Technology Issuewatch Newsletter

View in your browser     Tech giants to testify on extremist content By Ali Breland and Harper Neidig Tech executives will be heading before Congress in the coming week to testify about their efforts to crack down on extremist content on their platforms. Facebook Head of Global Policy Management Monika Bickert, YouTube Global Head of Public Policy and Government Relations Juniper Downs and Twitter Head of Public Policy and Philanthropy Carlos Monje will appear before the Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday. Much of Washington's attention has been focused on how tech companies handled Russian election interference. But Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.) said the hearing on terrorist content and social media had been in the works for some time. "We've been talking about it for awhile. We decided to have a hearing on the subject because we think it's a big issue," Thune said to reporters on Thursday. "One of the biggest tools that terrorists use to recruit is social media platforms. We just want to use this as an opportunity to hear from the tech companies about some of the things they're doing to prevent those activities." The top Democrat on the committee, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) agreed, saying that he would like to know more about how companies are trying to keep extremist content off their platforms. Tech companies say they have been taking significant steps to address the issue. Twitter found itself under fire in recent years over the large amount of pro-ISIS content on its platform. The company took steps to target those accounts. In a report in September, Twitter said it had shut down over one million accounts promoting terrorism. The moves earned the company praise in many quarters. But tech companies also face a difficult balancing act, with critics cautioning them against going too far and infringing on free speech. YouTube, for example, is removing videos that don't meet its criteria for extremist content but that are still tied to individuals linked to terrorism. Those tougher standards have sparked concern from civil libertarians. Tech companies are also facing new heat from some lawmakers over Russian interference. On Tuesday, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sen. Mark Warner (Va.), criticized Twitter after it failed to meet a deadline to provide the committee with information about Russian interference on its platform in 2016. Facebook and Google met the deadline to provide information, but Twitter sought an extension. "I'm disappointed. I've been disappointed throughout this," Warner told reporters. "Twitter has been often times the slowest to respond. Most of their work was derivative to the Facebook work. The other companies met the deadline which was way over a month from when they testified." Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee also released a report Wednesday challenging the adequacy of Twitter and Facebook's investigations into Russian influence to manipulate the United Kingdom's Brexit vote. Both the House and Senate will be in session in the coming week. While lawmakers will be focused on passing a spending bill to avoid a government shutdown after Jan. 19, there are also a number of tech items on the docket. On Wednesday at 10 a.m., the House Science Committee's space panel will hold a hearing on systems development at NASA. Also on Wednesday, the House Homeland Security Committee will review the Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation program, an effort to help beef up federal cybersecurity," at 2 p.m. On Thursday, the House Commerce subcommittee on consumer protection will hold a hearing on the Internet of Things and its impact on manufacturing and innovation. That hearing is at 10 a.m.   Recent stories: Bill would bar feds from contracting with firms using Huawei, ZTE technology Facebook introduces massive changes to newsfeed Senate report challenges quality of Facebook, Twitter investigations of Russia's Brexit influence FCC delays review of Sinclair's purchase of Tribune Senate committee to hold bitcoin hearing Twitter defends 'enforcing our rules without bias' after undercover video release More than 100 CEOs urge Congress to protect Dreamers Senate Dems' bill would penalize credit reporting agencies for breaches GOP senator presses Apple on phone slowdowns Democrats rush into net neutrality battle Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to testify on Capitol Hill about terrorism and social media Senate bill to preserve net neutrality wins first GOP backer Twitter misses deadline to provide Senate info on Russia meddling         Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up for Technology Newsletters     Forward Technology Newsletters       Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  |  Email to a friend  |  Sign Up for Other Newsletters   The Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006 ©2016 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.

Health Care Issuewatch Newsletter — Presented by the Association of American Medical Colleges

View in your browser     Lawmakers near deal on children's health funding By Peter Sullivan The government is hurtling toward a Friday funding deadline, with important implications for a slew of health care items. The coming week could finally see lawmakers agree on extending the Children's Health Insurance Program, after months of partisan bickering over how to pay for it. The breakthrough came when the Congressional Budget Office drastically lowered its cost estimate for the measure, so that it will actually save money if extended for long enough. "If we go to six years, it may have no cost," House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.) told reporters Wednesday. "The good news is you can do six years and it costs you nothing." Members in both parties say that change means the extension could move next week, though it depends on broader leadership negotiations over a spending package. There is still some uncertainty over what legislation CHIP reauthorization will be attached to and how long the extension will be.     Walden has proposed a six-year extension, while Democrats are pushing for a longer period, even floating a permanent extension. Other health-care issues are more contentious. Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) are pushing ahead with talks on their bipartisan bill aimed at stabilizing ObamaCare markets. Murray is pushing for changes now that Republicans have repealed ObamaCare's individual mandate, but has not detailed what those are. The measure is not expected to be attached to a short-term spending bill next week, but Alexander is pushing for it to be attached to a long-term funding bill once a deal is reached on that. Industry groups are pushing for repeal or delay of ObamaCare taxes, such as the health insurance tax, medical device tax, and Cadillac tax on high-cost insurance plans. It is possible those measures could be added to a funding bill as well, as lawmakers work to reach a deal.         SPONSORED CONTENT   Congress can protect the 340B Program. Pass H.R. 4392 The 340B Program allows safety net hospitals to purchase drugs at discounts from pharmaceutical companies -- helping teaching hospitals strengthen care for low-income, rural, and other underserved Americans. Best of all? 340B doesn’t cost taxpayers a dime. At less than 3% of the total U.S. drug market, 340B is a bargain for our country and a lifeline for hospitals and communities. Congress should protect the 340B Program. Pass H.R. 4392. Learn more: aamc.org/340B         Recent stories Ryan suggests room for bipartisanship on ObamaCare Ryan: 'I don't see us tackling' entitlement reform this year Trump officials approves work requirements for Medicaid recipients New watchdog group targets Trump HHS on reproductive health Lawsuit filed against ObamaCare insurer over coverage Sanders to host 'Medicare for all' town hall GOP chairman eyes floor action for CHIP next week Trump officials move to allow Medicaid work requirements Bipartisan senators discuss path forward on ObamaCare fix Lawmakers say they're close to deal on CHIP funding     Send tips and comments to Jessie Hellmann, jhellmann@thehill.com; Peter Sullivan, psullivan@thehill.com; Rachel Roubein, rroubein@thehill.com; and Nathaniel Weixel, nweixel@thehill.com. Follow us on Twitter: @thehill, @jessiehellmann, @PeterSullivan4, @rachel_roubein, and @NateWeixel.         Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up for Healthcare Newsletters     Forward Healthcare Newsletters       Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  |  Email to a friend  |  Sign Up for Other Newsletters   The Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006 ©2016 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.

Defense Issuewatch Newsletter

View in your browser     Short-term funding bills put pressure on defense hawks By Ellen Mitchell and Rebecca Kheel All eyes will be on Congress in the coming week as GOP leaders look to gather the votes needed to avoid a government shutdown after Jan. 19. Lawmakers need yet another short-term spending measure after they passed a continuing resolution in December to fund the government through the end of Friday. But a major road block remains: Democrats insist that any increase in defense spending be matched with an equal increase in nondefense spending. GOP defense hawks, meanwhile, want a long-term spending measure rather than a stopgap bill, arguing that short-term spending hurts the military. Without the promise of a longer-funded Pentagon, the lawmakers say they will vote against the bill. Most defense hawks, though, voted for the last short-term measure in December. Adding to the pressure, Democrats could reject the spending bill if it doesn't protect nearly 800,000 young immigrants known as Dreamers from deportation. Sens. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said Thursday that senators had come up with an agreement that paired a fix for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program with a border security package.  But White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said later that day that a deal had not yet been reached. "However, we still think we can get there and we are very focused on trying to make sure that happens," she said during the daily media briefing. In addition to a possible shutdown, across-the-board spending cuts known as sequestration will go into place if Congress can't reach a deal to raise budget caps. That deal – needed to fund the $700 billion National Defense Authorization Act - is looking unlikely before Friday. Next week also holds a number of think tank events and Congressional hearings, with both the House and Senate in session. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) will host a conversation with international ambassadors on "The View of the U.S. from Abroad" at 5 p.m. Tuesday at CSIS headquarters. http://bit.ly/2C5B9CT  Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) will speak about the 2018 national security landscape at the American Enterprise Institute at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday. http://bit.ly/2D6dV40 The House Oversight Committee's national security subcommittee will hold a hearing on battlefield successes and challenges in the war against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Rayburn 2154. http://bit.ly/2r0yVUa The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on the "State of the VA" at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Russell 418. http://bit.ly/2DnPU5d The House Foreign Affairs Committee will have joint subcommittee hearing on North Korea's chemical, biological and conventional weapons with testimony from outside experts at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Rayburn 2172. http://bit.ly/2CV3vju House Speaker Paul Ryan will speak about military readiness at 8:45 a.m. Thursday at CSIS. http://bit.ly/2CVXlQn Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer and Chief of Naval Operations John Richardson will testify before the House Armed Services Committee on surface warfare at 3:30 p.m. Thursday at Rayburn 2118. http://bit.ly/2D7ETqY   Recent stories: -- Trump waives Iran sanctions for what administration says is last time -- More than 100 lawmakers call on Trump to designate climate change a security threat -- Retired colonel on military sexual assault: 'God bless Oprah Winfrey, Meryl Streep' for raising issue -- State official indicates US military role in Syria post-ISIS centered on Iran -- Former launch officers urge Congress to curb Trump's nuclear powers -- Pentagon audit to cost $367M in 2018 -- US to sell Japan $133M in missiles to counter North Korea threat         Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up for Defense Newsletters     Forward Defense Newsletters       Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  |  Email to a friend  |  Sign Up for Other Newsletters   The Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006 ©2016 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.

Energy Issuewatch Newsletter

View in your browser     GOP looks to overhaul natural gas, utilities laws By Timothy Cama A House panel will meet in the coming week to debate three Republican-backed bills meant to overhaul how federal regulators oversee liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports and electric utilities. The hearing in the House Energy and Commerce Energy subcommittee is part of the GOP's ongoing drive to "modernize" the nation's energy laws, bringing them out of an energy scarcity framework. Two of the bills being debated Friday, both from Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Ohio), aim to ease the permitting process for companies wishing to export LNG. Currently, companies must get approval for their export facilities from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and then Department of Energy (DOE) approval to export the gas to countries that do not have free trade agreements with the United States. The Unlocking Our Domestic LNG Potential Act would remove the DOE from the process, so that once FERC approves a facility, exports could begin. The Ensuring Small Scale LNG Certainty and Access Act, meanwhile, would make approvals to export up to 140 million cubic feet of gas per day mandatory and automatic. Rep. Tim Walberg's (R-Mich.) PURPA Modernization Act would overhaul the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978, the main law governing electric utility regulation by states. Walberg's bill would ease the standards that require utilities to purchase small amounts of electricity and allow that requirement to be eliminated if a state agency approves, among other changes long sought by utilities. Elsewhere in the House, the Natural Resources Committee's energy and mineral resources panel is planning a series of hearings on how the Trump administration oversees energy production. First, in a Thursday hearing, the panel will look into the administration's efforts to ease energy production on public land. The next day, lawmakers will host a hearing on permitting problems for offshore oil and natural gas seismic surveys, which companies use to estimate resource potential. Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, will be in Washington, D.C., in the coming week for the U.S. launch on Tuesday of the agency's annual World Energy Outlook, an extensive report on the status of energy across the world in 2017. That will take place at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, where John Hess, CEO of Hess Corp., which introduce him. Earlier Tuesday morning, Birol will testify at a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee about the global and domestic energy outlook. Also on Tuesday, the Bipartisan Policy Center will host an event to discuss Energy Secretary Rick Perry's proposal to prop up coal and nuclear plants, which FERC recently rejected. The event will feature Republican FERC Commissioner Neil Chatterjee and Democratic Commissioner Cheryl LaFleur.   Recent stories: More than 100 lawmakers call on Trump to designate climate change a security threat Former Interior officials criticize Trump policy on bird killings California approves closure of last nuclear power plant EPA inspector general further expands probe into Pruitt travel Oil industry slams Zinke for closing Florida waters to offshore drilling Florida decision puts Trump drilling plan on shaky ground Zinke removing Florida from offshore drilling plan Coal mogul: Trump should fire energy officials for rejecting Perry plan Regulators kill Perry's proposal to prop up coal, nuclear power plants Judge dismisses charges against Cliven Bundy, orders him freed from prison         Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up for Energy Newsletters     Forward Energy Newsletters       Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  |  Email to a friend  |  Sign Up for Other Newsletters   The Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006 ©2016 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.