CONTENTS
BUDGET & APPROPRIATIONS
- Senate Begins Consideration of New FY17 Budget Resoution
OTHER CONGRESSIONAL ISSUES
- Senate HELP Committee Hearing on Betsy DeVos Nomination Scheduled for January 11
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
- Obama Administration Issues Letter to the Public, Cabinet Exit Memos
- President-elect Trump Announces Domestic Policy Team
BUDGET & APPROPRIATIONS
SENATE BEGINS CONSIDERATION OF NEW FY17 BUDGET RESOLUTION
The Senate on January 4 voted 51-48 to proceed to consideration of the FY17 budget resolution ( S. Con. Res. 3 ), which would set up a fast-track process for repealing the Affordable Care Act. Voting on amendments will begin Monday, January 9. Some 21 amendments have been filed so far, with most to be voted on January 11 in a late-night “vote-a-rama,” reports Bloomberg.gov.
The measure maintains the $1.07 trillion discretionary spending cap for FY17 approved in the Budget Control Act, without additional funding for defense discretionary spending or cuts to nondefense discretionary spending. Republican leaders hope to see the resolution approved in both chambers by January 20, when President-elect Trump takes office.
OTHER CONGRESSIONAL ISSUES
SENATE HELP COMMITTEE HEARING ON BETSY DEVOS NOMINATION SCHEDULED FOR JANUARY 11
The Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee has scheduled a hearing on the nomination of Besty DeVos as Secretary of Education for Wednesday, January 11, at 10:00 a.m. ET in 430 Dirksen Senate Office Building. The hearing will be live-streamed.
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION ISSUES CABINET EXIT MEMOS
President Obama on January 4 issued a letter to the public highlighting his Administration’s accomplishments over the past eight years. The letter was accompanied by Exit Memos from each Cabinet agency, including the Office of Science and Technology Policy , and the Departments of Education, Energy, and Health and Human Services.
PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP ANNOUNCES DOMESTIC POLICY TEAM
The Trump presidential transition team has announced members of the incoming White House domestic policy team.