In a decision issued today, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the Trump Administration in its appeal of a decision issued by a federal judge in Hawaii earlier this year that blocked the revised travel ban. The Fourth Circuit also ruled against the Administration on the ban.
The initial travel ban was also blocked by the courts. The revised ban was an attempt to address the concerns raised by the courts about the original proposal.
Here is a selection of committee activities taking place on the Hill this week.
TUESDAY, JUNE 13
Senate Appropriations
TRANSPORTATION BUDGET
June 13, 2:30 p.m., 138 Dirksen Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing
Senate Budget
BUDGET REQUEST AND REVENUE PROPOSALS
June 13, 10 a.m., 608 Dirksen Bldg.
Full Committee Hearing
House Rules
REDUCING HEALTHCARE LIABILITY BURDEN
June 13, 3 p.m., H-313, U.S. Capitol
Full Committee Business Meeting
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14
Senate Appropriations
DEFENSE BUDGET
June 14, 10:30 a.m., 192 Dirksen Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing
THURSDAY, JUNE 15
Senate Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry
AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH
June 15, 9:30 a.m., 328-A Russell Bldg.
Full Committee Hearing
Senate Appropriations
HHS BUDGET
June 15, 10 a.m., 138 Dirksen Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing
House Appropriations
DEFENSE BUDGET
June 15, 9 a.m., 2359 Rayburn Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing
House Appropriations
EPA BUDGET
June 15, 11 a.m., 2007 Rayburn Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing
House Education & the Workforce
WORKFORCE INNOVATION AND OPPORTUNITY ACT
June 15, 10 a.m., 2175 Rayburn Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing
The National Academies earlier today released a report that highlights the contributions that social, behavioral, and economic (SBE) sciences make to the mission of the National Science Foundation (NSF). Among its other recommendations, the report calls on the NSF to conduct a systematic review of SBE define its priorities and the resources needed more clearly.
Here is a selection of news articles the Office of Federal Relations is reading this week.
Well, That Didn’t Work Out the Way It Was Supposed To – After calling for a snap election that was intended to enhance their control of the British Parliament ahead of the “Brexit” negotiations, the Conservatives in Britain suffered quite a set-back as they lost their majority. The Tories will now form a new government in partnership with the Democratic Unionist Party of Northern Ireland. Read more about it here, here, and here.
Infrastructure Update: Can He Accomplish That? The White House announced that this week — the same week that the former FBI director testified in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee — would be “infrastructure week.” It was to be a week dedicated to taking concrete steps forward on improving our nation’s roads, bridges, airports, broadband reach and more. But how far has the Trump administration gotten this week? Have they made progress in coming through on the campaign promises Trump made, namely the promise of a $1 trillion investment in infrastructure over 10 years? Read/listen to more from the Washington Post.
Senate Moderates on Healthcare: We’re Close – Moderate Republicans on Thursday said they were getting closer to supporting an emerging Senate health package but are continuing to press for a slower phaseout of the Medicaid expansion than the House-passed bill set out. Read more from Roll Call.
$34 B Would Make College Afforable – A new report from the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO), a group comprised of heads of statewide governing boards, proposes state and federal support should increase by $34 billion per year to make college financially accessible for all. Read more on Time.
Job Openings Hit Record Highs – U.S. job openings surged to a record high in April and employers appeared to have trouble finding suitable workers, pointing to a tightening labor market that could encourage the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates next month. The Labor Department’s monthly Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS, published on Tuesday also suggests that a recent moderation in job growth could be the result of a skills mismatch rather than easing demand for labor. Read more on Reuters.
H-1 B Visas – The White House has been quietly working with the Justice Department on overhauling the H-1B program to better adhere to the administration’s “Buy American, Hire American” order, sources told Politico Playbook. Read more from Politico.
Timeline: How Comey Came to Testify – It was less than a year ago that then-FBI Director James B. Comey delivered mixed news for the Democratic Party’s nominee for president —Hillary Clinton’s handling of classified material was, “extremely careless,” but he would not bring charges against her in the case. After that, he’s had quite the year: drawing fire from all sides, and eventually getting fired by President Donald Trump last month in the heat of a major investigation into potential relationships between Trump’s campaign and Russians who were actively interfering in the U.S. election. Read more from Roll Call.