Weekly Washington Outlook — February 29, 2016

What to Watch This Week:

Congress:

House:

On Monday, the House will vote on legislation under suspension of the rules:

• R. 4238– To amend the Department of Energy Organization Act and the Local Public Works Capital Development and Investment Act of 1976 to modernize terms relating to minorities(Sponsored by Rep. Grace Meng / Energy and Commerce Committee)
• R. 4444– EPS Improvement Act of 2016 (Sponsored by Rep. Renee Ellmers / Energy and Commerce Committee)
• R. 4583– To promote a 21st century energy and manufacturing workforce, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Bobby Rush / Energy and Commerce Committee)
• R. 4401– Amplifying Local Efforts to Root out Terror Act of 2016, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Barry Loudermilk / Homeland Security Committee)
• Res. 148– Calling on the government of Iran to fulfill their promises of assistance in this case of Robert Levinson, the longest held United States civilian in our Nation’s history, as amended(Sponsored by Rep. Ted Deutch / Foreign Affairs Committee)
• R. 1471– FEMA Disaster Assistance Reform Act of 2015, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Lou Barletta / Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)
• R. 4084– Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Randy Weber / Science, Space, and Technology Committee)
• 1172– Edward “Ted” Kaufman and Michael Leavitt Presidential Transitions Improvements Act of 2015, as amended(Sponsored by Sen. Tom Carper / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
• 1580– Competitive Service Act of 2015, as amended(Sponsored by Sen. Jon Tester / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)

On Tuesday the House will vote on legislation under suspension of the rules:

• R. 2814– To name the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Sevierville, Tennessee, the Dannie A. Carr Veterans Outpatient Clinic (Sponsored by Rep. Phil Roe / Veterans’ Affairs Committee)
• R. 2347– Federal Advisory Committee Act Amendments of 2016, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Lacy Clay / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
• R. 3735– To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 200 Town Run Lane in Winston Salem, North Carolina, as the “Maya Angelou Memorial Post Office” (Sponsored by Rep. Alma Adams / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
• R. 136– To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1103 USPS Building 1103 in Camp Pendleton, California, as the “Camp Pendleton Medal of Honor Post Office”(Sponsored by Rep. Darrell Issa / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
• R. 1132– To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1048 West Robinhood Drive in Stockton, California, as the “W. Ronald Coale Memorial Post Office Building”(Sponsored by Rep. Jerry McNerney / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
• R. 2458– To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 5351 Lapalco Boulevard in Marrero, Louisiana, as the “Lionel R. Collins, Sr. Post Office Building” (Sponsored by Rep. Cedric Richmond / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
• R. 3082– To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 5919 Chef Menteur Highway in New Orleans, Louisiana, as the “Daryle Holloway Post Office Building”(Sponsored by Rep. Cedric Richmond / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
• R. 3274– To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 4567 Rockbridge Road in Pine Lake, Georgia, as the “Francis Manuel Ortega Post Office” (Sponsored by Rep. Hank Johnson / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
• R. 3601– To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 7715 Post Road, North Kingstown, Rhode Island, as the “Melvoid J. Benson Post Office Building” (Sponsored by Rep. Jim Langevin / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
• R. 4046– To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 220 East Oak Street, Glenwood City, Wisconsin, as the Second Lt. Ellen Ainsworth Memorial Post Office(Sponsored by Rep. Sean Duffy / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
• 1596– To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2082 Stringtown Road in Grove City, Ohio, as the “Specialist Joseph W. Riley Post Office Building” (Sponsored by Sen. Rob Portman / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
• 1826– To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 99 West 2nd Street in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, as the Lieutenant Colonel James “Maggie” Megellas Post Office(Sponsored by Sen. Ron Johnson / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)

On Wednesday, the House will consider the following:

• R. 3716– Ensuring Access to Quality Medicaid Providers Act (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Larry Bucshon / Energy and Commerce Committee)

On Thursday and the balance of the week, the House will consider the following:

• R. 4557– Blocking Regulatory Interference from Closing Kilns Act of 2016 (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Bill Johnson / Energy and Commerce Committee)

Senate:

On Monday, the Senate will resume consideration of S. 524, the Comprehensive Addition and Recovery Act of 2015.  The Senate is also expected to conclude consideration of energy legislation this week and take a separate vote on a measure to assist Flint, Mich.

White House:

On Monday, the president will present the Medal of Honor to Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator Edward Byers, U.S. Navy. Senior Chief Byers will receive the Medal of Honor for his courageous actions while serving as part of a team that rescued an American civilian being held hostage in Afghanistan on December 8-9, 2012.

On Tuesday, President Obama will meet with the bipartisan leaders of the Senate and the bipartisan leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Oval Office to discuss the Supreme Court vacancy left by the death of Justice Scalia. Expected attendees include Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, Senator Chuck Grassley and Senator Patrick Leahy.

On Wednesday, the president will participate in an Ambassador Credentialing Ceremony in the Oval Office. At this event, President Obama will receive the credentials from foreign Ambassadors recently posted in Washington. The presentation of credentials is a traditional ceremony that marks the formal beginning of an Ambassador’s service in Washington. Afterward, the president will welcome the University of Alabama Crimson Tide to the White House to honor the team on their victory in the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship.

On Thursday, President Obama will travel to Milwaukee, Wis. to celebrate the city’s victory in the Healthy Communities Challenge, a competition between 20 cities to increase the number of Americans with health insurance during the latest Health Insurance Marketplace open enrollment period.

On Friday, the president will attend meetings at the White House.

Also this Week:

Budget/Appropriations – Members of the Cabinet will continue to appear on Capitol Hill this week to make their budget requests to start the annual appropriations process. Among these, R. Gil Kerlikowske, commissioner for the U.S. Customs and Border Protetion, is scheduled to testify Tuesday before the House Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro is scheduled to testify Tuesday before the House Appropriations Transportation-HUD Subcommittee.  Elsewhere, House Budget Committee Tom Price (R-Ga.) continues to seek a path forward on a budget resolution.  While last year’s bipartisan budget agreement applies to this fiscal year, some House conservatives are nonetheless interested in passing a new resolution that would cut additional spending.  In the Senate, Majority Leader McConnell (R-Ky.) has pledged to bring their version of a budget resolution to the floor in mid-March.

Health – The House Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee has a hearing scheduled for Wednesday on the U.S. response to the Zika virus. The hearing is likely to focus on the Administration’s $1.8 billion supplemental funding request.  Additionally, the Senate HELP Committee has added a bill, S. 2512, to its March 9 markup agenda that would incentivize drug companies to develop a Zika vaccine.  Elsewhere, the Senate is seeking to vote on a compromise measure to assist Flint, Mich. responding to polluted drinking water. The legislation would lend as much as $250 million to the community to fix pipes and reservoirs.  Sen. Cruz (R-Texas) had previously blocked the provision, but has since lifted his objection.

Nutrition – The House Agriculture Committee has a hearing scheduled for Wednesday about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Immigration – The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing Wednesday on the EB-5 investor visa program.