Category: Uncategorized

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

TUESDAY, JULY 11

TRANSPORTATION-HUD APPROPRIATIONS
July 11, 7 p.m., 2358-A Rayburn Bldg.
Subcommittee Markup

WEDNESDAY, JULY 12

House Appropriations
ENERGY-WATER/AGRICULTURE APPROPRIATIONS
July 12, 10:30 a.m., 2359 Rayburn Bldg.
Full Committee Markup

House Energy & Commerce
OPIOID CRISIS IN THE STATES
July 12, 10 a.m., 2123 Rayburn Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing

House Rules
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
July 12, 3 p.m., H-313, U.S. Capitol
Full Committee Business Meeting

THURSDAY, JULY 13

Senate Appropriations
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION-VA APPROPRIATIONS
July 13, 10:30 a.m., 106 Dirksen Bldg.
Full Committee MarkupV

Senate Appropriations
TRANSPORTATION APPROPRIATIONS
July 13, 2 p.m., Dirksen Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing

Here is a selection of articles the Office of Federal Relations has read this week.

Smartphones & Medical Research –  When smartphones first began collecting health data such as users’ heart rates and number of steps walked, doctors were dubious about the medical value of information gathered by a p hone.Three years later, doctors have changed their minds, thanks to a series of pioneering medical studies that demonstrated the efficacy of cellphone-based medical research. Read more from the Wall Street Journal.

Higher Ed Groups Criticize BCRA – The American Council on Education, along with 18 other higher education groups, wrote to Senate leaders Tuesday urging a “different approach” to the health-care bill released by Republican lawmakers last week. Read more over on Inside Higher Ed.

Free Speech Bill Struck Down – A proposal aimed at protecting controversial speakers’ appearances at Louisiana colleges and calling on campuses to penalize students who disrupt them has been vetoed by Gov. John Bel Edwards, who described the bill as a “solution in search of a problem.” Read more from the AP at US News.

Supreme Court To Take Up Travel Ban – The Supreme Court cleared the way on Monday for President Trump to prohibit the entry of some people into the United States from countries he deems dangerous, but the justices imposed strict limits on Mr. Trump’s travel ban while they examine the scope of presidential power over the border.  Read more from the New York Times.

The True Cost of Research –  Funding by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has supported countless discoveries that have saved or improved millions of lives, from Dr. Mary-Claire King’s discovery of the BRCA1 breast cancer gene to new, more accurate diagnostic tools for Alzheimer’s disease.  As I’ve written before, the President’s budget proposal would dramatically cut NIH’s research funding, slowing progress in understanding and curing diseases that ultimately affect nearly every single American in some form. Read more from UW President Ana Mari Cauce.

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

U.S. SENATE

TUESDAY, JUNE 27

Senate Appropriations
EPA BUDGET
June 27, 9:30 a.m., 124 Dirksen Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing

Senate Armed Services
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT
June 27, 9:30 a.m., 232-A Russell Bldg.
Subcommittee Markup

THURSDAY, JUNE 29

Senate Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry
FARM BILL/CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY
June 29, 9:30 a.m., 216 Hart Bldg.
Full Committee Hearing

Senate Appropriations
NASA BUDGET
June 29, 10 a.m., 192 Dirksen Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

TUESDAY, JUNE 27

House Energy & Commerce
SELF DRIVING VEHICLES
June 27, 10 a.m., 2123 Rayburn Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28

House Appropriations
ENERGY AND WATER APPROPRIATIONS
June 28, 11 a.m., 2362-B Rayburn Bldg.
Full Committee Markup

House Armed Services
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT
June 28, 10 a.m., 2118 Rayburn Bldg.
Full Committee Markup

House Education & the Workforce
EDUCATION RESEARCH AND PROTECTING STUDENT PRIVACY
June 28, 10 a.m., 2175 Rayburn Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing

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.

Read more here, here, and here.  Read the decision here.

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