Representative Raul Ruiz (D-CA) discusses health care reform efforts, Wilson Center's Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera discusses immigration issues, and Representative Steve Russell (R-OK) discusses key issues facing Congress.
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and IRS Commissioner John Koskinen testify on the Treasury Department FY 2018 budget before a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee.
The House has completed general debate on what's called the "minibus" bill, combining four of the 12 annual spending bills for 2018 - Defense, Energy-Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction-VA. Republicans focused on the spending increases in Defense and Energy programs. The bill increases overall defense spending by $72.5 billion and cuts non-defense spending by $5 billion. But as Democrats pointed out, sequestration will knock defense spending down by 13% or $72 billion in January because sequestration rquires defense and non-defense spending to increase at the same level unless Congress passes a new budget agreement before January.
Justice Department officials, including the agency's inspector general, testified at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on foreign agent registration requirements. Inspector General Michael Horowitz detailed a review his office conducted of the Justice Department's enforcement of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), and outlined recommendations made for better practices, including potential new legislation from Congress. Two panels were originally scheduled to testify, but Democrats invoked the "two-hour rule," so the second panel was re-scheduled for the following day.
The House has completed general debate on what's called the "minibus" bill, combining four of the 12 annual spending bills for 2018 - Defense, Energy-Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction-VA. Republicans focused on the spending increases in Defense and Energy programs. The bill increases overall defense spending by $72.5 billion and cuts non-defense spending by $5 billion. But as Democrats pointed out, sequestration will knock defense spending down by 13% or $72 billion in January because sequestration rquires defense and non-defense spending to increase at the same level unless Congress passes a new budget agreement before January.
Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) talked to C-SPAN about being a new member of Congress, his family and community in Louisiana's 4th Congressional District, and who he looks to for advice and mentorship, including House majority whip and fellow Louisianian Steve Scalise.
Transgender Equality Task Force Chair Rep. Joe Kennedy (D-MA) was joined by members of the LGBT Equality Caucus and LGBT advocates at a press conference where they decried President Trump's announcement on Twitter that the U.S. military would no longer "accept or allow" transgender service members. The lawmakers and advocates said the decision was shortsighted and discriminatory, and vowed to defend the rights of transgender service members and veterans.
