This Week in Congress: January 13-17

Katherine Rosario /

House

Analysis: This week, the House may consider the Exchange Information Disclosure Act, which is a bill that would amend Obamacare to require transparency in the operation of American Health Benefit Exchanges. This attempt to improve the transparency and security of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, speaks to Congress’s recognition of the law’s failures in these areas. However, as we have noted continually, Obamacare is fundamentally flawed and should be fully repealed and replaced with a patient-centered, market-based health care system.

Major Floor Action

Major Committee Action

Senate

Analysis: This week, the Senate may consider an extension of unemployment compensation, which would harm both the unemployed and taxpayers. Studies have consistently shown that extending unemployment benefits for an undue length of time prolongs unemployment. The Heritage Foundation’s James Sherk testified before Congress on the effectiveness of extending unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. He explained the Emergency Unemployment Compensation system has the negative effect of making being “unemployed less costly, causing UI recipients to take longer to find new work.”

Major Floor Action

Major Committee Action