DRIVING THE WEEK:
- Both the House and Senate are in session this week. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is moving to banking legislation when the Senate returns, not gun control or other responses to the school shooting in Parkland, FL. The Senate will likely to confirm three additional federal court justices with lifetime terms.
- Trump said further details about new global tariffs of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on imported aluminum will be announced this week. The announcement led to increased trade tensions with countries like China and Canada, and was met with widespread criticism by Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill. While pro-free trade officials will push back hard against Trump’s protectionist wing to avert a trade war, legal and policy officials from Commerce are scrambling to draft actual language for the tariffs. “The pro-free trade faction hopes to exert enough influence on that process to at least avoid a full-blown and potentially disastrous trade war."
- Trump’s announcement on tariffs changed the tone and tenor of the already tenuous NAFTA re-negotiations underway in Mexico City and are scheduled to wrap up the seventh round today with a meeting of the pact’s three trade representatives.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington this week and will meet with Trump at the White House. Trump will also host Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven tomorrow.
- Court rulings have largely nullified today's deadline that Trump set for Congress to pass legislation that would protect so-called Dreamers from deportation. A spending bill that needs to be passed by March 23 in order to avoid a government shutdown is seen by senators as their next shot at passing DACA legislation.
- Texas will hold the first primary elections of this election cycle on Tuesday to nominate candidates for the November midterm elections.
- Trump will host a full Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
TELECOM + MEDIA POLICY CALL | HANDICAPPING THE AT+T/TIME WARNER MERGER TRIAL (T, TWX): Join Telecom and Media Senio Analyst Paul Glenchur as has he provides investors with the essential “Playbook” going into the 3/19 trial to kick off coverage from inside the Court. Find the call information here.
CALL TODAY AT 2PM ET | IT IS A BRAVE NEW WORLD: POPULISM & TRUMP DRUG PRICING AND APPROVAL POLICY: Join us today, March 5th @ 2PM ET to discuss 2018 drug policy shifts including changes to Part B and D; opioid lawsuit and more. Find the call details here.
ENJOY IT WHILE IT LASTS; FY18/19 DEFENSE BUDGET WILL BE HIGH WATER MARK: General Emo Gardner writes that FY18 Pentagon spending will be up 10.7% y/y at ~$671B and FY19 will +2.9% from there but growth in FY20 and beyond looks grim. His latest piece here.
ENERGY POLICY | VENEZUELA POLITICAL UPDATE: Replay of Joe McMonigle's call with Dr. Francisco Monaldi, a Fellow in the Latin American Initiative and Energy Economics at the Baker Institute at Rice University on the latest situation on the ground in Venezuela as well as the developing White House announcement of possible new sanctions. You can access it here.
SUPREME COURT ANTITRUST CASE DRAWS BIG TECH INTEREST:(AXP, GOOGL, AMZN, FB): Today's Supreme Court hearing could have implications for dominant tech platforms as big tech antitrust anxiety deepens. Read Paul Glenchur's piece here.
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
HOUSE:
Committee on Armed Services | Hearing: National Security Challenges and U.S. Military Activities in Africa
Committee on Appropriations | Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies | Hearing: FY19 Budget Hearing - Department of Labor
Committee on Appropriations | Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government | Hearing: FY19 Budget Hearing - Department of Treasury
Committee on Financial Services | Full Committee | Markup: Markup of FY19 Budget Views and Estimates
Committee on Energy and Commerce | Subcommittee on Communications and Technology | Hearing: Oversight of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology | Subcommittee on Energy |Hearing: The Future of U.S. Fusion Energy Research
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform | Subcommittee on the Interior, Energy, and Environment | Hearing: Examining the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Committee on Natural Resources | Full Committee | Hearing: Oversight Hearing, "Exploring Innovative Solutions to Reduce the Department of the Interior’s Maintenance Backlog"
Committee on Small Business | Hearing: Disconnected: Rural Broadband and the Business Case for Small Carriers
Committee on Armed Services | Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces | Hearing: Department of the Navy FY 2019 Budget Request for Seapower and Projection Forces
Committee on Armed Services | Subcommittee on Readiness | Hearing: Marine Corps Readiness Posture
SENATE:
Armed Services | Hearings to examine worldwide threats; with the possibility of a closed session in SVC-217, following the open session.
Energy and Natural Resources | Hearings to examine the nomination of James Reilly, of Colorado, to be Director of the United States Geological Survey, Department of the Interior.
Finance | Hearings to examine protecting e-commerce consumers from counterfeits.
Veterans' Affairs | A joint hearing with the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs to examine the legislative presentation of multiple veterans service organizations.
Armed Services: Subcommittee on SeaPower | Hearings to examine Navy and Marine Corps aviation programs in review of the Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2019 and the Future Years Defense Program.
Intelligence | To receive a closed briefing regarding certain intelligence matters.
Wednesday, March 7, 2018
HOUSE:
Committee on Financial Services | Housing and Insurance | Hearing: Hearing entitled "Legislative Review of H.R. 5059, the State Insurance Regulation Preservation Act"
Committee on Armed Services | Hearing: Assessing Military Service Acquisition Reform
Committee on Appropriations | Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies | Hearing: FY19 Budget Hearing - Commodity Futures Trading Commission
Committee on Appropriations | Defense | Hearing: FY19 Budget Hearing - Navy and Marine Corps
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology | Subcommittee on Space | Hearing: An Overview of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Budget for Fiscal Year 2019
Committee On The Budget | Hearing: Members' Day Hearing on Oversight of the Congressional Budget Office
Committee on Natural Resources | Full Committee | Markup: Full Committee Markup
Committee on Energy and Commerce | Subcommittee on Environment | Hearing: The Future of Transportation Fuels and Vehicles
Committee on Homeland Security | Markup: Markup of: H.R. 4176 Mr. Thompson of Mississippi the Air Cargo Security Improvement Act of 2017.H.R. 4227 Mr. Latta the Vehicular Terrorism Prevention Act of 2017.H.R. 4467 Mr. Jody B. Hice of Georgia the Strengthening Aviation Security Act of 2017.H.R. 4627 the Shielding Public Spaces from Vehicular Terrorism Act.H.R. 5074 Mr. Donovan the DHS Cyber Incident Response Teams Act.H.R. 5079 Mr. Bacon the DHS Field Engagement Accountability Act.H.R. 5081 Mr. Katko
Committee on Small Business | Hearing: Regulatory Reform and Rollback: The Effects on Small Businesses
Committee on Armed Services | Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces | Hearing: The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter JSF Lightning II Program
Committee on Financial Services | Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit | Hearing: Hearing entitled “Legislative Proposals to Reform the Current Data Security and Breach Notification Regulatory Regime”
Committee on Homeland Security | Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection | Hearing: Examining DHS Efforts to Strengthen its Cybersecurity Workforce.
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform | Subcommittee on Information Technology | Hearing: Game Changers: Artificial Intelligence Part II Artificial Intelligence and the Federal Government
Committee on Armed Services | Subcommittee on Strategic Forces | Hearing: U.S. Strategic Forces Posture and the Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Request
SENATE:
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions | Business meeting to consider the nominations of John F. Ring, of the District of Columbia, to be a Member of the National Labor Relations Board, Frank T. Brogan, of Pennsylvania, to be Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education, and Mark Schneider, of the District of Columbia, to be Director of the Institute of Education Science, both of the Department of Education, Marco M. Rajkovich, Jr., of Kentucky, to be a Member of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, and other pending nominations.
Intelligence | Hearings to examine security clearance reform.
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs | A business meeting to consider H.R.2825, to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to make certain improvements in the laws administered by the Secretary of Homeland Security.
Judiciary | Hearings to examine the nominations of John B. Nalbandian, of Kentucky, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit, Kari A. Dooley, to be United States District Judge for the District of Connecticut, Dominic W. Lanza, to be United States District Judge for the District of Arizona, Jill Aiko Otake, to be United States District Judge for the District of Hawaii, and Joseph H. Hunt, of Maryland, to be an Assistant Attorney General, Department of Justice.
Budget | Hearings to examine Department of Defense audit and business operations reform at the Pentagon.
Aging | Hearings to examine stopping senior scams.
Joint Economic Committee | Hearings to examine the Economic Report of the President.
Foreign Relations | Hearings to examine the nomination of Joseph E. Macmanus, of New York, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Colombia, Department of State.
Judiciary: Subcommittee on Oversight, Agency Action, Federal Rights and Federal Courts | Hearings to examine small business bankruptcy, focusing on assessing the system
Thursday, March 8, 2018
HOUSE:
Committee on Energy and Commerce | Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations | Hearing: Examining U.S. Public Health Preparedness for and Response Efforts to Seasonal Influenza
SENATE:
Armed Services | Hearings to examine United States European Command in review of the Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2019 and the Future Years Defense Program.
Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Management, and Regulatory Oversight | Hearings to examine S.2421, to amend the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 to provide an exemption from certain notice requirements and penalties for releases of hazardous substances from animal waste at farms.
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions | Hearings to examine the opioid crisis, focusing on leadership and innovation in the states.
Intelligence | To receive a closed briefing regarding certain intelligence matters.
