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 However, as we have noted continually, Obamacare is fundamentally flawed and should be fully repealed and replaced with a patient-centered, market-based health care system.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
- H.R. 3362 – Exchange Information Disclosure Act
Major Committee Action
- The House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a hearing entitled “Seeking PPACA Answers.”
- The House Committee on Financial Services will hold a hearing entitled “The Impact of the Volcker Rule on Job Creators, Part I.”
- The House Committee on Financial Services will hold a hearing entitled “How Prospective and Current Homeowners Will Be Harmed by the CFPB’s Qualified Mortgage Rule.”
- The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will hold a hearing entitled “HHS’ Own Security Concerns about HealthCare.gov.”
- The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will hold a hearing entitled “Building the Foundation for Surface Transportation Reauthorization.”
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
- S.1845 – Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act
Major Committee Action
- The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs will hold a hearing entitled “Progress Report on Public Transportation Under MAP-21.”
- The Senate Committee on Finance will hold a hearing entitled “Advancing Congress’s Trade Agenda, The Role of Trade Negotiating Authority.”
