Last week, the House passed a fiscal 2015 Energy and Water spending bill (H.R. 4923), marking the midway point in the chamber’s appropriations process for fiscal 2015. The House has passed five other fiscal 2015 appropriations bills while the Senate has yet to approve any spending bills due to a partisan stalemate over amendments. In other floor activity, the House voted 258-160 for legislation (H.R. 4718) to make bonus depreciation tax breaks permanent. On Wednesday, the House ratified the Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act by a 415-6 vote, sending the measure to President Obama’s desk.
Author: Thornrun
TRP Financial Services Report
Although there are a handful of legislative days that will be on the books when Congress returns after the August recess, it appears as if both the House and the Senate are about to enter an intense three week sprint. In the House, this may be part of an effort by the Leadership to “clear the decks” by voting on some issues not particularly popular with Conservatives, such as TRIA, before Representative McCarthy assumes the Majority Leader position. Regardless, with everyone resigned to waiting until after the elections in order to deal with most of the major pieces of legislation facing Congress, any work done during these next few weeks should hopefully reduce “congestion” when we are all still at this in late November and December.
TRP Clean Energy Report
On July 10, the House voted 253-70 to approve a fiscal 2015 Energy-Water appropriations bill (H.R.4923) after a marathon session that featured debate and votes on a series of amendments. Overall, the $34 billion Energy-Water appropriations bill would give the EPA $7.5 billion for fiscal 2015, 9 percent below current spending levels. It would also provide the Army Corps with $5.5 billion and fund $10.3 billion in DOE energy and science programs, with cuts to clean energy spending compared to the President's budget request. The bill included a prohibition against using EPA funds to work on the Administration’s Clean Power plan, which seeks to limit carbon dioxide pollution from power plants.
Washington Wakes Up To Socioeconomic Status
This post, penned by Thorn Run Partner's Billy Wynne, originally appeared in the July 11 edition of Health Affairs.
John Mathewson, executive vice president of Health Care Services for Children with Special Needs (HSC) – a Medicaid managed care plan in D.C. for children on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) – recently spoke at the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP) CEO Summit before the July 4 Recess.
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TRP Signs Five New Clients, Headlines Beltway ‘Influence’ Press
In today’s edition of Politico Influence, Washington’s leading government relations beat, the author cites TRP’s latest signing of five clients in headlining lobbying news. The newest additions to the firms robust roster of clients include the National Association of Certified Professional Midwives, the Cleveland Clinic, Republic Airways, eBay and Sidecar, Politico reports. “We are very proud and excited to be working with such a great collection of new clients,” said TRP co-founder, Andrew Rosenberg.
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TRP Financial Services Report
Once again Democrats were smirking as Republicans appeared to wage civil war, this time over the decision to renew the charter for the Export-Import Bank. All Art Vandelay jokes aside, the debate over the Ex-Im bank once again has shown the schism in the Republican party, and how there are really three parties in Congress – Republican, Democratic, and Tea Party. While it looks like both sides may be able to claim victory in this instance by kicking the can down the road for a few years, it is worth noting that we continue to witness similar battles and results on other issues. As a result, more and more items are being added to the lame duck agenda, and it is shaping up to be a very busy November and December in our nation’s Capital – the only question is will there be enough runway to get all things done.
TRP Health Policy Report
The House and Senate were in recess last week for the Fourth of July recess. Despite the break on Capitol Hill, healthcare remained a hot topic in Washington, with two Supreme Court rulings that could have lasting impacts on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In a 5-4 decision last Monday, the Court ruled that some private companies may, on religious grounds, opt out of the ACA’s requirement that employer-sponsored health insurance plan provide contraception coverage. Three days later, the high court voted 6-3 to provide temporary relief to a non-profit college that also objected to the contraception coverage mandate. The rulings fiercely divided the court, as well as supporters and opponents of the 2010 health law.
TRP Clean Energy Report
On June 24, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) office said that the Senate Appropriations Committee is unlikely to consider a fiscal year 2015 Energy and Water Development bill after an amendment dispute ended a planned markup of the legislation. Further debate on the $34.2 billion draft legislation was cancelled after the White House said it would veto the bill if an amendment by McConnell to block the EPA's power plant carbon dioxide standards was included.
TRP Financial Services Report
Once again Democrats were smirking as Republicans appeared to wage civil war, this time over the decision to renew the charter for the Export-Import Bank. All Art Vandelay jokes aside, the debate over the Ex-Im bank once again has shown the schism in the Republican party, and how there are really three parties in Congress – Republican, Democratic, and Tea Party. While it looks like both sides may be able to claim victory in this instance by kicking the can down the road for a few years, it is worth noting that we continue to witness similar battles and results on other issues. As a result, more and more items are being added to the lame duck agenda, and it is shaping up to be a very busy November and December in our nation’s Capital – the only question is will there be enough runway to get all things done.
TRP Health Policy Report
The House and Senate both completed legislative business for the week last Thursday, with lawmakers returning to their districts for the Fourth of July recess. Before adjourning, the House voted 229-185 to approve legislation (H.R. 4899) to require the Department of Interior to conduct additional onshore and offshore oil and gas lease sales. Earlier in the week, the House voted 265-144 to reauthorize the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (H.R. 4413) before turning attention to other two energy-related bills. On Tuesday, the House voted 238-173 to pass a bill (H.R. 3301) from House Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) to eliminate certain pipeline and electricity transmission permit requirements. On Wednesday, House members voted 266-150 in favor of legislation (H.R. 6) to expedite Energy Department permits for natural gas exports to WTO countries. In the Senate, members voted 95-3 to approve a jobs training bill (H.R. 803) and advanced a series of executive branch and judicial nominations.