PSW Weekly Round-Up - 6/21

Legislative Update

House. Among the measures to be considered by the House are three resolutions of disapproval to reverse regulatory actions taken by the Trump administration. The three measures, which have all been passed by the Senate, would overturn an EPA rule on methane emissions, a ruling by the Comptroller of the Currency dealing with predatory lenders, and an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission rule regarding discriminatory practices.

Senate. The most newsworthy piece of legislation on the Senate agenda this week is the For the People Act, an election reform bill that would set national standards for election laws, including no-excuse-needed mail-in voting and automatic voter registration, and require new campaign finance disclosures. On Tuesday, the Senate will hold a cloture vote on the motion to proceed, but the vote will fall short of the 60 votes needed to invoke cloture.

Congressional Schedule. After Senators take their last vote of the week on Thursday, they will begin a two-week Independence Day recess that ends when they reconvene on Monday, July 12. The House will be in session through July 1 and then recess until July 19. The week of July 12 will be a committee work week. The House is scheduled to begin its August recess after final votes on July 30, while the Senate plans to be in session an additional week, through Aug. 6. There is already talk that the beginning of the recess could slip to later in the month.

Appropriations. The House Appropriations Committee last week released its schedule for consideration of the 12 spending bills for the upcoming 2022 fiscal year. The markups in subcommittees and full committee begin June 24 and wrap up on July 16. This week’s subcommittee markups include two bills on Thursday (Financial Services/General Government and Legislative Branch) and two on Friday (Agriculture/Rural Development/FDA and Military Construction/VA).

While the House Democratic leadership foresees floor consideration of most of the 12 measures in July, a continuing resolution will be needed by Sept. 30 to avoid a government shutdown. If you’re interested in “an annotated list of historical documents and other resources related to several past government shutdowns,” the Congressional Research Service has just such a report. The longest shutdown was 35 days, beginning at the end of the day on Dec. 21, 2018.

Committee Action of Note:

• Tuesday, June 22:
  • Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Subcommittee on Rural Development and Energy Hearing to examine renewable energy, focusing on growth and opportunities for rural economies.
  • Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Hearing to examine vaccines, focusing on America's shot at ending the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee Hearing to examine the nominations of Brian Nelson to be Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Crimes, and Elizabeth Rosenberg to be Assistant Secretary for Terrorism Financing, both of the Department of the Treasury.
  • House Oversight and Reform Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis Hybrid Hearing on “Lessons Learned: The Federal Reserve’s Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic.”
  • Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness Hearing to examine the strategic benefits of a multilateral approach to trade policy in the Asia-Pacific region.

• Wednesday, June 23:
  • House Natural Resources Committee Hearing: "Examining the Department of the Interior’s Spending Priorities and the President’s Fiscal Year Budget 2022 Proposal."
  • House Judiciary Committee Markup of H.R. 3843, the “Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2021”; H.R. 3460, the “State Antitrust Enforcement Venue Act of 2021”; H.R. 3849, the “Augmenting Compatibility and Competition by Enabling Service Switching Act of 2021” or the “ACCESS Act of 2021”; H.R. 3826, the “Platform Competition and Opportunity Act of 2021”; H.R. 3816, the “American Choice and Innovation Online Act”; and H.R. 3825, the “Ending Platform Monopolies Act”.
  • House Education and Labor Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Hearing: Examining Pathways to Build a Stronger, More Inclusive Retirement System.
  • Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy Hearing to examine existing programs and future opportunities to ensure access to affordable, reliable, and clean energy for rural and low-income communities.
  • Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government Hearing to examine proposed budget estimates and justification for fiscal year 2022 for the Department of the Treasury.
  • Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations, and Innovation Hearing to examine aviation infrastructure for the 21st century.
  • Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Policy Hearing to examine the role of childcare in an equitable post-pandemic economy.

• Thursday, June 24:
  • Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Hearing to examine the infrastructure needs of the U.S. energy sector, western water, and public lands, including an original bill to invest in the energy and outdoor infrastructure of the United States to deploy new and innovative technologies, update existing infrastructure to be reliable and resilient, and secure energy infrastructure against physical and cyber threats.
  • House Oversight and Reform Committee Hearing: “Leading by Example: The Need for Comprehensive Paid Leave for the Federal Workforce and Beyond.”
  • House Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Research and Technology Hearing: Plastic Waste Reduction and Recycling Research: Moving from Staggering Statistics to Sustainable Systems.
  • Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Hearing to examine the nominations of Jennifer L. Homendy to be Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, Karen Jean Hedlund to be a Member of the Surface Transportation Board, and Robert Hampshire, Christopher Coes, and Carol Annette (Annie) Petsonk to be Assistant Secretaries of Transportation.
  • Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee Hearing to examine bipartisan bills to increase access to housing.
  • House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health Hearing: “Empowered by Data: Legislation to Advance Equity and Public Health.”
  • Senate Finance Committee Hearing to examine the nominations of Sarah Bianchi to be Deputy United States Trade Representative (Asia, Africa, Investment, Services, Textiles, and Industrial Competitiveness), with the rank of Ambassador, Jayme Ray White to be a Deputy United States Trade Representative (Western Hemisphere, Europe, the Middle East, Labor, and Environment), with the rank of Ambassador, and Melanie Anne Egorin to be an Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services.
  • House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment Hearing: “President Biden’s Fiscal Year 2022 Budget Request: Agency Policies and Perspectives (Part I).”
  • House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government Markup of FY 2022 Spending Bill.

• Friday, June 25:
  • House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Markup of FY 2022 Spending Bill.
  • House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Markup of FY 2022 Spending Bill.