Where Things Stand on Government Funding
Late yesterday, the three-bill “minibus” containing the Interior-Environment, Energy-Water, and Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) funding bills cleared its first “test vote” in the Senate by a vote of 80-13. It’s a sign that this measure is on a glidepath to hit the president’s desk ahead of the Jan. 30 funding deadline, though a “time agreement” to speed […]
- September 11, 2019
Today on the Hill: Senate Approps Process Iced Over Partisan Disputes
Read MoreThe Senate’s push to fund the federal government through fiscal year (FY) 2020 got off to a rocky start yesterday, as the Senate Appropriations Committee postponed its scheduled markup of the Labor-HHS-Education bill amid partisan disagreements over policy riders. Democrats were prepared to offer an amendment to the Labor-HHS-Education bill that would bar the Trump […]
- September 10, 2019
Today on the Hill: NC Voters Head to Polls for Bellwether Special Election
Read MoreVoters in North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District will head to the polls today for a highly-anticipated special election after the 2018 race was marred by credible allegations of election fraud. Democrat Dan McCready — who was also the 2018 nominee — will face off against NC State Rep Dan Bishop in a tossup race that […]
- September 9, 2019
This Week on the Hill: Lawmakers Return for Busy September Session
Read MoreCongress is set to return to action today as lawmakers gear up for a high-profile legislative blitz to close out 2019. Government funding will be a top priority for legislators when both chambers gavel in as lawmakers have 13 just legislative days to avert another government funding lapse. While the Senate Appropriations Committee plans to […]
- September 9, 2019
Health Policy Report (9/9)
Read MoreThe Week Ahead Congress is set to return to action today as lawmakers gear up for a high-profile legislative blitz to close out 2019. Government funding will be a top priority for legislators when both chambers gavel in as the Sept. 30 funding deadline looms. While the Senate Appropriations Committee plans to begin marking up […]
- September 3, 2019
Health Policy Report (9/3)
Read MoreJohnson & Johnson Ordered to Pay for Role in Opioid Epidemic Cleveland County District Judge Thad Balkman released a decision last Monday declaring Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals played a punishable role in the opioid crisis. He ordered Johnson & Johnson pay more than $572 million based on public nuisance claims to […]
- August 26, 2019
Health Policy Report (8/26)
Read MoreTrump Administration Proposes Changes to Part 2 Privacy Rules Last Thursday, the Trump administration released a much-anticipated rule which proposes updates to the consent requirements governing the release of patient information for individuals seeking treatment for substance use disorder. The rule, developed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), is designed to […]
- August 19, 2019
Health Policy Report (8/19)
Read MoreCMS Adds Star Ratings to All Exchanges The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released guidance last Thursday indicating that it would bring its Star Ratings — long the province of Medicare Advantage and programs like Nursing Home Compare — to all CMS-administered health care exchanges. Starting with the open enrollment for plan year […]
- August 12, 2019
Health Policy Report
Read MoreWhite House: Trump Will Announce IPI Model in September President Trump is expected give a major health policy speech in September, including a roll-out of an international reference price system for prescription drugs. As reported last week in Bloomberg News, the President’s senior adviser, Kellyanne Conway, said that an international pricing index (IPI) for purchasing […]
- August 6, 2019
Health Policy Report
Read MoreThe Week in Review Senators reconvened last week to address key legislative priorities ahead of the August recess. In addition to a host of presidential nominations, the Senate addressed budgetary spending caps and the federal debt ceiling by clearing the House-passed budget agreement. The deal — which approves $321 billion in new spending and suspends […]
- August 5, 2019
Financial Services Report (8/5)
Read MoreBoth the House and Senate are in the August Recess and will return on September 9th. When the Senate returns in September it will continue approving executive nominations, including those of Kelly Craft to be UN Ambassador and Michelle Bowman to the Fed Board. The House Financial Services Committee will also have a full […]
- July 31, 2019
Today on the Hill: Budget Deal Fast-tracked As Senate Eyes Recess
Read MoreSenators may look to wrap up legislative business for the summer later this afternoon. In addition to a host of presidential nominations, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has queued up the bipartisan budget agreement for a vote at some point during today’s session. Final passage of the measure — which would boost spending by […]
- July 29, 2019
This Week on the Hill: Senate Closes Out Summer Legislative Session
Read MoreSenators will reconvene this afternoon as they look to wrap up key legislative priorities ahead of the August recess. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is expected to swiftly call up the House-passed budget deal (text; summary), as the upper chamber will need to hit the ground running in September on the 2020 appropriations process. In addition […]