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News and updates

This week in Congress, September 11-15

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

SENATE ENERGY & NATURAL RESOURCES
Subcommittee Hearing
Energy Department National Laboratories
Sept. 12, 2:30 p.m., 366 Dirksen Bldg.

SENATE COMMERCE, SCIENCE & TRANSPORTATION
Subcommittee Hearing
Fishery Conservation/Management Oversight
Sept. 12, 2:30 p.m., 253 Russell Bldg.

SENATE FINANCE
Full Committee Hearing
Health Care Cost and Coverage
Sept. 12, 10 a.m., 215 Dirksen Bldg.

SENATE HEALTH, EDUCATION, LABOR & PENSIONS
Full Committee Hearing
Stabilizing Individual Insurance Market
Sept. 12, 10 a.m., 430 Dirksen Bldg.

HOUSE OVERSIGHT & GOVERNMENT REFORM
Full Committee Hearing
Evidence-Based Policymaking
Sept. 12, 10 a.m., 2157 Rayburn Bldg.

SENATE JUDICIARY
Full Committee Hearing
Guest Worker Programs/DACA Reforms
Sept. 13, 10 a.m., 226 Dirksen Bldg.

SENATE AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION & FORESTRY
Full Committee Hearing
Farm Bill/Nutrition Programs
Sept. 14, 9:30 a.m., 216 Hart Bldg.

SENATE HEALTH, EDUCATION, LABOR & PENSIONS
Full Committee Hearing
Stabilizing Individual Insurance Market
Sept. 14, 10 a.m., 430 Dirksen Bldg.

HOUSE ENERGY & COMMERCE
Subcommittee Hearing
Public Health Service Act Workforce Programs
Sept. 14, 10 a.m., 2123 Rayburn Bldg.

Hurricane-Debt Ceiling-Short-Term Spending Package Expected to be Cleared

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In a surprising development earlier this week, President Trump struck a deal with the Democratic leadership in Congress to link measures that would increase the debt ceiling and keep the government funded on a temporary basis to a hurricane-relief bill.  The move caught Congressional Republicans off guard, who had earlier expressed opposition to tying the debt ceiling and government-funding efforts to a bill to fund the rebuilding efforts after Hurricane Harvey.

After the House cleared a stand-along hurricane bill totaling approximately $8 billion earlier this week, the Senate followed up by nearly doubling the size of the package as well as increasing the debt limit and funding the government through December 8.  The House is expected to take up the Senate-passed package later today.

 

ED’s COO of Finanical Aid Quits

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Tuesday night, James Runcie, chief operating officer of the Office of Federal Student Aid, quit \over what he said were simmering management problems at the agency that culminated in a dispute with DeVos over her insistence that he testify Wednesday before a congressional oversight panel.

Politico has the story. 

Appeals Court Upholds Block on Administration Travel Ban

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The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the block on the second version of the Administration travel ban. A federal judge in Maryland originally blocked the ban from going into effect earlier this year. The Fourth Circuit covers the following states: Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has yet to rule on a similar block issued by a judge in Hawaii.