The Latest on the Government Shutdown

Today, Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Richard Durbin (D-IL) released the final text of “Corporate Inverters Earnings Stripping Reform Act of 2014”. The bill is designed to “prevent earnings stripping of domestic corporations, which are members of a worldwide group of corporations which includes an inverted corporation,” while requiring “agreements with respect to certain related […]

Members of the House and Senate return to Washington this week following a 5-week recess. Lawmakers will have just a few weeks to handle a series of ‘must-pass’ legislative items before adjourning again until the November elections.  Key issues expected to be considered include a short-term continuing resolution (CR) to avoid a government shutdown, reauthorization […]

The House and Senate were out last week. In notable Affordable Care Act (ACA) implementation news, a federal appeals court announced Thursday that it will rehear a case challenging insurance subsidies in the health law, setting aside an earlier ruling that invalidated the subsidies in many states. The move deals a blow to ACA opponents […]

The House and Senate were out last week for the five-week summer recess. In notable Affordable Care Act (ACA) implementation news, Sens. John Barrasso (R-WY) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) wrote to CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner on Wednesday, seeking an update on how many people are covered under the health law ahead of the second enrollment […]

The House and Senate remain adjourned for their five-week summer recess. Despite the lull in activity on Capitol Hill, last week saw several notable updates on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Last Tuesday, a government report found that the health law’s medical device tax is raising roughly three-quarters of the revenue originally […]

This post, penned by Thorn Run Partner's Billy Wynne, originally appeared in the August 19 edition of Health Affairs. In a day all but lost to Affordable Care Act prehistory, on November 7, 2009, the House of Representatives passed the Affordable Health Care for America Act. Among the bill’s many differences with its Senate counterpart, it would […]

The House and Senate remain adjourned for their five-week summer recess. When Congress returns in September, lawmakers plan to take up a series of issues, including a continuing resolution to fund the government past September 30, a border security bill, reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank, extending the Internet Tax Freedom Act and consideration of a […]

The House and Senate have adjourned for a five-week summer recess. Before departing, the House on August 1 approved a border security bill (H.R. 5230) in 223-189 vote. House members also passed a second measure (H.R.5272) by 216-192 that would limit the President’s power to shield undocumented immigrants from deportations. Passage in the House came […]

The House and Senate remain adjourned for a five-week summer recess. When Congress returns in September, lawmakers plan to take up a series of issues, including a continuing resolution to fund the government past September 30, a border security bill, reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank, extending the Internet Tax Freedom Act and consideration of a […]

Last week we learned that the economy added another 209,000 jobs, which was the six straight month with growth of at least 200,000 new jobs.  Although the unemployment numbers ticked up slightly, the news followed on earlier positive reports that the economy grew by 4% in the second quarter.  For Democrats, who are hoping that […]

Last week saw a flurry of activity on Capitol Hill as lawmakers looked to complete work on a series of legislative priorities before adjourning for the August recess. On Friday night, the House voted 223-189 to pass a $694 million bill (H.R.5230) to deal with the influx of migrants at the southern border, overcoming concerns […]

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) could take significant steps to improve the contract planning and oversight practices that led to the failed launch of Healthcare.gov last October, an official from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) testified today at a hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Oversight Subcommittee.  CMS was aware up […]