Author: Thornrun

Congress has wrapped up legislative business for the week and will reconvene next week to continue work on pressing government funding deadlines. As the Sept. 30 deadline approaches, House Democrats are expected to queue up a continuing resolution (CR) for consideration as negotiators jostle to avoid another lapse in funding. The upper chamber is expected to take up the CR shortly thereafter, yet it remains to be seen whether the two sides can avoid disagreements over certain funding extensions, as well as how long the stopgap measure will fund the government. Meanwhile, the Senate Appropriations Committee is slated to resume its work on FY 2020 spending bills next week, including the funding measures for Financial Services and General Government (FSGG), Transportation-Housing and Urban Development, and Military Construction-Veterans Affairs.

Continue reading “Next Week on the Hill: House Tees Up Stopgap Funding Resolution”

The Senate’s push to fund the federal government through fiscal year (FY) 2020 got off to a rocky start yesterday, as the Senate Appropriations Committee postponed its scheduled markup of the Labor-HHS-Education bill amid partisan disagreements over policy riders. Democrats were prepared to offer an amendment to the Labor-HHS-Education bill that would bar the Trump administration from implementing its Title X family planning rule — a move that prompted Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) to delay the subcommittee markup while both sides iron out their differences on “poison pill” provisions. The two sides have also yet to strike an agreement on 302(b) allocation levels, reinforcing the need for a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government through mid-November or early December.

Continue reading “Today on the Hill: Senate Approps Process Iced Over Partisan Disputes”

Voters in North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District will head to the polls today for a highly-anticipated special election after the 2018 race was marred by credible allegations of election fraud. Democrat Dan McCready — who was also the 2018 nominee — will face off against NC State Rep Dan Bishop in a tossup race that will be closely watched as a possible indicator for the 2020 election. Elsewhere in the Tar Heel State, voters in the 3^rd Congressional District will also head to the polls for a special election to replace the late Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC). GOP State Rep. Greg Murphy is expected to knock off former Greenville Mayor Allen Thomas in this safe Republican district.

Continue reading “Today on the Hill: NC Voters Head to Polls for Bellwether Special Election”

Congress is set to return to action today as lawmakers gear up for a high-profile legislative blitz to close out 2019. Government funding will be a top priority for legislators when both chambers gavel in as lawmakers have 13 just legislative days to avert another government funding lapse. While the Senate Appropriations Committee plans to begin marking up measures on Thursday — tackling bills for Defense, Labor-HHS-Education, Energy-Water, and State-Operations — it's likely that both chambers will need to pass a continuing resolution (CR) to extend funding beyond Sept. 30, allowing negotiators to hammer out broader agreement for fiscal year (FY) 2020. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) stated late last week that the House will vote on a stopgap funding bill during the week of Sept. 16.

Continue reading “This Week on the Hill: Lawmakers Return for Busy September Session”

CMS Adds Star Ratings to All Exchanges

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released guidance last Thursday indicating that it would bring its Star Ratings — long the province of Medicare Advantage and programs like Nursing Home Compare — to all CMS-administered health care exchanges. Starting with the open enrollment for plan year 2020, all plans sold on the federal exchange, federally-facilitated exchanges, and state exchanges will bear star ratings, giving customers the ability to see simple quality metrics when selecting an Exchange plan. “Increasing transparency and competition drive better quality and cost, with consumers benefitting the most,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma in a press release accompanying the rollout

Continue reading “Health Policy Report (8/19)”