House Cloakroom: March 11 – March 15
Analysis: This week House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) will release his 2014 budget resolution for markup in committee. The Ryan budget is expected offer a path to balance in 10 years and include a full repeal of Obamacare as well as a Medicare premium support plan. On the floor, the House will consider two bills dealing with welfare and federal job training programs. The welfare bill will reauthorize the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program and reinstate the work requirements that the Obama administration gutted last year. The SKILLS Act will consolidate the 35 existing job-training programs into one and give states more flexibility in how they spend the funds on that program.
Major Floor Action:
Major Committee Action:
- The House Budget Committee will markup their fiscal year 2014 budget resolution.
- The House Education and Workforce Committee will hold a hearing on “Student Loan Programs.”
- The House Homeland Security Committee will hold a hearing on the “DHS Role in Cybersecurity.”
- The House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Highways and Transit will hold a hearing on “Implementing MAP-21.”
- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development will hold an oversight hearing on the “Hurricane Sandy Supplemental.”
- The House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hold a hearing on the “Role of Financial Stability Oversight Council.”
Senate Cloakroom: March 11 – March 15
Analysis: This week the Senate is expected to take up the House-passed continuing resolution that will funded the government through September 30 and allow the sequester to remain in place. The Senate may add on three appropriations bills — Agriculture, Homeland Security, and Commerce, Justice, Science — updating the older spending priorities on which the current CR is based in those areas. In addition, Senate Budget Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-WA) will likely release her 2014 budget resolution for markup. It includes significant tax increases on top of the $620 billion tax hike from the fiscal cliff deal.
Major Floor Action:
- HR 933 – Department of Defense, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Full Year Continuing Appropriations Act
Major Committee Action:
- The Senate Budget Committee will hold a markup of a fiscal year 2014 budget resolution.
- The Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on the nomination of Richard Cordray to be the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
- The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will hold a hearing on “Indexing the Minimum Wage.”
- The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on “Border Security.”
