Weekly Washington Outlook — May 23, 2016

What to Watch This Week:

Congress:

House:

On Monday, the House will consider a series of non-controversial bills under suspension of the rules.  A full list is available here.

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

• R. 897– Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2015 (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Bob Gibbs / Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)
• House Amendment to Senate Amendment to H.R. 2576– To modernize the Toxic Substances Control Act, and for other purposes. (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. John Shimkus / Energy and Commerce Committee)
• R. 5233– Clarifying Congressional Intent in Providing for DC Home Rule Act of 2016 (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Mark Meadows / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
• R. 5055– Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017 (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Mike Simpson / Appropriations Committee)
• House Amendment to S. 2012– Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2016 (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Sen. Lisa Murkowski / Energy and Commerce Committee)

Senate:

On Monday, the Senate will consider S.2613, the Adam Walsh Reauthorization Act of 2016. Later in the week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) plans to bring up S. 2943, the defense authorization bill.

White House:

On Monday, in the morning, the president will arrive in Hanoi, Vietnam. While in Hanoi, the President will participate in an arrival ceremony and take an official photo with President Tran Dai Quang of Vietnam at the Presidential Palace. Afterward, President Obama will participate in a bilateral meeting with President Quang. Following this meeting, the president will meet with the chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.  Afterward, President Obama will participate in a press conference with President Quang and attend the state luncheon. Later in the afternoon, the president will participate in a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc of Vietnam. In the evening, the President Obama will participate in a bilateral meeting with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong of the Communist Party of Vietnam. The president will remain overnight in Hanoi.

On Tuesday, President Obama will meet with Embassy personnel and families. Later in the morning, he will meet with members of civil society. In the afternoon, the president will deliver remarks on U.S.-Vietnam relations at the National Convention Center. Following his remarks, President Obama will depart Hanoi en route Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. While in Ho Chi Minh City, he will tour the Jade Pagoda. Following this visit, he will tour the DreamPlex Coworking Space and deliver remarks at an event focused on entrepreneurship and opportunity for the Vietnamese people. President Obama will remain overnight in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

On Wednesday, the president will meet with U.S. consulate staff and family members. Afterward, President Obama will participate in a Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) town hall. In the afternoon, he will depart Vietnam en route Ise-Shima, Japan, where he will remain overnight.

On Thursday, the president will visit the Ise-Jingu Shrine.  In the afternoon, President Obama will attend meetings at the G-7 summit.

On Friday, the president will attend a G-7 meetings on energy, climate and the prosperity of Asia. In the afternoon, he will participate in a family photo with outreach guests and attend a working lunch on development issues. Later in the afternoon, the president will depart Tokoname en route Hiroshima, Japan. While in Hiroshima, President Obama will deliver remarks and participate in a wreath laying ceremony at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial. The president will also meet with service members at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakune, Japan. In the evening, he will depart Hiroshima, Japan en route Washington, DC.

Also this Week:

Puerto Rico – The House Natural Resources Committee plans a markup Tuesday and Wednesday on H.R. 5278, the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act. The legislation gained momentum last week as U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi both signed-on to the compromise bill released late Wednesday. However, skepticism remains on both sides of the aisle, with Republicans leery of repayment provisions and Democrats claiming the legislation effectively treats Puerto Rico “like a colony.” The bill could be brought to the House floor for a vote in early June.

TANF and Medicare – The House Ways and Means Committee plans a mark-up tomorrow on H.R. 5273, which would change regulatory requirements for hospitals under Medicare, as well as H.R. 2952 and H.R. 5169, which would affect the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.

Health – The House Science, Space and Technology Committee plans a hearing Wednesday on the science behind the Zika virus.

Appropriations – The Senate Appropriations Defense and Homeland Security subcommittees plan to mark-up fiscal 2017 spending bills, with full committee markups coming later in the week. Elsewhere, the House Appropriations Committee will mark-up the Commerce-Science-Justice and THUD spending bills on Tuesday; the House Appropriations Financial Services and General Government subcommittee will mark-up legislation to fund the Internal Revenue Service and the Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday; and the House Appropriations Interior-Environment Subcommittee will also mark-up its spending bill to fund the Interior Department and the Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday.

Consumer Protections – The Senate may vote this week on a resolution disapproving of the Labor Department’s “fiduciary rule.”  The rule requires that retirement advisors act in the best interest of their client.  A version of the resolution passed the House earlier this spring.