Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) admitted yesterday that the upper chamber is likely to pass a resolution of disapproval (H.J.Res 46) next week that would overturn President Trump's national emergency declaration. Leader McConnell’s remarks came after Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) joined three other Senate Republicans — including Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) — in announcing he would support the Democratic measure while roughly a dozen GOP Senators remain undecided. Democrats now have the 51 votes they need to secure passage in the Senate, which would force President Trump to issue the first veto of his presidency. However, the President’s forthcoming veto would likely survive an override attempt as the measure does not have the required two-thirds majority in the House.
Author: Thornrun
This Week on the Hill: House Democrats Look to Pass Sweeping Election Reform Bill
House and Senate lawmakers are set to begin another legislative workweek. Senators will return to action today and will resume their push to clear the presidential nominations queue starting with consideration of Allison Jones Rushing’s nomination to be a Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit. The Senate is also expected to take up the nominations of former Rep. John Fleming (R-LA) to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, and Chad Readler and Eric Murphy to be Circuit Judges for the Sixth Circuit Court.=
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Health Policy Report
The Week in Review
Last week, Congressional Democrats made their first move in a series of legislative and legal maneuvers to prevent President Trump from circumventing Congress to fund a border wall. House lawmakers passed (245-182) a resolution of disapproval (H.J.Res 46) that would reject the President’s national emergency declaration on the southern border. While reports suggest that the House GOP is expected to largely vote against the Democratic resolution, schisms among Senate Republicans are starting to emerge as Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Rand Paul (R-KY) have indicated they will join Democrats in voting to reject the national emergency declaration.
Financial Services Report (3/4)
On Friday, the Treasury announced that it was, once again, forced to initiate "extraordinary measures" to ensure that the full faith and credit of the United States Government will not be breached. As has been the case in the past, these actions are expected to push back the "drop dead" date for a breach of the debt limit into the summer, and perhaps even later. With Congress also needing to re-set funding levels for the FY20 budget in order to bypass mandatory budget cuts, there are some who view the marrying of the issues as the best path forward. Setting up those negotiations, to be even closer to the 2020 election year, especially with a President who enjoys wrapping himself in the success of the stock market, could be setting us up for another bumpy ride.
Today on the Hill: Bipartisan Group of Senators Introduce Disaster Relief Package
A bipartisan group of Senators —spearheaded by Sens. David Perdue (R-GA), Johnny Isakson (R-GA) and Doug Jones (D-AL) — have introduced a bill (S. 572) to provide relief for states adversely impacted by hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes and other natural disasters last year. The package includes funding for Army Corps of Engineers construction projects aimed at shore, flood, and storm damage protection. It would also provide funding for: (1) emergency forest restoration; (2) wildfire management; (3) flood mitigation; and (4) infrastructure recovery.
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Today on the Hill: House Begins Push to Reform Gun Background Checks
Following passage (245-182) of a resolution of disapproval that would block President Trump’s national emergency declaration, House Democrats have teed up another major issue on their policy platform — gun control. House lawmakers are set to consider a bill (H.R. 8) that aims to strengthen the existing gun background check system by mandating universal background checks — thus closing a loophole for buyers online and at gun shows —ensuring individuals prohibited from gun possession are not able to obtain firearms. After passage of the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, the lower chamber will consider a bill (H.R. 1112) that would extend the initial background check review period to 10 days from three. While both measures are expected to easily pass the House, their fates are uncertain in the GOP-controlled Senate and White House as President Trump ponders a potential veto.
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Today on the Hill: House Prepares to Rebuke Trump National Emergency
House lawmakers are preparing their first move in a series of legislative and legal maneuvers to prevent President Trump from circumventing Congress to fund a border wall. Lawmakers will vote on a resolution of disapproval (H.J.Res 46) that would reject the President’s national emergency declaration on the southern border. While reports suggest that the House GOP is expected to largely vote against the Democratic resolution, schisms among Senate Republicans are starting to emerge as Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Thom Tillis have indicated they will join Democrats in voting to reject the national emergency declaration.
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Health Policy Report
The Week in Review
Last week, in response to President Trump’s southern border national emergency declaration, House Democrats introduced a resolution of disapproval (H.J.Res 46) that would reject the President’s declaration. It’s the first move in a series of potential legislative and legal maneuvers by Congressional Democrats to block President Trump from circumventing Congress to fund a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. The resolution is expected to easily pass the House early this week and could end up attracting the support of some Republican Senators — such as Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), and Mitt Romney (R-UT) — who have been critical of the national emergency declaration.
This Week on the Hill: Showdown Over Trump’s National Emergency Declaration Looms
Lawmakers in both chambers will resume legislative business this afternoon following a brief President’s Day district work period. On the House floor this week, Democratic leadership has teed up a pair of measures aimed at strengthening the nation’s gun background check system. The Bipartisan Background Checks Act (H.R. 8) and the Enhanced Background Checks Act (H.R. 1112) are both expected to pass the lower chamber easily later this week. Their fates, however, are uncertain in the GOP-controlled Senate and White House. For today, House lawmakers will consider seven bills under suspension of the rules, including a bill out of the Energy and Commerce Committee (H.R. 525) that directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a public-private partnership for purposes of identifying health care waste, fraud, and abuse.
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Next Week on the Hill: House Democrats Gear Up to Thwart Trump’s National Emergency Declaration
In response to President Trump’s southern border national emergency declaration, House Democrats are set to introduce a resolution of disapproval that would reject the President’s declaration. It’s the first move in a series of potential legislative and legal maneuvers by Congressional Democrats to block President Trump from circumventing Congress to fund a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. The resolution is expected to easily pass the House and could end up attracting the support of some Republican Senators — such as Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), and Mitt Romney (R-UT) — who have been critical of the national emergency declaration.