Pending Nominations
The House and Senate are both in session next week, but will recess the following week coinciding with Presidents Day. With the impeachment trial over, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has teed up a number of pending nominations for consideration.
FY21 Budget
President Trump will release his fiscal year 2021 budget on Monday. The budget is generally seen as the administration’s wishlist for Congress to consider for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins on October 1. Several congressional committees will begin hearings on the FY21 budget and appropriations next week.
President to Travel to India
President Trump is scheduled to travel to India the week of February 23 for an official state visit. He is expected to spend two days with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, as well as make a trip to the Taj Mahal. Central to this visit will be trade. The two leaders are expected to sign a limited trade deal, and Indian officials are likely to push Trump to restore the country’s preferential trade status, which would lower tariffs on a myriad of Indian exports.
Section 230 Workshop
DOJ will hold a Section 230 workshop on February 19 to discuss the law’s “expansive interpretation by the courts, its impact on the American people and business community, and whether improvements to the law should be made.” Following the workshop, which is open to the public, policy stakeholders will be invited to participate in listening sessions to further discuss the law and the impact that reforming it would have.
Comment Period Extended on Draft Vertical Merger Guidelines
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) are extending the February 11 deadline for comments on the draft Vertical Merger Guidelines. The deadline is now February 26. The FTC and DOJ also announced two upcoming joint public workshops on the Draft Vertical Merger Guidelines on March 11 and March 18.
Read more in McGuireWoods Consulting’s Emerging Technologies Washington Update.