This morning’s “Morning Money” tipsheet from Politico featured comments from Thorn Run’s Jason Rosenstock on the notion that this primary season showed both a far-leftward and anti-establishment stance by Democrats. Rosenstock astutely notes that while newspapers and other media outlets are determined to put forward the belief that this primary season is showing a far-leftward movement in the Democratic party, “a simple examination of the facts shows that it is not the case.” He also notes that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the so-called establishment, backed candidates that won 95% of the time. “Further, the moderate Democrat was successful about 87% of the time, while the ultra-progressive left-wing groups only had about a 30% win rate in the primaries,” said Rosenstock. “While the current make-up of the Democratic party in the House favors the progressives, it seems pretty clear that any future Democratic majority will be built on a foundation of moderates, and that this should temper the agenda of the Democrats in 2019.”
Author: Thornrun
This Week on the Hill: Congress Returns to End-of-Month Legislative Scramble
Both chambers return to action this week as lawmakers prepare to tackle a host of legislative and government funding priorities before the September 30th government funding deadline. The Senate will reconvene today and immediately turn its attention to its presidential nominations queue. As of now, Senators are expected to consider the nominations of Jackie Walcott to be a Representative of the United States to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Peter Feldman to be Commissioner of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
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Health Policy Report
The Week in Review
While House lawmakers left Washington for a district work week, the Senate reconvened last week for a brief legislative session. The upper chamber cleared a highly anticipated package of bills to address the nation’s opioid crisis — the Opioid Crisis Response Act (H.R. 6) — setting up a conference with the House to iron out the final details of the response legislation. The Senate also continued work on the FY 2019 appropriations process with final passage of the Defense-Labor-HHS-Education conference report.
Financial Services Report
Our Take
As this is probably the penultimate update before the midterm elections, it is worth taking a moment to put an element of the potential “blue wave” in perspective. While newspapers and clickbait websites want to push a narrative that this primary season showed both a far-leftward and anti-establishment lurch by Democrats, a simple examination of the facts shows that is not the case. Certainly, the primary losses by Representatives Crowley and Capuano may reflect those sentiments, but the reality is that the DCCC (i.e., the establishment) endorsed candidate won 95% of the time. Further, the moderate Democrat (i.e., the New Democratic backed candidate) was successful about 87% of the time, while the ultra-progressive left-wing groups only had about a 30% win rate in the primaries. While the current make-up of the Democratic party in the House favors the progressives, it seems pretty clear that any future Democratic majority will be built on a foundation of moderates, and that this should temper the agenda of the Democrats in 2019.
Next Week on the Hill: House Seeks to Clear Defense-Labor-HHS Spending Measures; Senate Returns to Nominations
The House returns from its week-long recess on Tuesday as lawmakers aim to keep the government funded beyond the September 30th deadline. The House will vote on the minibus package containing Defense-Labor, Health and Human Services, Education (Labor-HHS) FY 2019 funding bills (H.R. 6157) (bill text; conference report; summary). The Defense-Labor-HHS package will also serve as the vehicle for a continuing resolution (CR) through December 7th — allowing Congress to avert a shutdown and punt decisions on controversial issues until after the mid-term elections.
Today on the Hill: Senate Eyes Completion of Defense-Labor-HHS Conference Report; Kavanaugh Confirmation Vote Delayed
Following passage of the highly anticipated opioid response legislation, the Senate will reconvene this morning to check off an additional big ticket legislative item. The upper chamber is slated to vote on the Defense-Labor-HHS-Education conference report today as Congress seeks to keep the government funded beyond the September 30th funding deadline. The report includes both a year-long funding package for the departments of Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education for FY 2019, along with a short-term continuing resolution (CR) that would keep remaining agencies funded through December 7th while negotiations continue.
This Week on the Hill: Opioid Package, Defense-Labor-HHS Conference Report Headline Senate Floor Action
The Senate is slated to reconvene this afternoon when it will hold a vote on a highly anticipated package of bills to address the nation’s opioid crisis. The Opioid Crisis Response Act (section-by-section) comprises more than 70 bills reported out of five Senate committees and touches on nearly every aspect of the epidemic. If passed, the bill will need to be reconciled with the House-passed measure (H.R. 6) prior to becoming law. For the balance of the week, the upper chamber is also expected to vote on the Defense-Labor-HHS-Education conference report as Congress seeks to beat the September 30 government funding deadline.
Health Policy Report
The Week in Review
Congress returned for a truncated legislative work week as lawmakers made headway in the FY 2019 appropriations process. Both chambers passed the first conference report on a package of three fiscal 2019 spending bills, which fund agencies including the departments of Energy and Veterans Affairs, as well as military construction projects and Congress itself. Up next on the government spending docket is the “minibus” for the Defense-Labor, Health and Human Services, Education (Labor-HHS) FY 2019 funding bills (H.R. 6157) (bill text; conference report; summary). The Defense-Labor-HHS package will also serve as the vehicle for a continuing resolution (CR) through December 7th — allowing Congress to avert a shutdown and punt decisions on controversial issues until after the mid-term elections.
Financial Services Report
Looking Ahead
Near Term
- The Senate is poised to pass a funding bill for the Defense Department that will also include a continuing resolution keeping the government funded until December 7th.
- The Senate Banking Committee will hold a FinTech hearing on data and technology on Tuesday.
- The Senate Judiciary Committee could advance the nomination of Justice Kavanaugh to the full Senate this week.
- The House is out of Session
Today on the Hill: House Looks to Finalize 3-Bill Spending Package, WRDA Reauthorization
The House returns to action this morning as the chamber seeks to clear two major legislative priorities. Lawmakers are expected to approve the conference report (H.R. 5895) for the minibus spending package for military construction and veterans’ affairs, legislative branch, and energy and water. The House will also vote on a measure (S. 3021) under suspension of the rules that would reauthorize the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). Additional suspension work for the House includes: (1) a bill (S.97) that enables civilian research and development of advanced nuclear energy technologies by private and public institutions; (2) a bill (H.R. 6227) to provide for a coordinated Federal program to accelerate quantum research and development for the economic and national security of the United States; and (3) a Senate amendment to a House-passed bill (H.R. 589) that establishes Department of Energy policy for science and energy research and development programs