During the first two years of the Biden Administration, U.S. Congress appropriated significant amounts of funding outside the regular annual process for several major multiyear initiatives. Major examples include the...more
As Congress returns to session this week following a multiweek holiday break, lawmakers face multiple and complicated challenges in this new year. In large part, these challenges are rooted in unresolved issues from 2023, a...more
On September 30, 2023, President Joe Biden signed into law stopgap funding legislation that temporarily averted a government shutdown. The legislation, which passed the U.S. Congress with bipartisan support and extended...more
On Saturday, June 3, President Biden signed into law the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (H.R. 3746; the “Act”). In addition to suspending the debt limit through January 1, 2025, the Act implements caps on both non-defense...more
EEOC Updates COVID-19 Guidance. On July 12, 2022, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission updated its COVID-19 guidance as it relates to the testing of employees in the workplace. Since the start of the pandemic, the...more
Outlook for This Week in the Nation’s Capital - Congress. The House and Senate are both back in session this week after their two-week recess. The House and Senate are in the formal conference process for the Bipartisan...more
The White House on March 28, 2022, released President Joe Biden's $5.8 trillion proposed budget for federal spending in fiscal year (FY) 2023. The president's budget proposal serves as a fiscal blueprint for the...more
Outlook for This Week in the Nation’s Capital - Congress. The House and Senate are not in session this week. FY21 Appropriations. Appropriators missed an unofficial deadline to come to an agreement by last Friday on the...more
As lawmakers debate whether to extend the Federal Reserve’s emergency loan programs, Congressional Oversight Commissioners are divided on the issue. The New York Times reported that Commissioner Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) is...more
The House - The House of Representatives has passed 10 of its 12 appropriations bills. Only Homeland Security and Legislative Branch have not been considered on the House floor. Both bills are very controversial. ...more
Below is the Federal Policy team’s weekly preview, posted when Congress is in session. HEADLINES - • Returning from a one-week recess, the House plans to take up legislation to address vaping, and the Senate will focus...more
Congressional appropriations serve as a potent tool to guide administrative actions in commerce and trade Before departing in the final days of 2019, Congress passed a bipartisan spending package amounting to US$1.4...more
FY20 Spending Bills - With the Memorial Day and lengthy August recess looming between now and the end of the fiscal year on September 30, appropriators will be focused on moving FY20 spending bills. ...more
Outlook for This Week in the Nation's Capital - Congress: The Congress will be on recess this week, before returning the following week to resume work on a number of matters....more
Like his FY 2018 and FY 2019 budgets, President Trump’s FY 2020 budget would make the CFPB subject to the regular Congressional appropriations process....more
Despite the partial government shutdown since December 22nd, the Supreme Court and lower federal courts have remained open by drawing on non-appropriated funds and court fees. Federal courts will be able to continue...more
President Trump came to an agreement with congressional Democrats to extend FY17 federal appropriations and suspend the debt limit until December 8. The deal, which took congressional Republicans by surprise, was paired with...more
On a recent visit to Washington, D.C. to work on client issues, I attended any number of meetings where we discussed Federal appropriations. But before we get to an observation or two, here is a recap on the process for how...more
With the October 1 start of fiscal year 2018 coming closer, the White House, Senate and House remain far apart on the 12 regular appropriations bills that collectively fund the federal government. At this time, all parties...more
Summer isn’t quite over yet, but the August recess is coming to an end and Congress returns next week to resume work on a number of outstanding issues, as the Trump Administration continues to aggressively implement the...more
Since President Trump's budget proposal was released last month, the budget and appropriations process has proceeded slowly, as Republican budget writers continue negotiations over how to approach modifying the 2011 Budget...more
On March 16, the Trump Administration released "America First: A Budget Blueprint to Make America Great Again." The so-called "skinny budget," which includes proposed top-line spending numbers for the federal government, sets...more
This Week: Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing Focuses on Health Insurers Merger... Arkansas to Delay Setting Up Its Own State Exchange...The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Announces Medicare Advantage...more
The number of working days (in theory) that Congress has left to negotiate and pass a continuing resolution (CR) that would keep the government from shutting down on Oct. 1. Here’s hoping that the Pope’s visit to the Capitol...more
In This Issue: - Modify and Permanently Extend the Production Tax Credit - Enhance and Make Permanent the Research and Experimentation Tax Credit - Provide Carbon Dioxide Investment and Sequestration Tax Credits ...more