THIS WEEK’S DOSE - - House Passes Reconciliation Package. The package now moves to the Senate, where substantive changes, including in healthcare, will likely be made. - HHS Secretary Kennedy, FDA Commissioner Makary...more
On May 22, 2025, the House of Representatives voted along party lines (with one Republican member voting present and two Republican members not voting) to advance the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act (the OBBB) to the Senate for...more
Welcome to this week’s edition of Tax Bytes. Our team of tax lawyers is actively monitoring for federal and international tax developments and issues of note. Each week we pull together the items we deem most important to...more
MAHA and More Medicaid - Late Sunday night, May 18, 2025, the House Budget Committee voted to advance the reconciliation package drafted by the Energy and Commerce Committee and Ways and Means Committee last week. The four...more
Spending conversations continue to dominate Congress. House Republicans are prepared to release text in the coming days for a continuing resolution (CR) that would fund the government until Sept. 30, 2025. Additionally, the...more
Key Nominations Move Forward. The Senate Finance Committee advanced Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Jr.’s nomination to lead the US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) in a 14 – 13 vote along party lines. The nomination now...more
The Senate Finance Committee is set to vote on the confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Jr., President Trump’s nominee for Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), on Tuesday morning. All eyes are...more
Republicans hold a trifecta of control after winning the White House, US Senate, and US House of Representatives for the 119th Congress. They will aim to pass an agenda backed by President Trump that is focused on tax cuts,...more
On Tuesday, January 14, Tennessee’s 99 Representatives and 33 Senators gaveled into session for the first official day of business as the state’s 114th General Assembly. Among the first tasks were electing the top leadership...more
Below is this week’s congressional update by BakerHostetler’s Federal Policy team. We’ll continue to post in weeks when both chambers of Congress are in session....more
Both the House and Senate are in session this week as the 119th Congress kicks into gear, after formally being sworn in on Friday, January 3. Over the weekend, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) announced his intent for the House...more
A lot has happened in the last three weeks, so here’s a high-level recap: Congress successfully, albeit rockily, passed a continuing resolution that will fund the government through March 14, 2025. That legislation...more
Our Public Policy and Law group is pleased to provide you with our 2025 US Congressional Calendar. The calendar is a compilation of the House and Senate schedules in a color-coded format showing periods when the House...more
118th Congress Wraps Up - Congress has five days to complete remaining business before the December 20 government funding deadline. It is still expected that the government will be funded via a short-term continuing...more
Senate Special Committee on Aging Holds Hearing on People with Disabilities. Senators and witnesses acknowledged the significant barriers that exist for Americans with disabilities and discussed current and proposed federal...more
Congress is back in session with a loaded agenda for the lame duck period. One of the top issues the life sciences industry is tracking is the potential passage of the BIOSECURE Act. Speaker Johnson has signaled the House...more
Donald Trump will be America’s 47th president following a resounding win in the 2024 election. The election also gave control of the Senate to Republicans, along with potentially the House of Representatives. This trifecta of...more
Republicans Win Control of White House and Senate, Seem Poised to Maintain Control of House. Former President Donald Trump will return to the White House, and Republicans also gained control of the Senate. Some toss-up House...more
This week, Donald Trump claimed a decisive victory in the presidential race, and Republicans picked up Democratic Senate seats in West Virginia, Ohio, and Montana, ensuring that they will flip the Senate and hold at least one...more
The November 5, 2024, elections in Tennessee have concluded with significant outcomes that will shape the state’s political landscape for the coming years. This election cycle saw key races across various levels of...more
One More Week Until Election Recess - The House and Senate are in Washington, DC, for one more week before leaving until after election day. Over the weekend, congressional leaders struck a deal on a continuing resolution...more
Senate Staying Busy The House has started its August recess, so members are out until September 9, 2024. The Senate is in session, before joining the House in recess next week. The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor...more
House Oversight and Accountability Committee Holds Hearing on PBMs. Republicans and Democrats shared concerns about the role and practices of PBMs. While generally supportive of free market principles, Republicans criticized...more
WILL WE EVER SEE “PRECEDENTED TIMES” AGAIN? If the last month, if not the last several years, has felt like emotional-political whiplash, it is for good reason. We’ve witnessed the US Supreme Court issue landmark rulings,...more
Senate HELP Committee Holds Hearing on Medical Debt. The hearing examined the negative impacts of medical debt and explored potential solutions to address the growing issue. Senators and witnesses highlighted the disparity...more