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Looking Ahead Near Term The House and Senate are in session before heading out of town for the July 4th recess but the legislative news of the week is what’s not on the agenda (hint it rhymes with Smex-Im). The House is set to take up another appropriations bill (Interior) as well as the Ratepayer […]

While the defeat of the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) on Friday was either “a procedural snafu” or the greatest victory for organized labor in recent memory, we think the real story of the TPA / TAA fight is part of a larger picture.  That we are at an inflection point in how the power in […]

The Week in Review   In a week dominated by discussion of trade, debate raged in Congress over whether or not to grant President Obama “fast track” authority on trade negotiations through a specific pair of measures known as Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) and Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). The debate boiled down to a highly […]

June may be the month that the scales fell off the eyes of those who thought that previous success (i.e., SGR) would be indicative of smoother sailing in Congress in 2015.  While the reauthorization of the Patriot Act created a bumpy road for McConnell, it may have just been a precursor for the fall.  And, […]

Last week, the Senate returned a day early from their Memorial Day recess, and worked throughout the week to reform the National Security Agency’s (NSA’s) controversial surveillance powers – eventually passing House-passed legislation (H.R. 2048) two days after the legal authority for the programs expired. The 67-32 vote for the USA Freedom Act came more […]

The House and Senate were in recess last week for the Memorial Day holiday.   The Week Ahead   The Senate returned a day early from their Memorial Day recess for a rare Sunday session to continue working to resolve their differences over renewing phone data-gathering provisions of the Patriot Act.  Lawmakers remain divided over […]

The update comes to you a day late as we were quiet observing the Memorial Day Holiday.  With both the House and Senate in Recess this week, lobbyist and staff get a chance to catch their breaths and prepare for the next five weeks – which are shaping up to be busy on a number […]

Last week, the Senate voted to pass fast-track trade legislation by a vote of 62-37, handing President Obama a major policy victory.  Senate approval sets up a bruising fight next month in the House, where the fate of the President’s “trade promotion authority” is far from assured.  During debate in the Senate, Majority Leader Mitch […]

Looking Ahead Near Term The Senate will continue to debate Trade Promotion Authority as it races to complete consideration of the bill by the end of the week.  Will the jet fumes of a Memorial Day recess week be enough incentive to smooth out any outstanding bumps in a bill that continues to divide Democrats? […]

In the past weeks Congress has passed the SGR fix, the budget resolution and the House is roughly 1/6th of the way finished with getting through its appropriations work.  To the casual observer it might seem like the institution is finally working.  However, perhaps the better analogy is that Congress is like a duck.  On […]

Last week, Congress opened debate on an Iran nuclear deal, created a unified budget blueprint, passed two appropriations bills and introduced legislation to repeal the ‘Cadillac Tax.’ Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has brought to the Senate floor an Iran nuclear bill for amendment consideration. Separately, the House passed a Republican Party budget blueprint […]

Looking Ahead Near Term: It’s “Insurance Week” in DC with three hearings, two in Senate Banking and one over in the House. Also, there will be a joint Financial Services – Government Reform subcommittee hearing on Ex-Im. The House will take up two Appropriations bills – Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and also the Energy […]