TRP is Hiring: Legislative Assistant (Health Portfolio)

A partisan dispute over abortion language included in a human trafficking bill (S. 178) brought the Senate to a halt again last week, with Democrats using procedural votes to block the legislation from moving forward. In response, GOP leaders indefinitely delayed a vote on Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch. Democrats, however, are threatening to continue […]

With just five legislative days scheduled before the March 31 expiration of the current patch to the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR), we thought it would be helpful to provide a brief overview of the current state-of-play with respect to the negotiations to permanently replace Medicare’s flawed physician payment formula.  As we have previously reported, several […]

Despite having the fewest members since the Hoover Administration, the fact that Speaker Boehner has had deal with a disparate and  unruly group of Republicans contrasted with the minority’s more uniform cohesion and then combine that with a similar framework in the Senate, the reality is that Democrats, even House Democrats  have real power in […]

Last week saw the Senate debate anti-human trafficking legislation (S. 178), but the chamber failed to advance the measure after a partisan dispute arose over an anti-abortion provision. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) filed cloture on the measure Thursday, as lawmakers try to find a way forward on the Justice for Victims of Trafficking […]

The drama surrounding the eventual resolution of the Department of Homeland Security funding made two things very clear.  First, that despite having majorities in both Houses, Republicans still have intra-chamber differences, and second, because of those differences Democrats still matter.  With Leader McConnell reaffirming his commitment not to let the nation default on the debt […]

Last Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the King v. Burwell case, which challenges the legality of tax subsidies in the 37 states that have opted to use the federal government’s marketplace instead of creating their own. A divide among the justices was clear, with the liberal wing largely backing the Obama […]

Congress narrowly avoided a partial shutdown of the Homeland Security Department last Friday night after the Senate approved a one-week extension (H.R. 240) of the agency’s funding and the House followed suit just hours before a midnight deadline. The House vote was 357-60, sending the bill to President Obama for his expected signature. Support for […]

We have consistently said that this year’s Congress will be driven in large part by the various deadlines of significant programs and policies.  Last week we saw how one of the first of these played out, as Congress struggled to pass a bill to keep the Department of Homeland Security from shutting down.  In order […]

The House and Senate were out last week for the Presidents Day recess. In Affordable Care Act (ACA) implementation news, the Obama Administration moved up next year’s healthcare enrollment period by three weeks, designating Jan. 31 as the last day to sign up. HHS officials said 2016 enrollment would begin Nov. 1, instead of Nov. […]

Looking Ahead   Near Term  The House and Senate are in recess this week.  When they return the Senate has teed up the 4th cloture vote on H.R. 240, the Homeland Security funding bill.  Unless Congress does something, funding for DHS will run out on Feb 27th.

Last week saw more political jockeying over a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill (H.R. 240), but little progress in advancing the measure. Republicans had hoped to use the bill to reverse President Obama’s immigration policies, but their effort has been blocked by Senate Democrats. The impasse could jeopardize funding for the DHS, which […]

Last Monday, President Obama sent his fiscal 2016 budget request to Congress, and Cabinet officials spent the week explaining the details to House and Senate committees. HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell appeared before the Senate Finance Committee last Wednesday to take questions about the Administration’s funding proposal and the implementation of the Affordable Care Act […]