News and updates

DC typically has a strong law enforcement presence, and now, officers are everywhere on the Hill today because it’s National Police Week and the 36th Annual National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service is today on the West Front of the Capitol.

The Senate continues to consider nominations. Up first, Jeffrey Rosen is Trump’s pick to be Deputy Secretary of Transportation. He worked at the department as general counsel during the George W. Bush administration. He also did a stint at the Office of Management and Budget when Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) was OMB Director. If confirmed, Rosen would face the day-to-day responsibilities of running an agency with more than 50,000 employees and a budget this year of about $76 billion. Rosen would also be a key player in any infrastructure legislation to be considered by Congress later this year.

The House will spend most of the week concentrating on hearings. Most importantly, hearings regarding FY 2018. With just three-and-a half months left to complete work on FY 2018 appropriations (not counting the month-long August recess), appropriators still have not started drafting any of the 12 standing spending bills. That’s because there is still no budget blueprint or any agreement on overall spending limits. President Donald Trump’s full budget request for FY 2018 (that begins October 1) is due to be unveiled next week, on May 23. Keep in mind, Presidential budget plans are traditionally submitted in early February, but new Administration, including Obama’s, are often late in submitting their first budget. The current Administration has already submitted a skinny budget document. 

To give context, hearings normally held in February and March are just getting underway now — in mid-May. Much of that was due to Congress wrapping up the FY 2017 cycle at the beginning of May. However, may of the FY 2018 efforts are still stymied by the lack of a FY 2018 budget resolution that sets the discretionary spending caps (known as 302(b)s) that gives House and Senate Appropriators. Right now, the FY 2018 Budget is tied up in ACA repeal and the AHCA.

Other things to watch for this week…

A second federal appeals court will hear arguments Monday over whether the Trump Administration should be able to implement its revised travel ban, this time with an expected audience of millions watching via live video stream. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit hears one hour of arguments on the case starting at 12:30 p.m. ET in a Seattle courtroom. Interested viewers can tune in via the court’s live stream or on C-SPAN’s website. Most major networks will also be televising the arguments.

Expect Congress to be incredibly upset about the malware, derived from the NSA leak earlier this year, that crippled the British National Health Service’s computer systems on Friday, among others. The impacts continue to be felt today in Asia, as workers were headed out or gone for the weekend when the UK was hit.  The Wall Street Journal has the fascinating story about how a 22-year-old U.K. researcher stumbled upon the virus’s “kill switch” through a $10.69 website.