Much of the discussion in Washington this week centered on Senate efforts to pass a companion to the House of Representatives' healthcare bill. The bill, known as the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017, was formally introduced on Thursday. It is currently unclear if there is enough support to pass the bill, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has previously said that he would like to have a vote before the end of July.
Efforts to pass the next Farm Bill continue to gather momentum. The House Agriculture Committee held multiple hearings on the subject this week. The policy decisions reflected in the next Farm Bill will affect farmers, along with many others, in the Mississippi River Basin and across the country.
Similarly, Congress continues to work towards passing a budget for FY18. There were several budget-related hearings this week, including for the Department of Energy and the Department of the Interior.
Finally, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining held a hearing on Wednesday about restoring landscapes and watersheds that stretch across state boundaries. Efforts to reform this process, should they ultimately be implemented as policy, could have a substantial impact on cross-boundary efforts in the Mississippi Basin region.
