This week marks the final days of scheduled legislative business in the House and Senate before lawmakers adjourn for the national party conventions and an extended summer recess through the Labor Day holiday.  Republican leadership in both chambers have a full agenda prepared before members can depart the nation’s capital.  At the top of their list is final passage of bipartisan legislation to address opioid addiction and an extension of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) authority and funding into 2017.  Both chambers will also attempt to make additional headway on appropriations bills for fiscal year 2017, which begins on September 30.

The House resumes legislative business on Monday, when members will take up an extensive package of 24 bills under suspension of the rules.  The scheduled agenda includes a bill to extend FAA authority and appropriations through the end of the next fiscal year – until September 30, 2017.  The bill is considered a “must-pass” for both chambers this week, because the current extension of the FAA’s authority expires on July 15.  The House and Senate passed differing versions of long-term reauthorization legislation earlier this year, but could not conclude conference committee negotiations convened to work out the differences between the two bills.  The major sticking point has been the desire by the House to spin off from the FAA the nation’s air-traffic control system into a private, non-profit entity, a move the Senate has not been prepared to accept.  Last week, negotiators unveiled a less-ambitious 14-month extension bill to keep the agency functioning through next fiscal year, during which both chambers will continue to attempt to resolve their differences over the future of the FAA and the air-traffic control system.  The extension bill continues funding at current levels, but contrary to previous extensions, the bill does not simply provide a clean extension of current authority; it also includes a number of policy provisions and updates to current law.  Passage of the 14-month extension through the House is likely to be swift, but Senate consideration may be held up by Democratic members who have been calling for the inclusion of a package of renewable energy tax credits.  Given the constrained timeline, it is unlikely the bill will be held up indefinitely, but Senate consideration may consume a portion of the week.

The legislation to be considered under suspension of the rules also includes 11 measures related to terrorism and homeland security reported out of the Homeland Security and Financial Services Committees.  Also on the suspension calendar are bills reported by the Education and Workforce and Science, Space and Technology Committees.

After the House completes its consideration of the bills on the suspension calendar, it is expected to turn to consideration of H.R. 4768, the Separation of Powers Restoration Act, subject to a structured rule. The bill was scheduled to be considered during the week of June 20, but it was postponed when the Democratic protest over gun control on the House floor led Republican leaders to start the July 4 recess early.  As described in a previous column, the legislation is designed to limit agencies’ rule making authority by effectively overriding the so-called Chevron doctrine, established by the Supreme Court, under which courts must defer to an executive branch agency’s interpretation of ambiguous statutes administered by the agency.  H.R. 4768 clarifies that courts are to interpret the law without deference to the agency’s interpretation.  The bill was reported by the Judiciary Committee on a party-line vote in June.

On Tuesday, the House will take up H.R. 5658, the Tested Ability to Leverage Exceptional National Talent (TALENT) Act of 2016, which would codify the Presidential Innovation Fellows Program established by President Obama.  The bill will be considered under suspension of the rules.

The House is then scheduled to begin consideration of the FY 2017 Interior and Environment appropriations bill, H.R. 5538, which provides over $32 billion in funding for the Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Forest Service, the Indian Health Service, and other related agencies.   The funding measure was reported by the Appropriations Committee on a largely party-line vote due to Democratic opposition over conservative policy riders, which primarily target EPA policies and regulations.  In order to avoid votes on highly controversial amendments like those that brought down the Energy and Water Appropriations bill earlier in the year, consideration of the Interior and Environment Appropriations bill will be subject to the same structured rule process that governed consideration of the financial services and general government spending bill last week and the defense spending bill last month.

Once it completes action on the appropriations measure, the House is expected to focus on three measures related to the nuclear deal with Iran.  This week marks the one-year anniversary of the announcement of the agreement for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action for reducing Iran’s nuclear capabilities.  Many Republicans (and a few Democrats) remain skeptical of Iran’s activities and believe the nation’s ballistic missile program and support for terrorism represent serious threats to national security.  In response, the House plans to take up three bills on Iran policy.  H.R. 5119, the No 2H20 From Iran Act, would prohibit any federal agency from purchasing heavy water produced in Iran.  The 2015 international nuclear agreement with Iran established that the United States would purchase heavy water from Iran in order to reduce the country’s excess stock and its potential to create a nuclear weapon.  A similar measure to block the purchase of heavy water from Iran was included in the Senate FY 2017 Energy and Water appropriations measure, resulting in a veto threat from the Administration and a Democratic filibuster of the bill on the Senate floor.  The House will also consider H.R. 4992, the United States Financial System Protection Act of 2016, which reaffirms the barriers in place preventing Iran’s access to U.S. financial institutions until the President can certify to Congress that Iran is neither supporting terrorism nor developing nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons, ballistic missiles, and ballistic-missile launch technology.  The third bill, H.R. 5631, the Iran Accountability Act, would impose tougher sanctions on Iran for state sponsorship of terrorism and human rights abuses and on sectors of the Iranian economy found supporting Tehran’s ballistic missile programs.  The consideration of each bill will be subject to a rule.

Members are also scheduled to consider S. 304, the Conscience Protection Act of 2016, subject to a rule.  This legislation would award a portion of the penalties levied on certain motor vehicle companies found to be in violation of safety or standards regulations to the whistleblowers who provide the information leading to the imposition of those penalties.

It is also likely that the House will consider the Senate-passed genetically modified organism (GMO) food labeling legislation before adjourning at the end of this week.  The bipartisan bill, S. 764, would establish a national guideline for the labeling of GMO foods that would preempt any state legislation on the matter, including the Vermont state law that went into effect on July 1.  Although the House passed its own GMO-labeling bill, following Senate passage of the bill last week House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway (R-TX) indicated his lukewarm support for the Senate legislation.  Because of the July 1 effective date of Vermont’s GMO-labeling law, which would be preempted by the federal legislation, food and beverage companies are urging the House act before recessing for the rest of the summer.  Consideration of S. 764 will be subject to a rule.

Republican leadership in the House may also attempt to bring up the counterterrorism and homeland security legislation described in last week’s column to create within the Department of Homeland Security a new “Office for Partnerships to Prevent Terrorism” to assist with the prevention of violent extremism and radicalization associated with terrorists and terror networks.  The gun control provision included in the legislation to prevent suspected terrorists from purchasing firearms drew criticism from Democratic members as well as some within the Republican conference, which caused leadership to table the bill.  After another week of headlines saturated with news of gun violence in the United States, it is possible Republicans will attempt action on the bill, or for the Democratic conference to challenge leadership with another protest calling for stricter gun control legislation, although the latter is more likely than the former.

The Senate is also scheduled to return on Monday, when members will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to H.R. 5293, the Department of Defense Appropriations bill.  The measure, which was reported unanimously by the Appropriations Committee, failed to achieve the necessary 60 votes of support during a Senate vote last week, due to Democratic opposition.  Democratic leaders have threatened to stonewall the entire appropriations process unless Republicans pledge to stick to the bipartisan budget agreement established last fall under the leadership of former Speaker of the House John Boehner and eliminate all “poison pill” policy riders.  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell entered a motion to reconsider the failed cloture vote on the motion to proceed to H.R. 5293, allowing for a second attempt at some point this week.

Leader McConnell has indicated there will also be a second opportunity for senators to take up the House-passed FY 2017 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations conference report, which also serves as the vehicle to provide funding to combat the Zika virus.  The Senate attempted a vote prior to July 4, but Democrats blocked its consideration over a provision that restricts funding to medical facilities that provide abortion services, as well as funding offsets included in the bill.  A Senate vote this week on the House-passed proposal is the only option for Congress to send a bill this summer to the President’s desk and provide the resources to fight the Zika outbreak, as all parts of the country are already in the summer mosquito season.

While the prospects for consideration of the appropriations measures in the Senate remain uncertain, in the interim Leader McConnell has identified a handful of other measures that the Senate may consider.  The first item is the House-passed conference report to the opioid-abuse legislation, S. 524, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), the passage of which will be considered a major bipartisan victory for 114th Congress.  There is wide support in Congress for advancing legislation to counter the opioid abuse epidemic, and the legislation has been a priority of Republican leadership in both chambers.  The House and Senate passed differing versions of the legislation and then worked through lengthy negotiations to iron out the details of a compromise.    Democrats are concerned over funding levels in the bill and called for the legislation to provide even more new funding for the programs in the bill, but Republicans argued instead that funding should be allocated through the normal appropriations process.  President Obama initially requested $1.1 billion in funding for programs to combat the opioid abuse crisis and the Administration has criticized CARA for not providing new funding, but the disagreement has not initiated a veto threat from the White House.  Last week, the House passed the conference report with overwhelming bipartisan support, 407-5.  The conference report will need support from Democratic members, who have political reasons to try to block the bill, because among its leading champions are two Republican senators (Rob Portman (R-OH) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH)) seeking reelection in November, in order for the Senate to pass the measure and send it to the President for signature and enactment.  Whether Senate Democrats support the bill, as their House colleagues did, or oppose it for electoral reasons will be disclosed before the week is out.

The second item up for consideration will be the FAA reauthorization extension once the House of Representatives passes it.  As mentioned above, there may be an attempt by Democrats to attach an extension of clean energy tax credits to the bill, which could take up precious time on the Senate floor this week.  As with the opioid abuse conference report, the bill will need to the support of several Democrats in order to proceed to the bill and for final passage.

A third House-passed item may also see Senate action this week.  H.R. 1270, the Restoring Access to Medication Act, would allow for disbursements from health savings accounts, medical savings accounts, and health flexible spending arrangements for over-the-counter drugs.  Current rules under the Affordable Care Act only allow these disbursements for the purchase of prescription drugs and insulin.  H.R. 1270 would also provide an increase to the existing caps on repayments of advance premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act.  The Administration opposes H.R. 1270.  The measure was passed by the House of Representatives by a vote of 243-164, short of the two-thirds majority necessary to override a veto, in the event Republicans can come up with the 60 votes needed to advance the bill in the Senate.

Coupled with the active floor schedule in both chambers is a jam-packed hearing schedule, as committees try to fit in as much as possible before the summer break.

The high-profile event of the week will be the appearance of Attorney General Loretta Lynch before the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday morning.  While the hearing is expected to cover a range of topics, it will undoubtedly focus on the federal investigation into former Secretary of State and current presidential candidate Hilary Clinton’s improper email use during her tenure as Secretary of State and the Justice Department’s decision not to pursue criminal charges.  The Attorney General’s testimony will follow an appearance by FBI Director James Comey before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee last week.  The Judiciary Committee hearing is expected to cover the Justice Department’s review of the FBI investigation, the Attorney General’s contact with Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton, as well as encryption and information security issues in general.  In announcing the Tuesday hearing, Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) stated the event will also cover the investigations conducted by the Justice Department following the mass shootings in Orlando, Florida, and San Bernardino, California, and links to terrorism.

Several other scheduled hearings will cover cybersecurity and privacy issues.  The Senate Armed Services Committee will meet for a closed session on Tuesday to receive testimony on national cybersecurity and encryption challenges from Admiral Michael Rogers, who serves as Commander of the U.S. Cyber Command and Director of the National Security Agency.  An open hearing on the same subject is scheduled for Thursday morning, when the former Assistant Attorney General For National Security at the Department of Justice, Kenneth Wainstein, and former Deputy Director of the National Security Agency, John Inglis, as well as Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr., will appear before the committee.

The House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Information Technology and Subcommittee on National Security are scheduled to host a joint hearing on Wednesday afternoon to discuss “digital acts of war” and evolving threats to cybersecurity.

The Senate Commerce Committee will examine the Federal Communication Commission’s proposed privacy rules for internet service providers (ISPs) on Tuesday morning. The privacy proposal, adopted by the FCC on March 31, would limit the ability of ISPs to track the web history of subscribers for targeted advertising purposes by allowing subscribers to opt out, or by requiring the ISPs to obtain express consent before using and sharing the customer data with third parties.  Former Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz is expected to be among the witnesses.  The House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and Law have held previous hearings on the proposal.

The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology is also scheduled to meet on Tuesday morning regarding FCC oversight, with all five FCC commissioners expected to appear and provide testimony.  Given the fraught nature of the partisan disagreements over pending FCC issues, a lively hearing is expected.

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will meet on Tuesday afternoon regarding vulnerabilities to the nation’s energy infrastructure.  Members will hear testimony on S. 3018, the Securing Energy Infrastructure Act, and examine protections designed to guard against energy disruptions.

The Chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is scheduled to appear before the House Science, Space and Technology Committee on Thursday to report on its data and cybersecurity infrastructure.  In May, the FDIC reported to Congress that five major data breaches had occurred since last October.  FDIC Acting Inspector General Fred Gibson is expected to brief the committee on new initiatives to enhance security.

There are a number of events scheduled this week regarding U.S. foreign policy and international affairs.  On Tuesday morning the full House Appropriations Committee will mark up its FY 2017 State and Foreign Operations spending bill, which provides funding for diplomatic and humanitarian programs, global health initiatives, and international security assistance.

Pakistan’s role in the fight against terrorism will be the subject of a House Foreign Affairs joint subcommittee hearing.  The Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific and Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade will meet on Tuesday afternoon to review whether Pakistan is a “friend or foe” of the U.S. in the war on terror.  The witnesses include former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan and the United Nations, Zalmay Khalilzad.

The full House Foreign Affairs Committee will meet Wednesday morning to examine efforts by the State Department to counter the online recruitment of terrorists to organizations such as ISIS and Hezbollah.  This is the second Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on the subject.

At the same time on Tuesday, the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence will meet to examine the counterintelligence and insider threats to the Department of Homeland Security and its personnel, as well as programs to address those threats.  The full Homeland Security Committee will meet on Thursday to examine current threats to the U.S. homeland, especially from radical Islamist terrorists, and will review the efforts of the federal government to counter other emerging threats to cybersecurity and national infrastructure.  Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, FBI Director James Comey, and National Counterterrorism Center Director Nicholas Rasmussen are scheduled to provide testimony before the committee.

While the House plans to consider legislation on the issue, as noted above, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will examine the Iran nuclear agreement on Thursday, exactly one year after world leaders reached the historic deal.

The Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific is scheduled to meet Wednesday regarding U.S. policy options in the South China Sea.  This hearing follows a joint hearing with the Committee on Armed Services’ Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces last week on the escalating territorial disputes occurring between China and its neighbors in the South China Sea.

The Senate Banking Committee will evaluate China’s financial risks at a Thursday hearing, when experts and academics are expected to provide testimony.

The Senate Finance Committee will review the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 enacted last year.  The Acting Administrator of the Centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services, Andrew Slavitt, will provide testimony on Wednesday to the committee regarding the implementation of the new physician payment reforms.

On Thursday the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions continues its review of the Every Student Succeeds Act, the new K-12 education law enacted in December, and the Department of Education’s proposed rulemaking.   Various stakeholders in the education system are scheduled to appear as witnesses and provide their perspectives on the Department of Education’s interpretation of the law.  The committee previously heard from U.S. Secretary of Education John King on the agency’s proposed rulemaking.

The Senate Judiciary Committee will review the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) on Tuesday as it reaches its 50-year milestone.   The hearing will discuss the trends in the government’s compliance with FOIA laws 50 years after enactment, and examine what more can be done to increase transparency and accountability in government.  President Obama recently signed into law the FOIA Improvement Act, which makes improvements to the law providing the right to request access to records from any federal agency.

Later in the week, the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism will meet to discuss the potential medical benefits and risks of marijuana.  The Wednesday hearing will focus on research of medicinal marijuana.  Subcommittee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is a co-sponsor of the Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect States (CARERS) Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at easing the implementation of state medical marijuana programs.

The details for these events and other congressional hearings scheduled this week are, as usual, included below.  With Congress planning to be out of session until after Labor Day, we expect that Labor Day will mark the return of this column.  Until then, we hope our readers enjoy a safe and enjoyable summer.

 

Monday, July 11, 2016

House Committees

A Prepared Community is A Resilient Community
House Homeland Security – Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response and Communications
Subcommittee Field Hearing
9:30 a.m. Staten Island University Hospital Regina McGinn Educational Center, 475 Seaview Avenue, Staten Island, NY

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

House Committees

State-Foreign Operations Appropriations and Report on Revised Interim Suballocation of Budget Allocations
House Appropriations
Full Committee Markup
10:30 a.m.

Strengthening National Trauma System
House Energy and Commerce – Subcommittee on Health
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m.

FCC Oversight
House Energy and Commerce – Subcommittee on Communications and Technology
Subcommittee Hearing
10:15 a.m.

Choice of More Capital or More Government Control
House Financial Services
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m.

Human Rights Under Siege Worldwide
House Foreign Affairs
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m.

Justice Department Oversight
House Judiciary
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m.

Changing Demand and Water Supply Uncertainty in California
House Natural Resources – Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m.

Opportunities and Challenges in Mancos Shale Resource Development
House Natural Resources – Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
Subcommittee Hearing
10:30 a.m.

Astronomy/Astrophysics/Astrobiology
House Science, Space and Technology – Subcommittee on Space; House Science, Space and Technology – Subcommittee on Research and Technology
Subcommittees Joint Hearing
10 a.m.

Coast Guard Arctic Implementation Capabilities
House Transportation and Infrastructure – Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m.

Rising Health Insurance Premiums
House Ways and Means
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m.

Ready for Liftoff: The Importance of Small Businesses in NASA Supply Chain
House Small Business – Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy and Trade
Subcommittee Hearing
11 a.m.

Online Marketplace Lending
House Financial Services – Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m.

Scrutinizing the Trafficking in Persons Report
House Foreign Affairs – Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m.

Pakistan: Friend or Foe in the Fight Against Terrorism?
House Foreign Affairs – Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific; House Foreign Affairs – Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade
Subcommittees Joint Hearing
2 p.m.

Tribal Healthcare Act
House Natural Resources – Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m.

Executive Overreach in Regulatory Enforcement and Infrastructure
House Judiciary – Executive Overreach Task Force
Subcommittee Hearing
3 p.m.

Senate Committees

National Security: Cyber and Encryption Challenges
Senate Armed Services
Full Committee Hearing
9:30 a.m.

Examining the FCC’s Proposed Privacy Regulations
Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m.

Pending Legislation
Senate Energy and Natural Resources
Full Committee Markup
9:30 a.m.

The Stark Law: Issues and Opportunities
Senate Finance
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m.

Pending Business
Senate Foreign Relations
Full Committee Markup
10 a.m.

2016 Trafficking in Persons Report
Senate Foreign Relations
Full Committee Hearing
10:15 a.m.

Freedom of Information Act at 50
Senate Judiciary
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m.

FAST Act’s Impact on Economy and Transportation
Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation – Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security
Subcommittee Hearing
2:30 p.m.

Securing Energy Infrastructure and Guarding Against Energy Disruptions
Senate Energy and Natural Resources
Full Committee Hearing
2:30 p.m.

Public-Private Partnerships in Foreign Aid: Leveraging U.S. Assistance for Greater Impact and Sustainability
Senate Foreign Relations — Subcommittee on State Department and USAID Management, International Operations, and Bilateral International Development
Subcommittee Hearing
2:30 p.m.

Intelligence Matters
Senate Select Intelligence
Full Committee Briefing (CLOSED)
2:30 p.m.

Joint Committees

Entrepreneurship’s Impact on the Economy
Joint Economic
Full Committee Hearing
2 p.m.
Wednesday, July 13, 2016

House Committees

Examining the CFTC’s Automated Trading Rule
House Agriculture
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m.

Restoring the Trust for Americans Nearing Retirement
House Budget
Full Committee Hearing
9:30 a.m.

Oversight of CERCLA Implementation
House Energy and Commerce – Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m.

Disrupter Series: Health Care Apps
House Energy and Commerce – Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade
Subcommittee Hearing
10:15 a.m.

HUD Accountability
House Financial Services
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m.

Countering the Virtual Caliphate: The State Department’s Performance
House Foreign Affairs
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m.

DHS Counterintelligence/Insider Threats Preparedness
House Homeland Security – Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m.

FDIC Application Process Oversight
House Oversight and Government Reform
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m.

VA’s Traumatic Brain Injury Exams
House Veterans’ Affairs – Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m.

Expanding U.S. Digital Trade
House Ways and Means – Subcommittee on Trade
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m.

Air Dominance and the Critical Role of Fifth Generation Fighters
House Armed Services – Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m.

The Castro Regime’s Ongoing Violations of Civil/Political Rights
House Foreign Affairs – Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m.

Turkey’s Democratic Decline
House Foreign Affairs – Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia and Emerging Threats
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m.

Public Land Renewable Energy Development
House Natural Resources – Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m.

From Premium Increases to Failing Co-Ops: An Obamacare Checkup
House Oversight and Government Reform – Subcommittee on Health Care, Benefits and Administrative Rules
Subcommittee Hearing
1 p.m.

Digital Acts of War: Evolving Cybersecurity Conversations
House Oversight and Government Reform – Subcommittee on Information Technology; House Oversight and Government Reform – Subcommittee on National Security
Subcommittees Joint Hearing
1 p.m.

Oversight of European Reassurance Initiative
House Armed Services – Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
Subcommittee Hearing
3:30 p.m.

Senate Committees

VA and Pentagon Electronic Health Records Review
Senate Appropriations – Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies
Subcommittee Hearing
10:30 a.m.

Nuclear Cruise Missile Budget
Senate Appropriations – Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
Subcommittee Hearing
10:30 a.m.

Medicare/CHIP Physician Payment Reforms
Senate Finance
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m.

U.S. Policy Options in the South China Sea
Senate Foreign Relations – Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy
Subcommittee Hearing
10:30 a.m.

Pending Nominations
Senate Judiciary
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m.

Pending Nominations
Senate Foreign Relations
Full Committee Hearing
11:30 a.m.

Nuclear Cruise Missile Budget
Senate Appropriations – Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
Subcommittee Hearing (CLOSED)
2:30 p.m.

American Space Exploration Leadership
Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation – Subcommittee on Space, Science and Competitiveness
Subcommittee Hearing
2:30 p.m.

Alzheimer’s Disease and Medicare
Senate Finance – Subcommittee on Health Care
Subcommittee Hearing
2:30 p.m.

Western Hemisphere Zika Risks/Response
Senate Foreign Relations – Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights and Global Women’s Issues
Subcommittee Hearing
2:30 p.m.

Campus Safety: Improving Prevention and Response Efforts
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Full Committee Hearing
2:45 p.m.

Potential Medical Benefits and Risks of Marijuana
Senate Judiciary – Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism
Subcommittee Hearing
2:30 p.m.

Thursday, July 14, 2016

House Committees

Worldwide Threats to the Homeland
House Homeland Security
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m.

S. 2040, the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act
House Judiciary – Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m.

Oversight of Federal Loan-Guaranteed Solar Energy Projects
House Natural Resources – Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m.

Recalcitrant Countries: Visas Denials for Countries that Refuse to Take Back Their Deported Nationals
House Oversight and Government Reform
Full Committee Hearing
9:30 a.m.

FDIC Major Data Breach Response
House Science, Space and Technology
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m.

Access Request
House Select Intelligence
Full Committee Business Meeting (CLOSED)
9 a.m.

Non-Bank Financial Companies
House Financial Services – Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
Subcommittee Hearing
11 a.m.

State of High Speed Rail
House Oversight and Government Reform – Subcommittee on Transportation and Public Assets
Subcommittee Hearing
12 p.m.

Naval Dominance in Undersea Warfare
House Armed Services – Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m.

Returning Abducted American Children
House Foreign Affairs – Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m.

U.S. Humanitarian Assistance to Syria: Minimizing Risks and Improving Oversight
House Foreign Affairs – Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m.

U.S.-Caribbean Partnership
House Foreign Affairs – Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m.

Office of Justice Programs Grantmaking Mismanagement
House Oversight and Government Reform – Subcommittee on Government Operations
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m.

President Obama’s Nuclear Deterrent Modernization Plans and Budgets: The Military Requirements
House Armed Services – Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
Subcommittee Hearing
3:30 p.m.

Senate Committees

Cybersecurity and U.S. National Security
Senate Armed Services
Full Committee Hearing
9:30 a.m.

Evaluating Financial Risks of China
Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m.

Pending Legislation
Senate Energy and Natural Resources
Full Committee Markup
9:30 a.m.

Iran Nuclear Agreement
Senate Foreign Relations
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m.

Every Student Succeeds Act Implementation
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m.

Pending Business
Senate Judiciary
Full Committee Markup
10 a.m.

Funding Entrepreneurs and Startup Companies
Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m.

Intelligence Matters
Senate Select Intelligence
Full Committee Briefing (CLOSED)
2 p.m.

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Photo of Kaitlyn McClure Kaitlyn McClure

Kaitlyn McClure is a policy advisor in Covington’s Public Policy Practice, leveraging her experience in government and politics to provide strategic advisory services and support to clients with legislative matters before government agencies and Congress.

Before joining the firm, Ms. McClure was the…

Kaitlyn McClure is a policy advisor in Covington’s Public Policy Practice, leveraging her experience in government and politics to provide strategic advisory services and support to clients with legislative matters before government agencies and Congress.

Before joining the firm, Ms. McClure was the Associate Vice President of Client Relations at DDC Advocacy. Prior to working for DDC, Ms. McClure served as the strategy assistant for former presidential candidate Governor Mitt Romney. Her experience also includes working in the U.S. Senate as a legislative assistant for Republican Senators John Hoeven of North Dakota and Judd Gregg of New Hampshire.