Impeachment Trial Continues, House ReturnsThe House will return to Washington next week as the Senate carries on with its impeachment trial. While Senate committee hearings are largely on hold, House committees will resume business as usual and examine topics including U.S. competitiveness in critical technologies and the rise of mobile payments.
House in RecessThe House of Representatives is in recess this week coinciding with the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) spent part of the week in Germany, where she led a bipartisan congressional delegation to Auschwitz to mark the 75th anniversary of its liberation.
Today marks the
Hearings/MarkupsHouse Committee on Energy and Commerce: “A Public Health Emergency: State Efforts to Curb the Opioid Crisis”
Tuesday, January 14, 2020: The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing on actions taken by states to address the current opioid crisis.
Why this is important: Common themes
On Friday, the House Antitrust Subcommittee will hold a field hearing at the University of Colorado, Boulder Law School. The hearing is titled “Online Platforms and Market Power, Part 5: Competitors in the Digital Economy” and will include testimony from the CEOs of
FEMA Administrator ConfirmedThe Senate confirmed Peter Gaynor on Tuesday to be Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Gaynor previously served as the Director of Rhode Island’s Emergency Management Agency (RIEMA) and advised Governor Gina Raimondo on emergency management and response.
The Senate passed the United States-Canada-Mexico trade agreement (USMCA)
Hearings/MarkupsHouse Committee on Energy and Commerce: “Legislation to Improve Americans’ Health Care Coverage and Outcomes”
Wednesday, January 8, 2020
The Subcommittee on Health of the Committee on Energy and Commerce held a legislative hearing on the following bills:
Federal Updates
Impeachment TrialThe Senate is continuing to move towards President Trump’s impeachment trial. Disagreements between Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) have delayed the start of the trial; however, McConnell told Republican Senators on Tuesday that he has the votes to start an impeachment trial without witnesses,
Senate ChangesSenator Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) was sworn in on Monday to succeed former Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA), who stepped down at the end of the year amid ongoing health issues. She will sit on the Agriculture, Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), and Veterans Affairs Committees. Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) succeeds Isakson as Chairman
Final Regulations/GuidanceFDA Issues Ban on Flavored Vaping Products
On Jan. 2, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released guidance that bans flavored vaping products containing sweet and fruity flavors, yet allows menthol pods and a range of vape liquids to remain on the market. FDA’s guidance does not permanently ban flavored or cartridge-based e-cigarettes.