Author: Thornrun

As details from Sunday night’s mass shooting in Las Vegas continue to emerge, the gun control debate has reignited in Washington along predictable lines. A bipartisan pair of legislators — Rep. Pete King (R-NY) and Mike Thompson (D-CA) — are reportedly preparing to reintroduce legislation to require background checks on all commercial firearm sales, while many Democrats have called for further measures such as preventing the sale of high-capacity magazines and certain types of military-style rifles. With Republicans controlling all three major levers of power, it is unlikely that any of those efforts will ultimately be enacted into law, but some proponents of stricter gun laws are hoping that the unconventional President Trump may be willing to listen on the issue. Speaking to reporters at the White House earlier today, the President sidestepped questions on specific proposals to restrict gun sales, only saying, “we’ll be talking about gun laws as time goes on.”

Continue reading “Today on the Hill: DC Reacts to Vegas Shooting; House Considers Abortion Bill; Trump to Visit Puerto Rico”

Before leaving Washington for the week, lawmakers in both chambers voted yesterday on a bill (H.R. 3823) to extend federal aviation programs before a Saturday deadline and provide tax relief for people affected by recent hurricanes. The six-month reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) (H.R. 3823) also includes provisions to extend a few expiring public health care programs. Health care measures in the bill included short-term extensions of the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program and the Special Diabetes Program for Indians, as well as a three-year extension a of Medicare demonstration allowing patients with weakened immune systems to receive in-home care.

Continue reading “Today on the Hill: Congress Adjourns After Passing FAA Extension, Hurricane Tax Relief”

The tax reform debate has officially begun in earnest, as the Senate has closed the door on a September vote on ACA ‘repeal and replace’ and the group of Republican leaders known as the “Big Six” released the most detailed look yet at the party’s plan to overhaul the nation's tax code. The tax plan is now expected to head to the committees of jurisdiction to be crafted into formal legislation. The pressure to pass a package will be particularly acute this fall as lawmakers begin to plan their campaigns for the 2018 midterm elections. Republicans are hoping that tax reform will prove to be a more consensus issue than healthcare, but the many “winners and losers” of any tax reform package will undoubtedly cause some divisions among Republican rank-and-file members.

Continue reading “Today on the Hill: All Eyes Turn to Tax Reform as House Votes on FAA, Flood Insurance, Health Programs”

The last-ditch effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) led by Republican Sens. Lindsay Graham (R-SC) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) will take center-stage this week as Republican leaders try to beat the expiration of the 2017 fiscal year reconciliation instructions that allow for a bill to pass in the Senate on a simple majority vote rather than the typical 60 votes required of major legislation. A new draft of the bill (text) was released last night, including additional federal funding for the states of Alaska, Arizona, Maine, and Kentucky — home to four of the bill’s key skeptics in Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), John McCain (R-AZ), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Rand Paul (R-KY). The new draft also rolls back more federal regulations regarding the health insurance industry, which is likely a nod to conservative senators Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Mike Lee (R-UT). It is unclear whether the changes will be enough to convince all but two Republicans to vote in favor — especially considering the accelerated timeline — but it appears that all systems are go for a final push.

Continue reading “This Week on the Hill: New Graham-Cassidy Draft Boosts Funding to States of Skeptic Senators; House Returns to MIECHV Reauthorization, FAA Stopgap”