to consider the nomination of Patrick Bumatay to be a Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit Court.

Continue reading “Today, Next Week on the Hill: House Looks to Pass Landmark Drug Pricing Bill”

House lawmakers are eyeing passage of a Financial Services measure that seeks to fortify a ban on insider trading. Offered by Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT), the Insider Trading Prohibition Act would amend the Securities Exchange Act to codify a prohibition of certain securities trading and related communications by those who are aware of material, nonpublic information. In a compromise with GOP lawmakers, Democrats agreed to tweak the language of the bill to echo the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) existing rules on insider trading — a move that Republicans contend will boost bipartisan support for H.R. 2354.

Continue reading “Today on the Hill: House Seeks to Codify Ban on Insider Trading”

The House will convene today as lawmakers eye passage of a compromise bill aimed at combating illicit robocalls. The bipartisan, bicameral legislation — offered by Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Sen. John Thune (R-SD) — proposes several reforms aimed at cracking down on the issue, including: (1) mandating that phone companies verify real numbers and block robocalls without charging consumers extra money; (2) encouraging the Department of Justice to pursue more criminal prosecutions against illegal robocallers; and (3) providing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) with additional time and authority to investigate bad actors. In addition to the Pallone-Thune TRACED Act, the House will also consider the rule that govern debate for a Financial Services measure that seeks to prevent insider trading.

Continue reading “Today on the Hill: House Lines Up Robocall Compromise Bill”

Lawmakers will return to Washington this week to begin an end-of-the-year legislative blitz. Funding the government for fiscal year (FY) 2020 will be the top priority for the December work session after House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) and Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) reportedly struck an agreement on funding allocations for each of the 12 spending bills earlier last week. In addition to appropriations, big-ticket legislative priorities such as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, prescription drug pricing, and tax extenders could also see movement before the end of this year.

Continue reading “This Week on the Hill: Lawmakers Kick Off Year-End Legislative Sprint”