IGNITE! Public Policy and Advocacy Newsletter - November 13, 2018

Autism Society Public Policy and Advocacy Newsletter - November 13, 2018

IGNITE! Post-Midterm Election Results / Impact on Leadership and Policy   Democrats claimed control of the House of Representatives while Republicans may increase their Senate majority as a result of the midterm elections last Tuesday. So far, the House gained at least 39 seats to win the majority; there are at least 227 Democrats and 198 Republicans, with several races outstanding. It takes 218 seats to claim the majority. See an updated interactive map in The New York Times. In the Senate, Republicans retained the majority with 51 Republicans and may have extended it; Democrats have 47 members. Two races (FL and MS) were still undecided when this report was published. Note that it still takes 60 votes to break a filibuster, except for all judicial nominations that only require a simple majority (51 votes). Several House and Senate races were too close to call as this issue of Ignite went to press. The party that has the majority of members in the House or Senate has substantial power to set the agenda, chair committees, and decide what bills will be considered for hearings and markups. The majority also has more members on each of the committees. The House has significant authority over appropriations and oversight of existing laws and regulations as well as oversight over the executive branch in general. Importantly, the election results mean that Congress will be less likely to consider efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act or to cut and make fundamental changes to the Medicaid program, efforts that consumed a lot of time in the current Congress.  It is unclear how much can be done in a divided Congress. With continued ideological differences and partisanship we could see ongoing gridlock. We hope, instead, that the new balance of power will lead to more opportunities for bipartisan action.  Following is a brief, initial analysis of changes we can expect in House and Senate committee leadership and their impact on policy.   Please read the entire issue here.

unsubscribe  |    |  Visit our web site  |  Twitter |  Donate Autism Society 4340 East West Hwy Ste 350 Bethesda, MD 20814 United States