Today on the Hill: Senators to Clinch USMCA

Senators are set to close out the week with a historic day of legislative business. First, the Senate is expected to clear implementing legislation for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) after several committees approved President Donald Trump’s signature trade pact on a bipartisan basis this week. President Trump stated Wednesday that he plans to sign the deal next week.

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Today on the Hill: House to Transmit Impeachment Articles to Senate

Senators are gearing up the next phase of the impeachment process after the House clears a key procedural vote. House lawmakers will take up a resolution to appoint managers and transmit the articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump to the Senate this afternoon. Upon disposition of the resolution, the upper chamber is expected to begin the impeachment trial next Tuesday.

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In CQ Roll Call, TRP’s Rosenstock Forecasts Congress’s Financial Services “To-Do List” in 2020

In an article for CQ Roll Call, TRP’s Jason Rosenstock offered his insights on Congress’s Financial Services “to-do” list for 2020. While speculation indicates that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) will spend more time on presidential nominations in 2020, Rosenstock pointed to cannabis banking legislation, anti-money laundering laws, and flood insurance reform as top priority policy items that could hitch a ride on a larger financial services-related package or must-pass measure before the end of this year. “Clearly there is a broad interest in getting some type of relief for banks and payment processors,” said Rosenstock. “But whether there is enough support for a narrow, financial services industry-only fix will play itself out over the next year.”

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This Week on the Hill: Senate Impeachment Trial Looms After Pelosi Breaks Impasse

Lawmakers will resume legislative business later this afternoon as the Senate gears up for the next phase of the impeachment process. In a “Dear Colleague” letter to lawmakers late last week, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) announced that the House will take up a resolution to appoint managers and transmit the articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump to the Senate. Senators are expected to swiftly begin the impeachment trial process upon disposition of the resolution.

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Health Policy Report (1/13)

The Week in Review

Lawmakers kicked off the second session of the 116th Congress last week. In the lower chamber, the House passed a measure that seeks to address controversial “forever chemicals.” The legislation, among other things, would: (1) require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to designate PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances (but not the entire class of PFAS chemicals); (2) establish a grant program to award funding to communities with water supplies that have been contaminated; and (3) promulgate national primary drinking water regulations for these chemicals under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Despite bipartisan support for action on these hazardous chemicals, the lower chamber’s bill faces a difficult path forward after the Trump administration issued a veto threat earlier last week. 

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Today on the Hill: House to Pass Bill Addressing ‘Forever Chemicals’

House lawmakers have reconvened to resume consideration of a measure that seeks to address controversial “forever chemicals,” with final passage of the bill and outstanding amendments set for this morning. The legislation, among other things, would: (1) require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to designate PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances but not the entire class of PFAS chemicals; (2) establish a grant program to award funding to communities with water supplies that have been contaminated; and (3) promulgate national primary drinking water regulations for these chemicals under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Despite bipartisan support for action on these hazardous chemicals, the lower chamber’s bill faces a difficult path forward after the Trump administration issued a veto threat earlier this week. 

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Today on the Hill: House Seeks to Address ‘Forever Chemicals’

House lawmakers are set to begin consideration of a bill that seeks to address controversial “forever chemicals.” The measure would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to designate all perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as hazardous substances, while also setting up a grant program to award funding to communities with water supplies contaminated by the chemicals. Final passage of the PFAS legislation is expected tomorrow after lawmakers consider 22 amendments to the underlying bill today.  

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TRP’s Maresca Cited in Skilled Nursing News Article on Medicaid Supplemental Payment Rule

In an article for Skilled Nursing News, TRP Senior Vice President Andrea Maresca was quoted following a recent decision by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to extend the comment period for its proposed rule on supplemental payment programs under Medicaid. The article cites Maresca’s presentation at the American Health Care Association’s (AHCA) 2019 annual convention and expo, where she acutely noted that oversight of these programs has been a long-standing concern for the agency as they have evolved over time. “All of this is driving work in the agency to come up with a regulation that will put more parameters about how supplemental payment programs would work in the future,” stated Maresca at the October conference. “The agency is also concerned about the lack of a clear link between how payments are made to providers, and whether these are made based on services delivered or somehow tied to quality and outcomes.”

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Today on the Hill: House Eyes First Votes of 2020 Session

The House will convene today as lawmakers eye their first votes of the second session of the 116th Congress. The lower chamber will consider eight bills under suspension of the rules, including: (1) an Energy and Commerce bill that would require the President to develop a strategy to ensure the security of next general mobile telecommunications systems and infrastructure in the U.S.; (2) a Small Business measure that would require contract officers to consider relevant past performance and subcontractor experience of small businesses looking to compete for federal prime contracts; and (3) Foreign Affairs legislation that seeks to bolster U.S. leadership among international standard-setting bodies for mobile telecommunications systems and infrastructure. Additionally, the House will also consider the rule that will govern debate for a bill that seeks to address controversial “forever chemicals.”

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Today on the Hill: Senate Finance Reviews USMCA Implementing Legislation

Senators on the Finance Committee are meeting to consider implementing legislation for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The bill is expected to clear the Committee with bipartisan support later this morning, allowing for a vote in the full chamber at some point this month. While Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) previously stated that the Senate will vote on the USMCA following the impeachment trial, the vote may be expedited if the House continues to hold on to the articles of impeachment.

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