The Latest on the Government Shutdown

President Trump is on his first overseas trip this week – visiting the nations of Saudi Arabia, Israel, Vatican City, and Belgium – but the White House will still make domestic headlines with the expected release of its complete budget proposal for the 2018 fiscal year. The initial “skinny budget” outlined in March detailed significant […]

In an Inside Health Policy article published yesterday, Thorn Run Partners’ Senior Vice President Shea McCarthy weighed in the potential auto-enrollment of individuals into health plans, an idea spearheaded by Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Susan Collins (R-ME) in their healthcare bill entitled The Patient Freedom Act. “Aside from helping Republicans improve the dismal coverage […]

Our Take That sound you heard emanating from our nation’s capital last week was the collective scream of the city’s establishment trying to deal with the President’s firing of FBI Director Comey and then subsequent responses from the White House.   Without commenting on the specifics of the situation, the impact on the future of legislation […]

The Week in Review With the House in a week-long district work period, floor action was overshadowed by the shock announcement on Tuesday night that President Trump fired Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey.  The news set off a firestorm in Washington as lawmakers from both parties were concerned over the timing and […]

Congress returns to full strength this week as the House will reconvene tomorrow following its brief in-district work period last week. In recognition of National Police Week, the House’s docket features a series of bills on criminal justice, including two  measures scheduled to be considered pursuant to a rule later this week. One of those […]

The fallout from President Trump’s firing of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey has yet to settle as further details continue to emerge about the reasoning behind President Trump’s decision to dismiss the longtime prosecutor. Multiple media outlets have reported that Comey had requested additional resources for the Bureau’s Russia probe shortly before […]

Our Take The comedian Jerry Seinfeld has a bit about how our allegiances to our local sports teams is nothing more than rooting for laundry, and the same might be said for our politics as well.   This past week, President Donald Trump and the House Republican conference was able to cobble together a 217-213 win […]

The Week in Review It was a busy week in Washington that saw Congress avoid a government shutdown, House Republicans pass their health care overhaul, and the House Financial Services Committee advance a rewrite of the Dodd-Frank financial reform law.

After one of the busiest periods in the 115th Congress last week, this week features less dramatic legislative work as the Senate works to confirm additional presidential nominees and consider the last congressional disapprovals of administrative rules advanced by the Obama Administration. The House is away from Washington for a weeklong in-district work period.

After weeks of wrangling, an initial failure before the Easter recess, and the addition of two amendments to placate both the conservative and moderate wings of the party, the House is scheduled to hold a floor vote today on the American Health Care Act (AHCA) (H.R. 1628). While the vote will likely be very close, […]

Our Take For the past two years, there has been a definitive “theme” to Congress.  For example, two years ago the congressional agenda was primarily driven by the plethora of legislative deadlines that needed to be met.   Last year, of course, was the election.   Now, 102 days into the current Administration, it is becoming […]

The Week in Review President Donald Trump’s 100th day in office was met with little fanfare as a possible House vote on the Republican health care package was delayed and lawmakers punted a government funding decision, ultimately approving a weeklong stopgap spending bill on Friday to avert a government shutdown. Lawmakers have been negotiating on […]