01/13/14 - Washington Update Conference Call Monday, January 13, 2014 (11am - 12pm US/Eastern)

The registration period for this meeting has ended.

Call Time: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (EST)

This is a member-only call. The slides for this call are posted below.

Happy New Year and welcome back for the year’s first installment of ERIC’s monthly Washington Update conference calls.

Congress returns this week after breaking for the holidays where it must approve a funding bill to keep the government operating past January 15. Prior to recessing, Congress approved and the President signed a joint resolution setting the discretionary budget levels for fiscal years 2014 and 2015 that, unfortunately, included an increase in PBGC premiums.

One of the biggest developments over the past month involved an announcement by President Obama of his intent to nominate Senator Max Baucus as Ambassador to China. Baucus, who is currently Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, had been pushing forward on efforts to reform the tax code before he retired at the end of this Congress. With that announcement, tax reform appears to be dead for the year, but Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), who most likely will replace Baucus as Chairman, has his own ideas for tax reform.

ERIC recently submitted comments to HHS urging the agency to ensure that the method for computing the transitional reinsurance fee under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) not impose unnecessary administrative burdens on employers, and that the fee be applied on a fair and impartial basis. Meanwhile, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor temporarily enjoined the Obama Administration from enforcing the contraceptive coverage mandate under the ACA against the Little Sisters of the Poor, as similar cases around the country continue to pile up.

Join us on Monday, January 13 to hear from ERIC's Health and Retirement staff for an update on these and other legislative, regulatory and legal developments.

To register for the call, click on the "Register Now" link at the top of this page (you will need your username and password to register).

If you are a prospective member and would like to participate in the call, please contact ERIC at 202-789-1400 or e-mail: memberservices@eric.org.

Related Files:

Washington Update Slides (January 2014)