Perspectives

The Final Countdown Congress returns for its final working week of the year before breaking for the holidays. In that time, lawmakers are set to pass national defense and water project authorization legislation, along with a short-term government funding bill lasting through March to avoid a shutdown this Friday. House lawmakers will also take up […]

Congress Clears the Decks Over the weekend, House lawmakers released the text of the nearly $900 billion must-pass annual defense authorization bill ahead of an expected program lapse at year’s end. That, along with the biennial water project authorization bill, are set for floor votes this week. While Senators will meet this week to take […]

Congress Pivots to 2025 Lawmakers return to Washington this week for their last working period of the year before breaking for the Holidays and swearing in a new Congress in early January. Congress still needs to pass a government funding bill by December 20th to avoid a shutdown, in addition to passing key defense and […]

Lame Duck Session Continues Lawmakers return to Washington this week for the final time this month before breaking for the Thanksgiving holiday. In the meantime, Senators will take up judicial nominations while House Members will move through a packed legislative agenda. House bills set for expedited procedures this week include veterans affairs operations, agency grant […]

Congress Closes Out 2024 Congress returns to Washington this week following the 2024 election, where Republicans flipped the Senate and the White House and potentially held the House of Representatives depending on yet-to-be-called races. Lawmakers will begin their lame-duck session to pass a series of must-pass legislation and take up nominations of both the outgoing […]

The advancement of AI is rapidly transforming multiple sectors, from healthcare to finance. However, with this progress comes an increasing demand for regulation to ensure the safe and ethical development of AI technologies. Lawmakers at both the federal and state levels are actively pursuing legislation to address the ethical challenges, risks, and potential of AI. […]

The House and Senate are finalizing a compromise on the biennial Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) 2024 which aim to enhance the nation’s water infrastructure through various US Army Corps of Engineers projects. The House passed its WRDA – H.R. 8812 – on July 22, while the Senate passed S. 4367 on August 1. While […]

Shutdown Showdown 2.0 Congress returns to Washington this week to take a second crack at passing a short-term government funding bill after falling short last week. Over the weekend, House Republicans released the text of a stopgap proposal extending government funding through December 20th after lawmakers failed to pass a previous version last week containing […]

Congress’ September Slog Continues Congress is back in session for its second to last working week of the month before breaking for its October recess.  While lawmakers continue to debate a government funding package ahead of the September 30th shutdown deadline, the House returns to a packed legislative agenda for the week including bills concerning […]

Congress Returns to Washington Lawmakers from both Chambers return to D.C. this week after their month’s long August recess with just three weeks before a government shutdown deadline. On the eve of their return, House Republicans released the text of a stopgap measure that would fund the government through March 28th of next year, and […]

Congress Pivots to Summer The Senate returns to DC for one last working week before breaking for the month-long August break, following the House’s lead which cancelled this week’s votes to begin its recess today. The Senate will take up judicial nominees and will work to advance appropriations for healthcare, education, and labor to the […]

Shakeup in Washington Lawmakers return to a seismically different Washington this week with President Joe Biden announcing that he will end his reelection campaign and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris to succeed him, just one month shy of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago where the party will select its nominee for president. Meanwhile, Congress […]

House Lawmakers Close Out June The House is the only Chamber in town this week with the Senate out until after the Fourth of July recess week (which the House will also observe). President Joe Biden will spend the week at Camp David preparing for his Thursday night debate against former president Donald Trump. House […]

Senate in Session Half of Congress is in session this week with only Senators returning to Washington to vote on nominees amid a mid-week recess commemorating Juneteenth. Senators will also participate in several committee hearings this week, including the following: The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee will consider legislation reauthorizing the FCC’s spectrum auction […]

Congress Back in Washington: This marks the last week that both the House and Senate will be in Washington at the same time for the month of June. Senators return to take up regular business, and House lawmakers have several votes scheduled in both regular order and expedited procedures. Moving through regular order is a […]

Summer Session Begins Lawmakers return to D.C. this week following its Memorial Day recess to kick off its summer appropriations agenda ahead of the September 30th government shutdown deadline. It is expected to be a quick working week as several Members will be travelling to Normandy, France ahead of the 80th anniversary of D-Day this […]

Memorial Day Push Congress returns to Washington this week to tackle its legislative agenda before breaking for its week-long Memorial Day recess. In the Senate, Members are slated to vote on judicial nominees. It’s also been reported that Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is set to revive the stalled bipartisan immigration bill authored by Sens. […]

The House Stays Open The House of Representatives is still open for business this week after Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) easily survived a motion to vacate brought by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) last week, thanks to a bipartisan vote to kill the measure. This week, Members return to Washington to pass a long-awaited bill […]

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. […]

Congress Returns from Recess Congress returns to DC from its recess this week after passing a long-awaited foreign aid bill for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, which would also effectively ban the social media app TikTok. House lawmakers return to a packed legislative agenda with 17 bills to be taken up on expedited procedures, including those […]

Congress Revamps Agenda The House returns to Washington with an entirely new agenda this week in response to Iran’s missile attack on Israel over the weekend. Instead of taking up legislation regarding appliance efficiency standards, lawmakers will shift to a series of financial-themed bills targeting Iran, including prohibitions of certain financial transactions, sanctions of foreign […]

Congress Returns The House and Senate return to Washington for the first time in two weeks following lawmakers’ Spring recess. Members left just before passing a full FY24 appropriations package, thus closing out a drawn-out government funding battle to avert a shutdown through the end of September. Senators are set to consider judicial nominations this […]

Another Shutdown Showdown Lawmakers return to Washington this week ahead of another potential government shutdown on Friday for roughly three-quarters of the federal government. The deadline is the second out of the two-tiered government funding stopgap Congress passed in recent weeks, splitting funding deadlines into two dates for different portions of the federal government. Congress […]

Government Still Open The House and Senate return to a fully-open Washington, D.C. after lawmakers passed a final appropriations bill fully funding departments set to shut down last Friday – including the Departments of Transportation, Justice, and Commerce – thus ending a drawn-out appropriations process that kicked off this time last year. Members have one […]

Shutdown Averted(?) Lawmakers from both Chambers return to Washington this week after passing another extension of short-term “laddered” government funding to March 8th and 22nd, all before reaching a final agreement on FY24 appropriations for those bills falling under the new March 8th deadline. Over the weekend, Members released the text of a partial appropriations […]

Shutdown Showdown House and Senate lawmakers return to Washington this week, cutting short their President’s Day recess in an attempt to pass a full appropriations bill ahead of a partial government shutdown this Friday (and a full shutdown next Friday).  The leadership of both parties will meet with President Joe Biden this week at the […]

Congress Back in Town The House and Senate return to Washington this week with a packed legislative agenda before leaving town for their Presidents Day week-long recess. The majority of House bills set for the week will be taken up on expedited procedures and deal with international issues, including human rights abuses in China, Indo-Pacific […]

Congress Debates the Border Lawmakers from both Chambers return to Washington this week after Senate negotiators released the text of a long-awaited national security proposal over the weekend providing $118.3 billion in both aid to Ukraine and changes in immigration policy. The proposal would provide $60 million for Ukraine as well as make several changes […]

Congress Back in Town Both Chambers of Congress are back in town after the House’s recess last week. Lawmakers continue to negotiate a bipartisan tax proposal and an ongoing Senate-led immigration reform package – both of which the White House has announced its support for. However, the timing for when either item will get to […]

Shutdown Delayed Lawmakers voted last week to pass another stopgap funding measure to keep the government open on a “laddered” structure through March 1st and 8th (up from January 19th and February 2nd). The move will give Members more time to negotiate a full funding deal for the prior fiscal year. Meanwhile, the House is […]

Congress Full Steam Ahead Congress kicked off its second work week of 2024 with two bipartisan, bicameral proposals: a tax package and a stopgap funding deal to avert a government shutdown at the end of the week. The stopgap proposal was released Monday by the Senate Appropriations Committee and has the backing of Senate Majority […]

The House: The House returns this week to continue discussions on the looming January 19th deadline to avoid a government shutdown. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA)  have negotiated an agreement on the top-line spending levels for the current fiscal, reducing the likelihood of a partial government shutdown on […]

The House: The House returns for its final scheduled working week of the year with several authorization bills teed up before Members leave town. Chief among the slated bills include a short-term FAA reauthorization through March 8th to give more time for negotiations amid the Senate’s stalled version. Others include the national defense authorization bill […]

Congress Back in Town: Congress returns to Washington this week down a Member after House lawmakers voted to expel now-former Rep. George Santos (R-NY).  This week, the Chamber is set to take up 11 bills under expedited procedures, including those dealing with veterans benefits, federal energy research, and commuter rail benefits. House lawmakers will also […]

Congress Closing Out 2023 With three working weeks left in the year, Congress returns to Washington this week from its Thanksgiving recess after extending government funding through two “staggered” dates – January 19th and February 2nd by which time Members will need to reach another funding agreement to avoid a shutdown. However, lawmakers are also […]

The House Congress returns to Washington in what is the last full week before the November 17th government funding deadline by which Members must pass a spending package to avoid a shutdown. House lawmakers will meet this week to vote on Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) “laddered” stopgap bill proposal that would fund one group of […]

The House House lawmakers return to D.C. in what will be Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) second full week on the job. This week, Members will take up the FY24 Transportation-Housing & Urban Development (THUD) and Financial Services bills, in addition to legislation under expedited procedures which include the following: Several bills authorizing land transfers and […]

The House Congress is back open for business again after House lawmakers elected Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) as the next Speaker of the House following three unsuccessful nominations of prior candidates. With a Speaker now in office, the House can now conduct normal floor business including advancing appropriations bills. Upon his election, Speaker Johnson set […]

The House:  House Republicans return to D.C. this week to pick their third nominee for Speaker of the House after Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) failed to win the necessary votes on the floor over three ballots. Announced Speaker candidates include the following: House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) Mike Johnson (R-LA) Jack Bergman (R-MI) Austin […]

Congress Trudges On: Congress is effectively paralyzed with the House of Representatives still lacking a Speaker. Last week, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) won his party’s nomination to be Speaker before withdrawing his name from consideration amid his narrow victory over House Judiciary Committee Jim Jordan (R-OH). House Republicans then nominated Rep. Jordan to […]

Congress in Standstill: Just as Congress narrowly averted a shutdown late last month, the House of Representatives is effectively closed for business after Members voted to remove Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) as Speaker of the House. Running to replace McCarthy are House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) and House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) who […]

Shutdown Averted … For Now: In a surprise turn of events, Congress avoided a government shutdown over the weekend by crafting and passing a stopgap funding bill to keep the federal government open through November 17th and give lawmakers more time to negotiate a full appropriations package. House Republicans and Democrats joined together to pass […]

Shutdown Showdown: This is Congress’ last full week to pass an appropriations package by midnight Saturday to avert a government shutdown. While House lawmakers are setting up votes on four individual FY24 appropriations bills – Defense, Homeland Security, State-Foreign Operations, and Agriculture-FDA – thin voting margins in the Chamber may complicate that process. The Senate’s […]

The House: House lawmakers return to Washington this week with a stopgap funding proposal from Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and his leadership team to keep the government open past the September 30th deadline to allow more time to negotiate a full funding package. The stopgap would last through October 31st and would make an across-the-board […]

Congress Back in Session Washington, D.C. is back in full swing with the House returning from its month-long August recess. Both Chambers return to a packed agenda, including floor votes for various appropriations bills ahead of the September 30th deadline to avoid a government shutdown. The House will also vote on legislation dealing with sanctions […]

Congress Returns from Recess The Senate returns to DC this week from its month-long August recess, with the House to follow next week. Members have a lengthy agenda to attend to in the coming weeks, including passing a government funding package by September 30th to avoid a shutdown. Senate appropriators have marked up all 12 […]

Congress’ Final Stretch Before Recess This week marks the final work week for Congress before breaking for its month-long August recess. In that time, Members plan to tee up several FY24 spending bills, in addition to key aviation and defense authorization bills, that they will need to clear before the September 30th government shutdown deadline. […]

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 […]

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 […]

The House The House returns to DC this week after Speaker McCarthy reached a tentative agreement to reopen floor votes after a handful of lawmakers initially blocked the process due to objections over the debt limit deal passed earlier in the month. Lawmakers will take up several bills under expedited procedures, including those concerning VA […]

Congress Back to Business The House returns to Washington this week after Speaker Kevin McCarthy sent Members home earlier-than-expected last week. The Chamber is expected to take up a number of bills under expedited procedures, including those calling for the release of American prisoners in Russia, providing block grants for crop losses, and creating a […]

Congress Clears the Debt Limit Both Chambers of Congress return to Washington this week after swiftly passing the debt limit agreement negotiated by President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy. With the debt ceiling behind them, Members are returning to regular business. House lawmakers are set to take up a number of market-related bills this […]

Debt Limit Crunch Time All eyes are on Washington this week as President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy sell their bipartisan debt limit agreement to Members of Congress for passage before the expected June 5th default date. The text of the nearly 100-page deal was released over the weekend, the key details of which […]

The House The House is the only game in town this week with the Senate out on recess. The Chamber will take up several bills this week, including the following: A package of veterans-related bills that would expand healthcare and cost of living benefit eligibilities, as well as modify a veterans education and employment program […]

Congress Both Chambers of Congress return to DC this week to take up usual business. First, the House is set to take up a number of bills under expedited procedures, including a bill adding requirements for court orders preventing electronic communications service providers from informing customers if the government searches its electronic database. The House […]

Congress Both Chambers of Congress are back in session this week with the House set to take up several bills, including the following: A bill restricting asylum eligibility, resuming border wall construction, and requiring employers to verify their employees legal status A bill allowing states to reclaim 25% of recovered fraudulent unemployment or pandemic-aid payments […]

Congress The Senate is the only game in town this week with the House out on recess until next week. Senators will begin this week by holding a confirmation vote on Anthony Johnstone to become a judge on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, with additional votes lined up later in the week on three […]

Congress Back in Session Both Chambers return to DC this week to take up usual business. The House will consider several bills this week under expedited procedures, including those concerning the FCC’s oversight of satellites and authorization of spectrum usage to provide expanded emergency alerts. House Members will also take up Speaker McCarthy’s new Debt […]

The House House Members return to D.C. this week following a two-week recess for Easter and Passover. Lawmakers are hitting the ground running ahead of the next recess in June with a slate of floor votes on various measures. Three bills that will be taken up on expedited procedures include those condemning Russia for taking […]

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 […]

The Senate The Senate returns this week to take up a repeal of the authorizations for use of military force against Iraq in addition to nominations which were teed up last week, although continuing health-related absences from Sens. John Fetterman (D-PA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Mitch McConnell (R-KY) could complicate that process. The Chamber will […]

Congress The Senate is back in session this week while House Members are on recess. Senators are expected to take up a number of Administration nominees and a bill repealing a House-passed bill repealing a Biden Administration rule governing water and wetland protections. However, three Senators’ health-related absences may complicate the process.  Key nominations this […]

The House The House returns to DC this week to take up a number of bills, chief among them being a bill that would repeal the Biden Administration’s rule expending environmental protections for several bodies of water. Other bills include those concerning servicemember tuition reimbursements and VA operations such as offsite emergency healthcare coverage, medical […]

Congress Back in Session The House and Senate return to Washington this week following their respective recesses. House lawmakers are hitting the ground running by taking up a number of bills, including those that would extend the FCC’s spectrum auction power through mid-May and require the Commerce Department to provide congressional reports on mobile network […]

The House The House returns this week to take up a number of bills on the floor, including: A bill requiring the Energy Department to provide financial assistance to certain post-grad students enrolled in cybersecurity and energy infrastructure classes. A bill placing hundreds of acres of federal lands in trusts for the Pala Band of […]

The 118th Congress Continues Both Chambers of Congress return to Washington this week, with only the House scheduled to hold votes. The House will take up a number of bills, including those that would reverse a number of COVID-19-era policies such as the healthcare worker vaccine mandate, pandemic-era work-from-home for federal agencies, and the public […]

The House The House returns this week to take up a number of bills, beginning with a measure to require the Energy Department to craft a plan to increase oil and gas production leases on federal lands before it can continue to tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The Chamber will then proceed to several measures […]

The 118th Congress Begins Washington officially has two working branches of Congress after a four-day, 15-ballot marathon where House Republicans elected Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) as the next Speaker of the House. Republicans won a majority in the 2022 midterms, but their narrower-than-expected victory allowed some House Republican holdouts to initially deny McCarthy the gavel […]

117th Congress: The Final Countdown Congress returns for its final working week of the year to pass a year-long, roughly $1.7 trillion government funding bill before December 23rd to avert a government shutdown. Lawmakers had passed a short-term extension of last week’s funding deadline to provide more time for negotiations. House and Senate leaders have since agreed […]

The House The House is set to take up a number of bills under suspension of the rules, including those that would update federal procurement regulations to better flag conflicts of interests, provide more collective bargaining rights to certain Veterans Health Administration professionals, and establish a nationwide law enforcement de-escalation training program at the DOJ. […]

The House The House returns this week to begin the final month of the 117th Congress and plan for the 118th. House Republicans will begin the formal process this week to select next Congress’ committee chairs who will set the tone for the party’s legislative priorities. Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) also announced that he […]

117th Congress’ Final Weeks The House and Senate return to DC this week after the Thanksgiving Recess for its final stretch of the 2022 working period. Lawmakers still need to clear must-pass pieces of legislation during that time such as a government funding bill and a national defense authorization, but the impending transfer of power […]

Meet the 118th Congress The following provides an overview of the 118th Congress beginning January 2023, including expected leadership structures of House and Senate committees. House Republicans will take control of the Chamber and committees next year, making Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) the next likely Speaker of the House with Rep. Steven Scalise (R-LA) as […]

Congress’ Lame Duck Session Begins Lawmakers return to Washington this week for the first time in over a month following the midterm elections where Democrats held their Senate majority. While votes are still being counted and a Georgia Senate runoff is set for December 6th, Congress still has a slammed agenda to grapple with this […]

The Senate Senators return to DC tomorrow to take the lead on passing a stopgap funding bill to avoid a government shutdown this Friday. Lawmakers will hold a procedural vote Tuesday to launch the vehicle containing the continuing resolution (CR) which will last through mid-December and is expected to include $12 billion in aid for […]

The House The House is in this week and has yet to release text for a stopgap funding measure to keep the government running past September 30. However, it will take up 26 bills under expedited procedures, including the following: A bill reauthorizing the Peace Corps. A bill creating a Global Telecommunications Strategy commission within […]

The House All of D.C. is back in action this week with the House returning to session following its August and Labor Day recesses. House members have been scrambling to put together text for a stopgap spending measure to keep the government running through September 30 to avoid a shutdown. One issue that could derail […]

The Administration President Biden enters the month of September after signing key pieces of legislation last month, including the Inflation Reduction Act, as well as bills addressing funding for semiconductor chips and veterans’ toxic burn pits. This week, President Biden is holding a cabinet meeting at the White House with Vice President Harris attending. He […]

Build Back Better, Rebuilt This past weekend, Senate Democrats passed their long-awaited yet slimmed down version of President Biden’s Build Back Better climate and healthcare spending bill, largely paid for by increased corporate taxes and IRS enforcement. While the reconciliation bill is not final, the news represents a win for congressional Democrats who are back […]

The Senate The Senate will stay in Washington one more week before beginning its August recess to tackle a veterans healthcare bill, new NATO admissions, and a last-minute reconciliation deal. Last week, Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) struck a surprise deal with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) to announce a stripped-down reconciliation package calling for […]

The House This week marks the House’s last full working week before its month-long August recess. The Chamber will aim to pass a number of bills in that time, including: A bill to create the National Wildland Fire Risk Reduction Program and aid environmental justice communities. A bill authorizing grant programs supporting certain South Asian […]

The House The House returns this week to take up six FY23 appropriations bills, which have been dubbed the “minibus.” It includes the Agriculture, Energy and Water, Financial Services, Interior-Environment, Military Construction-Veterans Affairs and Transportation-HUD bills. These bills generally reflect the 14% non-defense increases sought by President Biden. However, they will likely need to be […]

The House The House returns from its two-week Independence Day recess, leaving it with only two full working weeks before its month-long August recess. Lawmakers are set to take up a number of bills this week, including those drafted in response to the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade. Such bills would codify the […]

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 […]

The House The House has a busy week ahead with a number of hearings, markups, and floor votes scheduled. First, six of the 12 House appropriation subcommittees will mark up their respective annual funding bills. These subcommittees include Defense, Legislative Branch, Military Construction-VA, Agriculture-FDA, Homeland Security, and Financial Services. The chamber will also take up […]

The Administration President Biden enters this week with a better-than-expected jobs report for the month of May that details a 390,000 increase in non-farm payrolls and a steady 3.6% unemployment rate. However, the Administration is continuing to address rising inflation due to supply chain backlogs and other setbacks caused by the pandemic that have caused […]

The Administration President Biden is in Tokyo today meeting with Japanese leaders as part of his first Asia visit as President. He began that visit in Seoul last week, where he signed a $40 billion Ukrainian aid bill that provides both military and humanitarian aid to the country in the midst of the Russian invasion. […]

The Senate Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) was hospitalized this weekend after suffering a stroke. Because the Chamber is divided 50-50, his absence could disrupt key Senate votes this week including one on a $40 billion Ukrainian aid bill which Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) blocked last week. The Senate will conduct several hearings this week: […]

The Administration This week, President Biden will sign S.3522 to expand the President’s lend-lease agreement authority to expedite the delivery of weapons to Ukraine and allies. The President is also pushing Congress to consider his request for an additional $33 billion in emergency funding for Ukraine, as the already authorized $13.6 billion in Ukrainian aid […]

The Senate Senators will continue to hold hearings related to the President’s budget request this week, as the House will begin work on developing FY 2023 appropriations bills when they return from a weeklong recess. The Senate will also consider the House-passed China competition bill this week. The Senate will also host numerous hearings this week: The Senate Commerce, Science, […]

The House and Senate Congress is back in session this week following its two-week Spring Recess, and will remain in session for the next five weeks before the Memorial Day Recess. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) announced plans to vote on the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act, which has already passed the Senate with […]

The Administration Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson has officially been confirmed as the Supreme Court’s newest Associate Justice. She is the first African American Woman to sit on the highest court in the land, and will replace Justice Steven Breyer, whom she previously clerked for, when the Court’s current term ends this June. Jackson was approved […]

The Administration President Biden and world leaders are reacting to Russia’s weekend attacks on Ukrainian civilians, with the President going so far as to call for war crime trials against Russian President Vladimir Putin. Domestically, President Biden is renewing his call for gun law reform following last weekend’s mass shooting in Sacramento, California that killed […]

The Administration President Biden released his Fiscal Year 2023 budget request today. The request calls for a $1 trillion reduction in deficit spending over the next decade and flexible social spending legislation. The President’s budget request also includes a plan to levy a 20% minimum tax on U.S. households worth more than $100 million who […]

This Week: Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson This week, the Senate will begin confirmation hearings for President Biden’s Supreme Court Nominee, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. If confirmed, she will be the first Black woman on the Supreme Court, as well as the first Justice to have been a public defender. Her […]

The Administration Last week, Congress passed an omnibus budget bill to fully fund the federal government for the remainder of this fiscal year. Since the start of the Fiscal Year in October, the government has been funded by a series of continuing resolutions that only extended the prior fiscal year’s funding levels. President Biden is […]

Congress Both Chambers return to Washington this week as Senate and House lawmakers work to finalize a $1.5 trillion government funding package before Friday’s deadline, or else be forced to pass another continuing resolution to avert a government shutdown. Since the current fiscal year began October 1, 2021, the Federal government has been funded by […]

The Administration Washington—and the world—remain focused on Russia’s unjustified invasion of Ukraine. The United States and its NATO allies have imposed a series of strict sanctions on Russia, and Russia’s economy has already been impacted, including its energy sector, which many countries depend upon. The Administration plans to release emergency oil reserves to mitigate an […]

The Senate The Senate has until Friday’s government funding deadline to pass a stopgap measure that cleared the House last week. The measure would temporarily fund the government until mid-March. The framework for this fiscal year’s appropriations bills has been agreed to, and the temporary funding measure would buy lawmakers time to fine-tune the details […]

The Senate The Senate has until Friday’s government funding deadline to pass a stopgap measure that cleared the House last week. The measure would temporarily fund the government until mid-March. The framework for this fiscal year’s appropriations bills has been agreed to, and the temporary funding measure would buy lawmakers time to fine-tune the details […]

Updates on Government Spending, Russia Sanctions, and Jobs The House and Senate are both in session this week as the February 18 government funding deadline approaches. Both chambers are negotiating an omnibus spending package and need to finalize multiple measures, although the House is planning on passing another continuing resolution this week to last through […]

The Administration Last week, Supreme Court Justice Steven Breyer announced his retirement from the bench. His retirement now allows President Biden to nominate his successor who he has promised will be an African American woman. He announced that he will make his decision by the end of February, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) […]

The Administration The State Department has ordered the evacuation of all family members of U.S. Embassy personnel from Kyiv, Ukraine due to the heightened risk of Russia’s invasion of the country. President Biden is considering deploying troops in the region as he continues to send lethal aid to Ukraine. On the domestic front, the White […]

The Senate This week, Senate Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) will begin debating voting rights legislation in the Senate as Democrats continue to push their legislative agenda. The chamber will begin with the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act after they passed the House, though its prospects in the Senate are […]

The Administration President Biden will give his first State of the Union Address on March 1 after accepting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s invitation. Additionally, President Biden is pivoting congressional Democrats’ agenda towards passing voting rights legislation to counteract state legislatures’ recent rollback of ballot access. Democrats are hoping to either convince Republicans to join them […]

Happy 2022! The Administration and the Senate The Biden Administration hopes to continue progress towards passing the Build Back Better Act (BBB) this year after Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) shockingly announced his opposition to the measure in the twilight of 2021. The Administration and Congress will likely either continue negotiations to further scale back the […]

The Build Back Better Act Yesterday, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) delivered a fatal blow to the Build Back Better Act (BBB) when he announced he will not vote for it, shocking the White House which was in ongoing negotiations with him. The Act is a budgetary reconciliation bill encompassing many of President Biden’s and Democrats’ […]

Finishing 2021’s To-Do List Lawmakers in both houses will vote to raise the debt limit past the 2022 midterms, just as Treasury Secretary Yellen warned the U.S. could breach its current limit and default as soon as this week. Senate Republicans backed a one-time bill to suspend the filibuster’s 60-vote hurdle to fast-track extending the […]

The End of Year Push Continues Last week, Congress passed and President Biden signed into law a stopgap measure to fund the Federal Government and avoid a government shutdown through mid-February. The measure funds the government at current levels while new funding legislation is negotiated and finalized, buying Congress more time to finalize that legislation. […]

Congress Returns Today to Finish a Busy 2021 The Federal Government faces the threat of another government shutdown this Friday, December 3, when funding will run out. To avert a shutdown, lawmakers will need to pass another temporary stopgap spending measure or a full funding bill. House Appropriations Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) wants to pass another temporary measure […]

The House The House is out this week for Thanksgiving apart from a pro forma session on Tuesday. Last Friday, after receiving the cost estimate from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the House passed the Build Back Better Act. The Act’s social infrastructure and tax-and-spend measures include: Four weeks of paid family leave Universal preschool […]

The House This week, the House will likely consider the tax-and-spend reconciliation bill currently undergoing a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) cost analysis. Moderate Democrats have withheld their support for the bill until they see a CBO report that aligns with previous White House cost estimates. Progressives insist they will vote on the bill regardless of […]

Infrastructure Week is Finally Here Late last Friday, the House passed the $550 billion Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill – the final step needed to send the measure to President Biden’s desk for his signature. The long-awaited vote came after months of delays and political balking between House Progressives and Senate Moderates over the scope of the […]

The Administration President Biden’s domestic agenda – housed in both the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the partisan reconciliation deal – is the closest it has ever been to passing, with votes on both measures expected to occur this week. If they pass, it will give President Biden the credibility boost he needs as he continues […]

The Administration Over the weekend, President Biden met with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) at his Delaware home to break the gridlock on his multi-trillion-dollar reconciliation bill. While no official deal has been announced, it is likely that key climate and family care provisions will be pared back or […]

The Administration Although Congress temporarily extended the debt limit through December 3, 2021, some experts believe the actual deadline will be much later. Flexible spending and collection from coronavirus relief, tax revenues, and a potential boost to the Highway Trust Fund through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Plan (should it pass) will impact when Congress passes the […]

The Administration President Biden faces compounding challenges with the embattled infrastructure deal, the ongoing pandemic, and record-low approval numbers – all of which threaten Democrats’ already slim majorities in Congress. The United States and the Taliban had their first formal meeting last weekend following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. The two sides met in Doha, […]

Last Thursday – the end of the previous fiscal year – Congress staved off an impending government shutdown by passing a temporary stopgap measure to keep the government funded at current levels through December 3rd. In the interim, lawmakers will continue to negotiate various appropriations bills containing the President’s budget requests that failed to pass […]

Democrats face their biggest challenge in operating a united government this week by attempting to pass legislation advancing President Biden’s domestic agenda, avoiding a government shutdown, and keeping the United States from defaulting on its debts for the first time in history. This week, the House will consider the Bipartisan Infrastructure Package which passed the […]

The House As recess concludes, House lawmakers return to D.C. to consider measures to fund the government before it shuts down in 10 days. They are likely to pass a temporary stopgap spending measure until a permanent appropriations bill is passed sometime in December. Though language has not been released, House Democrats are also expected […]

The House This week, House Committees will markup their portions of congressional Democrats’ $3.5 trillion reconciliation package, which Members hope to pass by the end of September. Those Committees are: Agriculture, Energy & Commerce, Financial Services, Judiciary, Veterans’ Affairs, Homeland Security, Transportation & Infrastructure, and Ways & Means. Because Democrats can only afford to lose […]

The House & The Senate There are a small number of hearings and markups this week, despite the ongoing congressional recess. The House Financial Services Committee will consider emergency rental assistance during the pandemic, and the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee will discuss the future of biomedicine. The Senate’s Special Committee on Aging […]

The Administration The nation is reeling from the tragic deaths of 13 U.S. servicemembers and dozens of Afghans during an ISIS-K attack on Kabul’s Airport. In the wake of the bombing, President Biden authorized a counteroffensive that eliminated two ISIS-K members. He has also committed that his Administration would evacuate as many willing U.S. citizens, […]

The House The House returns from its August recess this week to debate the $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill, the Senate’s bipartisan infrastructure package, and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. The Democrat-only budget resolution sets a September 15th deadline for Senate and House committees to allocate $3.5 trillion among their areas of jurisdiction […]

The Senate The Senate moves closer to passing the $550 billion bipartisan infrastructure package this week. After a weekend of debate, 18 Senate Republicans joined all 50 Democratic Senators to limit further debate on the bill, indicating bipartisan support for the bill’s passage. During discussions, the Senate debated proposed amendments, one of the most notable […]

The Senate Weeks after President Biden and a group of bipartisan senators announced agreement on a bipartisan infrastructure framework, final bill language will soon be voted upon. For weeks, a bipartisan group of Senators have worked to finalize the legislative text and the plan’s pay-fors. Now, after bill language is polished, the legislation will move […]

The House As Senate leaders continue to negotiate bipartisan infrastructure, President Biden and Congressional Democrats are also constructing a social spending bill which includes items proposed by the President in his American Jobs and Families Plans that are not included in the bipartisan deal. At a proposed price tag of $3.5 trillion, the measure would […]

The House The House is prepared to vote on five appropriations “minibus” packages this week, including Commerce-Justice-Science, Defense, Homeland Security, Legislative Branch, and State and Foreign Operations. The remaining bills are set to be taken up next week, including Agriculture-FDA, Energy and Water, Financial Services, Interior-Environment, Labor-HHS-Education, Military Construction-VA, and Transportation-HUD. The House Oversight and […]

The House The House is back in session following the July 4th recess. The House Appropriations Committee will mark up its Subcommittees’ budget proposals after each Subcommittee’s respective markup. Key subcommittee bills are Commerce, Justice, and Science; Energy and Water Development; Labor, HHS, and Education; and Transportation-HUD. The Energy and Water Subcommittee’s bill proposes spending […]

The House & Senate Both Chambers of Congress are on recess this week following the July 4th holiday. It has now been six months since the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol, and fears of future attacks on both the Capitol and members of Congress remain. In response, D.C. Capitol Police is enhancing security for members […]

The Administration We have a deal! Last week, President Biden and a bipartisan group of Senators announced that an infrastructure package had finally been agreed upon. The plan outlines $579B in new spending, with a total price tag of $1.2T over eight years, for traditional infrastructure investment. Specifically, $312B is allocated for transportation infrastructure, including […]

The House This week, the House will consider three Congressional Review Act resolutions to overturn Trump-era regulations. The resolutions have already passed the Senate and are supported by the White House: S.J. Res 13 will nullify an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission rule which provides employers with information to resolve discrimination claims outside court; S.J. Res. […]

The House This week, the House will consider H.R. 256, which would repeal the 2002 Authorization for the Use of Military Force that sanctioned U.S. military operations in Iraq. The Biden Administration supports the effort. House Committees will also hold numerous hearings: House Financial Services Committee will conduct a hearing on digital currencies; House Education […]

The House The House is back from its Memorial Day recess. The House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee will consider its INVEST in America Act this Wednesday. Committee Chairman Pete DeFazio (D-OR) has touted that the Bill largely aligns with President Biden’s original infrastructure proposal. The T&I Committee is one of five Congressional committees which […]

The House A House special election for New Mexico’s 1st District will be held this week. Former Rep. Deb Haaland vacated her seat to become President Biden’s Interior secretary. The seat will likely remain Democratic, adding one more vote to the Democrats’ slim majority in the House. The House began its Memorial Day Recess and […]

The House Last week, the House passed a bill to create an independent, bipartisan commission charged with investigating the January 6th attack on the Capitol. 35 House Republicans voted to pass the bill, ignoring opposition from House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). Despite President Joe Biden’s call on […]

The House Last week, the House Republican Conference removed Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) from her leadership post. Rep. Cheney was replaced by Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY). This week, the House is expected to establish a commission on the January 6 attack on the Capitol and to vote on a supplemental spending bill for U.S. Capitol […]

The House Republican members are poised to remove Liz Cheney (R-WY) from her conference leadership position and replace her with Elise Stefanik (R-NY). Some see this as retribution against Cheney for her outspoken criticism of former President Trump’s role in the violent January 6 attack of the Capitol and her subsequent vote to impeach the […]