Congress Chugs Along
Lawmakers return to Washington for the penultimate work week ahead of Congress’ month-long August recess. The Senate will take up its version of the FY 2024 defense authorization bill following the House’s lead last week, although the differences between the two bills will ultimately need to be reconciled before final passage.
In the House, lawmakers will take up the FAA authorization bill which would last through FY 2028. Some key topics in the bill include pilot shortages, new flight routes at Reagan National Airport, and commercial plane seat sizes.
The House will also take up several bills under expedited procedures, including those concerning agency rulemaking processes, animal drug user fees, foreign investment reviews, and semiconductor production programs.
Finally, Members will hold several committee hearings this week, including the following:
- The Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee will discuss deposit insurance reform following recent bank failures
- The House Appropriations Committee will markup the FY 2024 Transportation-Housing & Urban Development (THUD) funding bill
- The Senate Appropriations Committee will markup the FY 2024 funding bills for THUD, Energy & Water, and State-Foreign Operations
- The House Finance Committee will hold an oversight hearing of the SEC’s Corporate Finance division
The Administration
President Biden returned from Europe over the weekend after attending the 74th NATO conference. This week, he will welcome Israel President Isaac Herzog to the White House and will discuss ongoing security efforts in the region.