WASHINGTON WEEK AHEAD

DRIVING THE WEEK:

• The Senate will reconvene today to resume consideration of a measure that would fund the departments of Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services and Education for fiscal year 2019, with votes on two bipartisan amendments scheduled for 5:30 p.m. The House is in recess until September 4, the day after Labor Day.

• Primary elections will be held in Alaska and Wyoming on Tuesday.

• European Union trade officials will be in Washington today for further talks toward avoiding the imposition of auto tariffs.

• An employee of the Agriculture Department said the $12 billion in aid programs for farmers affected by the increase in tariffs over the last several months could be ready for implementation as soon as September 4.

• China's vice minister for commerce Wang Shouwen and other Chinese officials are slated to visit Washington for trade discussions this Wednesday and Thursday. The delegation’s visit will mark the first government-to-government talks in two months. The meeting comes as both sides prepare to impose a fresh round of tariffs on each other this Thursday, August 23.

• The Senate Banking Committee's vote on the nomination of Kathy Kraninger to be director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which was postponed earlier this month, is set to take place on Thursday.

• The 2018 Economic Policy Symposium in Jackson Hole, WY entitled "Changing Market Structure and Implications for Monetary Policy," is scheduled for August 23-25.

• President Trump travels to Charleston, WV on Tuesday to hold a rally.

CALL INVITE  | WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22: DID SAUDI CRUDE PRODUCTION INCREASE OR DECREASE?  | OUTLOOK FOR AUGUST - ACCESS THE CALL HERE.

 

U.S. SENATE SCHEDULE:

Tuesday, Aug 21, 2018 9:30 AM – SD-G50	Armed Services	Hearings to examine the nominations of Alan Ray Shaffer, of Virginia, to be Deputy Under Secretary for Acquisition and Sustainment, Veronica Daigle, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary, and Casey Wardynski, of Alabama, and Alex A. Beehler, of Maryland, both to be an Assistant Secretary of the Army, all of the Department of Defense.
Tuesday, Aug 21, 2018 10:00 AM – SD-342	Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs	Hearings to examine Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services efforts to fight Medicaid fraud and overpayments.
Tuesday, Aug 21, 2018 10:00 AM – SD-366	Energy and Natural Resources	Hearings to examine the energy efficiency of blockchain and similar technologies and the cybersecurity possibilities of such technologies for energy industry applications.
Tuesday, Aug 21, 2018 10:00 AM – SD-419	Foreign Relations	Hearings to examine United States-Russia relations.
Tuesday, Aug 21, 2018 10:00 AM – SD-538	Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs	Hearings to examine Russia sanctions, focusing on current effectiveness and potential for next steps.
Tuesday, Aug 21, 2018 2:30 PM – SD-226	Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism	Hearings to examine cyber threats to our nation's critical infrastructure.
Tuesday, Aug 21, 2018 2:30 PM – SD-430	Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security	Hearings to examine financial literacy, focusing on the starting point for a secure retirement.
Wednesday, Aug 22, 2018 10:00 AM – SD-226	Judiciary	Hearings to examine pending nominations.
Wednesday, Aug 22, 2018 10:00 AM – SD-342	Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs	Hearings to examine the nominations of William Bryan, of Virginia, to be Under Secretary for Science and Technology, and Peter Gaynor, of Rhode Island, to be Deputy Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency, both of the Department of Homeland Security.
Wednesday, Aug 22, 2018 10:00 AM – SD-366	Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining	Hearings to examine S.483, to designate and expand wilderness areas in Olympic National Forest in the State of Washington, and to designate certain rivers in Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park as wild and scenic rivers, S.1572, to amend the Mineral Leasing Act to provide that extraction of helium from gas produced under a Federal mineral lease shall maintain the lease as if the helium were oil and gas, S.1787, to reauthorize the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992, S.1959, to designate certain Federal land in the State of California as wilderness, S.2078, to maximize land management efficiencies, promote land conservation, generate education funding, S.2160, to establish a pilot program under the Chief of the Forest Service may use alternative dispute resolution in lieu of judicial review of certain projects, S.2297, to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to transfer certain National Forest System land to Custer County, South Dakota, S.2721, to designate certain land in San Miguel, Ouray, and San Juan Counties, Colorado, as wilderness, to designate certain special management areas in the State of Colorado, S.2809, to establish the San Rafael Swell Western Heritage and Historic Mining National Conservation Area in the State of Utah, to designate wilderness areas in the State, to provide for certain land conveyances, S.2907, to provide for the withdrawal and protection of certain Federal land in the State of New Mexico, S.3245, to require the Secretary of Agriculture to transfer certain National Forest System land in the State of Texas, S.3297, to provide for the expansion of the Desert Tortoise Habitat Conservation Plan, Washington County, Utah, S.3325, to amend the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 to provide for the eligibility of national grasslands for grazing leases and permits, and H.R.2075, to adjust the eastern boundary of the Deschutes Canyon-Steelhead Falls and Deschutes Canyon Wilderness Study Areas in the State of Oregon to facilitate fire prevention and response activities to protect private property.
Wednesday, Aug 22, 2018 10:00 AM – SD-419	Foreign Relations	Hearings to examine the nominations of Kevin K. Sullivan, of Ohio, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Nicaragua, Francisco Luis Palmieri, of Connecticut, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Honduras, and Karen L. Williams, of Missouri, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Suriname, all of the Department of State.
Wednesday, Aug 22, 2018 10:30 AM – SR-301	Rules and Administration	Business meeting to consider an original bill entitled, "Secure Elections Act".
Wednesday, Aug 22, 2018 2:45 PM – SD-628	Indian Affairs	An oversight hearing to examine cultural sovereignty, focusing on efforts to maintain and revitalize Native languages for future generations.

Capital Brief and Washington Weekly will not publish regularly throughout the month of August.  As always, do not hesitate to call or email with any questions.