Author: McKinzie Strait

Here is a selection of committee meetings taking place this week.

January 16
Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
Hearing to examine the “Domestic and Global Energy Outlook”
10:00am, 366 Dirksen Senate Office Building

January 17
House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Subcommittee on Space
Hearing to examine “An Update on NASA Commercial Crew Systems Development”
10:00am, 2318 Rayburn House Office Building

House Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Oversight
Hearing on “The Opioid Crisis: The Current Landscape and CMS Actions to Prevent Opioid Misuse”
10:00am, 1100 Longworth House Office Building

Senate Committee on Finance
Executive Session to consider the nomination of Alex Azar II to be Secretary of Health and Human Services
10:00am, 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Hearing to examine “Unintended Consequences: Medicaid and the Opioid Epidemic”
10:00am, 342 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Hearing on “Facing 21st Century Public Health Threats: Our Nation’s Preparedness and Response Capabilities, Part I”
10:00am, 430 Dirksen Senate Office Building

House Committee on Rules: Subcommittee on Rules and Organization
Members’ Day hearing on “Article I: Effective Oversight and the Power of the Purse” (return of earmarks)
10:30am, H-313, The Capitol

January 18
House Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection
Hearing on “The Disrupter Series: The Internet of Things, Manufacturing, and Innovation”
10:00am, 2123 Rayburn House Office Building

Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
Hearing to examine the nominations of Melissa F. Burnison to be an Assistant Secretary (Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs), and Anne Marie White to be an Assistant Secretary (Environmental Management), both of the Department of Energy
10:00am, 366 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Hearing on “Reauthorizing the Higher Education Act: Financial Aid Simplification and Transparency”
10:00am, 430 Dirksen Senate Office Building

House Committee on Rules
Hearing on “Article I: Effective Oversight and the Power of the Purse” (return of earmarks)
10:30am, H-313, The Capitol

Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Executive Session to examine the nominations of Barry Lee Myers to be Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere; Diana Furchtgott-Roth to be Assistant Secretary of Transportation; and James Bridenstine to be Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
11:00am, 216 Hart Senate Office Building

Here is a selection of committee meetings taking place this week.

U.S. Senate

SENATE COMMERCE, SCIENCE & TRANSPORTATION
Subcommittee Hearing
National Ocean Policy
Dec. 12, 2:30 p.m., 253 Russell Bldg.

SENATE HEALTH, EDUCATION, LABOR & PENSIONS
Full Committee Hearing
Prescription Drug Costs
Dec. 12, 10 a.m., 430 Dirksen Bldg.

SENATE JUDICIARY
Full Committee Hearing
Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act
Dec. 12, 10 a.m., 226 Dirksen Bldg.

U.S. House of Representatives

HOUSE EDUCATION & THE WORKFORCE
Full Committee Markup
Affordable Postsecondary Education Support
Dec. 12, 10 a.m., 2175 Rayburn Bldg.

HOUSE JUDICIARY
Full Committee Hearing
Oversight of Mueller’s Russia Investigation
Dec. 13, 10 a.m., 2141 Rayburn Bldg.

Here’s a selection of articles that are keeping us informed this week.

Shutdown Showdown – House Republicans are working on a multistep government funding strategy that involves a two-week stopgap measure to keep the lights on beyond Dec. 8 and fully funding defense by Christmas. No final decisions have been made but the idea GOP leaders have discussed with key conference members is to stick to the plan to pass a continuing resolution through Dec. 22. They then hope to pass a spending bill that would fund defense-related agencies through the end of fiscal 2018 and include another short-term CR for the remaining agencies, likely sometime into mid-to-late January. Read more from Roll Call.

Conferencing on the Tax Bill – The Senate’s passage of a tax overhaul illustrated a fragile coalition of support that ironically provides the chamber with the upper hand headed into conference committee negotiations with the House. House Republicans wanted a conference process on the two chambers’ differing tax bills to prevent the House from getting jammed by the Senate, as they acknowledge has happened frequently on major bills. But some members realize that a conference committee may still result in a final product that tracks more with Senate priorities given the thin margin of support in that chamber. Read more at Roll Call.

House HEA Proposal – The sprawling, 542-page revamp of the Higher Education Act released Friday by Rep. Virginia Foxx (R., N.C.), chairwoman of the House Education and Workforce Committee, kicks off what is likely to be a rocky and drawn-out legislative process aimed at reshaping college education. Read more from the Wall Street Journal.

Meet the Moderates –   These politicians and candidates are breaking with today’s aggressively partisan times to advocate a more centrist line. Read more from Governing.

The Silence Breakers – The #metoo silence breakers have started a revolution of refusal, gathering strength by the day, and in the past two months alone, their collective anger has spurred immediate and shocking results: nearly every day, CEOs have been fired, moguls toppled, icons disgraced. In some cases, criminal charges have been brought. Read more about TIME person of the year here.

Ranking the Bowl Games –  Bow down to Washington! There are two ways to approach bowl season, which has been trimmed from 40 contests to 39 after the demise of the Poinsettia Bowl. One, you can grumble about how there’s too many bowl games, a truly “get off my lawn” way to handle things. Two, you can pick and choose some enjoyable matchups and ignore the ones whose greatest utility is providing a few hours of programming for the Four Letter Network and extra practices for the teams involved. Read more about all 39 bowl games from the Washington Post. Go dawgs!