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DC Download 09.16.2024

The government faces a shutdown in two weeks and lawmakers are not any closer to passing a funding bill. House Republicans this week are hoping to figure out the details of a possible stopgap bill, while considering a slate of “anti-woke” bills. The Senate, meanwhile, continues to wait for House action on government funding before possibly stepping in with their own stopgap bill. 

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It’s essential for progressives to lead with a clear and bold message. Our Progressive Playbook provides the tools you need to push back against right-wing extremism and elevate sensible solutions on critical issues such as government funding, reproductive rights, and basic democratic principles. 

Whether you’re organizing a campaign, preparing for media interviews, or amplifying progressive voices on social media, the Playbook provides language and key talking points to shape the narrative and mobilize support.

With the stakes so high, now is the time to use our evidence-backed messaging to ensure every communication strengthens our movement and drives meaningful change for us all. 

 
 

House Floor

The House will vote on 38 suspension bills from the Committees on Financial Services, Ways & Means, Veterans’ Affairs, Appropriations, and Energy & Commerce. 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. 5339 – Protecting Americans’ Investments from Woke Policies Act (Sponsored by Rep. Allen / Education and the Workforce Committee): The bill would require retirement plan fiduciaries to prioritize returns over environmental, social, and governance factors when making investment decisions. 

H.R. 5179 – Anti-BDS Labeling Act (Sponsored by Rep. Tenney / Ways and Means Committee): The bill would codify a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) rule requiring goods originating from Israeli- and Palestinian-controlled areas of the West Bank and Gaza to be labeled as “Made in Israel” or “Made in Gaza.” The bill also would prevent CBP and the State Department from rescinding or modifying the policy and require congressional action to repeal it. 

 H.R. 7909 – Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act (Sponsored by Rep. Mace / Judiciary Committee): The bill would make noncitizens who commit sex offenses, domestic violence, and related crimes inadmissible to and deportable from the U.S. 

H.R. 3724 – End Woke Higher Education Act (Sponsored by Rep. Owens / Education and the Workforce Committee): The bill would bar higher education institutions from supporting or opposing political views or ideologies, and would mandate schools adopt policies on student groups and free speech on campus. 

 H.R. 4790 – Prioritizing Economic Growth Over Woke Policies Act (Sponsored by Rep. Huizenga / Financial Services Committee): The bill would allow publicly owned companies to more easily block votes on investor proposals related to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues, and would also limit the Securities and Exchange Commission’s ability to require ESG disclosures.

H.J. Res. 136 – Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for Model Years 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles." (Sponsored by Rep. James / Energy and Commerce Committee): The Congressional Review Act resolution would block a Biden administration rule to more strictly regulate passenger vehicle tailpipe emissions and accelerate the transition to electric vehicles. 

H.R. 5717 – No Bailout for Sanctuary Cities Act (Sponsored by Rep. LaLota / Judiciary Committee): The bill would make states and cities that have in place policies that hinder the federal government from enforcing immigration laws ineligible to receive federal aid for migrant care. 

An item related to government funding may be considered.

House Committee Highlights

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

Wednesday Hearings

Republican Border Hearing (Homeland Security)

Holding the SBA Accountable: Testimony from Small Business Administrator Guzman (Small Business)

  • Administrator of the Small Business Administration Isabella Casillas Guzman is testifying

Great Power Competition in the Indo-Pacific (Foreign Affairs)

Examining the Biden-Harris Attacks on Tipped Workers (Education & the Workforce)

Continuity of Congress: Preparing for the Future by Learning from the Past (House Administration)

Investing in a Healthier America: Chronic Disease Prevention and Treatment (Ways & Means)

Thursday Hearings

VA’s Open Cash Register: Fraud, Waste, Abuse and Revenue Operations (Veterans’ Affairs)

How the CCP Uses the Law to Silence Critics and Enforce its Rule (Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party)

Republican Immigration Hearing (Homeland Security)

Israel and the Middle East at a Crossroads: How Tehran’s Terror Campaign Threatens the U.S. and our Allies (Foreign Affairs)

The Cost of the Biden-Harris Energy Crisis (Budget)

Member Day Hearing on Proposed Rules Changes for the 119th Congress (Rules)

A Legacy of Incompetence: Consequences of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Policy Failures (Oversight & Accountability) 

Holding the Biden-Harris EPA Accountable for Radical Rush-to-Green Spending (Energy & Commerce) 

 

 

Nominations

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

  • Kevin Gafford Ritz, of Tennessee, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit

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

Lower Health Care Costs for Americans: Understanding the Benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act (Finance)

Ensuring a Trustworthy Government: Examining the National Security Risks of Replacing Nonpartisan Civil Servants with Political Appointees (Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs) 

A Threat to Justice Everywhere: Stemming the Tide of Hate Crimes in America (Judiciary)

Oversight of AI: Insiders’ Perspectives (Judiciary)

Back to School: Shedding Light on Risks and Harm in the Private Student Lending and Servicing Market (Banking, Housing, & Urban Affairs)

Wednesday Hearings

Russia’s Imperial Identity (Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe)

The Macroeconomic Impacts of Potential Tax Reform in 2025 (Banking, Housing, & Urban Affairs)

Keeping Kids Learning in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program (Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry)

Foreign Threats to Elections in 2024 – Roles and Responsibilities of U.S. Tech Providers (Intelligence)

Aviation Cybersecurity Threats (Commerce, Science, & Transportation)

Thursday Hearings

Fighting Fraud: How Scammers are Stealing from Older Adults (Aging)

 

 

Government Funding

Last week, House Speaker Mike Johnson pulled from consideration a stopgap funding bill, otherwise known as a continuing resolution (CR), that would have extended government funding until March 28, 2025, due to infighting among Republicans. The bill would have also required proof of citizenship in order to register to vote in federal elections. With only two weeks left before government funding expires, House Republicans this week are trying to build consensus on a CR. Some Republicans do not support any stopgap funding bill at all, while others support a CR that would extend funding into 2025 to avoid an omnibus bill at the end of this year. If House Republicans cannot pass a stopgap bill on their own, it is likely that they pass a clean CR extending funding until the end of this year, a proposition that Democrats will welcome. Last week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in a Dear Colleague letter expressed Democratic support for a clean stopgap bill without any “poison pills or Republican extremism.” 

 

 

September: National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

Sept. 15-Oct. 15: Hispanic Heritage Month

September 17: National Voter Registration Day

September 30: Government funding expires

September 30: Farm bill authorities expire

September 30-November 11: House is in recess 

September 30-November 11: Senate is in recess