Both the House and Senate are not in session today.
The Senate will reconvene at 3:00 P.M. on Monday, February 14th and resume consideration of H.R.3076, a bill to provide stability to and enhance the services of the United States Postal Service. The Senate may also take up the nomination of Robert McKinnon Califf to be Commissioner of Food and Drugs, Department of Health and Human Services. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) filed cloture Thursday on the nomination to lead the Food and Drug Administration, signaling Democrats expect to have the votes to confirm him. The motion to limit debate on the cardiologist’s nomination sets up a vote next week, meeting Senate HELP Chair Patty Murray‘s (D-Washington) goal of shepherding him through the chamber ahead of the Presidents Day recess. Still, Califf’s previous stint at the agency has prompted Democratic senators from opioid-ravaged states, to oppose his nomination, arguing that he didn’t do enough to rein in regulators’ labeling practices. Others have taken issue with his industry work since he left public service; Califf previously led health strategy at Alphabet, Google’s parent company. And despite his 89-4 confirmation vote in 2016, Califf also has faced headwinds from Republicans concerned about the FDA’s recent decision to loosen restrictions on prescribing the abortion pill mifepristone.
As previously mentioned, House and Senate Appropriations Committee leaders said Wednesday they have a deal on a “framework” that will allow them to start writing compromise spending bills for the fiscal year that began October 1st and negotiations continue on the text of the bill. Report say that the agreement is to have “parity,” or equal increases for defense and nondefense spending, and to start further negotiations leaving current law policy riders in place. All four committee leaders would have to agree to remove or add any other riders, the source said. That means the longstanding Hyde amendment barring federal funding for abortion in most cases will likely be in the final package, since Republicans would object to removing it as Democrats have proposed. The House on Tuesday passed a third continuing resolution for the fiscal year that began October 1st that would extend current funding levels through March 11th. The previous stopgap expires February 18th. Leader Schumer said Wednesday his chamber will take up the stopgap measure “next week.”
The House is now in recess until Monday, February 28th, except for committee work days next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
