Up Next… Infrastructure.

Following the successful passage of its $1.9 trillion pandemic relief legislation, the American Rescue Plan (H.R. 1319), the Biden administration is setting the stage for an anticipated $3 trillion infrastructure, climate change, and education reform proposal that has already stoked heavy GOP opposition. Senate Minority Leader McConnell has described the proposal as a potential “Trojan horse for massive tax hikes and other job-killing left-wing policies.” As such, Democratic leaders are once again considering the budget reconciliation process to advance the package and avoid GOP filibuster.

PAYGO

Last Friday, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1868, 246-175, extending the temporary sequestration cuts freeze to Medicare provider reimbursement and waiver of statutory PAYGO rules. Alternatively, Senate Republicans aren’t ready to move on a deal. Absent Senate passage, the PAYGO rules will trigger nearly $381 billion in cuts over the next five years.

COVID-19 PULSE

Vaccines and Vaccinations

The Biden Administration set a new goal on Thursday to administer 200 million COVID-19 shots within his first 100 days after the initial “100 million shots in 100 days” goal was reached 42 days ahead of schedule on his 58^th day in office.

By Monday, the U.S. had administered 127 million vaccine doses and approximately 32 percent of adults had received at least one dose, according to the CDC. Currently, over 133 million doses have been administered.

States are beginning to make more people eligible to receive the doses. And states like Mississippi, West Virginia, and Alaska have already dismantled restrictions now making all adult residents eligible for vaccination. The Biden Administration has directed the remaining states to make all adults eligible by the first of May 2021.

The U.S. AstraZeneca trials studying 32,000 volunteers indicate that the two-dose vaccine is effective in preventing both mild and serious forms of the disease.  In an initial statement, the company said the vaccine, already approved in more than 70 countries, reduced symptomatic disease by 79 percent and severe Covid-19 and hospitalization by 100 percent. The company, however, updated the efficacy results on Wednesday, adjusting down to 76% but showing that efficacy rose from 80 percent to 85 percent for people over age 65. This adjustment came one day after AstraZeneca’s efficacy announcement from officials of the National Institute of Health’s Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) expressed concerns that the company may have included “outdated information” that provided an “incomplete view of the efficacy data.”

The AstraZeneca vaccine benefits include the ability to be transported and stored at normal refrigerator temperatures for at least six months. The drug will need emergency use authorization from the FDA. Last week, President Biden announced that the U.S. will donate 2.5 million doses of the vaccine to Mexico and another 1.5 million does to Canada.

New U.K. Variant:

This week began with reports from White House Chief Medical Advisor, Dr. Anthony Fauci, of the highly contagious U.K. variant accounting for up to 30 percent of new U.S. COVID-19 infections.

Congressional Affairs & New House Appropriations Subcommittee Deadlines

• Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA, and Related Agencies _ April 29^th
• Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies _ April 29^th
• Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies _ April 28^th
• Financial Services and General Government _ April 30^th
• Homeland Security _ April 30^th
• Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies _ April 30^th
• Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies _ April 28^th
• Legislative Branch _ April 29^th
• Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies _ April 28^th
• State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs _ April 28^th
• Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies _ April 30th

Nominations and Appointments

• Karen Gibson was sworn in on Monday as Senate Sergeant-At-Arms
• Marty Walsh was confirmed as Secretary of Labor on Thursday afternoon
• Shalanda Young’s nomination for Deputy Director of the OMB is currently being considered.
• The Senate is expected to vote at 2:15 pm on Friday afternoon on confirmation and on a motion to invoke cloture on Vivek Murthy’s nomination for Surgeon General. He previously held the position under the Obama administration.
• Rachel Levine was confirmed as assistant health secretary of HHS, making her the first openly transgender Senate-confirmed federal official
• David Turk as Deputy Secretary for the Department of Energy
• Adewale Adeyemo as Deputy Secretary for the Department of Treasury