Becker & Poliakoff

Becker’s Washington Weekly: Week of July 10, 2023

Perspectives Becker’s Washington Weekly: Week of July 10, 2023

Becker’s Washington Weekly: Week of July 10, 2023

Perry S. Adair, Anthony Bedell, Chris Berardini, Shannon Duncanson, Omar Franco, Bert Gómez, Sadie Haire, Alfonso Lopez, Clarence Williams, Amanda L. Wood | 07.10.2023
Client Advisory | Washington Weekly

Crunch Time for Congress

Both Chambers of Congress return to DC this week following a two-week recess, and have only three short weeks left to do business before the month-long August recess which signals the homestretch of this year’s session.

The House

The House is starting the week with a bang, as it will take up the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act bill to authorize $886.3 billion amongst the Pentagon, the Energy Department, and other agencies. The House Rules Committee will first prepare the bill for the floor tomorrow, including considering nearly 1,500 amendments.

House lawmakers will also take up a number of bills under expedited procedures, including two SEC-related bills that would ease adviser registration requirements for broker-dealers and exempt the agency’s Small Business Capital Formation Office from certain agency rulemaking processes.

Members will also participate in several hearings, including the following:

  • The House Ways and Means Committee will discuss agriculture and supply chains in America
  • The House Homeland Security Committee will discuss the future of FEMA
  • The House Oversight Committee will hold an oversight hearing of the FTC

The Senate

The Senate will hold a series of nomination votes this week, including for former Congresswoman Xochitl Torres Small to be the Agriculture Department’s Deputy Secretary and for Rosemarie Hidalgo to be the Director of DOJ’s Violence Against Women Office. Lawmakers will also take up judicial nominees.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said the Senate will follow the House in taking up its version of the NDAA before the August recess, in addition to a series of FY24 appropriations bills.

Senators will also conduct committee hearings this week, including the following:

  • The Senate Appropriations Committee will mark up three FY 24 appropriations bills
  • The Senate Judiciary Committee will discuss AI and intellectual property
  • The Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee will discuss bank mergers and the economic impacts of consolidation

Biden Goes Abroad

President Biden begins his three-nation tour this week ahead of the 74th NATO summit in which Ukraine and Sweden membership will be key topics. This week, the President will meet with King Charles III and environmental investors to discuss climate solutions.

The President will also arrive in Lithuania for the NATO summit.