House Republicans next week will take their first crack at creating a tax reform proposal, while Senate Republicans continue their behind-the-scenes work at finding a way to pass a healthcare reform bill.
The House Ways and Means Committee will hold the chamber’s first official tax reform hearing on Thursday, when lawmakers will hear witnesses propose tax reform policies that would improve economic growth, job creation and pay.
“Our hearing is an important step forward as we work with President Trump and our Senate colleagues on delivering historic pro-growth tax reform for the first time in 30 years,” said committee Chairman Kevin Brady, R-Texas.
The hearing earned a tweet of praise from Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who applauded the focus on economic growth and jobs, “as key goals of tax reform.”
The House effort to repeal tax reform is expected to move more aggressively now that GOP lawmakers passed a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare earlier this month. That bill is now in the Senate, where lawmakers are working on their own legislation to repeal and replace the troubled healthcare law.
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Senate Republicans will meet daily to work on a proposal that can win a majority of votes needed for passage. A smaller GOP healthcare working group made up of about 14 Republicans is also working on a healthcare deal and is expected to meet next week.
But there are no legislative votes scheduled yet for next week in the Senate.
While Republicans look to advance those longer-term goals, their more immediate focus will be on the fallout of President Trump’s decision to fire former FBI Director James Comey. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is expected to brief senators privately about Comey’s dismissal and the role he played in the decision.
The Rosenstein briefing was arranged at the request of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, whose Democratic caucus accused Trump of firing Comey in response to an investigation into alleged collusion between Russian operatives and the Trump campaign.
But the GOP will also have time to advance other priorities. In the House, lawmakers will vote on a bill that would authorize probation officers to arrest people who block them from performing their jobs.
The House will also take up a bill that would make killing law enforcement officers or other first responders an offense eligible for the death penalty.
And in the Senate, lawmakers will vote Monday to confirm Rachel Brand to the role of associate attorney general, and will also vote to advance Deputy Secretary of Transportation nominee Jeffrey Rosen.
