House Cloakroom: February 8 – 12
Analysis:
Last week President Obama released his new budget which would spend an additional $1.7 trillion. Heritage budget analyst Brian Riedl breaks that down in his analysis of the budget here. On top of that the House passed and sent to the President a $1.9 trillion dollar debt limit increase.
As the Senate moves to take up a supposed “jobs” bill, the House with pivot back to health care. The final language is still being worked out but they expect to take up a bill to remove antitrust exemptions for health insurers, which is a provision that does have some bi-partisan support. This could be sign that Congress could pivot to taking up smaller portions of the broader health care reform bill.
Lastly, the House is also expected to take up an Intelligence Authorization bill.
Major Floor Action:
- Small health care bill to remove antitrust exemptions for health insurers (language still not available)
Major Committee Action:
- Many of the Subcommittees of the House Appropriations Committee will hold hearings this week to begin considering the 2011 Appropriations programs and activities.
- Several major committees will also hold hearings on the 2011 budget including Armed Services, Homeland Security, Natural Resources, Ways and Means, and several others.
Senate Cloakroom: February 8 – 12
Analysis:
Jobs. Jobs. Jobs. The Senate stimulus strategy, outlined late last week, involves moving a number of smaller bills. With public anxiety over last year’s $787 billion stimulus bill and the sheer complexity of the health care reform efforts, that makes political sense. Moving multiple small bills will prove no more effective than last year’s failed effort if the policy is bad. Unfortunately, many of the policies being discussed appear to be more of the same — spending and taxpayer-backed subsidies geared toward special interests.
Major Floor Action:
- On Monday, the Senate will vote to confirm Joseph Greenaway to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit. They will also attempt to invoke cloture on the controversial nomination of Craig Becker to be a member of the National Labor Relations Board.
- The legislative text of the “tax provision” stimulus bill has not been made public, but a misguided hiring tax credit is certainly on the table.
Major Committee Action:
- The Armed Services Committee will hold a closed hearing on the transfer of detainees held at Guantanamo.
- The Energy Committee will hold a hearing on DOE’s loan guarantee program.
- The Budget Committee will hold a hearing on the federal budget and exploding debt.