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DC Insight - 10/27/23

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Appropriations News

Senate reaches deal to start voting on appropriations package
Roll Call – October 24, 2023
Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer said Senate leaders reached an agreement paving the way for floor consideration of its three-bill spending “minibus.”

House Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act
House Appropriations Committee– October 26, 2023
The House of Representatives met to consider H.R. 4394, The Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The measure was approved by the House with a vote of 210 to 199. Bill report, before adoption of amendments, is available here. A table of included Community Project Funding requests is available here.

Capitol Hill News

Johnson brings defense background to speakership
Roll Call – October 26, 2023
Republican Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana, elected Wednesday as speaker of the House, brings a defense-focused background to the role as a member of the powerful House Armed Services Committee. In that seat, he’s advocated for a larger defense budget and sought wins on social issues that affect the military. However, like many other conservative Republicans, he’s hostile to additional funding for Ukraine’s war against Russia.

Johnson elected speaker for remainder of 118th Congress
Roll Call – October 25, 2023
The House voted 220-209 to elect Rep. Mike Johnson speaker, bringing to an end an impasse that sank three other candidates before him and reopening the House for business. Johnson outlined his plans to pass FY24 appropriations and noted that he is open to another stopgap measure, if needed, to extend government funding through January 15 or April 15. He has also set a very ambitious legislative agenda, details here.

Health Care News

Hawley wants U.S. Senate to Act on his Prescription Drug Bills
Missourinet – October 23, 2023
Two bills designed to lower drug costs for patients are being ignored by U.S. Senate leaders, so says Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri. One bill would cap prescription drug prices in the U.S. while the other would limit insulin costs to $25 a month per patient.

Senate panel advances NIH nominee Bertagnolli
Roll Call – October 25, 2023
After months of back and forth, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Wednesday advanced the nomination of Monica Bertagnolli to lead the National Institutes of Health by a vote of 15-6.

Federal News

31 Tech Hubs across America
U.S. Economic Development Administration – October 23, 2023
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), announced the designation of 31 Tech Hubs in regions across the country. The University of Missouri System was designated as a tech hub and received a strategy development grant for the Critical Minerals and Materials for Advanced Energy (CM2AE) Tech Hub proposal, which will be for critical minerals processing in Missouri.

Department of Energy announces Hydogen Hubs
U.S. Department of Energy – October 13, 2023
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $7 billion to launch seven Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs (H2Hubs) across the nation and accelerate the commercial-scale deployment of low-cost, clean hydrogen—a valuable energy product that can be produced with zero or near-zero carbon emissions and is crucial to meeting the President’s climate and energy security goals.

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Reviewed 2023-10-30