PSW Weekly Round-Up - 12/19

Senate. While waiting to vote on the FY 2023 omnibus appropriations bill, the Senate will continue to consider nominations.

House. The House will not meet until Wednesday, at the earliest, with the schedule depending on when the Senate passes the omnibus appropriations bill. Members will be given 24-hours’ notice before being called back into session. The House plans to “stay in session until the omnibus is completed,” according to the House schedule. In addition to the omnibus, the House could also consider bills under suspension of the rules as well as other legislation.

House Committee Leadership. Republicans will postpone decisions on who will chair four House committees until next year, after the race for Speaker is settled. The four contested races are for the gavels at Ways and Means, Education and Labor, Homeland Security, and Budget. Decisions on the committee ratios and which members will serve on the committees will also be delayed until after the Speaker’s election. Democrats, meanwhile, voted 138-63 on Dec. 13 against a proposal that would have imposed a form of term limits on their chairs or ranking members. The Congressional Research Service has prepared a report on “The First Day of a New Congress: A Guide to Proceedings on the House Floor.”

Committee Action of Note

• Tuesday, December 20
  • House Ways and Means Committee Meeting: Consideration of documents protected under Internal Revenue Code section 6103 (Trump tax returns)

Political Update

Virginia Special Election. A special election will be held Feb. 21 in Virginia’s 4^th District to fill the seat of the late Rep. Donald McEachin (D). Democrats will hold a primary tomorrow to select their nominee, who is expected to prevail in the Feb. 21 vote. There are four candidates on the Democratic ballot, with state Senator Jennifer McClellan receiving the endorsement of party leaders and McEachin’s widow. On Saturday, Republicans chose Leon Benjamin to be their nominee in the special election.