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The holidays may be over, but the weather in D.C. reminds us that winter is still here. Between the snowstorm and the funeral of Jimmy Carter, it might not seem like a lot will get done in Washington this week. However, with the start of a new Congress and the incoming Trump administration, there is still a lot to dig into. So, let’s start digging. Welcome to the Week Ahead!
The Administration
Former Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) Director Brad Smith has reportedly taken a leadership role within the next administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) effort. CMMI has faced years of criticism that the center has failed to live up to its mandate to improve care quality and lower costs. Mr. Smith would be in a prime position to either protect the center he used to run, reform it, or help dismantle it in service of DOGE’s mission to find and eliminate spending it determines to be wasteful.
Mr. Smith’s involvement in DOGE could also have other implications for health care policy. For example, Mr. Smith might use DOGE to look into other areas of health care, such as Medicare Advantage (MA). MA has been under bipartisan attack in the last several years, and the timing couldn’t be more perfect given that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is set to finalize the Contract Year 2026 MA and Part D rule in the spring of 2025.
The Senate
The 119th Congress officially began on January 3, and at least one confirmation hearing is currently scheduled by the Armed Services Committee on January 14 to consider Pete Hegseth to be Secretary of Defense. We expect more noms hearings to be announced for next week as the Senate looks to get as many of President-elect Trump’s cabinet members as possible confirmed by January 20.
We also now have a full picture of the committee assignments for Republican and Democratic Senators in the 119th Congress, including the following new members:
- Senate Finance Committee: Sens. Roger Marshall (R-KS), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Tina Smith (D-MN), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and Peter Welch (D-VT).
- Senate HELP Committee: Sens. Jim Banks (R-IN), Tim Scott (R-SC), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD).
- Senate Appropriations Committee: Sens. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Jon Ossoff (D-GA).
The House
President-elect Trump gave Speaker Johnson a belated Christmas gift this year when he reached out on the Speaker’s behalf to swing two defectors to support Johnson in his successful bid to retain the speakership. Speaker Johnson and his leadership team still has very slim margins to work with, especially until the special elections fill vacant seats held by Republicans heading to the administration.
Already, it’s been reported that Speaker Johnson told members of his caucus that President-elect Trump wants to see Congress pass “one big, beautiful bill” for reconciliation instead of the two-bill strategy that the House Freedom Caucus and others have previously endorsed. Trump weighing on House matters caused quite the headache for the Speaker to complete a government funding patch in December, so expect to see more intraparty, inter-chamber squabbling this year.
There You Have It
Politics often gets compared with entertainment especially in an age where members of Congress have their own podcasts. But on January 5, we saw a different kind of entertainment with the 2025 Golden Globes. Did your favorites win? Which ones surprised you? Let us know. Make it a great week!
Florida’s growing influence in U.S. politics is becoming more apparent with the new appointments from the incoming Trump administration and leadership positions in Congress. With several key nominees from the state and a strong presence in congressional committee chairs, the compass needle with respect to funding and policy control is swinging toward the sunshine state.
Floridians in the Trump Administration
While it is well-known that President-elect Trump hails from Florida, it is not as well publicized that many of his cabinet position picks also hail from the Sunshine State, contributing to Florida’s emerging role as a political hub.
Some of the Florida notables nominated include Senator Mark Rubio for Secretary of State, Pam Bondi to lead Veterans’ Affairs, Dr. Mehmet Oz to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) and Mike Waltz to serve as the future National Security Advisor. Other Floridians nominated include:
- Janette Nesheiwat – Surgeon General
- Todd Blanche – Deputy Attorney General
- Dr. Dave Weldon – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Jared Isaacman – NASA
- Jay Bhattacharya – National Institutes of Health
- Paul Atkins – SEC Chairman
- Susie Wiles – White House Chief of Staff
In addition, while not from Florida, Trump’s nominee to head Health and Human Services (HHS), Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has strong political and family ties to the state.
Florida’s Power in Congressional Committees
Florida’s influence extends beyond the executive branch and into the legislative branch, where the state just gained a new committee chairmanship. Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) who represents the Treasure Coast be the next chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Rep. Mast edged out more senior members like Rep. Joe Willson (R-SC) and Darrell Issa (R-CA) for the position.
Other powerful Floridians in the House include Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) who is a senior member of the influential House Appropriations Committee. On the Democratic side, Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL) is also a high-ranking member on the House Appropriations Committee.
Florida’s Growing Political Influence
As Florida continues to increase its influence within the Trump administration and on Capitol Hill, its political power is becoming undeniable. Trump has chosen to remain in the state after his election victory, coming to Washington only once to meet with President Joe Biden at the White House and speak with House Republicans near Capitol Hill. It is also likely that Trump will continue to spend his downtime in Florida after the election, as he did in his first term.
This power nexus will likely lead to Florida policies gaining a more central role in federal policy consideration, most likely through issues related to immigration and health care. For example, will Florida’s law that hospitals are required report undocumented immigrants seeking care to authorities w be elevated to a national level? Will the Trump Administration look to adopt Florida state provisions penalizing companies for hiring undocumented workers? The Florida Policy Institute estimated that Florida’s state economy lost $12.6 billion one year after the bill signing, so these policies could have a large effect on the national economy if enacted at the federal level.
Meanwhile, Florida’s health care laws might begin to gain a wider audience at the national level. Florida’s sweeping 2023 bill restricting gender-affirming care might rise to the national level. The law contains provisions that ban all gender-affirming care for persons 18 or younger. The law also prohibits gender-affirming care for adults in many ways as well, the including provision that prohibits physicians from prescribing sex-reassignment medications to adults via telemedicine.
Looking at the mix of influential lawmakers, strategic appointments, and high-profile state leaders, it seems Florida is firmly positioned to be a central player in national policy-making in the years ahead. Whether it’s through its political leadership in Washington or the success of its state government, Florida’s rise is shaping the political landscape for the future.
It’s the week before Christmas, and all over Capitol Hill, members are racing to reach a government funding deal. And as 2025 approaches, we are also tracking activity of President-elect Trump’s nominees and advisors related to health care. So, let’s get into it; welcome to the Week Ahead!
The Administration
In a December 4 interview on CNBC, Vivek Ramaswamy shared his thoughts about his plans as a co-leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). In that interview, Mr. Ramaswamy shared how getting rid of improper payments in Medicare and Medicaid could help save hundreds of billions of dollars.
Both Republican and Democratic administrations have talked about saving Medicare and Medicaid dollars through various plans in the past. From changing how services are paid for under Medicare to how federal dollars are distributed to state Medicaid plans, there is no shortage of ideas. But the question is, will DOGE be different, and will the Trump administration take heat for proposing ideas that could be seen as cutting the programs?
The Senate
If you walk into any of the Senate office buildings these days, you will likely find more than mice stirring. You may even see some of President-elect Trump’s nominees, such as the nominee for Health and Human Services (HHS) RFK Jr. The pro-choice, former Democrat truly embodies the unconventional vibes we are already feeling from Team Trump 2.0.
RFK Jr. is set to meet with Senators this week. Can he win the votes of certain GOP senators who reportedly have concerns, such as Sens. Collins (R-ME), Murkowski (R-AK), and Cassidy (R-LA)? (https://www.magiklights.com/) Might his views on the health of the nation’s food and skepticism towards big pharma sway any Democrats who have the same concerns? We consistently see Republicans trying to get to “yes” with the President-elect’s nominees and Democrats holding the lines on their concerns.
And don’t forget to watch Dr. Oz (and we aren’t talking about reruns). Even though much of the focus has been on cabinet-level nominees, Dr. Oz would have a lot of power if confirmed as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator (especially if DOGE starts looking at Medicare and Medicaid).
The House
All of Washington is checking their inboxes with care, with hopes that news of the continuing resolution text will soon be there. House Republicans and Democrats are still working on getting that deal (and themselves) out the door, but they have made a deal on another important question: what the House committee ratios will be in the 119th Congress.
According to a December 13 Dear Colleague letter from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), that agreement will keep the ratios similar to the 118th Congress with some notable exceptions:
- Republicans and Democrats will both gain a seat on Appropriations, Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Ways and Means.
- Armed Services will decrease proportionally by 1 seat.
- Education and the Workforce will decrease proportionally by 4 seats.
The Chairs announced the 4 Republican members joining Ways and Means and the 9 Republican members joining Energy and Commerce. Democrats will be looking for current members who previously served on that body to fill their 2 open seats on Ways and Means, according to Leader Jeffries. We are still waiting to hear about who will fill the 5 open Democratic seats on Energy and Commerce. Democratic Members who have expressed interest so far include Reps. Deborah Ross (NC), Melanie Stansbury (NM), Kevin Mullin (CA), Jennifer McClellan (VA), and Gabe Amo (RI).
Also happening this week: The House Veterans’ Affairs Health Subcommittee will hold a legislative hearing on several pieces of legislation at 2:30 PM EST on Tuesday, December 17.
There You Have It
With the holiday season in full swing, our team’s been talking about our families’ holiday traditions, and we want to hear about yours. So let us know, and make it a great week!
