The House and Senate have full agendas this week, with Senate floor activity focused on bipartisan legislation aimed at tackling drug addiction and the House activity centered on delaying an EPA rule and addressing issues with health care providers terminated from Medicaid programs.
The Senate will resume legislative business on Monday, with a vote expected on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to S. 524, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA). S. 524, reported unanimously out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is aimed at combating the growing abuse of opioids and heroin that has been afflicting communities across the United States. S. 524 would authorize grants to states to train first responders for naloxone use (medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose), implement and expand medication-assisted treatment for those addicted to opioids, expand programs to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs, and fund treatment alternatives to incarceration for addicts. Once cloture on the motion to proceed is invoked and the Senate takes up the bill itself, a handful of amendments can be expected to be considered during the week. Among these is likely to be a Democratic amendment to add $600 million in emergency funds (the “emergency designation would mean that these added funds would not be subject to rules requiring new spending be offset) to the bill for opioid addiction programs. Republicans are opposed to the emergency designation and prefer that the proposed funding be considered through the normal avenues of the annual appropriations process. While Democrats have not threatened to filibuster the underlying bill if the emergency funding is not added, the amendment has the potential to stall action on the bill if a compromise cannot be reached.
Related to Senate consideration of substance abuse legislation, the Senate Special Aging Committee will hold a field hearing in Leesburg, Virginia on Monday specifically focused on opioid abuse among older Americans. On Wednesday the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education is scheduled to consider the Administration’s Fiscal year (FY) 2017 budget proposal for the Substance Abuse and the Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). President Obama’s budget request for FY17 includes an additional $1.1 billion in funding for programs at the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services to address the growing abuse of opioids and heroin. On Friday, the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hold a field hearing in Concord, New Hampshire to address VA opioid prescription and pain management practices.
Should the Senate complete work on CARA this week, it is expected to resume consideration of comprehensive energy legislation, S. 2012. Consideration of the legislation was previously held up over an amendment to provide emergency funding assistance to Flint, Michigan to assist with decontamination of the community’s drinking water system. After several weeks of negotiations, Michigan Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters appear to be in the final stages of an agreement with the bill’s floor managers, Energy Committee Chairman Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and Senate leadership on a path forward.
On the other side of the Capitol, the House of Representatives will consider nine bills under suspension of the rules on Monday, including H.R. 1471, the FEMA Disaster Assistance Reform Act of 2015, legislation unanimously reported by the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to reauthorize and reform the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
On Tuesday the House will consider 12 bills reported by the Oversight and Government Reform Committee under suspension of the rules, including 11 bills naming U.S. Postal Service facilities and a VA clinic.
On Wednesday, the House will take up H.R. 3716, the Ensuring Terminated Providers are Removed from Medicaid and CHIP Act, subject to a rule. Under the Affordable Care Act, states are required to terminate the participation of health care providers under Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) if they have been terminated under the Medicare program or another state Medicaid program. A recent report from the Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General found that some health care providers terminated from Medicaid in one state were still participating in Medicaid and CHIP programs in other states. H.R. 3716 would require states and managed care organizations that participate in Medicaid or CHIP to collect information about all participating health care providers and report information about terminated providers to the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The Secretary would be required to review the termination and, if the Secretary determines appropriate, include such information in any database intended for sharing data on terminated providers among the states. The bill would also require the Secretary to issue regulations that establish uniform terminology to document the reasons for terminating a health care provider’s eligibility to participate in Medicaid or CHIP. The bill was reported by the Energy and Commerce Committee on a voice vote.
The House will turn to consideration of H.R. 4557, the Blocking Regulatory Interference from Closing Kilns (BRICK) Act of 2016, on Thursday. The bill would delay implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2015 rule on national emission standards for the brick, structural clay, and clay ceramics manufacturing industry until a full judicial review the final rule is completed. This legislation was reported favorably by the Energy & Commerce Committee last week by a partisan vote of 28-22. Consideration of H.R. 4557 will be subject to a rule. The legislation is part of the continuing Republican effort to turn back Obama Administration environmental rules that Republicans believe are overly burdensome and too costly for the benefits they provide. Like the other instances in which the House has passed bills to block, undo, or delay EPA rules, it is unlikely this bill will be considered in the Senate because Republicans there are unable to muster the 60 votes needed to overcome a certain Democratic filibuster.
No votes are expected in the House on Friday.
The parade of Cabinet secretaries and agency officials through Capitol Hill continues this week as authorizing and appropriating committees in the House and Senate carry on with consideration of President Obama’s proposed FY17 Budget. Some of the hearing witnesses appearing before Congress to provide justification for their portions of the Budget include Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro (widely rumored to be a potential running mate for Hillary Clinton, should she win the Democratic nomination for President), Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald.
FBI Director James Comey will be testifying before the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday morning regarding encryption and privacy issues. While part of a series of hearings motivated by the ongoing national debate about the positive and negative implications of encryption on consumers’ security and privacy, this hearing, titled “The Encryption Tightrope: Balancing Americans’ Security and Privacy,” will more narrowly focus on the current dispute over Apple’s rejection of a federal court order to assist the FBI in unlocking the phone of one of the shooters in the December 2015 terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California. Apple Senior Vice President and General Counsel Bruce Sewell, currently leading Apple’s efforts to overturn the court order and reject the FBI request, will be part of a second panel of witnesses scheduled to appear before the committee on Tuesday.
The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee has scheduled a Wednesday hearing on oversight of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), with all five Commissioners, including Chairman Tom Wheeler, scheduled to testify. Committee members are expected to address a wide range of issues that fall under FCC jurisdiction, including Internet oversight authority or net neutrality, wireless spectrum, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, and television set-top boxes. Many congressional Republicans, along with the Republican members of the FCC, have been critical of the FCC for what they consider overreach by the agency in applying its rules and issuing regulations.
Also on Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold its second hearing in the past month on the Investor Visa, or EB-5 Visa Program, and current abuses. The program, designed to allow foreign investors to gain permanent residence in the United States, is currently set to expire on September 30. Congress is considering potential reforms and oversight mechanisms to the program, which in addition to the earlier Senate hearing has been the subject a hearings in the House Judiciary Committee as well earlier this month.
The details for these hearings and other congressional hearings for the week ahead are included below:
Monday, February 29, 2016
House Committees
Budget Hearing – General Services Administration
Committee on Appropriations – Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government
Subcommittee Hearing
3 p.m.
Senate Committees
Opioid Abuse Among Older Americans
Senate Special Aging
Full Committee Field Hearing
10:30 a.m. Loudoun County Government Center 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg, Virginia
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
House Committees
Energy Department Budget
House Appropriations – Subcommittee on Energy and Water
Subcommittee Hearing
9:30 a.m. 2359 Rayburn Bldg.
Navy and Marine Corps Budgets
House Appropriations – Subcommittee on Defense
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., H-140 The Capitol
Customs and Border Protection Budget
House Appropriations – Subcommittee on Homeland Security
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., 2362-B Rayburn Bldg.
Corporation for National and Community Service Budget
House Appropriations – Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., 2358-C Rayburn Bldg.
Member Day – National Defense Priorities from Members for the FY 2017 National Defense Authorization Act
House Armed Services
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 2212 Rayburn Bldg.
Pipeline Safety Reauthorization
House Energy and Commerce – Subcommittee on Energy and Power
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., 2123 Rayburn Bldg.
Examining the Financing of Long-Term Care in the U.S.
House Energy and Commerce – Subcommittee on Health
Subcommittee Hearing
10:15 a.m., 2322 Rayburn Bldg.
Transparency Trust and Verification: Measuring Effectiveness and Situational Awareness Along the Border
House Homeland Security – Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., 311 Cannon Bldg.
Executive Overreach Task Force of 2016: The Original Understanding of the Role of Congress and How Far We’ve Drifted From It
House Judiciary – Executive Overreach Task Force
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m.
Interior Budget
House Natural Resources
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 1324 Longworth Bldg.
Reducing Federal Office Space Costs
House Transportation and Infrastructure – Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management
Subcommittee Hearing
10:30 a.m., 2167 Rayburn Bldg.
Getting Incentives Right: Connecting Low-Income Individuals with Jobs
House Ways and Means
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 1100 Longworth Bldg.
Voluntary Conservation
House Agriculture – Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m., 1300 Longworth Bldg.
Energy Nuclear Programs Budget
House Appropriations
Full Committee Hearing
1:30 p.m., 2362-B Rayburn Bldg.
U.S. Capitol Police Budget
House Appropriations – Subcommittee on Legislative Branch
Subcommittee Hearing
1:30 p.m., HT-2 The Capitol
HUD Budget
House Appropriations – Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m., 2359 Rayburn Bldg.
Architect of the Capitol Budget
House Appropriations – Subcommittee on Legislative Branch
Subcommittee Hearing
2:30 p.m., HT-2 The Capitol
Air Force Aviation Programs and Capabilities
House Armed Services – Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces
Subcommittee Hearing
1 p.m., 2118 Rayburn Bldg.
Special Operations Budget
House Armed Services – Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
Subcommittee Hearing
3:30 p.m., 2118 Rayburn Bldg.
Helping the Developing World Fight Terror Finance
House Financial Services – Investigate Terrorism Financing Task Force
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m., 2128 Rayburn Bldg.
The Encryption Tightrope: Balancing Americans Security and Privacy
House Judiciary
Full Committee Hearing
1 p.m., 2141 Rayburn Bldg.
Access to Pacific Fisheries
House Natural Resources – Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m., 1334 Longworth Bldg.
Senate Committees
Biotechnology Labeling Solutions
Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
Full Committee Markup
10 a.m., 328A Russell Bldg.
United States European Command
Senate Armed Services
Full Committee Hearing
9:30 a.m., G-50 Dirksen Bldg.
Multiemployer Pension Plan System: Recent Reforms and Current Challenges
Senate Finance
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 215 Dirksen Bldg.
State of The Farm Economy
Senate Appropriations – Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
Subcommittee Hearing
2:30 p.m., 116 Dirksen Bldg.
TSA Budget
Senate Appropriations – Subcommittee on Homeland Security
Subcommittee Hearing
2:30 p.m., 138 Dirksen Bldg.
Senate Sergeant at Arms/Capitol Police Budget
Senate Appropriations – Subcommittee on Legislative Branch
Subcommittee Hearing
3 p.m., 192 Dirksen Bldg.
Long Range Strike-Bomber
Senate Armed Services – Subcommittee on Airland
Subcommittee CLOSED Briefing
3 p.m., SVC-217
State and USAID Budget
Senate Foreign Relations – Subcommittee on State Department and USAID Management, International Operations, and Bilateral International Development
Subcommittee Hearing
2:30 p.m., 419 Dirksen Bldg.
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
House Committees
Past, Present, and Future of SNAP: Examining State Options
House Agriculture
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 1300 Longworth Bldg.
Air Force Budget
House Appropriations – Subcommittee on Defense
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., H-140 The Capitol
Applied Energy Budget
House Appropriations – Subcommittee on Energy and Water
Subcommittee Hearing
10:30 a.m. 2362-B Rayburn Bldg.
Substance Abuse/Mental Health Administration Budget
House Appropriations – Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., 2358-C Rayburn Bldg.
VA Budget
House Appropriations – Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
Subcommittee Hearing
9:30 a.m., 2359 Rayburn Bldg.
World Wide Threats
House Armed Services
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 2118 Rayburn Bldg.
Energy Budget
House Energy and Commerce – Subcommittee on Energy and Power
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., 2123 Rayburn Bldg.
U.S. Zika Virus Response
House Energy and Commerce – Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
Subcommittee Hearing
10:15 a.m., 2322 Rayburn Bldg.
Middle East War Crimes Resolutions
House Foreign Affairs
Full Committee Markup
9:15 a.m., 2172 Rayburn Bldg.
Transportation Security Administration Budget
House Homeland Security – Subcommittee on Transportation Security
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., 311 Cannon Bldg.
Energy and Mineral Leasing/Production Mission Budget
House Natural Resources – Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., 1324 Longworth Bldg.
Smart Health: Empowering the Future of Mobile Apps
House Science, Space and Technology – Subcommittee on Research and Technology
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., 2318 Rayburn Bldg.
Protecting the Free Exchange of Ideas on College Campuses
House Ways and Means – Subcommittee on Oversight
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., B318 Rayburn Bldg.
Energy Science Budget
House Appropriations – Subcommittee on Energy and Water
Subcommittee Hearing
1:30 p.m., 2362-B Rayburn
Transportation Security Administration Budget
House Appropriations – Subcommittee on Homeland Security
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m., H-309 The Capitol
Interior Budget
House Appropriations – Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Subcommittee Hearing
1 p.m. B-308 Rayburn Bldg.
House of Representatives Budget and Library of Congress Budget
House Appropriations – Subcommittee on Legislative Branch
Subcommittee Hearing
1:30 p.m., HT-2 The Capitol
Federal Railroad/FAA Budget
House Appropriations – Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m., 2359 Rayburn Bldg.
Ground Force Modernization Budget
House Armed Services – Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces
Subcommittee Hearing
1 p.m., 2212 Rayburn Bldg.
Defense Nuclear Forces Budget
House Armed Services – Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m., 2118 Rayburn Bldg.
The Growing Threat of Cholera and Other Diseases in the Middle East
House Foreign Affairs – Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m., 2172 Rayburn Bldg.
Senate Committees
Defense Budget – Navy and Marine Corps
Senate Appropriations – Subcommittee on Defense
Subcommittee Hearing
10:30 a.m., 192 Dirksen Bldg.
Army Corps of Engineers/Bureau of Reclamation Budget
Senate Appropriations – Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
Subcommittee Hearing
2:30 p.m., 138 Dirksen Bldg.
FCC Oversight
Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 253 Russell Bldg.
Pending Legislation
Senate Environment and Public Works
Full Committee Hearing
9:30 a.m., 406 Dirksen Bldg.
Pending Nominations
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 342 Dirksen Bldg.
The Distortion of EB-5 Targeted Employment Areas: Time to End the Abuse
Senate Judiciary
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 226 Dirksen Bldg.
Joint Committees
VFW Legislative Presentation
House Veterans’ Affairs; Senate Veterans’ Affairs
Committee Joint Hearing
10 a.m., G-50 Dirksen Blsg.
Economic Report
Joint Economic
Full Committee Hearing
2:30 p.m., 216 Hart Bldg.
Thursday, March 3, 2016
House Committees
Agriculture Marketing/Regulatory Programs Budget
House Appropriations – Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
Subcommittee Hearing
10:15 a.m., 2362-A Rayburn Bldg.
NASA/Ocean World Exploration Budget
House Appropriations – Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
Subcommittee Hearing
10:30 a.m., H-309 The Capitol
Army Budget
House Appropriations – Subcommittee on Defense
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., H-140 The Capitol
Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement Budget
House Appropriations – Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Subcommittee Hearing
9 a.m., B-308 Rayburn Bldg.
Coast Guard Budget
House Appropriations – Subcommittee on Homeland Security
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., 2359 Rayburn Bldg.
Bureau of Land Management Budget
House Appropriations – Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., B-308 Rayburn Bldg.
Installations-Environment-Energy/BRAC Budget
House Appropriations – Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
Subcommittee Hearing
9:30 a.m., HVC- 210 The Capitol
Marine Corps Budget/Readiness
House Armed Services – Subcommittee on Readiness
Subcommittee Hearing
10:30 a.m., 2118 Rayburn Bldg.
Wearable Device Technology
House Energy and Commerce – Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., 2123 Rayburn Bldg.
DOE Loan Guarantee Program
House Science, Space and Technology – Subcommittee on Energy
Subcommittee Hearing
9:30 a.m., 3218 Rayburn Bldg.
Ongoing Intelligence Activities
House Select Intelligence
Full Committee CLOSED Hearing
9 a.m. HVC-304
Senate Committees
Commerce Budget
Senate Appropriations – Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science, and Related Agencies
Subcommittee Hearing
10:30 a.m., 192 Dirksen Bldg.
HHS Budget
Senate Appropriations – Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., 138 Dirksen Bldg.
Veterans Health Administration and Veterans Benefit Administration Budget
Senate Appropriations – Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies
Subcommittee Hearing
11 a.m., 124 Dirksen Bldg.
Air Force Posture
Senate Armed Services
Full Committee Hearing
9:30 a.m., G-50 Dirksen Bldg.
Regulatory Reforms to Improve Equity Market Structure
Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs – Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance and Investment
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., 538 Dirksen Bldg.
Wireless Broadband Investment/Darling Nomination (FMCSA)
Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation
Full Committee Markup
10 a.m., 253 Russell Bldg.
Energy Budget
Senate Energy and Natural Resources
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 366 Dirksen Bldg.
Free Trade Agreement Implementation: Lessons from the Past
Senate Finance
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 215 Dirksen Bldg.
Homeland Security Canine Programs
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 342 Dirksen Bldg.
Pending Nominations
Senate Judiciary
Full Committee Markup
10 a.m., 226 Dirksen Bldg.
Federal Fisheries Management
Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 428A Russell Bldg.
Joint Committees
Veterans Organizations Legislative Presentation
Senate Veterans’ Affairs; House Veterans’ Affairs
Committees Hearing
10 a.m., 345 Cannon Bldg.
Friday, March 4, 2016
House Committees
Addressing VA Opioid Prescription and Pain Management Practices
House Veterans’ Affairs – Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
Subcommittee Field Hearing
10:30 a.m. National Guard Headquarters 1 Minuteman Way Concord, New Hampshire