What’s Up Washington (Sept. 20, 2017)

1 min read


House and Senate are out today.


ICYMI

 

  • Not really breaking news: Graham-Cassidy health care bill is close (but not there yet); Sen. Graham [R, SC] says they have 50 Republican votes

  • Majority Leader McConnell [R, KY] not yet committed to a floor vote; Majority Whip Cornyn [R, TX] says still seeking consensus

  • Though CBO still scoring, report from independent group Avalere Health estimates the bill would cut funding from 35 states, pull $215 bilion out of the health system, and lead to a 2027 “fiscal cliff”

  • Jimmy Kimmel weighed in; Sen. Cassidy responded (sort of)

  • The Graham-Cassidy push officially killed the bipartisan HELP Committee effort yesterday after Speaker Ryan and the White House went all-in

  • HELP Chairman Alexander [R, TN] announced that committee reached “no consensus” though Democrats say they had made significant concessions and were willing to keep working

  • Swing vote Sen Collins [R, ME] teamed up with Sen. Nelson [D, FL] to introduce a new bipartisan bill to stabilize insurance markets

  • Senate Intel Committee to Trump lawyer Cohen: Release statement after we agreed to closed meeting? Fine, we’re going open hearing

  • Also on the list for public testimony in the Senate Russia investigation: Facebook

  • Is Facebook eroding free will?

  • Investigators looking into whether Jared Kushner-led digital operation gave Russian hackers voter targeting information

  • Senate Judiciary may vote on resolution to provide more protection for the Special Counsel’s investigation

  • President Trump’s speech to the UN, annotated

  • HHS Secretary flying charter where “commercial aircraft cannot reasonably accommodate travel requirements”… ya know, like Philly

  • New experience for Former President Obama: pitching development plan for the Presidential Center to Chicago’s South Side residents

  • Trump administration quashed HHS report showing that refugees brought in $63 billion more in gov revenues than they cost

  • Some movement on Tax Reform yesterday, with agreement on outlines of a budget reconciliation strategy

  • Sen. Corker [R, TN] says Senate Budget Committee could act next week

  • White House and GOP negotiators open to keeping top income bracket rate, giving up on estate tax repeal push

  • Aruba airport experimenting with face scans replacing passports

  • Warm winter has destroyed 85% of Georgia peach crop 🙁

  • Sec. Zinke unveils “Big Buck Hunter” video game in Interior Department cafeteria

  • The drama and intrigue of a novel in an internet recipe comment