Health Policy Report (2/13)

Both chambers of Congress will return to action today to begin the second week of the April legislative session. In the House, floor activity for the week includes a pair of immigration-related measures pertaining to the Trump administration’s travel ban on individuals from predominantly Muslim countries, as well as access to legal counsel for immigrants […]

Congress will return this week to kick off the April legislative session as lawmakers turn their attention to crafting legislation that closely aligns with President Joe Biden’s “American Jobs Plan” for infrastructure. The Senate will open later this afternoon to resume consideration of the President’s pending nominees, starting with Polly Trottenberg’s nomination to be Deputy Secretary of […]

Congress stands adjourned for the spring district work period. The Senate will return to Washington on Monday, April 12, followed by the House on Tuesday, April 13.

Congress stands adjourned for the spring district work period and will convene for votes during the week of April 12. Looking ahead to the April session, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) outlined the upper chamber’s agenda when senators return in two weeks. The “Dear Colleague” letter notes that the Senate will focus on three main issue […]

House lawmakers have completed their voting sessions for the month of March after passing a measure to ensure that the increase in deficit spending as a result of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) does not trigger statutorily-required across-the-board spending cuts. The bill would avert billions of dollars in automatic spending cuts — known as sequestration — to Social […]

After President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act into law last Thursday, Congress will next look to ensure that the massive increase in deficit spending does not trigger statutorily-required across-the-board spending cuts. According to House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), lawmakers will take up a bill this week that seeks to […]

Senators passed (50-49) President Joe Biden’s “American Rescue Plan” over the weekend following a marathon “vote-a-rama” debate on amendments. The process was delayed for nearly 12 hours on Saturday as Senators deliberated changes to the unemployment benefits portion. Ultimately, a compromise was reached that pared back the weekly boost to $300 per week until September […]

Capitol Hill Update Early Saturday morning, House lawmakers passed (219-210) the $1.9 trillion “American Rescue Plan,” sending it to the Senate for consideration this week. The current version of the measure will be subject to additional changes in the upper chamber after the Senate Parliamentarian ruled last week that the proposed $15 minimum wage increase […]

Congress will resume legislative business this week as lawmakers look to check off the Biden administration’s key first 100-day priorities. The Senate will convene first this afternoon and is expected to resume consideration of pending presidential nominees for the balance of the week. Nominations that will come up for a vote include Linda Thomas-Greenfield’s nomination […]

House Committees wrapped up their markups of reconciliation instructions on the next round of COVID-19 relief legislation last week as Democratic lawmakers look to get the measure onto the floor for a vote. Members on the House Budget Committee will meet this week to combine all of the reconciliation instructions into the final $1.9 trillion […]

Capitol Hill Update Congress has formally kicked off the budget reconciliation process for additional virus relief legislation, passing a resolution that instructs 25 committees across both chambers to begin drafting the bill. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) stated that House committees will mark up the $1.9 trillion relief package next week, with the goal of getting it on […]

Capitol Hill Update Congressional Democrats are preparing to move forward with a budget resolution this week that would allow the next COVID-19 relief package to clear the Senate with a simple majority. The House plans to introduce its resolution today, and is expected to instruct 13 committees to develop pieces of the $1.9 trillion relief […]