What was going already to be a shortened week on Capitol Hill due to the Democrats’ annual conference became even shorter when Washington was hit by a major snow storm on Friday evening and all day Saturday.  On Friday, the House preemptively canceled Monday votes and several committees postponed hearings based on the forecast; on Sunday the House announced it would cancel all votes for the week.  This announcement is less dramatic than it appears, because, as noted, the House was not going to be in session on Thursday or Friday to allow Democratic members to attend their annual policy conference.  Due to the House’s announcement on Sunday, only the Senate is currently scheduled to return and hold votes this week.

The Senate was scheduled to convene on Tuesday and vote on a judicial nomination in the afternoon, but that vote has been postponed to Wednesday evening.  The Senate intends to begin consideration of S. 2012, Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015.  The broad, bipartisan energy policy measure, reported 18-4 out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee last summer, will be the Senate’s first attempt at action on comprehensive energy legislation since 2007.  The five titles of S. 2012 provide updates and improvements to national energy efficiency, grid infrastructure, energy supply, government accountability, and land conservation.  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has pledged to keep an open amendment process during consideration of S. 2012, and press reports indicate senators have plenty of  additional provisions they would like to offer as amendments to the bill, many of them highly partisan.

Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) has discussed his intent to offer an amendment to reverse a three-year moratorium on new coal leasing on public land announced by the Obama Administration last week and opposed by many members that represent coal-producing states.  Other potential amendments to curb agency regulations are expected, as well as statements on climate change and an amendment providing reforms to the hydroelectric power permitting process, provisions which were removed from the bill during committee markup due to partisan differences.  It will be a fine line for bill managers to navigate the amendment process while ensuring that the current bipartisan support does not completely disintegrate.

The House of Representatives passed its own version of energy modernization legislation in December, by a largely partisan vote of 249-174.  Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairwoman Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) managed a process that produced the Senate bill which was favorably reported on a bipartisan 18-4 votes.  Chairman Murkowski has indicated she would like to take S. 2012 to a conference committee with the House bill in order to reconcile differences between the two versions, should the Senate bill pass.

Also possible this week or in the near future is a resolution to authorize the use of military force against the terrorist entity that calls itself the Islamic State.  Although some members of both parties in both chambers have been calling for consideration of such a resolution, Leader McConnell surprised his chamber and observers by adding such a resolution to the Senate calendar last week.  Timing of the consideration of the resolution is unclear. The hearing schedule is highly uncertain, especially on the House side, in light of Sunday’s cancellation of votes for the week.  The brief discussion of key hearings that follows should be read with an understanding that many, or perhaps all, of the House hearings listed and discussed will be postponed, as is likely true for the Senate hearings scheduled prior to Wednesday afternoon.

Related to the federal debt and deficit, House and Senate Committees plan to review the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Outlook this week, as the agency within the legislative branch is scheduled to release its ten-year projections.  Although the projections are due for release today, expect a delay in that release as well.  A brief summary and projections report released last week warned that the federal budget deficit will rise this year for the first time since 2009, to $544 billion and the national debt to rise to $23.8 trillion by 2026.  The ten-year projection for the deficit for fiscal years 2016 – 2026, without any major policy changes enacted, is an increase to $9.4 trillion. CBO Director Keith Hall is currently scheduled to appear before the Senate Budget Committee on Tuesday and House Budget Committee on Wednesday.

Health-related issues are a focus of hearings on both sides of the Capitol this week.  The opioid epidemic in America is the topic of two separate Senate hearings.  The Senate Special Aging Committee is currently scheduled to hold a field hearing in Ashburn, Virginia on Monday regarding the misuse and abuse of opioids among older Americans, while the Senate Judiciary Committee will meet Wednesday to discuss methods of confronting the prescription drug and heroin abuse crisis.  The Senate Judiciary Committee will also meet Tuesday to discuss mental health issues as they relate to the criminal justice system.  The Senate HELP Committee has scheduled a hearing related to generic prescription drugs.

Several committees are meeting this week to mark up legislation.  The House Small Business Committee was planning to meet Thursday morning to mark up the President’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 Budget for the Small Business Administration.  After postponing a mark-up last Thursday due to the absence of several members, the Senate Judiciary Committee has rescheduled consideration of House-passed legislation allowing citizens of European countries access to U.S. courts to protect their on-line privacy interests, a bill of interest to tech companies and European governments.  Also on the agenda is legislation to allow federal court jurisdiction for the theft of trade secrets, a bill of widespread interest to U.S. businesses fending off efforts, often driven by foreign competitors, to steal their trade secrets.

The full schedule of events is included below, although as noted it is subject to change as the nation’s capital continues to dig out from under the massive snowfall:

Monday, January 25, 2016

Senate Committees

Fighting Against a Growing Epidemic: Opioid Misuse and Abuse Among Older Americans
Senate Special Aging
Full Committee Field Hearing
10:30 a.m. 21170 Ashby Ponds Blvd Ashburn, VA 20147 Great Oak Club House

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

House Committees

To consider the impacts of the Environmental Protection Agency’s actions on the rural economy
House Agriculture
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 1300 Longworth Bldg.

Trading with the Enemy: Trade-Based Money Laundering is the Growth Industry in Terror Finance
House Financial Services – Investigate Terrorism Financing Task Force
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., 2128 Rayburn Bldg.

The Need for the Establishment of a Puerto Rico Financial Stability and Economic Growth Authority
House Natural Resources – Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs
Subcommittee Hearing
11 a.m., 1334 Longworth Bldg.

Jordan: A Key U.S. Partner
House Foreign Affairs – Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m., 2172 Rayburn Bldg.

Legislative Hearing on H.R. 3070 and H.R. 4245
House Natural Resources – Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m., 1334 Longworth Bldg.

A Review of VA’s Loan Guaranty and Specially Adaptive Housing Grant Programs (SAH)
House Veterans’ Affairs – Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m., 334 Cannon Bldg.

Senate Committees

The Role of the Service Chiefs in Defense Acquisition in Review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2017 and the Future Years Defense Program
Senate Armed Services
Full Committee Hearing
9:30 a.m., G-50 Dirksen Bldg.

Examining CBO’s Budget and Economic Outlook
Senate Budget
Full Committee Hearing
10:30 a.m., 608 Dirksen Bldg.

Examining Mental Health and the Justice System
Senate Judiciary
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 226 Dirksen Bldg.

Cobert Nomination (OPM Director)
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 342 Dirksen Bldg.

Helping Americans Prepare for Retirement: Increasing Access, Participation and Coverage in Retirement Savings Plans
Senate Finance
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 215 Dirksen Bldg.

Economic Opportunities from Land Cleanup Programs and Legislative Hearing on 3 Measures
Senate Environment and Public Works
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 406 Dirksen Bldg.

Future Nuclear Posture of the United States
Senate Armed Services – Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
Subcommittee Hearing
2:30 p.m., 222 Russell Bldg.

The Way Forward in Syria and Iraq
Senate Foreign Relations
Full Committee Closed Briefing
4 p.m., SVC-217

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

House Committees

Assistance to Combat Wildlife Trafficking
House Appropriations – Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
Subcommittee Hearing
9:15 a.m., H-140

The Congressional Budget Office’s Budget and Economic Outlook
House Budget
Full Committee Hearing
9:30 a.m., 210 Cannon

After San Bernardino: The Future of ISIS-Inspired Attacks
House Foreign Affairs – Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade
Subcommittee Hearing
9 a.m., 2172 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
10 a.m., 2200 Rayburn Bldg.

Triple Threat to Workers and Households: Impacts of Federal Regulations on Jobs Wages and Startups
House Judiciary – Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law
Subcommittee Hearing
9 a.m., 2141 Rayburn Bldg.

Examining the Renewable Fuel Standard
House Oversight and Government Affairs Committee – Subcommittee on the Interior; Subcommittee on Health Care, Benefits, and Administrative Rules
Subcommittees Joint Hearing
9 a.m., 2154 Rayburn Bldg.

Seeking Justice for Victims of Palestinian Terrorism in Israel
House Oversight and Government Affairs Committee – Subcommittee on National Security
Subcommittee Hearing
9 a.m., 2247 Rayburn House Bldg.

Budget Views and Estimates on the President’s FY 2017 Budget for the Small Business Administration
House Small Business
Full Committee Markup
10 a.m., 2360 Rayburn Bldg.

Senate Committees

Military Space Programs and the Use of Russian-Made Rockets
Senate Armed Services
Full Committee Hearing
9:30 a.m., 216 Hart Bldg.

Canada’s Fast-Track Refugee Plan and Implications for U.S. National Security
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 342 Dirksen Bldg.

America’s Epidemic of Heroin and Prescription Drug Abuse
Senate Judiciary
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 226 Dirksen Bldg.

Hearing to Examine the Substandard Quality of Indian Healthcare in the Great Plains/ Indian Water Rights Act Markup
Senate Indian Affairs
Full Committee Hearing
2:15 p.m., 838 Hart Bldg.

Pending Nominations
Senate Judiciary
Full Committee Hearing
2 p.m., 226 Dirksen Bldg.

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Senate Committees

Generic Drug User Fee Amendments
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 430 Dirksen Bldg.

Adequacy of HHS Efforts to Protect Unaccompanied Alien Children From Human Trafficking
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 342 Dirksen Bldg.

Small Business Tech-Innovation Programs
Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 428-A Russell Bldg.

Pending Legislation/Nominations
Senate Judiciary
Full Committee Markup
10 a.m., 226 Dirksen Bldg.

Intelligence Matters
Senate Select Intelligence
Full Committee Closed Briefing
2:15 p.m., 219 Hart Bldg.
 

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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.