Weekly Washington Outlook — June 15, 2015
What to Watch This Week:
Congress:
House:
On Monday, the House will consider legislation under suspension of the rules:
1) H.R. 891 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 141 Paloma Drive in Floresville, Texas, as the “Floresville Veterans Post Office Building” (Sponsored by Rep. Henry Cuellar / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
2) H.R. 1326 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2000 Mulford Road in Mulberry, Florida, as the “Sergeant First Class Daniel M. Ferguson Post Office” (Sponsored by Rep. Dennis Ross / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
3) H.R. 1350 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 442 East 167th Street in Bronx, New York, as the “Herman Badillo Post Office Building” (Sponsored by Rep. José Serrano / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
4) H.R. 728 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 7050 Highway BB in Cedar Hill, Missouri, as the “Sergeant First Class William B. Woods, Jr. Post Office” (Sponsored by Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
5) H.R. 2131 – To designate the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 83 Meeting Street in Charleston, South Carolina, as the “J. Waties Waring Judicial Center” (Sponsored by Rep. James Clyburn / Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)
6) H.R. 2559 – To designate the “PFC Milton A. Lee Medal of Honor Memorial Highway” in the State of Texas (Sponsored by Rep. Lamar Smith / Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)
7) H. Res. 233 – Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Iran should immediately release the three United States citizens that it holds, as well as provide all known information on any United States citizens that have disappeared within its borders (Sponsored by Rep. Dan Kildee / Foreign Affairs Committee)
On Tuesday, the House will consider H.R. 2596 – Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016, Rules Committee Print (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Devin Nunes / Permanent Select Intelligence Committee)
On Wednesday and the balance of the week, the House will consider legislation under suspension of the rules:
1) H.R. 2505 – Medicare Advantage Coverage Transparency Act of 2015, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Mike Kelly / Ways and Means Committee)
2) H.R. 2507 – Increasing Regulatory Fairness Act of 2015, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Kevin Brady / Ways and Means Committee)
3) H.R. 2582 – Seniors’ Health Care Plan Protection Act of 2015, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Vern Buchanan / Ways and Means Committee)
4) H.R. 2570 – Strengthening Medicare Advantage through Innovation and Transparency for Seniors Act of 2015, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Diane Black / Ways and Means Committee)
The House might also vote on H.R. 160 – Protect Medical Innovation Act of 2015 (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Erik Paulsen / Ways and Means Committee) and H.R. 1190 – Protecting Seniors’ Access to Medicare Act of 2015 (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Phil Roe / Ways and Means Committee).
It is possible the House will consider H. Con. Res. 55 – Directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, to remove United States Armed Forces deployed to Iraq or Syria on or after August 7, 2014, other than Armed Forces required to protect United States diplomatic facilities and personnel, from Iraq and Syria and there might be a vote on legislation related to trade.
Senate:
The Senate will resume consideration this week of H.R.1735, defense authorization, and has two nomination votes scheduled, one for the U.S. representative to the World Bank and the other for director of the Office of Foreign Missions.
White House:
On Monday, the president will attend the graduation ceremony for participants of the 2015 White House Mentorship & Leadership Program.
On Tuesday, President Obama will attend meetings at the White House.
On Wednesday, the president will deliver remarks at an investiture ceremony for Attorney General Loretta Lynch at Warner Theatre. In the evening, President Obama will host a picnic for Members of Congress at the White House.
On Thursday, the president will travel to the Los Angeles area to attend DNC events. The President will remain overnight in Los Angeles.
On Friday, President Obama will travel to the San Francisco area to deliver remarks at the Annual Meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and attend DNC and DCCC events. Further details about the president’s travel to California will be made available in the coming days.
Also This Week:
Appropriations – The Senate Appropriations Subcommittees will mark-up their versions of spending bills for FY2016. The Homeland Security Subcommittee will mark-up its bill on Tuesday and the full Committee will take up this legislation on Thursday. Senate Democrats have vowed to vote against procedural motions on the floor for any appropriations bill that upholds sequestration spending levels. The Senate Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee will mark-up their bill Tuesday.
The House Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee will mark-up their spending bill on Wednesday. Also Wednesday, the full House Appropriations Committee will mark-up the FY2016 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill.
Budget – The House Budget Committee will hold a hearing on Wednesday titled “Why Congress Must Balance the Budget.”
Immigration – Monday marks the third anniversary of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and members will be making speeches on both the House and Senate floors commemorating the occasion. Also this week, two House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittees will hold a joint hearing titled “A Review of the President’s Executive Actions on Immigration” on Wednesday.
Education – The Student Success Act (H.R. 5) remains off this week’s House schedule despite its inclusion in Majority Leader McCarthy’s memo for this work period. Instead, all eyes remain on the Senate as members prepare to take up a bipartisan ESEA reauthorization as soon as Thursday, but more likely next week. The business and civil rights community is continuing to work to get support on both sides of the aisle for an amendment that would strengthen the accountability system in the bill.
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee plans a hearing Wednesday on accreditation for higher education institutions as part of its series of hearings on reauthorizing the Higher Education Act.
Health – Agriculture Secretary Vilsack is scheduled to testify tomorrow in front of the House Education and the Workforce Committee about federal rules concerning child nutrition assistance. Elsewhere, in anticipation of a King v. Burwell decision possibly this week, work is ongoing on possible legislative solutions if the Supreme Court finds against the government. The House Rules Committee has a bill on its agenda today that would repeal the Affordable Care Act’s medical device tax, chipping away at the law before the King v. Burwell ruling on the legality of health insurance tax subsidies in states without their own exchanges.
Labor – The Department of Labor might announce a long-awaited overtime rule that could double the salary level of workers able to claim time and a half payments, although it is expected next week. Also this week, the House Education and the Workforce Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee plans a hearing Wednesday on access to financial advice for families and retirees focusing on the proposed fiduciary duty rule issued by the Department of Labor. Financial industry lobbyists have said the current version of the rule is unworkable, while consumer advocates and civil rights groups purport it protects the retirement investments of millions of Americans from conflicted advice.