TRP is Hiring: Legislative Assistant (Health Portfolio)

New lawmakers will be sworn in today at noon, marking the start of the 116th Congress. Democrats are set to regain control of the House after winning 40 seats in the 2018 midterm elections, while Republicans will enjoy a boosted 53-47 majority in the Senate after knocking off vulnerable Democratic incumbents in Florida, North Dakota, Indiana, […]

The 116th Congress is set to gavel in tomorrow at noon amid a government funding lapse that has shut down roughly 25 percent of the federal government. Set to lead the lower chamber for the first time since 2010, House Democrats plan to pass two separate bills — one funding eight departments that have been […]

House GOP lawmakers rejected Senate-passed legislation that would have provided a “clean” extension of government funding for seven weeks, opting instead to pass a stopgap bill that would provide $5.7 billion for President Trump's proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall and $8 billion for emergency disaster aid. President Trump told GOP leadership he would veto the Senate-passed […]

Late yesterday evening, Senators moved to avert a partial government shutdown by passing a seven-week continuing resolution (CR) by voice vote. Despite a slight snag over reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the Senate advanced the stopgap spending bill — which would extend government funding until February 8 for the nine federal departments […]

Congressional leaders are reportedly making preparations to punt the government funding deadline into next year. Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) stated that the Senate is close to advancing a continuing resolution (CR) that would extend funding for the departments covered by the seven unfinished appropriations measures until early February. The deal will likely be […]

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has queued up another attempt to vote on a year-end tax package (text; summary) this week following an additional revamp designed to win broader support. The latest version of the bill restores an extension of two expired tax breaks: one for a biodiesel tax credit and another for a railroad […]

Lawmakers will return to Washington this week in the hopes of striking a deal to avoid a partial government shutdown. The appropriations process has been deadlocked in a contentious debate over President Trump’s $5 billion border wall demand, leaving the seven remaining funding bills in limbo heading into Friday’s deadline. Among some of the options […]

The Week in Review The federal government inched closer to a partial shutdown last week following an intense oval office meeting between President Trump and Democratic leadership. President Trump told House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) that he would be “proud” to shut down the government if the […]

Our Take Many believe that the overarching theme of Congress 2019 will be one of gridlock, with little legislative action expected to ultimately end up on the President’s desk – save perhaps an infrastructure and data privacy legislation.   And to the casual observer, that may ultimately appear to be correct, but beneath the surface Democrats […]

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) struck a deal with a group of insurgent Democratic lawmakers that will likely ensure she’ll have the votes she needs to claim the speaker’s gavel in the 116th Congress. The agreement would limit her tenure and that of Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and Assistant Leader Jim Clyburn (D-SC) to no more […]

The federal government inched closer to a partial government shutdown yesterday following a fervid oval office meeting between President Trump and Democratic leadership. President Trump told House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) that he would be “proud” to shut down the government if the spending deal does not […]

House and Senate Agriculture negotiators have released the text (summary) for the final version of the Farm Bill, putting lawmakers on track to pass the five-year legislation this week. The legislation omits conservative-backed work requirements for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients — a move that will likely increase support among Democrats in both chambers. Despite President […]