Congress returns to legislative business on Monday after a two-week respite with an ambitious agenda set for the next three weeks.

This week starts with the House tackling six bills from the Financial Services Committee on Monday under suspension of the rules.  On Tuesday, and for the balance of the week, in conjunction with the April 15 tax-filing deadline, the House is scheduled to consider a number of bills related to tax relief and IRS oversight.  Among those bills are nine bills to be considered under suspension, including the Taxpayer Bill of Rights and several bills related to IRS transparency and accountability, a result of allegations that the agency targeted conservative groups seeking nonprofit tax status, and four bills under a rule: H.R. 1105, Death Tax Repeal Act of 2015, which would repeal the estate tax permanently, and H.R. 622, the State and Local Sales Tax Deduction Fairness Act, to make permanent the deduction for state and local sales taxes, from the Ways & Means Committee; and H.R. 685, the Mortgage Choice Act, and H.R. 650, the Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act, from the Financial Services Committee.

Having passed its budget resolution just before the recess, the Senate is likely to return still stuck on its consideration of the human trafficking legislation, S.178, that had stalled in March due to a Democratic filibuster over the inclusion of an anti-abortion-funding provision.  The bill remains short of the necessary 60 votes needed to cut off the filibuster.  The President’s nominee for Attorney General, Loretta Lynch, is also awaiting a confirmation vote.  Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said he will not allow a vote on the Lynch nomination until the trafficking bill is completed.

Senators are  also due to consider House-passed legislation to replace a formula for physicians’ reimbursement rates in the Medicare program.  Without an extension of current law, fees to doctors will be cut substantially pursuant to a formula, called the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR), enacted through the Balanced Budget Act of 1997.  Congress has passed 17 patches to avoid the cut in physician payments.  The House passed a bill before the recess to replace the SGR with a new annual reimbursement update each year for five years.  Although the House bill passed by a 392-37 vote, several Republican senators have opposed the measure unless its costs are fully offset, citing Congressional Budget Office projections that the measure would add $141 billion to the deficit over ten years.  Press reports indicate that these senators may attempt to force a vote on an amendment to ensure that the bill is fully offset.  The temporary payment patch formally expired on March 31, but the Administration has been able avoid making cuts to physician payments for now, but in the absence of adoption of the pending bill by the Senate, it is unclear how much longer the Administration can go without implementing the cuts mandated by SGR, with potentially serious consequences for Medicare patients.

An early order of business for both chambers is the completion of a joint budget resolution.  Before adjourning in March, the House and Senate approved their separate budgets for Fiscal Year (FY) 2016.  A conference committee, comprised of members from the House and Senate Budget Committees, will have to reconcile the differing versions.  While the committees have been working towards a compromise over the two-week recess, and the respective committee chairmen returned to Washington before the recess ended to begin direct talks on reconciling the two resolutions.  A timeline for resolving the differences and moving an ultimate agreement has not been announced.  Adoption of a budget is also important if Republicans want to use the vehicle of reconciliation, a budgetary tool which provides the Senate majority with procedural benefits to enact significant legislation.

Republican leaders seem confident that a final budget resolution will move quickly, though, as House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy has announced that the first two of the twelve annual appropriations bills will be considered before the end of April.  The House Appropriations Subcommittees on Energy and Water and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs have both scheduled mark-ups of their respective FY 2016 spending bills for Wednesday, April 15.

In other committee action scheduled for next week, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is scheduled to hold a mark-up on Tuesday of the Iran Nuclear Review Act, legislation that would require the president to submit any Iran nuclear agreement to Congress within five days of its conclusion.  Since the international discussions started, Congress has been eager to play a role and the Iran Nuclear Review Act was a strong, bipartisan tool ensuring that Congress would have the final say over any deal worked out at the negotiating table.  On April 2, a framework agreement was reached with Iran to curtail the Iranian nuclear program in exchange for the easing of economic sanctions against the country.  Even with this announcement of a framework agreement and a veto threat from President Obama, Democratic support for the Iran Nuclear Review Act has remained strong, though the press reports some Democratic members are working to make the bill more palatable for the Administration.  Senate Republican leadership is aiming for a strong bipartisan vote in favor of the bill, hoping to demonstrate the ability to override any veto.  Further complicating the issue for the White House is Iranian supreme leader’s announcement on Thursday that the country will only sign a final nuclear agreement if economic sanctions against the nation are removed on the first day of the deal’s implementation and other signals from Iranian leaders that indicate that achieving the framework agreement is not the end but the start of a process of difficult talks that may never produce any final agreement.  The impact of these inflammatory Iranian statements and the proxy war going on in Yemen is likely to provide further momentum for the bill.

A bipartisan rewrite of the nation’s education laws will be the subject of a mark-up on Tuesday by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) jointly announced they had reached a deal on legislation to reauthorize No Child Left Behind.  Among other things, the Every Child Achieves Act of 2015 would ensure that decisions related to academic standards, teacher evaluations, and performance would be left largely to states and local school districts.  The bipartisan agreement is a huge step forward for Congress, which has been trying to rewrite No Child Left Behind since 2007 without success.  House passage of an authorization bill is still unclear.  In March, the House considered more than 40 amendments to H.R. 5, the Student Success Act, before House leadership postponed a vote on final passage.  It was reported that there were not enough votes in support of the bill, due to opposition from conservatives who believe the provisions do not go far enough in curbing the federal role in education.

The House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold another hearing on the patent-litigation reform legislation introduced by its Chairman, Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA).  Press reports indicate that a resolution of disapproval on the recent FCC net neutrality regulations may be introduced this week by Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA), Vice-Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet.  Oversight of the Export-Import Bank will be the subject of a joint House Financial Services-House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittees hearing on Wednesday, April 15.  The current charter for the bank expires on June 30.

While nothing is scheduled for next week, there is potential for the Senate Finance Committee to act on “fast-track” trade legislation in the coming few weeks.  Press reports indicate that Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) have been working over the recess to finalize a bill that would grant Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) over international trade agreements being negotiated by the Administration.  TPA is a legislative procedure whereby Congress agrees to consider the trade agreement within a limited period of time and to forgo the opportunity to offer amendments.  Proponents of TPA argue that that the “fast-track” procedure allows better terms for the U.S. to negotiate trade agreements, because our trading partners can be assured that the agreement will not be changed when voted on by Congress.  The Obama Administration is hoping to use TPA to expedite the conclusion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, which would liberalize trade among 12 countries.  Japan and other TPP countries have expressed reluctance to close TPP without TPA’s procedural protections and have been urging the Administration to secure TPA as quickly as possible.   House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan has indicated to reporters recently that he would like to move TPA legislation this spring, though the bill is not included on House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s schedule for floor activity in April.

A schedule of committee activities for the week is set out below:

Monday, April 13, 2015 

House Committees 

Addressing Continued Whistle-Blower Retaliation in the VA
House Veterans’ Affairs – Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
Subcommittee Hearing
4 p.m., 334 Cannon Bldg.

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

 House Committees

CFTC Reauthorization
House Agriculture – Subcommittee on Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., 1300 Longworth Bldg.

Fiscal 2016 Appropriations: Labor, HHS, Education
House Appropriations – Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
Subcommittee Hearing
9 a.m., 2358-C Rayburn Bldg.

Fiscal 2016 Appropriations: Defense
House Appropriations – Subcommittee on Defense
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., 2359 Rayburn Bldg.

National Defense Priorities from Members for the FY 2016 National Defense Authorization Act
House Armed Services
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 2212 Rayburn Bldg.

Health Care Law and Workplace Issues
House Education and the Workforce – Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., 2175 Rayburn Bldg.

EPA Rule and Ratepayer Protection Act
House Energy and Commerce – Subcommittee on Energy and Power
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., 2123 Rayburn Bldg.

TSCA Modernization Act
House Energy and Commerce – Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy
Subcommittee Hearing
10:15 a.m., 2322 Rayburn Bldg.

Crude Oil Export Issues
House Foreign Affairs – Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade
Subcommittee Hearing
10:15 a.m., 2172 Rayburn Bldg.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement
House Judiciary
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 2141 Rayburn Bldg.

Tribal Land and Employment Bills
House Natural Resources – Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs
Subcommittee Hearing
11 a.m., 1334 Longworth Bldg.

Federal Water and Land Use Issues
House Natural Resources – Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans
Subcommittee Oversight Hearing
1:30 p.m., 1324 Longworth Bldg.

Rail and Pipeline Oversight
House Transportation and Infrastructure – Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., 2167 Rayburn Bldg.

Veterans Claims and Compensation Bills
House Veterans’ Affairs – Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs
Subcommittee Hearing
10:30 a.m., 334 Cannon Bldg.

Health Care Law Mandates
House Ways and Means – Subcommittee on Health
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., B-318 Rayburn Bldg.

F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program and Fiscal 2016 Budget
House Armed Services – Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces
Subcommittee Hearing
3:30 p.m., 2118 Rayburn Bldg.

Yemen Conflict Issues
House Foreign Affairs – Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m., 2172 Rayburn Bldg.

Innovation Act
House Judiciary
Full Committee Hearing
2 p.m., 2141 Rayburn Bldg.

GAO Duplication Report
House Oversight and Government Reform
Full Committee Hearing
2 p.m., 2154 Rayburn Bldg.

CIA Fiscal 2016 Budget
House Select Intelligence – CIA Subcommittee
Subcommittee Hearing
3 p.m., HVC-304 Capitol Visitor Center

Senate Committees

Asia-Pacific Defense Policy
Senate Armed Services
Full Committee Hearing
9:30 a.m., G-50 Dirksen Bldg.

Controlled Substances Quota Process
Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 226 Dirksen Bldg.

FAA Reauthorization
Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 253 Russell Bldg.

Medicare Audit and Appeals Issues
Senate Finance
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 215 Dirksen Bldg.

Education Legislation and Nominations
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Full Committee Markup
10 a.m., 216 Hart Bldg.

Federal Program Duplication Issues
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 342 Dirksen Bldg.

Fiscal 2016 Defense Authorization: Army Modernization
Senate Armed Services – Subcommittee on Airland
Subcommittee Hearing
2:30 p.m., 232-A Russell Bldg.

Fiscal 2016 Defense Authorization: Military Cyber Programs
Senate Armed Services – Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
Subcommittee Hearing
2:30 p.m., 222 Russell Bldg.

Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act
Senate Foreign Relations
Full Committee Markup
2:15 p.m., S-116 Capitol Bldg.

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

House Committees

SNAP and Charitable Sector Roles
House Agriculture
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 1300 Longworth Bldg.

Fiscal 2016 Budget Speeches
House Appropriations – Subcommittee on Defense
Subcommittee Hearing
9 a.m., H-140 Capitol Bldg.

Fiscal 2016 Appropriations: Labor, HHS, Education
House Appropriations – Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., 2358-C Rayburn Bldg.

Fiscal 2016 Appropriations: Homeland Security
House Appropriations – Subcommittee on Homeland Security
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., 2362-A Rayburn Bldg.

Fiscal 2016 Appropriations: Financial Services
House Appropriations – Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., 2359 Rayburn Bldg.

The Risk of Losing Military Technology Superiority and its Implications for U.S. Policy, Strategy, and Posture in the Asia-Pacific
House Armed Services
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 2118 Rayburn Bldg.

Child Nutrition Program Issues
House Education and the Workforce
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 2175 Rayburn Bldg.

Ex-Im Bank Oversight
House Financial Services – Subcommittee on Monetary Policy and Trade; House Oversight and Government Reform – Subcommittee on Health Care, Benefits and Administrative Rules
Committees Joint Hearing
10 a.m., 2154 Rayburn Bldg.

U.S.-Russia Relations
House Foreign Affairs
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 2172 Rayburn Bldg.

Federal Land Acquisition Issues
House Natural Resources – Subcommittee on Federal Lands
Subcommittee Oversight Hearing
9 a.m., 1324 Longworth Bldg.

White House Offshore Energy Plan
House Natural Resources – Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
Subcommittee Oversight Hearing
10 a.m., 1334 Longworth Bldg.

White House Climate Change Policy
House Science, Space and Technology
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 2318 Rayburn Bldg.

Special Activities (Closed)
House Select Intelligence – NSA and Cybersecurity Subcommittee
Subcommittee Hearing
10 a.m., HVC-304 Capitol Bldg.

Tax Policy and Small Business Issues
House Small Business
Full Committee Hearing
11 a.m., 2360 Rayburn Bldg.

Denver VAMC Oversight
House Veterans’ Affairs
Full Committee Hearing
10:30 a.m., 334 Cannon Bldg.

Fiscal 2016 Appropriations: State-Foreign Operations
House Appropriations – Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m., 2359 Rayburn Bldg.

Military Surface Force Issues
House Armed Services – Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m., 2212 Rayburn Bldg.

Nuclear Forces 2016 Budget
House Armed Services – Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
Subcommittee Hearing
3:30 p.m., 2118 Rayburn Bldg.

Non-Depository Financial Institution Regulatory Issues
House Financial Services – Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit
Subcommittee Hearing
1 p.m., 2175 Rayburn Bldg.

Tropical Disease Threat Issues
House Foreign Affairs – Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations
Subcommittee Hearing
2:30 p.m., 2172 Rayburn Bldg.

Federal Law Enforcement Conduct Issues
House Judiciary – Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m., 2141 Rayburn Bldg.

Coast Guard Mission Assessment
House Transportation and Infrastructure – Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation
Subcommittee Hearing
2 p.m., 2253 Rayburn Bldg.

Senate Committees

Fiscal 2016 Defense Authorization: Navy Threat Capabilities
Senate Armed Services – Subcommittee on Seapower
Subcommittee Other Event
9:30 a.m., SVC-217 Capitol Visitor Center

NRC Fiscal 2016 Budget Request
Senate Environment and Public Works
Full Committee Oversight Hearing
10 a.m., 406 Dirksen Bldg.

American Food Aid
Senate Foreign Relations
Full Committee Hearing
9:30 a.m., Location TBA.

IRS and the Affordable Care Act
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 342 Dirksen Bldg.

Fiscal 2016 Defense Authorization: National Nuclear Security Administration
Senate Armed Services – Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
Subcommittee Hearing
2:30 p.m., 222 Russell Bldg.

Foreign Relations Issues
Senate Foreign Relations
Full Committee Business Meeting
2:15 p.m., S-116 Capitol Bldg.

IRS Impersonation Scam
Senate Special Aging
Full Committee Hearing
1:30 p.m., 562 Dirksen Bldg.

Joint Committees
Small Businesses and Taxes
Joint Economic Committee
Full Committee Hearing
2:30 p.m., G-50 Dirksen Bldg.

Thursday, April 16, 2015

House Committees

NRO Fiscal 2016 Budget
House Select Intelligence – Department of Defense Intelligence and Overhead Architecture Subcommittee
Subcommittee Hearing
9 a.m., HVC-304 Capitol Visitor Center

NGA Fiscal 2016 Budget
House Select Intelligence – Department of Defense Intelligence and Overhead Architecture Subcommittee
Subcommittee Hearing
10:15 a.m., HVC-304 Capitol Visitor Center

Veterans’ Affairs Legislation Markup
House Veterans’ Affairs – Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity
Subcommittee Markup
10 a.m., 334 Cannon Bldg.

Senate Committees

Fiscal 2016 Defense Authorization: Pacific Command, Korea Forces
Senate Armed Services
Full Committee Hearing
9:30 p.m., G-50 Dirksen Bldg.

Fiscal 2016 Appropriations: Military Construction, VA
Senate Appropriations – Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies
Subcommittee Hearing
April 16 TBA, 124 Dirksen Bldg.

2015 Energy Outlook
Senate Energy and Natural Resources
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 366 Dirksen Bldg.

This post was written with contributions from Kaitlyn McClure.