Both houses of Congress return on Monday. The Senate will continue to focus on confirming President Trump’s cabinet appointees and the House will continue to consider legislation disapproving federal regulations issued in the final months of the Obama Administration under the Congressional Review Act (CRA).
The House is scheduled to return to legislative business on Monday, when members will consider four bills under suspension of the rules, all within the jurisdiction of the Veterans Affairs Committee.
On Tuesday, members will consider H.R. 428, the Red River Gradient Boundary Review Act, subject to a rule. This bill directs the Bureau of Land Management to commission a survey to identify the south bank boundary line along a specified 116-mile stretch of the Red River separating Oklahoma and Texas.
During the remainder of the week, the House will turn its focus back to the consideration of joint resolutions of disapproval under the CRA to block implementation of the previous administration’s regulations . The House plans to consider five such resolutions, each subject to a rule. Three of the disapproval resolutions are aimed at blocking the implementation of rules issued by the Department of Labor (DOL). The first, H.J. Res 42, would nullify a rule that deals with drug testing of applicants for unemployment insurance.
The other two DOL disapproval resolutions concern the safe harbor rules surrounding the setup of retirement savings accounts through payroll deductions for private sector employees. H.J. Res. 66, introduced by Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI), would disapprove the DOL rule relating to payroll deduction savings arrangements established by states for non-governmental employees. H.J. Res. 67, introduced by Rep. Tom Rooney (R-FL), would disapprove the DOL rule relating to payroll deduction savings arrangements established by qualified state political subdivisions for non-governmental employees. Consideration of each resolution will be subject to a rule.
Members will also consider H.J. Res. 43 to disapprove the final rule issued by the Department of Health and Human Services to prevent states from withholding federal family-planning funds from health clinics that provide abortions, including Planned Parenthood affiliates. This resolution is likely to draw the most public attention of the five CRA disapproval resolutions the House plans to consider this week, given the political sensitivity of abortion and family-planning services.
Finally, the House will consider H.J. Res. 69, to disapprove the Department of the Interior’s rule relating to “Non-Subsistence Take of Wildlife, and Public Participation and Closure Procedures, on National Wildlife Refuges in Alaska.” The rule, issued in August last year, clarifies that predator control is not allowed on National Wildlife Refuges in Alaska, except in defined circumstances. The State of Alaska has already filed a lawsuit challenging the regulation.
Across the Capitol, the Senate is scheduled to return to legislative business on Monday, when a vote is expected on the nomination of Steven Mnuchin to serve as Secretary of the Treasury. In addition to this nomination, Senate leadership reached an agreement last Friday that sets up confirmation votes this week on the nominations of Dr. David Shulkin to serve as the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and Linda McMahon to serve as Administrator of the Small Business Administration. The Senate may also consider any of the CRA disapproval resolutions that have been passed by the House of Representatives.
This week Senate committees will continue their review of the President’s Cabinet appointees. Following multiple postponements, a hearing on the nomination of Andrew Puzder to serve as Secretary of Labor is finally set for this Thursday in the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. Senate Democrats have been highly critical of Mr. Puzder’s background as a business executive and his positions on labor issues, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has even called on President Trump to withdraw the nomination. Nevertheless, the HELP Committee is poised to move forward on the consideration of his qualifications.
Also on Thursday, hearings will start for sub-Cabinet appointments. The Finance Committee is scheduled to receive testimony from Seema Verma, of Indiana, on her qualifications to serve as the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) within the Department of Health and Human Services. CMS oversees the Medicare and Medicaid programs, two of the federal governments largest entitlement programs. CMS is also central to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and the position of CMS Administrator will be influential in helping Republican to arrive at proposals to replace the ACA, as Republicans are committed to doing after they repeal it. In addition, the Foreign Relations Committee plans to hold a hearing for David Friedman, one of President Trump’s personal lawyers, to serve as Ambassador to Israel.
Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen will be providing testimony before congressional committees this week in her first appearance on Capitol Hill during the new Trump Administration. Chairwoman Yellen will be delivering her semi-annual monetary policy report to the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday morning and the House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday morning.
On Monday evening, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will mark up a joint disapproval resolution that would attempt to block the District of Columbia’s “Death With Dignity” Act from becoming law. The legislation, which would allow licensed physicians to prescribe life-ending drugs to terminally ill patients, passed the D.C. Council by an 11-2 vote last November with a great deal of controversy surrounding its consideration. Five states have enacted similar legislation. The Home Rule Act of 1973 requires that all legislation enacted by the D.C. government is subject to congressional review for a 30-day period, though Congress typically does not take the time to review and overturn such measures. Should the joint disapproval resolution pass both chambers and be signed by the President, it would prevent the “Death With Dignity” law from enactment.
The Oversight and Government Reform Committee will meet again on Wednesday morning to review the Government Accountability Office (GAO) “High Risk List,” a biennial report that identifies the federal agencies and programs that are considered high risk due to their vulnerabilities to fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, or are most in need of transformation. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will meet for a hearing on this same report on Wednesday afternoon, with GAO Comptroller General Eugene Dodaro scheduled to provide testimony, along with the Director of the U.S. Census Bureau, the Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security.
The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law has scheduled a hearing on Thursday to review H.R. 372, the Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act of 2017, legislation that would amend a portion of the McCarran-Ferguson Act of 1945 to restore the application of federal antitrust laws to the health insurance market. This reform provision is included in the Republican Study Committee’s healthcare reform bill and was discussed in Speaker Paul Ryan’s “A Better Way” white paper; the proposal could play a role in the Republican majority’s strategy for repealing and replacing the ACA.
Related to international affairs, the House Armed Services Committee is scheduled to meet on Monday to discuss the evolving threat of terrorism and effective counterterrorism strategies. Later in the week, on Thursday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee will hear testimony from experts and academics on Iran’s illicit weapons program, following the nation’s test-firing of another missile in the past week.
The details for these events and other congressional hearings scheduled this week are included below:
Monday, February 13, 2017
House Committees
D.C. Death With Dignity Act Disapproval
House Oversight and Government Reform
Full Committee Markup
5:30 p.m., 2154-RHOB
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
House Committees
The Evolving Threat of Terrorism and Effective Counterterrorism Strategies
House Armed Services
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 2118-RHOB
Restoring Balance and Fairness to the National Labor Relations Board
House Education and the Workforce – Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m.
Self-Driving Cars: Road to Deployment
House Energy and Commerce – Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade
Subcommittee Hearing
10:15 a.m., 2123-RHOB
Future of FEMA: Stakeholder Recommendations for the Next Administrator
House Homeland Security – Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response and Communications
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., HVC-210
Judicial Transparency and Ethics
House Judiciary – Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., 2141-RHOB
Pending Legislation
House Oversight and Government Reform
Full Committee Markup
10 a.m., 2154-RHOB
Strengthening U.S. Cybersecurity Capabilities
House Science, Space and Technology – Subcommittee on Research and Technology
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., 2318-RHOB
Exploring National Work Queue’s Impact on Claims Processing
House Veterans’ Affairs – Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs
Subcommittee Hearing
10:30 a.m., 334-CHOB
Defeating Terrorism in Syria: A New Way Forward
House Foreign Affairs – Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m., 2172-RHOB
Senate Committees
Long-term Defense Challenges and Strategies
Senate Armed Services
Full Committee Briefing (CLOSED)
9:30 a.m., SVC-217
Semiannual Monetary Policy Report
Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., SD-106
DoD Single Servicemember and Military Family Readiness Programs
Senate Armed Services – Subcommittee on Personnel
Subcommittee Hearing
2:30 p.m., SR-222
Intelligence Matters
Senate Intelligence
Full Committee Hearing (CLOSED)
2:30 p.m., SH-219
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
House Committees
Committee Funding for the 115th Congress
House Administration
Full Committee Hearing
10:30 a.m., 1310-LHOB
Rural Economic Outlook: Setting the State for the Next Farm Bill
House Agriculture
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 1300-LHOB
Oversight Hearing – Office of the Inspector General
House Appropriations – Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., 2362-A RHOB
Providing Vulnerable Youth the Hope of a Brighter Future Through Juvenile Justice Reform
House Education and the Workforce – Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m.
Modernizing Energy Infrastructure
House Energy and Commerce – Subcommittee on Energy and Power
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m.
Monetary Policy and the State of the Economy
House Financial Services
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 2128-RHOB
GAOs 2017 High Risk Report: 34 Programs in Peril
House Oversight and Government Reform
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 2154-RHOB
Risky Business: The DOE Loan Guarantee Program
House Science, Space and Technology – Subcommittee on Energy
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., 2318-RHOB
Start-ups Stalling? The Tax Code as a Barrier to Entrepreneurship
House Small Business
Full Committee Hearing
11 a.m.
American Aviation Manufacturing
House Transportation and Infrastructure – Subcommittee on Aviation
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m.
The Geography of Poverty
House Ways and Means – Subcommittee on Human Resources
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m.
Member’s Day
House Appropriations – Subcommittee on Legislative Branch
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m., HT-2
Examining Federal Programs that Serve Tribes and Their Members
House Oversight and Government Reform – Subcommittee on the Interior
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m., 2154-RHOB
Senate Committees
Mental Health Care: Examining Treatments and Services
Senate Appropriations – Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies
Subcommittee Hearing
10:30 a.m., SD-138
Endangered Species Act Modernization
Senate Environment and Public Works
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., SD-406
Moving America: Stakeholder Perspectives on our Multimodal Transportation System
Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation – Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security
Subcommittee Hearing
2:30 p.m. SR-253
Ending Modern Slavery: Building on Success
Senate Foreign Relations
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., SD-419
High Risk: Government Operations Susceptible to Waste, Fraud, and Mismanagement
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Full Committee Hearing
2:45 p.m., SD-342
Stopping Senior Scams: Developments in Financial Fraud Affecting Seniors
Senate Special Aging
Full Committee Hearing
2:30 p.m., SD-562
Thursday, February 16, 2017
House Committees
Pros and Cons of Restricting SNAP Purchases
House Agriculture
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 1300 LHOB
Member’s Day
House Appropriations – Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
Subcommittee Hearing
9:30 a.m., HT-2
Military Services 5th Generation Tactical Aircraft Challenges and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program Update
House Armed Services – Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces
Subcommittee Hearing
9 a.m., 2212-RHOB
Federal Wage and Hour Policies in the Twenty-First Century Economy
House Education and the Workforce – Subcommittee on Workforce Protections
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m.
Modernizing Environmental Laws
House Energy and Commerce – Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m.
Assessing the U.S.-EU Covered Agreement
House Financial Services – Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., 2128-RHOB
Iran on Notice
House Foreign Affairs Committee
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 2172-RHOB
A Dangerous and Sophisticated Adversary: The Threat to the Homeland Posed by Cartel Operations
House Homeland Security – Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., 210-HVC
H.R. 372 the Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act of 2017
House Judiciary – Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., 2141-RHOB
NASA: Past Present and Future
House Science, Space and Technology
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 2318-RHOB
State of the Small Business Economy
House Small Business – Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access
Subcommittee Hearing
11 a.m.
Watchdog Recommendations: A Better Way Ahead to Manage the Department of Homeland Security
House Homeland Security – Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m., 210-HVC
The State of Religious Liberty in America
House Judiciary – Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m.
The Use of Official Time for Union Activities at the Department of Veterans Affairs
House Veterans’ Affairs – Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity; House Oversight and Government Reform – Subcommittee on Government Operations
Committees Joint Hearing
2 p.m., 2154-RHOB
Senate Committees
Secretary of Labor Nomination
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., SD-430
Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Nomination
Senate Finance
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., SD-215
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Nomination
Senate Foreign Relations
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., SD-419
Committee Organization/Senate Committee Budget
Senate Rules and Administration
Full Committee Business Meeting
10 a.m., SR-301