July 26, 2017
The key story this week of course was unfortunately Senator John McCain’s illness. The announcement impacted everyone in Washington, D.C. – but it hit especially hard his colleagues, current and former staff, and friends from both sides of the aisle. Steve Gordon was a consultant to his campaign committee during the 1990’s, and wrote about his thoughts and reflections in Heard on The Hill. The healthcare agenda was center stage, and will continue to be for the next few weeks. Steve also summarizes where Congress is on repealing Obamacare, tax reform, the debt ceiling, the budget, and infrastructure. Larry Smith brings us up to date on activities in the NAFTA/Trade area. Dana Marston provides this week’s legislative calendar, as well as a look at the multiple GOP health care proposals, the coming debt limit, President Trump’s executive orders to date, and US-owned and operated satellites. The House is expected to recess on or around July 28th. The Senate is still planning to stay in session through the first two weeks of August. We’ll continue reporting this week and every week Congress is in session.
Read MoreJuly 19, 2017
Our goal is to be both accurate and current – which means that last week’s review can be impacted by this week’s developments. We have come to expect the unexpected, especially on Mondays. There was every reason to believe that health care was hanging by a thread. Health Care Proposals 1.0 and 2.0 were both opposed by two senators, and the Majority Leader needed to get every remaining Republican senator. Monday started with Senator McConnell moving back activity on health care in response to Senator McCain’s surgery, and ended when two Republican senators announced their opposition to 2.0. Steve Gordon responded by updating this week’s edition of Heard on the Hill to include all of the changes that occurred yesterday and today in healthcare, and covers tax reform, the budget, and the debt ceiling. Blake Fulenwider gives us a view of what was in Health Care Proposal 2.0. There was significant activity on NAFTA/trade – including the release of our trade negotiating objectives, and Larry Smith reports on them all in his update. Agency Watch, a new column debuting today, will focus on activity in the Executive Departments and Agencies, and will be written by Jake Ostenso. Dana Marston lends a look ahead at the Hill hearing and meeting schedule, more on health care – details on Health Care 2.0, and how ACA is weighing on voters’ minds as the 2018 midterm election draws closer. She also provides insights into the opioid crisis and potential cuts in mandatory spending.
Read MoreJune 28, 2017
The theme for today’s edition of This Week is health care. We prepared last week for the release of the draft bill, the report from the Congressional Budget Office, and deliberations building up to a vote in the Senate prior to July 2nd. We visited last week with a number of folks on the Hill, and their view was that passing the bill was going to be hard – the odds were a little less than 50-50 – but that if anyone could get it over the line, Senate Majority Leader McConnell would be the man to get it done. The bill was released late last week and early deliberations quickly exposed concerns from Republican Senators who represent all sides of the health care issue. It was clear by Monday night that Senators McConnell and Cornyn needed more time to work with members of their caucus -- and perhaps just as clear that Republican Senators needed to get the perspective of Republican Governors. Tuesday afternoon Senator McConnell said he would continue working with his caucus, but moved the vote to after the July 4th recess. The theme for this week is still health care. We have elected to stay away from the details of the draft legislation for the time being because they will continue to change as the Majority Leader works to get fifty Senators on board. Steve Gordon in Heard on the Hill gives us his notes from a meeting last week with a member of the Republican Senate leadership on a number of legislative issues. He also shares what he has heard on tax reform, the budget, immigration, and describes how politics impacts policy. Steve also reports on the Arizona Association of Health Care’s meetings last week in Washington, D.C. supporting Arizona’s Medicaid program, and Glenn Hamer’s follow-up letter. Jake Ostenso reports on two congressional hearings held last week on the topic of NAFTA/trade. Dana Marston takes a closer look at the Senate’s health care proposal, at states’ experiments in health care reform, budget shortfalls at the state level, and Republicans’ narrow wins in recent special elections.
Read MoreJune 20, 2017
Thanks for your continued interest in Washington, D.C., and for reading This Week in Washington. John McKechnie describes the House bill designed to reform Dodd-Frank. Larry Smith updates us on trade and NAFTA. Steve Gordon describes last week’s bravery at the ballpark as well as what is being said about the legislative agenda in Heard on the Hill. Dana Marston provides insight into Iowa’s attempts to restructure and stabilize its health insurance market, as well as run-down of this week’s legislative markups, meetings, and hearings on Capitol Hill.
Read MoreJune 13, 2017
The pace of Washington stalled last week as the legislative agenda was replaced by all things Russia. The Senate is working behind the scenes to make healthcare work because they know what is at stake. Tax reform/reduction is next up. Steve Gordon covers it all in Heard on the Hill. Steve also captures the thoughts of Senator John Thune (R-SD), Chairman of the Senate Republican Caucus and the Senate Commerce Committee. Larry Smith reports on the latest in trade/NAFTA. We profile this week Senator Lamar Alexander and Senator Mike Enzi. Dana Marston provides this week’s calendar of hearings and markups, as well as a look at the rise in household debt. She also digs into the recent U.S.-Mexico sugar accord, which some say sets the stage for NAFTA re-negotiations later this year.
Read MoreJune 7, 2017
Congressional recess periods like we had last week are a time to back away, get a little rest and get even more perspective. Most Congressional staffers as well as folks in the advocacy and political communities who remain in Washington after Congress adjourns take a collective deep breath – then begin to organize their thoughts and plan for the next Congressional work period. We focus this week on trade and defense. Larry Smith brings us up to date on trade and NAFTA news, and Jake Ostenso reports on a briefing by the Bipartisan Policy Group which featured Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross; Jack Gerard, CEO of the American Petroleum Institute; and Charles Bowling Jr., Chairman of the Corn Board of the National Corn Growers Association. Al Jackson provides a thorough review of the President’s budget proposal for defense. Dana Marston shares an early look at data behind NAFTA renegotiations, growth in the trade deficit, and a calendar of upcoming hearings and markups. Steve Gordon summarizes where we are on key legislative proposals and talks about prospects and distractions in Heard on the Hill.
Read MoreMay 31, 2017
Thanks for your continued interest in Washington, D.C. and This Week in Washington. This is our abbreviated Memorial Day report. Steve Gordon talks about taxes, health care, the Trump budget, a new energy bill, the upcoming special election in Georgia, all things Russian, and the sounds of Washington over the Memorial Day holiday in this week’s Heard on the Hill. Larry Smith updates us on Trade and NAFTA, and Dana Marston provides some info on GDP growth through the first quarter of 2017. We’ll be back with a full complement of reports in next week’s This Week.
Read MoreMay 10, 2017
Last week was a busy one in Washington. Glenn Hamer and a group of Chamber members joined the Greater Phoenix Economic Council in a trip to Washington, D.C. for a series of meetings. Both the House of Representatives and the Senate passed legislation appropriating funds for the government through the end of September. The House Financial Services Committee continued their work on Dodd-Frank reform. And – oh yes – the House of Representatives passed their version of healthcare legislation that would repeal and replace Obamacare. HR 1628 – The American Health Care Act – is significant both as a legislative product and as part of the legislative and political process, so we’re going to examine the bill both ways. Todd Smith and Blake Fulenwider, Total Spectrum’s newest partners, are both experts in health care legislation, and have taken the lead in a review of what’s in the House bill. Steve Gordon discusses the legislative and political impact of the House healthcare bill, the legislation that kept the lights on in government, and some of the other things he heard last week in Heard on the Hill. John McKechnie, Total Spectrum’s Senior Partner, writes about the bill that was passed out of the House Financial Services Committee to modernize Dodd-Frank.
Read MoreApril 18, 2017
The Senate is in recess this week, and so is This Week in Washington. We will be back next week with a larger issue summarizing where things stand inside the beltway and where things might be going.
Read MoreApril 11, 2017
This week was the last week before a two-week Congressional recess and district work period. It was also a very successful week for the new Administration. Republicans are hoping that this week saw the signs that the President and the Administration have steadied the ship, turned the corner, and can use their momentum to tackle tax reform and infrastructure. Larry Smith has this week’s cover stories, highlighting the confirmation of Justice Gorsuch and an update on trade and NAFTA. Al Jackson provides an update on defense appropriations activity. Steve Gordon discusses the President’s wins last week and the things that need to be dealt with when Congress returns in “Heard on the Hill.” Steve continues with his Profile of Key People: An introduction to the People who drive the Policy Wagon. This week he introduces us to Senator John Thune of South Dakota—Chairman of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, a member of the Finance Committee and Chairman of the Republican Conference – the third ranking leadership position among Republican Senators. Dana Marston provides glimpse at which states have the most at stake in renegotiating NAFTA.
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