With the House in recess for the week, Beltway-watchers will be focused on the upper chamber where lawmakers will return today to continue consideration of the FY18 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) (H.R. 2810). A final cloture and up-or-down vote on the bill is expected this evening, after the chamber adopts a substitute amendment from Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) that constitutes the Senate’s version of the bill. Passage is expected, but it remains unclear how the two chambers will reconcile their visions for the annual defense policy measure. The Senate is also expected to approve the nomination of Noel Fransisco to be Solicitor General early this week.
Author: Thornrun
Health Policy Report
The Week in Review
The week started on a somber note as the nation marked the 16th anniversary of the September 11th terror attacks and assessed the damage from Hurricane Irma’s landfall on the Florida coast. That latter event delayed the House’s return to Washington, although lawmakers were able to return on Tuesday to work on an immigration bill and a highly partisan FY18 appropriations bill. The first (H.R. 3697) of those two measures would make it easier for government officials to deport undocumented immigrants involved in gang activity and was approved on Thursday by a 233-175 margin. The appropriations bill was subject to hundreds of amendments and contains a number of policy riders deemed “poison pills” by Democrats. For that reason, last week’s narrow 211-198 vote is largely a messaging exercise ahead of the more substantive funding negotiations that will take place later this fall.
Financial Services Report
Our Take
This past week the President Trump that all Democrats had hoped for – the one who favors the art of the deal over ideology – finally made an appearance. Depending on your media consumption this was either the greatest thing or the end of days. As is often the case, the media hype misses the nuance of reality. The President’s deal was only a short-term punt of some serious issues that may not be resolvable by December 8th. So, while he changed the media narrative (especially in the New York Times and on MSNBC), this deal doesn’t change any of the politics around the substantive issues at stake. New Trump isn’t going to get Democratic support for a wall, nor will he get Republican support for a permanent DACA bill. Regardless, it was nice to see Washington “work” this past week and perhaps this ultimate outsider has a plan up his sleeve to keep it going.
Health Policy Report
Last Week in Review
The natural disaster in southeast Texas, and preparations for the now-arrived storm in Florida, forced a busy week from Congress in its return from the August recess as the body was forced to reckon with government funding and the debt ceiling weeks ahead of previously anticipated deadlines at the end of September. Surprisingly, this action took the form of a snap deal between President Trump and Democrat congressional Minority Leaders Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on a legislative package (a sweeping amendment to H.R. 601) providing a $15 billion down payment on Texas disaster relief and pushing back key deadlines for government funding, the debt ceiling, and the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) from the end of September to Dec. 8. The Senate passed the package on Thursday 80-17, with the House doing the same on Friday on a 316-90 vote.
Politico’s “Morning Money” Tipsheet Touts Jason Rosenstock’s Comments on the Debt Ceiling
This morning's "Morning Money" piece from Politico featured “hat tip” to comments made by Thorn Run’s Jason Rosenstock, who offered his take on the current state of play between both parties on the debt limit earlier this summer. “Democrats whose history under the Gephardt Rule shows they never wanted to make this a public issue, and who are tired of having to supply the votes and the campaign fodder for Republicans, have almost no incentive to bail out the GOP majority,” noted Rosenstock. “Republicans, in control of all three branches of Government for the first time during one of these crises, know that they can’t escape the blame for any repercussions from the stock market for failing to raise the debt limit. While few are publicly talking about it, the stars may be aligning so that this next extension is the final time Congress deals with this issue.”
Health Policy Report
The Week in Review
With Texas still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Harvey, lawmakers began to discuss the recovery process last week, which may have a significant impact on government funding negotiations this month. Harvey is expected to be one of the most, if not the most, expensive natural disasters in American history, necessitating billions of dollars in direct federal aid and funding for relevant agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) and the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). That reality has dampened the brinksmanship expressed by both parties over government funding and could prove to be enough to force a deal early in September.
Health Policy Report
The Week in Review
While Congress continued their congressional recess, last week brought several news-worthy developments that will shape the political debate when lawmakers return in September. Tropical Storm Harvey battered the coast of Texas over the weekend, with total rainfall expected to reach 50 inches, causing significant damage in Houston and surrounding areas. Some confounding political dynamics are likely to ensue, as Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and other Texas Republicans were among opponents of bi-state aid after Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc in 2012, saying the federal relief package had become laden with unrelated “pork” spending. The irony wasn’t lost on Rep. Peter King (R-NY), who tweeted Sunday, “Ted Cruz & Texas cohorts voted [against] NY/NJ aid after Sandy but I’ll vote [for] Harvey aid. NY won’t abandon Texas. One bad turn doesn’t deserve another.”
Health Policy Report
The Week in Review
At the end of a chaotic week for the Trump Administration, the White House announced on Friday that Chief Strategist Steve Bannon had resigned from his post. Bannon is considered one of the primary architects of Trump’s rise to power and is likely to remain an influential voice through his position at far-right news outlet Breitbart News, which he immediately returned to following his departure from the White House. The chief strategist position is not a traditional formal White House position and it is unclear whether Bannon will be replaced with another adviser.
Health Policy Report
The Week in Review
The House and Senate have adjourned for August recess. Both chambers are scheduled to reconvene for legislative business on Tuesday, September 5. The Senate will meet in “pro-forma” sessions every few days during the recess, which will effectively block President Trump from being able to make recess appointments over the break.
Health Policy Report
The Week in Review
While the House adjourned at the end of July for the traditional August recess, the upper chamber was in session last week to handle legislative business that had been delayed due to Republican’s consideration of their Affordable Care Act (ACA) repeal bill. The Senate passed sweeping legislation to reauthorize user fees that fund the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) review of drugs and medical-devices, along with a pair of targeted health care bills addressing opioids and experimental drugs (more on these below).