Healthcare Issuewatch Newsletter

View in your browser     GOP faces pressure on community health funding By Peter Sullivan Congress has knocked one big item off of its health care to-do list, but there are some other controversial issues lawmakers will need to tackle. The Children's Health Insurance Program was funded for six years in the stopgap government funding bill that keeps the government open until Feb. 8, but another major health-care program needs to be extended as well: funding for community health centers. That is one of the items that could get wrapped up in a future government funding bill, either ahead of the Feb. 8 deadline or in a longer-term spending bill down the road. Democrats have started hammering home the need for community health center funding. "I'm very glad we were able to pass the extension of children's health care, but now we need to work together to tackle those other critical health care issues that Republicans have now allowed to expire, because there's no excuse for leaving families wondering whether their local health care center will shut its doors," Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said on Tuesday. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.) has pushed back on the idea Republicans are to blame, noting that community health center funding was in a bill House Republicans passed in November but that the Senate did not take up. "Republicans support community health centers and are continuing to work to fund the program for the long term," Walden wrote in Morning Consult. "I know the ongoing debates have not been easy on the workers at these facilities and the families that rely on them for vital medical care, and I share their frustrations." On Monday, the Senate will hold a vote on a bill to ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, a major priority for anti-abortion groups. The bill is not expected to be able to get the 60 votes needed to advance, but it could pose a tough vote both for some red state Democrats and for Republicans who support abortion rights.    Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), and top Democrats are also pushing to pass a pair of bipartisan ObamaCare fixes aimed at stabilizing markets and bringing down premiums. Those measures are opposed by House conservatives, but Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has shown some openness to at least one of the bills, which provides funding known as reinsurance to bring down premiums.   Recent stories CDC: 37 children have died from flu this season Poll: Most unaware Congress repealed ObamaCare mandate Cecile Richards: Leading Planned Parenthood was 'honor of my lifetime' Virginia state senate panel kills Medicaid expansion bill Warren: Time to 'go on offense' on health care Idaho seeks to roll back ObamaCare insurance protections Congressional probe finds synthetic opioids easily shipped from Canada to US Senate confirms Trump health secretary Groups file lawsuit against Trump admin's Medicaid work rules Oregon voters approve new taxes to pay for Medicaid costs     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.

News Alert: Trump immigration plan hits wall of opposition

View in your browser     Trump immigration plan hits wall of opposition President Trump's immigration plan is running into heavy opposition on and off Capitol Hill, suggesting the much-anticipated framework has failed to move the needle as a bipartisan group of senators try to negotiate a deal. Trump’s one-page framework calls for granting a pathway to citizenship for nearly 2 million young undocumented immigrants in exchange for tens of billions of dollars for his border wall and other policies that would dramatically restrict legal immigration in the coming years. The president wants the Senate to draft legislation based on his blueprint and introduce it by Feb. 5, just three days before funding for the government runs out. Read the full story here           Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up for News Alerts     Forward News Alerts     You Might Like       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.

Technology Issuewatch Newsletter

View in your browser     Lawmakers push to improve broadband access By Harper Neidig and Ali Breland A House panel will look into ways to build out the nation's broadband infrastructure in the coming week. The issue is getting added attention as President Trump is set to discuss his long-promised $1.7 trillion infrastructure proposal during Tuesday's State of the Union address. Hours before he shares details on his plans, the House Commerce subcommittee on technology will be holding a hearing at 10 a.m. to discuss a slate of bills aimed at bringing internet access to more Americans. The panel will hear from representatives from the cable, internet and wireless industries and take up 22 bills from both sides of the aisle. Members have been ramping up their efforts to emphasize the importance of expanding broadband networks as the White House teases its infrastructure plan, which could be released in full possibly by the end of the month. Both parties largely share a goal of delivering high-speed internet to rural areas, but there are different philosophies between Democrats and Republicans on how to do that. House Democrats released their own infrastructure bill last year that would inject $40 billion into programs for expanding access for unserved and underserved communities. A Federal Communications Commission (FCC) report last year estimated that figure is how much it would cost to deliver internet access to 98 percent of Americans. Getting internet access to the remaining harder-to-reach 2 percent, though, would require an additional $40 billion. The Democrats' infrastructure bill, called the LIFT America Act, will be considered at Tuesday's hearing. Republicans, meanwhile, have not said how much money they are willing to spend on broadband infrastructure, but the White House has endorsed a combination of private and public investment to boost efforts. Still, bipartisan groups in the House and Senate have rallied around pushing the administration for direct funding for rural broadband expansion. The bipartisan Senate Broadband Caucus, led by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) sent a letter to the president earlier this month pleading for stand-alone funding. "Our rural communities have connectivity needs that are not being met, limiting economic opportunity and growth," the letter reads. "Prioritizing direct funding support for broadband deployment in an infrastructure package will help close the digital divide and ensure our country maintains its global competitiveness." Also on Tuesday, the Senate Commerce Committee will look at the progress of the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act a year after its passage in a 2:30 p.m. hearing. At 10 a.m. that day, the House Financial Services subcommittee on financial institutions will hold a hearing on financial technology. At the same time, the House Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing, titled "Readying the U.S. Military for Future Warfare." At 11 a.m. also on Tuesday, the House Small Business Committee will examine foreign cybersecurity threats.   Recent stories: Six revelations from tech's answers on Russia's election meddling Trump nominates four potential FTC commissioners Regulators ask Congress for more power to police cryptocurrencies DNC beefs up cyber team with former Yahoo executive Hatch bill would dramatically increase H-1B visas Government watchdog agrees to probe fake net neutrality comments Cuomo signs executive order protecting net neutrality in New York EU fines Qualcomm $1.2 billion over Apple payments Burger King makes pro-net neutrality video AT&T urges Congress to pass 'internet bill of rights' Uber hires first-ever chief diversity and inclusion officer Top Dems call on Twitter, Facebook to investigate Russian bot campaign Tech giants spent record sums on lobbying in 2017 Rupert Murdoch: Facebook should pay publishers         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.

Cybersecurity Issuewatch Newsletter

View in your browser     Bill to combat election meddling gets a boost   By Morgan Chalfant A legislative effort to impose penalties on foreign nations that meddle in future U.S. elections through hacking and other means is showing signs of gaining traction in Senate. A bipartisan pair of House lawmakers on Friday introduced a bill that would trigger retaliatory measures in response to foreign election influence efforts. It matches legislation introduced in the upper chamber by Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) earlier this month. The effort comes roughly one year after the U.S. intelligence community publicly blamed the Russian government for waging an influence operation against the 2016 presidential election that involved hacking into Democratic officials’ emails and spreading fake information. The legislation lays out penalties for Russia in the event of future influence operations, and also directs the Trump administration to come up with plans to deter similar efforts by other foreign powers, such as China and Iran. The legislation got a nod from former Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday, who called it an “appropriate step” during an event at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington. “Were I in the Senate, I’d be supporting that legislation,” Biden told the audience. Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) and Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) have introduced the House bill.  The bill has bipartisan support in the House and Senate but it remains to be seen if it actually gets a vote and makes it to the president's desk. The bill is the latest in a string of efforts to address Russian meddling through legislation. A bipartisan group of senators have also introduced a bill specifically aimed at helping states protect their election systems from cyberattacks ahead of future votes. The topic has consumed Washington over the last year, as special counsel Robert Mueller presses forward with his investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. The coming week is poised to bring more speculation about whether President Trump himself could soon sit for an interview with the special counsel’s office. On Tuesday, the Justice Department confirmed that Attorney General Jeff Sessions was recently interviewed by Mueller’s team. Sessions, who played a prominent role in the Trump campaign before joining the administration, could offer key details relevant to Mueller’s inquiries about potential collusion or obstruction of justice. Mueller also reportedly interviewed former FBI director James Comey last year. Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he is “looking forward” to speaking with Mueller, adding that he would do it under oath. But Trump's own lawyers have cautioned that any sitdown must be first negotiated.  The coming week will offer a host of cybersecurity-related events. House and Senate lawmakers return to Capitol Hill on Monday afternoon, facing a looming Feb. 8 deadline to fund the government after a brief partial shutdown last week. The House Small Business Committee has scheduled a hearing on how information sharing can help combat foreign cyber threats, focused on the federal government’s engagement with the private sector. The House Armed Services Committee will explore how to prepare the U.S. military for future warfare. Additionally, the 2018 ICIT Winter Summit is taking place on Monday, which will feature remarks from White House cybersecurity coordinator Rob Joyce, among a number of distinguished speakers. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen is also slated to speak at the Wilson Center the same day about confronting the terror threat to the United States.   In case you missed them, here are some of our recent pieces: Dutch spy agencies reportedly passed FBI ‘crucial’ intel on Russian election hacking DNC beefs up cyber team with former Yahoo executive Wyden blasts FBI chief over encryption remarks Six revelations from tech's answers on Russian election meddling  Government watchdog adds security clearance process to ‘high risk list' House Energy and Commerce demands answers on Spectre and Meltdown cyber flaws Russia-linked hacker group claims release of documents from International Luge Federation Pakistani hacking campaign leads in website defacements, study shows Dem presses Homeland Security for update on Kaspersky ban         Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up for Cybersecurity Newsletters     Forward Cybersecurity 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.