Weekly Washington Outlook — April 11, 2016

What to Watch This Week:

Congress:

House:

On Tuesday, the House will consider the following legislation under suspension of the rules:

• 2512– Adding Zika Virus to the FDA Priority Review Voucher Program Act (Sponsored by Sen. Al Franken / Energy and Commerce Committee)
• R. 2947– Financial Institution Bankruptcy Act of 2016(Sponsored by Rep. Dave Trott / Judiciary Committee)
• R. 4676– Preventing Crimes Against Veterans Act of 2016, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Tom Rooney / Judiciary Committee)
• H. 1567– Global Food Security Act of 2016, as amended(Sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith / Foreign Affairs Committee)

On Wednesday, the House will consider the following legislation under suspension of the rules:

• R. 3586– Border and Maritime Coordination Improvement Act, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Candice Miller / Homeland Security Committee)
• R. 4482– Southwest Border Security Threat Assessment Act of 2016, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Martha McSally / Homeland Security Committee)
• R. 4509– State and High-Risk Urban Area Working Group Act, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Donald Payne / Homeland Security Committee)
• R. 4549– Treating Small Airports with Fairness Act of 2016, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Greg Walden / Homeland Security Committee)
• R. 4403– Enhancing Overseas Traveler Vetting Act, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Will Hurd / Foreign Affairs Committee)

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

• R. 3791– To raise the consolidated assets threshold under the small bank holding company policy statement, and for other purposes (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Mia Love / Financial Services Committee)
• R. 3340– Financial Stability Oversight Council Reform Act (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Tom Emmer / Financial Services Committee)
• R. 2666– No Rate Regulation of Broadband Internet Access Act (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Adam Kinzinger / Energy and Commerce Committee)

Senate:

On Monday, the Senate will resume consideration of H.R. 636, the reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Later, the Senate will consider the nomination of Waverly Crenshaw to be U.S. District Judge for the Middle District of Tennessee.

White House:

On Monday, the president will meet with Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen to discuss the state of the American and global economy, Wall Street Reform, and the long-term economic outlook; the vice president will also attend.

On Tuesday, President Obama will attend meetings at the White House.

On Wednesday, the president will host the 2016 White House Science Fair and celebrate the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country. In the afternoon, President Obama will convene his National Security Council at CIA Headquarters in Langley, Va. to review our efforts to degrade and destroy ISIL and advance prospects for peace and stability in Syria.

On Thursday, President Obama will welcome the Wounded Warrior Ride to the White House, a cycling event to help Wounded Warriors restore their physical and emotional well-being and raise awareness of our nation’s heroes who battle the physical and psychological damages of war.

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

Also this Week:

Puerto Rico – On Monday, the House Natural Resources Committee plans to release revised legislation concerning Puerto Rico’s financial and humanitarian crisis. The Committee will hold a hearing on the draft legislation Wednesday morning, with a markup scheduled that same afternoon and Thursday. Democrats and Puerto Rico advocates objected to the structure and broad authority of an oversight board authorized in an earlier draft of the legislation, while many conservatives argued that the debt restructuring provisions were tantamount to a bailout. As a result, significant changes may be needed to garner the necessary bipartisan support to pass on the House floor in the coming weeks.

Appropriations – The House and Senate Appropriations Committee will move forward with FY2017 spending bills this week, marking-up several. House and Senate Appropriators are both expected to determine their so-called 302(b) allocations, the amount of money each agency will receive out of the topline $1.07 trillion. Action in the House Appropriations Committee comes as Leadership is still seeking a path forward on a budget resolution. The House Financial Services Committee will consider its piece of a “sidecar,” legislation to cut mandatory spending to garner additional conservative support for a budget. The House Rules Committee will hold a hearing on legislation part of this effort that would block appropriations to any unauthorized programs.

Consumer Finance – The House will vote on legislation this week that would repeal sections of the Dodd-Frank Act, including subjecting the Financial Stability Oversight Council to the annual appropriations process.  Elsewhere, members of the House Financial Services Committee plan to consider legislation this week, H.R. 1486, that would make the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau subject to the appropriation process. Additionally, the Committee plans to discuss a bill that would repeal the orderly liquidation authority granted under Dodd-Frank.

Education – Education Secretary John King Jr. is scheduled to appear before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Tuesday to discuss the implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

Health – The House will vote on legislation on Tuesday that would allow the Food and Drug Administration to expedite the review process for new treatments for the Zika virus; the Senate passed this bill earlier this year.  Elsewhere, the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health and Environment and Economy Subcommittees will hold a joint hearing on Wednesday on the water crisis in Flint, MI.  The hearing will focus on prevention in the future.

Tax – The House Ways and Means Committee will hold its second “member” hearing on Wednesday, allowing Representatives to discuss their tax reform proposals.  On Thursday, the Committee will hold a hearing on the tax-treatment of health care.