The Administration
President Biden is slowly reviving talks with congressional Democrats to advance his stalled Build Back Better agenda and rein in inflation.
The package, which is rumored to be announced this week, could include measures that can pass a party-line vote in the 50-50 Senate such as insulin price controls, diverse energy investments, and a corporate minimum tax. Passing a viable measure will require gaining the approval of moderate Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ).
Finally, President Biden will hold an event today marking the recent authorization of COVID-19 vaccines for young children.
The House
The House is in this week with votes and hearings scheduled. Key votes include bills regarding:
- Mental health and drug use block grants and expanded mental health insurance coverage.
- Placing the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Health within the Department of Health and Human Services, and funding it with $500 million annually through FY27.
- Expanding healthcare access for veterans exposed to toxic substances while in the service.
- Funding to support active shooter alerts similar to AMBER alerts.
Key hearings include:
- Markups of respective FY23 appropriations bills in the appropriations subcommittees on House Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development, and Energy & Water Development.
- Digital asset regulation hearing in the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit.
The Senate
The Senate also returns this week and will continue to deliberate several pieces of legislation ahead of the Fourth of July and August recesses.
The Senate will likely not take up its tech antitrust legislation until after the Independence Day recess. Lawmakers are hung up over language that would allow major online platforms to moderate their users’ content while prohibiting those platforms from promoting their own products over those of their competitors.
The Senate will also hold several hearings this week:
- The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies will consider the U.S. Trade Representative’s FY23 budget request.
- The Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee will hear testimony from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell regarding the Fed’s semiannual monetary policy report.