Health Policy Report (2/13)

Capitol Hill Update Senators will pick up legislative business this afternoon to begin consideration of a sweeping public lands bill. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has queued up votes on a bipartisan measure that would permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), while also addressing billions of dollars in deferred maintenance backlogs on existing public […]

Capitol Hill Update Senators will return from their Memorial Day district work period this week to a jam-packed agenda for the month of June. In addition to a consideration of presidential nominations, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) stated that the upper chamber will work on the fiscal year (FY) 2021 National Defense Authorization Act […]

Capitol Hill Update Following the long Memorial Day Weekend, the House will return to Washington tomorrow as leadership looks to utilize the lower chamber’s new remote work flexibilities to return to some resemblance of regular order. The rule change will allow Members to submit votes for up to ten absent lawmakers by proxy and permit […]

Capitol Hill Update House lawmakers have left Washington following passage of the HEROES Act and a resolution to facilitate temporary remote voting and virtual hearings. The rule change will allow Members to submit votes for up to ten absent lawmakers by proxy and permit committees to convene hearings, markups, and depositions through a chief administrative […]

Capitol Hill Update Senators will return this afternoon to resume legislative business, but the House will remain away from Washington amid health and safety concerns from the Attending Physician’s office. As the floor and Committee schedules for coming days and weeks take shape, leadership officials stated that Congress is likely to consider another round of […]

Capitol Hill Update President Donald Trump signed the $483.4 billion “COVID-19 Phase 3.5” bill into law last week after officials clinched a bipartisan agreement on the measure. The bill provides $310 billion to replenish the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that would allow it to resume lending as soon as today (Monday). The […]

Capitol Hill Update Congressional leadership and White House officials are closing in on an agreement for the next round of COVID-19 legislation after funding for the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) lapsed late last week. Following days of tense negotiations and partisan messaging exercises, the deal is expected to include a boost […]

Capitol Hill Update Late last week, Senators failed to pass a Republican-designed $250 billion funding bill to bolster the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program amid disagreements over additional funding for COVID-19 response efforts. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) attempted to pass the additional funding for the PPP by voice vote during a “pro […]

The Week in Review House lawmakers overwhelmingly passed legislation that seeks to bolster the response efforts to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. After days of negotiations between Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, an agreement was reached that would provide free diagnostic testing, boost funding for food assistance, and extend paid sick […]

The Week in Review The race for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination took a dramatic shift last week following the “Super Tuesday” contests. Former Vice President Joe Biden turned in a surprisingly strong showing in last Tuesday’s primary elections, winning ten out of the 14 states up for grabs: TX, NC, VA, MA, AR, AL, ME, […]

The Week in Review Former Vice President Joe Biden scored a key victory in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary over the weekend with a commanding victory in Saturday’s contest in South Carolina. Vice President Biden won the Palmetto State with 48 percent of the vote, with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) finishing second and earning a […]

The Week in Review Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has taken the lead for the Democratic presidential nomination after a dominant victory in Saturday’s Nevada caucuses. The Vermont Senator earned 39 percent of the vote in the Silver State’s contest, besting former Vice President Joe Biden and former South Bend, IN Mayor Pete Buttigieg who finished […]