The 2018 midterm elections resulted in Democrats regaining the House, Republicans expanding their Senate majority, and both parties positioning themselves for the 2020 presidential election. These factors will have a major...more
On September 28, 2018, the House voted 361-61 to send President Trump a Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19) spending bill including $674.4 billion for Defense and $178.1 billion for Labor-HHS-Education. The Senate voted 93-7 to adopt the...more
The Administration has continued its push to address the issue of high drug prices through the regulatory process. On October 15, 2018, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a proposed rule to require drug...more
On October 3, 2018, the Senate voted 93-6 to approve a five-year reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The House voted 398-23 to pass the bill, H.R. 302, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, on...more
After months of hearings and negotiations, lawmakers reached agreement on a bipartisan package to address prevention, treatment, research, and enforcement related to the misuse of and addiction to opioids....more
On October 10, 2018, Senate Democrats pushed for a largely symbolic vote to overrule the Trump Administration's expansion of short-term health plans that failed to advance in the Senate on a 50-50 tie vote....more
On October 1, 2018, President Trump announced a new trade agreement with Canada and Mexico intended to replace the 25-year old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). President Trump indicated he intends to officially...more
With Congress in recess until early November, all eyes are on the fast approaching midterm elections.
In the House, all 435 seats are up for election. According to the Cook Political Report, House Republicans are defending...more
On October 10, 2018, the Department of the Treasury, as chair of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), issued temporary regulations and launched a pilot program under the authority of the Foreign...more
After confirming Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, Senate Republicans resumed their push to confirm more federal appeals court judges and lower-court judges at a rapid pace. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell...more
On August 1, the Senate voted 87 to 10 to approve the Conference Report on the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), ending a months-long dispute between Congress and the White House over whether to impose penalties...more
Unlike the typical process of last-minute omnibus appropriations, Congress has taken a renewed approach to the appropriations process this year, passing individual appropriations measures at a pace unheard of in recent...more
Given broad interest in addressing opioid abuse and growing public pressure, lawmakers have considered a broad range of bills designed to address opioids, intending to pass legislation during the summer to demonstrate action...more
According to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R-IA), the Committee will hold confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh sometime in September with the goal of a floor vote by...more
Negotiations over the future of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), set back by comments from President Trump, the July 1 Mexican election, and the general uneasiness over Trump Administration trade policy, seem...more
Tennessee held its 2018 election primaries on August 2. Tennessee Republicans wrapped up the primary campaign for governor, with four Republican candidates vying for the ballot: U.S. House Representative Diane Black,...more
On July 31, the Senate advanced legislation to extend the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) through November 30, sending the bill to the President's desk. The Senate voted 86 to 12 to extend the program's current...more
On August 1, 2018, the Departments of Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a final rule to expand the availability of short-term, limited duration insurance (STLDI or short-term plans). ...more
On Tuesday, July 24, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule intended to clarify the program methodology and reinstate payments under the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) permanent risk adjustment...more
On June 18, the U.S. Senate voted 85-10 to approve the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), authorizing a total of $716 billion in Fiscal Year 2019 (FY 2019) for national defense. The NDAA authorizes a base...more
On Friday, June 8, the House passed a roughly $147 billion three-bill FY 2019 spending package on a 235 to 179 vote, overcoming Democratic objections to environmental policy riders and funding priorities in the GOP-drafted...more
Given broad interest in addressing opioid abuse and growing public pressure, both the House and Senate are considering a broad range of bills designed to address opioids, with lawmakers working to pass legislation during the...more
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar has continued to promote and expand on the Trump Administration's new Drug Pricing Blueprint through media appearances and congressional testimonies over the past several...more
On Thursday, May 31, President Trump announced he would impose tariffs on imported steel and aluminum from the European Union, Canada, and Mexico, triggering immediate retaliation from U.S. allies and protests from American...more
On June 7, the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a legal brief in support of a lawsuit from 20 states seeking to invalidate the Affordable Care Act (ACA), urging the federal court considering the case to strike down the ACA's...more