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DC Download 10.23.2023
Lawmakers have a long to-do list, but the House floor remains at a standstill without a Speaker. House Republicans aim to coalesce around a new Speaker-designee this week, but exactly when the full House will vote for a new Speaker is unclear. Meanwhile, amidst an ongoing war in Israel and Palestine, Senators are advancing President Biden’s nominee for U.S. Ambassador to Israel. At the same time, they’re considering a Congressional Review Act resolution to overturn a Food and Nutrition Service rule prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
Table of Contents:
House Floor
The House is expected to vote this week on a new Speaker of the House.
House Committee Highlights
A full list of this week’s hearings and markups can be found here. Notable hearings and markups include:
Tuesday Hearings
Water Resources Development Acts: Status of Past Provisions and Future Needs (Transportation & Infrastructure)
Oversight of the Bureau of Prisons (Judiciary)
Reforming the WHO: Ensuring Global Health Security and Accountability (Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic)
Advances in Deepfake Technology (Oversight & Accountability)
Bad for Business: DOL's Proposed Overtime Rule (Education & the Workforce)
The Factors Influencing the High Cost of Insurance for Consumers (Financial Services)
The Broken Path: How Transnational Criminal Organizations Profit from Human Trafficking at the Southwest Border (Homeland Security)
Oversight of the Internal Revenue Service (Committee on Oversight and Accountability)
Friend and Ally: U.S. support for Israel after Hamas’ Barbaric Attack (Foreign Affairs)
Wednesday Hearings
Modernizing Financial Services Through Innovation and Competition (Financial Services)
Educational Freedom and Opportunity for American Families, Students, and Workers (Ways & Means)
Veterans Serving Veterans: The Impact of America’s Businesses on Veteran Employment and Opportunity (Veterans’ Affairs)
The U.S.-Honduras Bilateral Relationship: Analyzing the Socialist Government of President Xiomara Castro de Zelaya (Foreign Affairs)
The Global Engagement Center: Helping or Hurting U.S. Foreign Policy (Foreign Affairs)
The Power of Apprenticeships: Faster, Better Paths to Prosperous Jobs and Less Waste in Higher Education (Oversight & Accountability)
How America and Its Allies Can Stop Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran from Evading Sanctions and Financing Terror (Financial Services)
Thursday Hearings
Moving the Money: Understanding the Iranian Regime’s Access to Money Around the World and How They Use It to Support Terrorism (Financial Services)
One Million Claims and Growing: Improving Social Security's Adjudication Process (Ways & Means)
Senate Floor
S.J. Res. 42 - A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Food and Nutrition Service relating to "Application of Bostock v. Clayton County to Program Discrimination Complaint Processing-Policy Update" (Sponsored by Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) / Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry): The resolution would repeal the May 5, 2022 memorandum that applied the Bostock v. Clayton County decision, which found that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation, to the Agriculture Department’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Civil Rights Division guidance to state agencies and program operators.
Nominations
The Senate this week has teed up votes on the following nominees:
Michael G. Whitaker, of Vermont, to be Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration for the term of five years
Jessica Looman, of Minnesota, to be Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division, Department of Labor
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
Instability in the Sahel and West Africa: Implications for U.S. Foreign Policy (Foreign Relations)
Protecting Americans from Robocalls (Commerce, Science, & Transportation)
Examining Competition and Consumer Rights in Housing Markets (Judiciary)
Wednesday Hearings
Exploring Paid Leave: Policy, Practice, and Impact on the Workforce (Finance)
Bottlenecks and Backlogs: How Climate Change Threatens Supply Chains (Budget)
The Human Rights of Foster Children (Judiciary)
Ensuring the Safety and Well-Being of Unaccompanied Children, Part II (Judiciary)
Thursday Hearing
Hearing to Examine Federal Offshore Energy Strategy and Policies (Energy & Natural Resources)
Unlocking Hope: Access to Therapies for People with Rare, Progressive, and Serious Diseases (Aging)
Evaluating Material Alternatives for Single-Use Plastics (Environment & Public Works)
Combating the Networks of Illicit Finance and Terrorism (Banking, Housing, & Urban Affairs)
Speaker of the House
Almost three weeks have passed since Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s removal as Speaker of the House, but Republicans still have not coalesced around a new Speaker-designee. Since McCarthy’s ouster, the Republican Conference has nominated Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA-01) and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH-04) as Speaker-designees, but both withdrew their nominations after failing to get the necessary level of support. Over the weekend, nine House Republicans announced their intent to seek the Speakership. The Republican Conference will begin voting for a Speaker-designee tomorrow and a full House floor vote can follow immediately after. Until a new Speaker of the House is elected, the chamber is largely at a standstill and unable to pass legislation.
These nine Republicans are competing to be next House speaker (Roll Call)
How each Speaker candidate voted in overturning 2020 election results (The Hill)
Emergency Supplemental Spending Packages
On Friday, the White House released new details on an emergency spending package request. The supplemental request would provide $61.4 billion for Ukraine, $14.3 billion for Israel, $9.15 billion for humanitarian aid, and $13.6 billion for the southern U.S. border. Many House Republicans oppose further aid for Ukraine and may separate it from the rest of the security package. The White House is also expected to release details of a second supplemental spending request for domestic issues. This package is expected to include funding for natural disaster responses, high speed internet, child care, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
Letter Regarding Critical National Security Funding Needs for FY 2024 (The White House)
White House asks Congress for $106 billion in security supplemental (Roll Call)
Congress Responds to Israel-Hamas War
Over 5,000 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis have been killed since the October 7th Hamas attack and the Israeli military’s ongoing response with intense air strikes in Gaza. Last Thursday, President Joe Biden announced $100 million in humanitarian assistance for Gaza and the West Bank, followed by a supplemental request that includes $14.3 billion for Israel and $9.15 billion for humanitarian aid, including for Gaza and other countries. This follows a call from 55 House Democrats for the White House to provide such aid and to communicate that Israel's response to Hamas' attacks must follow international law and limit civilian harm. At the same time, a growing number of House Democrats are calling for a ceasefire, including through H.Res. 786, which would allow urgently needed aid to reach Palestinians in Gaza. Additionally, most House Members have cosponsored H.Res.771, a resolution standing with Israel, and the Senate last week passed a similar resolution in a 97-0 vote. This list is not exhaustive, and lawmakers will continue responding to the war through statements, letters, and legislation in the coming days.
October 27-Nov. 12: House is in recess
November: Native American Heritage Month
November 11: Veterans Day
November 17: Government funding expires
November 23: Thanksgiving Day
November 24: Native American Heritage Day
