DRIVING THE WEEK:
- The House is not in session this week. The Senate is scheduled to be in session but will not meet on September 19.
- The Senate Judiciary Committee's planned September 20 vote on Judge Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination now awaits a decision by Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) given the release of a letter from the committee's top Democrat raising alarm about Kavanaugh's past. With President Trump standing behind Kavanaugh, his accuser - Christine Blasey Ford - stated this morning she'll agree to testify before the Committee. A number of Senate Republicans - including Judiciary Committee member Jeff Flake (R-AZ) - are in support of delaying the process until Ford's accusations are vetted.
- With the Trump Administration expected to impose a new round of tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods this week - Chinese officials said it would cancel plans to have Vice Premier Liu He meet with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin next week. One Chinese official said China would not "negotiate with a gun pointed to its head."
- China plans to ask the World Trade Organization to impose sanctions on the United States for failing to comply with a ruling regarding its dumping duties, according to an agenda for the September 21 meeting. The U.S. method for calculating the amount of Chinese exports priced to undercut American-made products has been repeatedly ruled to be illegal by the WTO.
- A full House vote on a measure making individual tax cuts permanent is expected by the beginning of October. The House Ways and Means Committee voted 21-15 to send a measure to the House floor that would make permanent individual tax cuts laid out in the tax overhaul law signed by Trump in December. A full chamber vote is expected by the beginning of October, but the measure is unlikely to pass the Senate.
- Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is planning to keep the chamber in session for much of October, according to a number of Republican officials, a move that could cost a few vulnerable Democrats several days away from the campaign trail.
- FTC EVALUATES ANTITRUST EVALUATES ENFORCEMENT POLICY TOWARD BIG TECH (AMZN, GOOGL, FB): Paul Glenchur weighs in on how FTC hearings could guide the agency as it updates antitrust enforcement to address dominant tech platforms and rising market concentration. Read his latest here.
U.S. SENATE SCHEDULE:
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Tuesday, Sep 18, 2018 |
Hearings to examine the implications of the reinterpretation of the Flores settlement agreement for border security and illegal immigration incentives. |
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Tuesday, Sep 18, 2018 |
Hearings to examine reducing health care costs, focusing on how transparency can lower spending and empower patients. |
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Tuesday, Sep 18, 2018 |
Hearings to examine Fintech, focusing on digitization, data, and technology. |
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Tuesday, Sep 18, 2018 |
Commerce, Science, and Transportation |
Hearings to examine conflicts over ocean resources. |
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Tuesday, Sep 18, 2018 |
Armed Services |
Closed hearings to examine interagency coordination in the protection of critical infrastructure. |
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Thursday, Sep 20, 2018 |
Hearings to examine blackstart and other system restoration plans in the electric utility industry. |
