Skip to content
News and updates

News and updates

Pentagon to Revise FY2017 Budget Request

Posted on

The Department of Defense is preparing changes to its budget request for this current fiscal year (FY2017). In a memo, Secretary Mattis states that the department will seek changes to its original request, to address shortfalls in warfighting readiness and the accelerated campaign against ISIS. The new request will lead to a higher overall request for the agency for FY2017 and will likely lead to decreases or smaller increases in “lower priority” programs. It is unclear whether research programs will be impacted by the revised budget. The new request will be submitted by March 1.

The same memo states that the FY2018 budget request will be delivered by May 1 and will focus on “balancing the program, addressing pressing programmatic shortfalls, while continuing to build readiness.” Finally, a five-year plan (FY2019-2023) for the Pentagon will seek to push reforms, including horizontal integration across the agency.

More Drama on the Nominations Front

Posted on

Earlier on Wednesday, Senate Finance Committee Democrats continued their boycott of committee votes to confirm Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) for Secretary of Health and Human Services and Steve Mnuchin for Treasury Secretary. The committee rules require at least one member of each party to be present to hold votes. During the committee meeting, in order to get around the boycott, the committee rules were suspended and the nominations of Price and Mnuchin were reported out favorably.

Meanwhile, a vote by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on the nomination of Scott Pruitt to lead the Environmental Protection Agency has also been delayed by a boycott by the committee Democrats. The committee is expected to reconvene at a future date.

During a sometimes-heated session, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted out favorably the nomination of Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) for the post of Attorney General along a party line vote of 11 to 9.

In separate speeches on the Senate floor, both Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) announced their intention to vote against the nomination of Betsy DeVos for Secretary of Education. Both Senators, who are members of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which has jurisdiction over the nomination, had voted in favor of moving DeVos’s nomination forward in committee while expressing reservations about some of the views of the nominee. Given the current make-up of the Senate, and if the other Senators vote along party lines, it is very possible that Vice President Mike Pence may cast the tie-breaking vote in her favor.

Also on Wednesday, the full Senate confirmed Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State by a vote of 56 to 43.

Supreme Court Nominee Unveiled

Posted on

Tuesday evening, President Trump named Neil Gorsuch as his nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court to fill the vacancy left by Antonin Scalia. He currently sits on the 10th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, based in Denver. The nomination now sets up a likely clash in the Senate between the two parties.

Background information about Gorsuch is available here and here.

DeVos Approved by HELP

Posted on

The Senate HELP Committee just voted to advance the nominee for Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos. The committee vote was 12-11, which is along party lines.

Two Republicans, Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), said that they voted to advance DeVos’ nomination out of committee but still had concerns about her nomination and remained undecided on how they would vote on the Senate floor.

DeVos’ nomination has yet to be schedule for consideration by the full Senate.

 

This Week in Congress, Jan. 30 – Feb. 3

Posted on

 

Senate Finance

MNUCHIN NOMINATION

6 p.m. Jan. 30, 215 Dirksen Bldg. New

Full Committee Markup

 

Senate Energy & Natural Resources

ZINKE AND PERRY NOMINATIONS/COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION 

Jan. 31, 9:30 a.m., 366 Dirksen Bldg.

Full Committee Markup

 

Senate Judiciary

SESSIONS NOMINATION/ELDER ABUSE PREVENTION 

Jan. 31, 9:30 a.m., 226 Dirksen Bldg.

Full Committee Markup

 

Senate Budget

CBO BUDGET AND ECONOMIC OUTLOOK 

Feb. 1, 10:30 a.m., 608 Dirksen Bldg.

Full Committee Hearing

 

Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation

REDUCING UNNECESSARY REGULATORY BURDENS 

Feb. 1, 10 a.m., 253 Russell Bldg.

Full Committee Hearing

 

Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions

INDIVIDUAL HEALTH INSURANCE MARKET

Feb. 1, 10 a.m., 430 Dirksen Bldg. Updated

Full Committee Hearing

 

Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs

SOUTHWEST BORDER FENCING 

Feb. 1, 10 a.m., 342 Dirksen Bldg.

Full Committee Hearing

 

House Education & the Workforce

ACA REPEAL/HEALTHCARE SOLUTION 

Feb. 1, 10 a.m., 2175 Rayburn Bldg. Updated

Full Committee Hearing

 

House Education & the Workforce

SCHOOL CHOICE 

Feb. 2, 10 a.m., 2175 Rayburn Bldg.

Subcommittee Hearing

 

House Energy & Commerce

COLLAPSING HEALTH MARKETS 

Feb. 2, 10:30 a.m., 2123 Rayburn Bldg.

Subcommittee Hearing