Perspectives

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 […]

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 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 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 […]

THE HOUSE The House returns this week and will spend Monday evening voting on a series of bills under suspension of the rules. Among the mostly non-controversial legislation expected to receive a vote and pass under suspension is a package of bills related to the Department of Homeland Security, HR 1532 – the Improving Federal […]

THE HOUSE The House is back in Washington, D.C. for votes this week. After passing an initial draft of President Biden’s proposed American Rescue Plan early Saturday morning, the House will turn to other Democratic priorities as it waits for the Senate to take up the nearly $2 trillion COVID-19 relief legislation. One major bill […]