No Shortage of Agenda Items for GOP Retreat

No Shortage of Agenda Items for GOP Retreat-rollcall: House and Senate Republicans head to West Virginia on Wednesday for the annual GOP retreat, leaving Washington even as high-profile negotiations on immigration and government funding remain unresolved.

Republicans Consider More Must-Pass Items for Spending Measures

Republicans Consider More Must-Pass Items for Spending Measures-rollcall: Republicans are considering attaching more of Democratic leaders’ must-pass legislative items to stopgap spending measures to avert additional government shutdowns and close out funding for this fiscal year, says a senior White House official.

Opinion: Congress, It’s Time to Heal Thyself. Here’s How

Opinion: Congress, It’s Time to Heal Thyself. Here’s How-rollcall: How much lower can Congress’ reputation sink before some sense of urgency — fueled by self-preservation or simply self-respect — convinces leaders that “something” has to change?

Sources: Romney expected to announce Senate bid next week, will gather signatures to get on the 2018 ballot

Sources: Romney expected to announce Senate bid next week, will gather signatures to get on the 2018 ballot-utahpolicy.com: Sources close to Mitt Romney tell UtahPolicy.com that the former GOP presidential nominee will announce next week that he is running for the U.S. Senate this year.

Senate confirms Trump health secretary

Senate confirms Trump health secretary-thehill: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has a new boss, Alex Azar, after nearly four months without a permanent leader.

Frustrations With Senate Rules Near Boiling Point

Frustrations With Senate Rules Near Boiling Point-rollcall: Republican senators are again talking up potential rule changes to make it easier for the chamber to move President Donald Trump’s nominations, as well as spending legislation. But the necessary GOP unity  — much less broad bipartisan support — may prove elusive.

Organizing the Senate Can Sometimes Get Messy

Organizing the Senate Can Sometimes Get Messy-rollcall: The Senate’s leaders reached a deal to adjust committee membership without much fanfare this month, but such comity has not always been a sure thing.

Senate’s Radical Reasonable Caucus Finds Their Moment

Senate’s Radical Reasonable Caucus Finds Their Moment-rollcall: In a Senate environment where party discipline has been the norm, a group of senators that lobbied leadership to accept a resolution to end the government shutdown Monday now has leverage, if they decide to use it.

There’s a Surprise in the Government Funding Bill: More Tax Cuts

There’s a Surprise in the Government Funding Bill: More Tax Cuts-washingtonpost: Congress is apparently not done cutting taxes, even after passing a $1.5 trillion tax overhaul last year.

Government Shutdown Starts to Bite, Raising Political Stakes

Government Shutdown Starts to Bite, Raising Political Stakes-bloomberg: Lawmakers failed to negotiate an end to the government shutdown Sunday despite a bipartisan effort to broker a deal, raising the political stakes as federal agencies begin closing at the start of their normal workweek.

How House Republicans Got to ‘Yes’ on Funding the Government

How House Republicans Got to ‘Yes’ on Funding the Government-rollcall: All eyes will be on the Senate on Friday as lawmakers there race against the clock to avert a government shutdown. But over in the House, Republicans are happy they were able to pass a four-week stopgap measure without turning to the Democrats for help.

Senate committee advances Trump's nominee for HHS secretary

Senate committee advances Trump's nominee for HHS secretary-politico: The Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday afternoon advanced the nomination of Alex Azar to run HHS, putting him one step closer to heading a department that's been in turmoil in the Trump administration's first year.

Opponents urge Congress to suspend ObamaCare tax this year

Opponents urge Congress to suspend ObamaCare tax this year-thehill: Opponents of a tax on health insurance are urging lawmakers to suspend the ObamaCare tax starting this year after House Republican leadership unveiled a stopgap spending measure that included a one-year delay only for 2019.

Republicans lack votes to prevent a shutdown

Republicans lack votes to prevent a shutdown-politico: House Republicans are short of the votes they need to avoid a government shutdown, but Speaker Paul Ryan and GOP leaders remain confident they will pass a stopgap funding measure when it comes to the floor on Thursday.

Freedom Caucus Members Withholding Votes GOP Needs to Pass CR

Freedom Caucus Members Withholding Votes GOP Needs to Pass CR-rollcall: While a majority of House Republicans appear ready to support a short-term continuing resolution to keep the government open through Feb. 16, enough Freedom Caucus members remain uncommitted to make passage questionable.

Analysis: It’s a Blue House Wave, but Not Yet a Senate One

Analysis: It’s a Blue House Wave, but Not Yet a Senate One-rollcall: Democrats ought to temper their optimism about the fight for the Senate this year.

House to vote on stopgap spending bill that extends CHIP

House to vote on stopgap spending bill that extends CHIP-washingtonexaminer: The House will vote as early as Thursday on a measure to temporarily extend government funding until Feb. 16 and to reauthorize the Children's Health Insurance Program for six years.

How the Open Seats Are (or Aren’t) Creating Opportunities in the House

How the Open Seats Are (or Aren’t) Creating Opportunities in the House-rollcall: Four House Republicans have already this year announced plans to retire, continuing a trend that began in 2017. Roll Call elections analyst Nathan L. Gonzales unpacks how the wave of GOP retirements could affect Democrats’ chances of flipping seats come November.

Grassroots group tries to get a new kind of doctor in the House (and Senate)

Grassroots group tries to get a new kind of doctor in the House (and Senate)-stat: Since 1960, nearly 50 doctors have traded in their white coats for the suit jackets required in the halls of Congress. And there’s been one remarkable constant: The doctors-turned-legislators in those blazers have been overwhelmingly male and overwhelmingly Republican. Just a handful were Democrats and only two were women. None were both.

GOP may skip budget, kneecapping 2018 ambitions

GOP may skip budget, kneecapping 2018 ambitions-politico: Republican leaders are considering skipping passage of a GOP budget this year — a blow to the party’s weakened fiscal hawks that would squash all 2018 efforts to revamp entitlements or repeal Obamacare.

Health Care Overhaul Appears Unlikely Before Midterm Elections

Health Care Overhaul Appears Unlikely Before Midterm Elections-rollcall: Republicans are at risk of facing voters this year with no cohesive strategy to fulfill their seven-year campaign promise to repeal and replace the 2010 health care law or address the rising cost of health care.

HHS Nominee Azar Says He Backs Mandatory Pilot Payment Programs

HHS Nominee Azar Says He Backs Mandatory Pilot Payment Programs-morningconsult: Alex Azar, President Donald Trump’s pick to be Health and Human Services secretary, said Tuesday that he supports testing new payment models for providers on a mandatory basis as part of a government push to pay physicians based on the value, instead of volume, of care they provide to patients.

Senate Match-Ups Yet to Take Shape Ahead of 2018 Primaries

Senate Match-Ups Yet to Take Shape Ahead of 2018 Primaries-rollcall: With Ohio’s Josh Mandel ending his Senate bid last week, the one Senate race in which the matchup long looked like a foregone conclusion won’t be a rematch of 2012 after all.

HHS nominee's mission is to finish the job on Obamacare

HHS nominee's mission is to finish the job on Obamacare-politico: President Donald Trump’s pick for Health and Human Services secretary is on the verge of taking control of the department with a clear mandate: Take down Obamacare from the inside.

California Republican Rep. Ed Royce won't seek reelection, creating bigger opening for Democrats

California Republican Rep. Ed Royce won't seek reelection, creating bigger opening for Democrats -latimes: House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Ed Royce announced Monday he will not run for reelection, boosting Democrats’ chances of winning his Southern California district as they work to regain control of the U.S. House this year

On health care, Democrats are shifting to offense

On health care, Democrats are shifting to offense-washingtonpost: Democrats are shifting to offense on health care, emboldened by successes in defending the Affordable Care Act. They say their ultimate goal is a government guarantee of affordable coverage for all.

Medical Research? Congress Cheers. Medical Care? Congress Brawls.

Medical Research? Congress Cheers. Medical Care? Congress Brawls.-nytimes: They cannot agree on subsidies for low-income people under the Affordable Care Act or even how to extend funding for the broadly popular Children’s Health Insurance Program — two issues requiring urgent attention as Congress returns to work.

Republicans, Democrats Far Apart on Deal as Shutdown Clock Ticks

Republicans, Democrats Far Apart on Deal as Shutdown Clock Ticks-bloomberg: Republicans and Democrats in Congress are once again far apart on a government spending bill with just days to go before a partial shutdown.

Large health systems say they need MACRA relief just as much as small providers

Large health systems say they need MACRA relief just as much as small providers-modernhealthcare: Large health systems say the CMS's efforts to make MACRA less burdensome on small providers leaves them behind and they're suggesting the agency overhaul how the new payment model tracks physician performance to make it easier.

Let’s Not Make a Deal: No Breakthrough on Spending

Let’s Not Make a Deal: No Breakthrough on Spending-rollcall: Congressional leadership and White House officials were unable to strike a spending deal Wednesday after their first meeting on the topic of 2018.

Congress and White House inch forward in budget talks

Congress and White House inch forward in budget talks-politico: Congressional leaders emerged from closed-door talks with Trump administration officials Wednesday claiming progress toward a budget deal but without any breakthroughs to announce — with less than three weeks to go before another government funding deadline.

House Seats You Think Can’t Flip but Might

House Seats You Think Can’t Flip but Might-rollcall: Responses to the “generic ballot” poll question suggest a partisan electoral wave is building. But the fight for control of the House isn’t a single national election. It will be fought district by district, and national Democrats face challenges on the ground even with the generic ballot favoring them.

10 Issues Congress Faces in January

10 Issues Congress Faces in January-rollcall: As the second session of the 115th Congress kicks off Wednesday, lawmakers are confronted with a daunting January to-do list full of issues they punted on in 2017.

The Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing next Tuesday on the confirmation of Alex Azar, President Trump's nominee to be secretary of Health and Human Services.

It's unclear what gets done this month on health care-axios: Congress still has the same long list of health care problems to solve as it has had since the fall. The Children's Health Insurance Program needs to be reauthorized, the individual insurance market likely needs to be stabilized, and the health care industry really wants some Affordable Care Act taxes to be delayed. But it's unclear how much of that will be addressed this month.

Senate Finance Committee announces confirmation hearing for health nominee Alex Azar

Senate Finance Committee announces confirmation hearing for health nominee Alex Azar-washingtonexaminer: The Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing next Tuesday on the confirmation of Alex Azar, President Trump's nominee to be secretary of Health and Human Services.

Tax on medical devices to resume after 2-year suspension

Tax on medical devices to resume after 2-year suspension-ap: While much of corporate America will enjoy a tax cut in the new year, one industry is getting a tax increase it has fought hard but so far unsuccessfully to avoid.

Congress will return to a full slate of difficult issues

Congress will return to a full slate of difficult issues-washingtonpost: Congress faces a jam-packed to-do list this month with deadlines looming on difficult issues — including how to fund the government and avoid a shutdown, stabilizing the nation’s health insurance program for poor children, and whether to shield young undocumented immigrants from deportation.