Weekly Washington Outlook — May 9, 2016

 What to Watch This Week:

Congress:

House:

The House returns from its recess on Tuesday and will consider the following legislation under suspension of the rules:

• 2755– Fallen Heroes Flag Act of 2016, as amended (Sponsored by Sen. Roy Blunt / House Administration Committee)
• R. 4063– Jason Simcakoski PROMISE Act, as amended(Sponsored by Rep. Gus Bilirakis / Veterans’ Affairs Committee)
• R. 4957– To designate the Federal building located at 99 New York Avenue, N.E., in the District of Columbia as the “Ariel Rios Federal Building” (Sponsored by Rep. Andre Carson / Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)
• R. 4985– Kingpin Designation Improvement Act of 2016(Sponsored by Rep. John Katko / Foreign Affairs Committee)
• 32– Transnational Drug Trafficking Act of 2015 (Sponsored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein / Judiciary Committee)
• R. 5048– Good Samaritan Assessment Act of 2016 (Sponsored by Rep. Frank Guinta / Judiciary Committee)
• R. 5052– OPEN Act (Sponsored by Rep. Kevin McCarthy / Judiciary Committee)
• 125– Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program Reauthorization Act of 2015 (Sponsored by Sen. Patrick Leahy / Judiciary Committee)
• R. 2137– Federal Law Enforcement Self-Defense and Protection Act of 2015 (Sponsored by Rep. Doug Collins / Judiciary Committee)
• R. 3209– Recovering Missing Children Act (Sponsored by Rep. Erik Paulsen / Ways and Means Committee)

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

• R. 4843– Infant Plan of Safe Care Improvement Act (Sponsored by Rep. Lou Barletta / Education and the Workforce Committee)
• R. 4978– NAS Healthy Babies Act, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Evan Jenkins / Energy and Commerce Committee)
• R. 3680– Co-Prescribing to Reduce Overdoses Act of 2016, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. John Sarbanes / Energy and Commerce Committee)
• R. 3691– Improving Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women Act of 2016 (Sponsored by Rep. Ben Ray Lujan / Energy and Commerce Committee)
• R. 1818– Veteran Emergency Medical Technician Support Act of 2016 (Sponsored by Rep. Adam Kinzinger / Energy and Commerce Committee)
• R. 4969– John Thomas Decker Act of 2016 (Sponsored by Rep. Pat Meehan / Energy and Commerce Committee)
• R. 4586– Lali’s Law (Sponsored by Rep. Bob Dold / Energy and Commerce Committee)
• R. 4599– Reducing Unused Medications Act of 2016 (Sponsored by Rep. Katherine Clark / Energy and Commerce Committee)
• R. 4976– Opioid Review Modernization Act of 2016 (Sponsored by Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney / Energy and Commerce Committee)
• R. 4982– Examining Opioid Treatment Infrastructure Act of 2016(Sponsored by Rep. Bill Foster / Energy and Commerce Committee)
• R. 4981– Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Expansion and Modernization Act, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Larry Bucshon / Energy and Commerce Committee)

In addition, the House will vote Wednesday on H.R. 4641, legislation to provide for the establishment of an inter-agency task force to review, modify, and update best practices for pain management and prescribing pain medication, and for other purposes (Subject to a Rule)(Sponsored by Rep. Susan Brooks / Energy and Commerce Committee)

On Thursday and Friday the House will vote on the following:

• R. 5046– Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Reduction Act of 2016, Rules Committee Print (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner / Judiciary Committee)
• Consideration of House Amendment to S. 524 – Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016
• Motion to go to Conference on S. 524, and Possible Democrat Motion to Instruct Conferees

Senate:

The Senate returns from its recess on Monday and will resume consideration of the Energy and Water appropriations bill.  A vote on a substitute amendment to the legislation is scheduled for Monday evening.  Later in the week, Senator McConnell (R-KY) may schedule a procedural vote on a “minibus,” combining spending bills for Transportation-Housing and Urban Development and Military Construction-Veterans Affairs.
White House:

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

On Tuesday, President Obama will welcome the NCAA Champion UConn Huskies women’s basketball team to honor the team and their 2016 NCAA Championship.

On Wednesday and Thursday, the president will attend meetings at the White House.

On Friday, President Obama will host the President of Finland and the Prime Ministers of Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Iceland at the White House for a U.S.-Nordic Leaders Summit. This event follows the convening of Nordic leaders during the president’s trip to Sweden in September 2013. This summit will deepen U.S.-Nordic cooperation while highlighting America’s continued commitment to European security, trans-Atlantic trade and the promotion of common democratic values. In the evening, President Obama and the first lady will host the Nordic leaders for a State Dinner.

On Sunday, the president will travel to Rutgers University’s New Brunswick campus to address 2016 graduates at Rutgers University’s 250th Anniversary commencement ceremony.

Also This Week:

Puerto Rico – House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop (R-Utah) plans to release a new draft of the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA) as soon as Wednesday. The updated version likely makes additional changes to the scope and authority of the oversight board, and could change some of the debt restructuring provisions based on technical assistance from the Treasury Department. A mark-up could be scheduled for next week with full House action scheduled before July. Elsewhere, Treasury Secretary Lew will visit Puerto Rico this week to make the case for urgent Congressional action.

Appropriations – The Senate will try again this week to advance its first appropriations bill of the year, the spending bill for Energy and Water programs.  The legislation has stalled twice over a poison pill amendment that would block the nuclear agreement with Iran.  It is possible Senator McConnell (R-Ky.) may move later in the week to bring a package of spending bills, including Transportation-Housing and Urban Development and Military Construction-Veterans Affairs to the floor. This package could provide the vehicle in the Senate for emergency funding to combat the spread of the Zika virus. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers is looking instead to offset the emergency spending when the House begins voting on appropriations bills as soon as next week.

Nutrition – The House Agriculture Committee will hold a hearing Thursday on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The hearing will focus on a rule from the Agriculture Department requiring stores to offer a wider variety of eligible foods, including more produce, to SNAP beneficiaries.

Tax – The House Ways and Means Committee will hold a “member day” on Thursday.  Any House member is invited to testify before the Committee about tax legislation they have sponsored or co-sponsored.

Health – The House will vote this week on a series of bills aimed at addressing the nation’s opiod-addiction epidemic. The Senate has passed its own opiod-related legislation, setting up a conference in the coming weeks. Elsewhere, the House Energy and Commerce’s Health Subcommittee will hold a hearing Wednesday on patient choice in health plans.

Immigration – The Senate Finance Committee will hold an oversight hearing on Tuesday of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency. Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske will testify.

Housing – The House Financial Services Committee’s Housing and Insurance Subcommittee will hold a hearing Thursday “The Future of Housing in America: A Comparison of the United Kingdom and the United States Models for Affordable Housing.” The hearing is part of an ongoing series to address affordable housing and rental programs administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.