The House
The House returns to Washington this week before embarking on a two-week recess for Easter. This week, Members will take up legislation streamlining and increasing environmental permitting for domestic energy production, infrastructure projects, and other activities while reducing reliance on foreign minerals.
Members are also set to take up several bills under expedited procedures. These bills would require the State Department to reclassify China as a development country with international organizations and limit foreign adversary abilities to develop undersea telecommunication cables. Another bill would direct the president to sanction on individuals or groups facilitating forced organ trafficking.
Finally, the House will conduct several committee hearings this week, including the following:
- The House Financial Services Committee will examine the federal government’s response to recent bank failures
- The House Energy & Commerce Committee will examine censorship by big tech companies in addition to the Norfolk Southern train derailment
- The House Appropriations Committee will hear from numerous Biden Administration officials about the President’s FY24 budget request, including from the Secretaries of Health & Human Services, Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs, Justice, and Interior.
The Senate
The Senate is also back in Washington before its two-week recess. Members are set to finalize the repeal of the authorized use of military force in Iraq after taking up a handful of amendments by Wednesday. The Chamber could also take up a House-passed measure repealing the Biden Administration’s Waters of the U.S. rule.
The Senate will also hold a number of committee hearings this week, including the following:
- The Senate Banking Committee will address recent bank failures
- The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee will hear testimony from Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz on the company’s unionization policies
- The Senate Appropriations Committee will hear from several Administration officials regarding the Administration’s FY24 budget, including from the Secretaries of Agriculture, Justice, Homeland Security, and Interior
The Administration
President Biden is returning from a trip to Ottawa – the first of any U.S. president since 2009 – where he gave a speech before the nation’s parliament and announced a new deal with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that tightens border rules and governs semiconductor manufacturing.
This week, President Biden will host the SBA Women’s Business Summit at the White House. Meanwhile, Vice President Harris is making a seven-day diplomatic trip to Africa to reset relations with various countries.