PSW Weekly Round-Up - 6/3

Legislative Update

House. This evening, Vince Fong (R) will be sworn in to fill the seat of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), bringing the party breakdown to 218 Republicans, 213 Democrats, and four vacancies. However, three Democrats are likely to miss upcoming floor votes. Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who announced in April that he had been diagnosed with cancer, may not be back full-time until the fall; Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Pa.) suffered a minor stroke in late May and anticipates he will return in six weeks; and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Tex.) announced today that she will miss time on Capitol Hill as she undergoes treatment for pancreatic cancer.

As for the legislative schedule, the House plans to vote this week on its first FY 2025 spending bill – the Military Construction/Veterans Affairs appropriations bill. The House will recess for the week after votes on Wednesday.

Senate. Like the House, the Senate will not be in session on Thursday and Friday. Prior to recessing, the Senate will continue to consider nominations and will vote Wednesday on the Right to Contraception Act, which would guarantee the legal right for individuals to get and use contraception and for health care providers to provide contraception, information, referrals and services related to contraception.

Committee Action of Note

Tuesday, June 4

• Senate Appropriations Committee FY25 Budget Hearings:
  • Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government: Request for the U.S. Department of the Treasury
  • Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies: Request for the Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade Hearing: “Pathways to Farming: Helping the Next Generation of Farmers”
• Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee markup to consider nominations to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
• House Appropriations Committee Markups:
  • Subcommittee on Homeland Security FY25 Bill
  • Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs FY25 Bill
• House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Hearing: “Powering AI: Examining America’s Energy and Technology Future”
• House Judiciary Committee Hearing: “Oversight of the U.S. Department of Justice” with U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland
• House Small Business Committee Hearing: “Weaponizing Federal Resources: Exposing the SBA’s Voter Registration Efforts”
• House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Federal Lands Hearing: “Examining the President’s FY25 Budget Request for the U.S. Forest Service”
• House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Hearing to review various measures, including:
  • H.R. 6395, “Recognizing the Importance of Critical Minerals in Healthcare Act of 2023”;
  • H.R. 8446, to amend the Energy Act of 2020 to include critical minerals in the definition of critical mineral, and for other purposes; and
  • H.R. 8450, “Phosphate and Potash Protection Act of 2024”
• House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Hearing: “Oversight of 340B Drug Pricing Program”
• House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security Hearing: “The Social Security Trust Funds in 2024 and Beyond”
• House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security Hearing: “Combatting the Grey Zone: Examining Chinese Threats to the Maritime Domain”
• House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Hearing: “Biden’s Border Crisis: Examining Efforts to Combat International Criminal Cartels and Stop Illegal Drug Trafficking Targeting Indian Country”

Wednesday, June 5

• Senate Budget Committee Hearing: “Riskier Business: How Climate is Already Challenging Insurance Markets”
• Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Hearing: “Streamlining the Federal Cybersecurity Regulatory Process: The Path to Harmonization”
• Senate Finance Committee Hearing: “Revitalizing and Renewing GSP, AGOA, and Other Trade Preference Programs”
• Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights Hearing: “Strengthening U.S. Economic Leadership: The Role of Competition in Enhancing Economic Resiliency”
• House Appropriations Committee Markups:
  • Subcommittee on Defense (Closed Markup) FY25 Bill
  • Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government FY25 Bill
• House Oversight and Accountability Committee Hearing: “Oversight of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency”
• House Financial Services Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology and Inclusion Hearing: “Next Generation Infrastructure: How Tokenization of Real-World Assets Will Facilitate Efficient Markets”
• House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Hearing: “An Overview of the Budget Proposal for the Department of Energy for FY25”

Political Update

Tuesday Primaries. Five states are holding congressional primaries tomorrow – Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota. Incumbents are expected to win their party’s nomination, but observers will be watching the 8th Congressional District race in New Jersey, where Democratic Rep. Rob Menendez is facing a challenge from Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla. Menendez’s father, Senator Robert Menendez (D) will reportedly file for re-election today as an independent. In tomorrow’s Democratic primary for Menendez’s Senate seat, Rep. Andy Kim is expected to win the nomination.

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