THIS WEEK:
- The U.S. and Chinese Governments will meet this week; the annual meeting is usually focused on trade but the Trump Administration will likely talk North Korea as well.
- The White House’s theme this week is “Made in America.” There will be demonstrations of products made in all 50 states throughout the week. The Administration will also be meeting with manufacturers and American business leaders from across the country; they’ll likely be touting their trade and tax policies as well.
- Last Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) sent out another revised version of the health care bill, the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017. This version of repeal and replace incorporates amendments from both conservatives and moderates. The CBO scores are expected to come out at the beginning of this week and McConnell is planning a vote sometime the following week, when Senator John McCain (R-AZ) gets back after recovering from surgery. Our Senior Health Policy Analyst Emily Evans wrote on the future of the bill, read her full piece here.
MONDAY, JULY 17:
- The House Committee on Appropriations has been working on the 12 spending bills without a 2018 budget. So far, they have passed four out of committee and will be marking up Transportation, Housing and Urban Development’s bill at 7:00PM ET.
- The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is expected to release their outline for the NAFTA modernization. We hosted a call with John Murphy, the Senior Vice President for International Affairs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, to discuss the timeline, key issues and impacts of the deal. Listen to the full replay here.
TUESDAY, JULY 18:
- The House is anticipated to release their 2018 budget.
- Senate Republicans’ have steadily been moving through the process of passing tax reforms, their top priority, while they wait for health care to pass. The Senate Committee on Finance has a hearing to examine comprehensive tax reform at 9:00AM ET.
- As part of an “American First” energy strategy, the House Committee on Natural Resources is holding a hearing on promoting onshore oil and gas development in Alaska at 10:00AM ET. Meanwhile, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources will be examining U.S. energy and resource security at 10:30AM ET.
- Following the Administration's guidelines, the House Committee on Ways and Means has a hearing on the modernization of the NAFTA at 10:00AM ET.
- The House Committee on Energy and Commerce has a hearing to examine HRSA’s oversight of the 340B drug pricing program at 10:15AM ET. Our Senior Health Policy Analyst Emily Evans wrote about CMS and 340B - bad news for non-profit hospitals, good news for PhaRMA and Medicare beneficiaries, and so dramatic we doubt it sticks entirely. Read her full piece here.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 19:
- Following in the Senate’s path, the House Committee on Ways and Means has a hearing on how tax reform will simplify our broken tax code and help individuals and families at 2PM ET. The House, led by Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI), has been very proactive in preparing to move tax reform, a key part of President Trump’s agenda.
- The Administration has been cracking down on terror funding to North Korea by sanctioning individuals and institutions, and blocking them from U.S. financial markets. Now, the House Committee on Financial Services has a hearing on restricting North Korea’s access to finance at 2PM ET.
- The Senate Committee on the Judiciary has an oversight hearing to examine the Department of Justice's enforcement of the Foreign Agents Registration Act at 10AM ET.
- The House Committee on Financial Services has a hearing on the Congressional oversight of independent regulatory agencies at 10AM ET.
THURSDAY, JULY 20:
- Rolling back wall-street regulations put in place during the Obama era, the Administration and Republican controlled Congress have been using their majority to overhaul U.S. financial markets. The House Committee on Financial Services has a hearing on monetary policy v. fiscal policy and its risks to price stability and the economy at 9:30AM ET.
- The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs has a hearing to examine housing finance reform, focusing on maintaining access for small lenders at 10AM ET. They are expected to talk about breaking up the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as part of a larger overhaul of home lending.
- The House Committee on Energy and Commerce has a hearing to examine bipartisan legislation to improve the Medicare program at 10AM ET.
FRIDAY, JULY 21:
- The rest of the House’s 12 appropriations bills are expected to be completed and reported out of committee.
CALL INVITE | QUARTERLY POLICY THEMES CALL - JULY 19: We will be hosting our Quarterly Policy Themes Call on Wednesday, July 19th at 3:00PM ET. Join us for an in-depth conversation with our policy team as they provide insight on major policy issues developing in Washington. Get the dial-in details here.
CALL INVITE | DRUG PRICING AND APPROVAL POLICY - IT'S A NEW DAY (JULY 20th @ 11:00 AM ET): Our Senior Health Policy Analyst Emily Evans will give a rundown of all the major drug pricing and policy trends at the state and federal level including 340B and generics approval. Get the event details here.
PRE-EARNINGS: LMT’s F35 READY TO BREAK OUT: Our Senior Defense Analyst Emo Gardner writes LMT’S F35 will be a main beneficiary of upward defense spending pressure in Congress and overseas. To find out more, read the entire piece here.
