To Vacate or Not to Vacate?
Congress returns to Washington in what could be House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) final week as leader of the Chamber.
That’s because Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) is set to proceed with a motion to vacate this week to strip Speaker Johnson of the gavel over long-standing policy disagreements.
While the move is supported by her colleagues Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Paul Gosar (R-AZ), the likelihood of the motion passing is unclear as House Democrats have opted to vote for Speaker Johnson to keep the House from shutting down.
The House is also set to take up several bills under expedited procedures, including those dealing with internal agency operations, energy efficiency standards, crypto accounting requirements, and census citizenship questions.
There are also several committee hearings scheduled this week, including the following:
- The House Energy & Commerce Committee will hear stakeholder perspectives on rural broadband
- The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee will discuss strengthening consumer data security
- The House and Senate Appropriations Committees will consider several agencies’ FY25 budget requests, including for the Department of Commerce and Defense
- The Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee will discuss targeting discrimination in federal business programs
The Administration
This week, President Joe Biden will present the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy to the United States Military Academy Army Black Knights. He will also host King Abdullah II of Jordan for lunch at the White House.
Finally, President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will hold a Cinco de Mayo reception at the White House.