Capitol agenda: Parallel pushes for an 11th-hour health deal

Rank-and-file dealmakers in both chambers are making last-ditch attempts to extend key Obamacare subsidies this week, even as it becomes crystal clear the subsidies will expire first.

House GOP moderates are hashing out what sort of extension to offer as an amendment at Tuesday afternoon’s Rules meeting — even as they signal they will fall in line with Speaker Mike Johnson’s health care plan whether they get a vote or not. A bipartisan Senate group is working simultaneously toward an extension framework that they hope to announce by the end of the week, while acknowledging it won’t get a vote till next year.

Here’s where the mod movement in each chamber stands.

— In the House: Majority Leader Steve Scalise said Monday night there’s no “final decision” on putting a subsidy extension amendment on the floor. Tuesday morning’s GOP Conference meeting could get heated as frustrated moderates — who call a subsidy extension omission “a huge mistake” — make their last plea for a vote.

But they face a huge obstacle at the 2 p.m. Rules meeting Tuesday, where Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and other moderates are unlikely to get a warm welcome from the panel’s conservative hard-liners, who are firmly against extending Obamacare in any form.

The moderates could pull a page out of the Freedom Caucus playbook and threaten to tank the rule or the underlying bill in return, but that does not appear to be in the cards: “I wouldn’t vote against it in protest,” Fitzpatrick said.

— In the Senate: Meanwhile, nearly two dozen senators convened by Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) discussed issuing a roadmap this week toward a bipartisan deal.

The rough framework under discussion would pair a two-year subsidy extension with a new income eligibility cap and fraud prevention language. A potential extension of open enrollment for Obamacare exchanges and possible restrictions on abortion funding also remain under consideration.

That’s similar to Fitzpatrick’s proposal in the House, but the two efforts so far are entirely parallel. There is some hope they might eventually converge: Rank-and-file senators are invited to join a Problem Solvers Caucus meeting Fitzpatrick is hosting Wednesday to discuss a joint effort.

But this much is clear: The Dec. 31 deadline for the subsidies is certain to come and go.

“The calendar precludes getting something done this week,” Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) told reporters. “But, still, a commitment to work together is a lot of progress.”

What else we’re watching:   

— Boat strikes oversight: The Pentagon will make video of the Sept. 2 strikes on an alleged drug boat leaving Venezuela available to all members of the House and Senate Armed Services committees later this week, a White House official said. It’s only been shown thus far to the Gang of Eight leaders as well as top members of the Armed Services and Defense Appropriations panels.

— Approps movement in the Senate: Senate Republicans are getting close to reaching agreement within their own ranks to move a five-bill spending package before they leave for the holiday recess. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) said that he and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) are in discussions with GOP leaders to get a vote stripping earmarks out of the package and potentially also an amendment related to balancing the budget.

— SPEED Act speeds through: The House GOP’s flagship legislation to speed up federal permitting for energy projects is on track for the chamber floor after House Rules agreed to allow amendment votes demanded by conservative hard-liners — including three from foes of offshore wind, who had otherwise threatened to oppose the measure. One of those amendments would strip language that would limit the president's power to revoke approved permits for energy projects.

Meredith Lee Hill, Jordain Carney, Jennifer Scholtes and Josh Siegel contributed to this report.