Below is this week’s congressional update by BakerHostetler’s Federal Policy team. We’ll continue to post in weeks when both chambers of Congress are in session.

HEADLINES

• Congress last week managed to keep the government open and reauthorize federal transportation programs for the near term, but little else was resolved, and this week Democrats continue to struggle to find a path forward on President Joe Biden’s domestic agenda.
• The more urgent deadline now is addressing the debt ceiling. How Congress will do so remains a mystery, despite Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s warning that it must happen within the next two weeks.
• Biden plans to travel the country this week to drive public support for both his agenda and his administration’s efforts to fight COVID-19.

HOUSE

• The House is in a committee work week; no votes are currently scheduled until later this month.
• The Financial Services Committee on Tuesday will hold an oversight hearing with Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Gary Gensler.
• The Energy and Commerce Communications and Technology Subcommittee on Wednesday will hold a legislative hearing on strengthening telecommunications infrastructure.
• The full list of this week’s House committee activity can be found here.

SENATE

• Senate Democrats this week plan to vote on a House-passed bill to raise the debt ceiling, but the effort is expected to be blocked by Republicans, who instead want to force Democrats to use a more politically painful budget procedure to increase the government’s borrowing authority.
• Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen will testify Tuesday at a Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security hearing on protecting kids online.
• The Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing Tuesday on the Violence Against Women Act with Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco as the headlining witness.
• The current list of Senate committee activity can be found here.

WHITE HOUSE

• Biden will travel to Michigan tomorrow aiming to build public support for passage of his agenda.
• The president over the weekend pledged to “work like hell” to advance his twin bills to shore up the nation’s infrastructure and increase taxes and safety net spending.
• On Friday, Biden plans to speak about the September jobs report.