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DC Download 07.22.2024

House lawmakers are back on the Hill today and hitting the ground running after a week-long recess that saw the attempted assassination of a former president. Lawmakers this week are starting investigations into the attempted assassination while they also look to pass two government funding bills. At the same time, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to address a joint session of Congress.

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No matter who you are or where you live, most of us want to fund the things our families need like schools, housing, and healthcare. But billionaires, war profiteers, and giant corporations have rigged our budget process to get give-aways from the politicians they fund while refusing to pay their fair share in taxes. We won’t stand by while they continue to rig the system and line their own pockets while our families suffer. 

Decades of cuts to healthcare, education, and housing have harmed Black, brown, and poor communities. It’s not about choosing between our much-needed priorities, it’s about creating real growth and making the pie bigger so that there is enough to go around for all. When we come together as we have in the past, we can build a fair budget that fully funds the future our families need. 

For more messaging tools and resources, visit the Progressive Playbook.

 
 

House Floor

The House will vote on 20 suspension bills from the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs, Natural Resources, Financial Services, Judiciary, Transportation & Infrastructure, Oversight & Accountability, and Rules. Suspension bills require a ⅔ majority to pass. For a list of all suspension bills being considered, click here. 

The House will also consider the following bills, subject to a rule:

H.R. 8997 – Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2025 (Sponsored by Rep. Fleischmann / Appropriations Committee): The bill would provide the Department of Energy and related agencies like the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers $59.2 billion in discretionary funding for Fiscal Year 2025, a $1 billion increase from the 2024 enacted levels, but $139 million less than President Joe Biden requested.

H.R. 8998 – Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2025 (Sponsored by Rep. Simpson / Appropriations Committee): The bill would provide the Department of Interior and related agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency $38.5 billion in discretionary funding for Fiscal Year 2025, a $72 million decrease from 2024 and $4.4 billion less than President Joe Biden requested. 

Additional legislative items are possible. 

House Committee Highlights

A full list of this week’s hearings and markups can be found here. Notable hearings and markups include: 

Monday Hearings

Oversight of the U.S. Secret Service and the Attempted Assassination of President Donald J. Trump (Oversight & Accountability)

Tuesday Hearings

The Role of Pharmacy Benefit Managers in Prescription Drug Markets Part III: Transparency and Accountability (Oversight & Accountability)

Fueling Chaos: Tracing the Flow of Tax-Exempt Dollars to Antisemitism (Ways & Means)

Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (Judiciary)

Examining the Assassination Attempt of July 13 (Homeland Security)

AI Innovation Explored: Insights into AI Applications in Financial Services and Housing (Financial Services)

Congress in a Post-Chevron World (House Administration)

Are CDC's Priorities Restoring Public Trust and Improving the Health of the American People? (Energy & Commerce)

Examining the State of Rail Safety in the Aftermath of the Derailment in East Palestine, Ohio (Transportation & Infrastructure)

Wednesday Hearings

Latin America Forgotten: A Look at President Biden’s FY 2025 Budget Priorities (Foreign Affairs)

Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Judiciary)

Wasteful Spending and Inefficiencies: Examining DoD Platform Performance and Costs (Oversight & Accountability)

Safeguarding Workers and Employers from OSHA Overreach and Skewed Priorities (Education & the Workforce)

Housing Solutions: Cutting Through Government Red Tape (Financial Services)

Thursday Hearings

Enhancing Cybersecurity by Eliminating Inconsistent Regulations (Oversight & Accountability)

 

 

Nominations

The Senate this week has teed up votes on the following nominees:

  • Colleen Duffy Kiko, of North Dakota, to be a Member of the Federal Labor Relations Authority for a term of five years expiring July 29, 2027

  • Kashi Way, of Maryland, to be a Judge of the United States Tax Court for a term of fifteen years

  • Adam B. Landy, of South Carolina, to be a Judge of the United States Tax Court for a term of fifteen years

  • Margaret L. Taylor, of Maryland, to be Legal Adviser of the Department of State

Senate Committee Highlights

A full list of this week’s Senate committee hearings, including confirmation hearings, can be found here. Notable committee hearings include:

Tuesday Hearings

Instant Payments, Instant Losses: Zelle and the Big Banks Fail to Protect Consumers from Fraud (Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs)

Thursday Hearings

Advancing National Security through Export Controls, Investment Security, and the Defense Production Act (Banking, Housing, & Urban Affairs)

 

 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Address to Congress

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to address a joint session of Congress this Wednesday, his first trip abroad since the October 7 Hamas attack that killed approximately 1,200 Israelis and led to the war in Gaza that has killed over 39,000 Palestinians. The Prime Minister’s address comes on the heels of an International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling on Friday that called Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal. The ruling also declared Israel’s treatment of Palestinians a form of segregation and apartheid, and called for reparations for Palestinians who have lived under Israel’s occupation. In May, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Netanyahu, Israel’s Defense Minister, and Hamas leaders for war crimes. The Prime Minister’s address would mark his fourth appearance before Congress and first since 2015. The speech is expected to address Israel's military actions in Gaza, which have drawn international scrutiny and criticism from many lawmakers. Several lawmakers have indicated that they will boycott the speech. At least 58 lawmakers skipped Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s 2015 address to Congress, during which he railed against the emerging Iran nuclear deal that then-President Barack Obama’s administration was actively negotiating. 

Assassination Attempt of Donald J. Trump

On July 13, 2024, former President Donald Trump survived an apparent assassination attempt during a campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania. The shooter fired eight rounds with an AR-15–style rifle from a rooftop approximately 400 feet away, grazing the former president in the upper right ear. One audience member was killed, and two others were critically injured before the shooter was killed by the U.S. Secret Service (U.S.S.S). Now, lawmakers are searching for answers. Today, the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability held a hearing with U.S.S.S. Director Kimberly A. Cheatle, and the House Committee on Homeland Security is expected to hold a hearing tomorrow examining the assassination attempt. Additionally, House lawmakers are expected to vote on a resolution this week to establish a task force to investigate the attempted assassination. 

Government Funding

The House this week is expected to consider two appropriations bills that would fund the Departments of Interior and Energy, and related agencies like the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency. The Interior Department and related agencies would receive $38.5 billion in discretionary funding for Fiscal Year 2025, a $72 million decrease from 2024 and $4.4 billion less than President Joe Biden requested. The Energy Department and related agencies would receive $59.2 billion in discretionary funding for Fiscal Year 2025, a $1 billion increase from the 2024 enacted levels, but $139 million less than requested. So far, the House has approved four of the 12 bills necessary to fund the government, including Military Construction and Veterans’ Affairs, Defense, Homeland Security, and State and Foreign Operations. The bill to fund the Legislative Branch, however, failed two weeks ago and it is unclear when the House will reconsider it. 

 

 

July 26: 34th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act

July 30: 59th Anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid 

August 2-September 8: House is in recess

August 5-September 8: Senate is in recess