With the Republican sweep in the election, the sense is Pensions. The Senate could consider the Retirement the lame-duck legislative agenda will be minimalist, with Enhancement and Savings Act, a package of measures Republicans having little motivation to engage in other affecting multiple-employer pension plans, 401(k) plans business aside from funding the government beyond and annuities, which was approved on a unanimous vote December 9. Congress returns the week of November 14 by the Senate Finance Committee on September 21. The for organizational meetings and then departs again for committee also approved the Miners Protection Act, which Thanksgiving week, leaving lawmakers only a couple of would fund retiree health and pension benefits for coal weeks to finish their legislative business. Other miners, which a majority of the committee’s Republican possibilities include: a defense authorization bill; the members opposed. conference report for an omnibus energy bill; the “21 ; ; ; oo. Century Cures” bill increasing funds for medical research Health. One of the top Republican legislative priorities for and accelerating drug approvals; the Water Resources the lame-duck session is the 21* Century Cures bill, a Development Act (WRDA), which would also carry money package of measures intended to spur new medical to address the drinking-water crisis in Flint, Michigan; tax treatments and boost funding for the National Institutes of extenders provisions; and retirement savings measures. Health, the FDA, and White House initiativessuch as — “precision medicine” and the Cancer Moonshot. Questions Government Funding. Under the stopgap continuing remain in both the House and Senate over how to pay for resolution (CR) cleared on September 28, funding for the the bill and the size of the funding increases, but Senator government will expire on December 9. Only one of the McConnell has said the bill “could end up being the most 12 fiscal2017 appropriations bills has been sent