Both the House and Senate are in this week.
The House plans to vote on Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) proposal for raising the debt limit, which was published last week. The plan would increase the debt ceiling by $1.5 trillion, enough to delay any default on U.S. payments until March 31, 2024. It would also expand work requirements under several social safety net programs, streamline energy permitting, cancel most of the funding provided last year to the IRS in the tax and climate law, and repeal various clean energy tax credits. Although Democrats have criticized the proposal as a partisan wish list, McCarthy is hoping that passage of the measure by the House will cause President Biden to reengage in discussions to resolve the debt limit stalemate as part of a larger debate on fiscal policy.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has publicly stated that the package is dead on arrival in the upper chamber, but Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) has praised McCarthy “for putting forward a proposal that would prevent default and rein in federal spending.” Manchin is up for reelection in 2024 in a heavily Republican state and has been openly critical of President Biden for not doing more to negotiate with House Republicans to reach a compromise on the debt limit. McCarthy publicly stated over the weekend that Republicans will pass the legislation this week but did not say whether he has secured the necessary 218 votes for that to happen.
Additionally, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) remains out due to an ongoing case of the shingles. Her absence from the Judiciary Committee denies Senate Democrats a functional majority on that committee, which they need to move judicial nominees to the floor absent bipartisan support. So far, Republicans have withheld support for appointing a temporary replacement for a seat on the committee.
Administration
President Biden is expected to announce his official reelection campaign on Tuesday. Then on Thursday, he will host South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at the White House. Finally, the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner will take place on Saturday.
Separately, Susan Rice, domestic policy advisor in the White House, will announce today that she is stepping down.
House Side
On Tuesday, the House will meet to consider multiple bills under suspension.
- Bills expected under suspension of the rules
- H.R. 675 – Secure Space Act, as amended (Rep. Pallone – Energy and Commerce). The legislation would bar the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from granting a license for orbiting satellite systems or earth stations to entities that pose a national security risk.
- H.R. 1339 – Precision Agriculture Satellite Connectivity Act (Rep. Latta – Energy and Commerce). The legislation would require the FCC to review rules related to satellite services to determine if any changes could be implemented to promote precision agriculture, a farming strategy that uses technology to manage production.
- H.R. 1343 – Institute for Telecommunication Sciences Codification Act (Rep. Earl Carter – Energy and Commerce). The bill would require the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences to establish an initiative to develop emergency communication and tracking technologies to locate individuals trapped in confined spaces.
- H.R. 1353 – Advanced, Local Emergency Response Telecommunications Parity Act, as amended (Rep. Bill Johnson – Energy and Commerce). The measure would require the FCC to provide public safety alerts and emergency information using spectrum in areas without those services.
- H.Res. 90 – Demanding that the government of the People’s Republic of China and the Communist Party of China immediately release Mark Swidan, as amended (Rep. Cloud – Foreign Affairs).
- H.Res. 311 – Encouraging the expansion and strengthening of the Abraham Accords to urge other nations to normalize relations with Israel and ensure that existing agreements reap tangible security and economic benefits for the citizens of those countries and all peoples in the region (Rep. Wagner – Foreign Affairs).
Wednesday – Friday, the House is scheduled to meet for legislative business.
- Bills expected under a rule
- H.R.___ – Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023 (Rep. Arrington – Budget). The legislation would raise the federal debt ceiling by $1.5 trillion or until the end of next March. The measure would reduce discretionary spending by $130 billion for fiscal 2024 and limit future increases to 1% a year for a decade.
- H.J.Res. 39 – Disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of Commerce relating to “Procedures Covering Suspension of Liquidation, Duties, and Estimated Duties in Accord with Presidential Proclamation 10414” (Rep. Posey – Ways and Means). The resolution would repeal the Biden Administration’s two-year suspension of tariffs on solar panels from Southeast Asia.
- Possible Consideration of H.Con.Res. 30 – Directing the President, pursuant to Section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, to remove all U.S. Armed Forces, other than U.S. Armed Forces assigned to protect the U.S. Embassy, from Somalia (Rep. Gaetz – Foreign Affairs).
Senate Side
On Tuesday, the Senate will resume consideration of the nomination of Joshua Jacobs to be undersecretary for benefits at the Veterans Affairs Department.
Additionally, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is planning a procedural vote on legislation (S. 326) that would direct the Veterans Affairs Department to study the effects of cannabis use on veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder or chronic pain.
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