On The Hill

CR Negotiations Continue   Lawmakers continue to debate the contents of a continuing resolution (CR) to extend the federal budget beyond the Sep. 30. Negotiators say they have reached a deal ‘in principal.’ As of 5:30 EDT, the text has not been released.   The House Rules Committee will meet Monday (Sep. 20) to decide…

Biden “Buy America” Announcement On Wednesday (Sep. 9), Democratic nominee for president Joe Biden told a small group of blue-collar workers that he would be the most “union-friendly president in American history.” He also blamed President Donald Trump’s “failed response” to COVID-19 for the recent economic downturn. Biden also outlined his plans to boost manufacturing…

Trump Drilling Announcement On Tuesday (Sep. 8), President Trump announced a ban on oil drilling off the coast of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. The decade-long ban will reverse Trump’s earlier 2017 proposal to open U.S. coasts to drilling operations.[1]  The current moratorium on drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico expires in 2022. The…

Biden Tax Plan On Wednesday (Sep. 9), Democratic nominee for president Joe Biden outlined his plan to promote a “Made in America” future through changes to the tax code and executive actions. Biden criticized President Trump’s policies, and said they have encouraged companies to offshore jobs. The Biden Offshoring Tax Penalty would target those who…

Congress Fails to Advance ‘Skinny’ Relief Bill On Thursday (Sep. 10), the Senate voted 52-47 on the Republican COVID-19 relief “skinny package.” The bill did not receive the 60 votes necessary to pass out of the chamber. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) was the sole Republican to vote against the bill. The legislation included funding for…

RNC Highlights Prior to the Republican National Convention (RNC), the Trump campaign released a set of core priorities for a second term. Energy related plans include: continue deregulation for energy independence, build the “world’s greatest” infrastructure system, continue access to the cleanest drinking water and air, and partner with other nations to clean up the…

RNC Highlights On Thursday (Aug. 27), President Trump spoke for over an hour at the 2020 Republican National Convention (RNC) and accepted the nomination for a second time. Trump outlined the successes of his first term in office and highlighted his trade deals and the economy prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. He also criticized Democratic…

Opportunity Zones On Monday (Aug. 24), the Council of Economic Advisors (CEA) released a report that found investors had put about $75 billion into Opportunity Zones (OZ). The report said around 70 percent of that money would not have been invested without the OZ program. “The CEA projects that the capital already raised by Qualified…

Trump Signs ‘Most-Favored Nation’ EO On Saturday evening (Aug. 22) President Trump tweeted he had signed the ‘Most-Favored Nation’ executive order (EO). The order, which would tie drug prices in Medicare Part B to prices in economically similar countries through the International Pricing Index (IPI), was first introduced in late July along with three other…

Congress House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and House Democratic leaders will call the House of Representatives back in session this upcoming week to address President Trump’s attempts to “undermine the U.S. Postal Service (USPS).” The House is expected to vote as early as Saturday (Aug. 22) on a proposal to block the Trump administration’s plans…