October 12, 2018
Greetings!
Both the House and Senate have officially recessed until after the midterm elections which means TWIW will be taking a brief recess too. If there is any breaking news from the Administration that we feel is relevant to you, our readers, we will follow up with a special TWIW bulletin. Otherwise, expect us to return to your inboxes on Friday, November 16 with updates on several of the items we are still tracking below (see Watchlist) and more.

Don't forget you can also keep up with us on Twitter or connect with us through our website!
Watchlist
Government Funding
As previously reported, the President signed a spending package ( H.R. 6157 ) which authorizes funding for the Defense and Labor-Health and Human Services-Education departments. The two-bill package included a continuing resolution (CR) which is providing short-term funding for agencies included in unfunded spending bills. Lawmakers must complete work on the seven remaining spending bills before the CR expires on December 7th or pass another CR to avoid a government shutdown.

Check out our detailed overview of the Defense and Labor-Health and Human Services-Education spending bills and CR.  
Farm Bill
The 2018 Farm Bill, which would reauthorize the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), remains at a standstill. Current authorization for the Farm Bill programs ended on September 30, 2018, however, because SNAP is funded through appropriations and is part of permanent law, the program can continue to operate at the current-law funding level. In addition, the recent continuing resolution allows certain mandatory benefit payments—such as SNAP—to be paid for up to 30 days after its funding expires.
Immigration: Public Charge
On Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)  released a notice of proposed rule-making (NPRM) in the Federal Register that would—among other things—expand the factors immigration officials consider when making a “public charge” inadmissibility determination. The public charge statute requires immigration officials to determine whether an individual seeking admission into the United States as a nonimmigrant or as an immigrant, or seeks adjustment of status, is likely to become a public charge at any time. 
Tax Reform
In September, the House of Representatives passed three bills collectively referred to as Tax Reform 2.0: the  Protecting Family and Small Business Tax Cuts Act of 2018 ; the  Family Savings Act of 2018 ; and the  American Innovation Act of 2018.

The House passed these bills right before recessing early — exactly five weeks before midterm elections. The Senate, however, has not expressed any interest in debating and voting on these bills due to the lack of bipartisan support.
Opioids
As noted in last week’s edition of TWIW, Congress has passed comprehensive opioid legislation ( H.R. 6 ) and has sent it to the President for his signature. At the time of publication, the President has yet to sign the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act into law, although he is expected to do so soon. 
Healthcare
In a 50-50 vote on Wednesday, the Senate rejected S.J.Res 63 , a Resolution Providing for Congressional Disapproval of Final Rule on Short-Term, Limited Duration Plans.
Reports & Resources