Washington Watch - November 20. 2019

In this issue of Washington Watch, read about Impeachment Proceedings, Open Enrollment and Small Business Saturday.

House Formally Initiates Impeachment Proceedings

On October 31, 2019, voted to approve the rules governing the next steps in the impeachment inquiry. The resolution authorizes the US House of Representatives to begin public hearings and lays out the rules in which the House Judiciary Committee will follow during this inquiry, the vote passed 232 to 196. Two Democrats voted for the measure. Rep. Justin Amash (MI-I), who until this summer caucused with the Republicans, voted with the Democrats for passage of the resolutions. Three Republicans and one Democrat did not cast a vote.

Prior to Thursday, the House has only formally pursued impeachment just three other times: Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon. Two, Johnson and Clinton, were impeached by the House but acquitted by the US Senate. President Nixon resigned prior to the Senate trial.

The resolution approved by the House, directs the House Intelligence Committee to hold public hearings and craft a report to be delivered to the Judiciary Committee. The Judiciary Committee would be responsible for drafting any eventual articles of impeachment.

The issue of impeachment is incredibly partisan and continues to amplify the divide between Trump supporters and non-supporters, according to recent research by Pew.

You can learn more about the history of impeachment, here.

NASE Continues to Advocate for Open Enrollment

In an op-ed published on Fox Business, NASE President and CEO Keith Hall, continued to advocate for the self-employed to be informed consumers in their purchase of health insurance.

“During this year’s open enrollment season, which runs until December 15, it’s critical that entrepreneurs take time to closely review their current health insurance policy and determine how changes for next year’s plans will impact their bottom-lines. In the end, the time investment now could reap big savings – while ignoring it could result in heavy costs - throughout the next year.”

“The most important thing to remember is that you only have a limited amount of time to review and make those decisions. You must complete your new or renewal application by December 15  in order for your health insurance coverage to begin on January 1, 2020. If you miss this deadline, you will not be able to sign up for a marketplace health plan until November 1, 2020, a full year from now.”

Read the full article here.

Ready to Shop Small on Small Business Saturday- November 30?

This year the “Small Business Saturday” initiative will celebrate 10 years of connecting millions of Americans to the small, local business in their community.

At the NASE, we encourage you to support your local businesses on Saturday, November 30, as we gear up for the December holidays.

As you visit your favorite small business, please post to social media using the hashtags #NASE #SmallBizSat to show your small business Saturday pride!