Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, the DC Download, to get updates on what’s happening on the Hill, what we are reading, key issues to watch, and progressive analysis and tools.

 
 

DC Download 10.30.2023

After three tumultuous weeks without a Speaker, Republican lawmakers elected Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA-04) to lead their slim House majority. Now, lawmakers face jam-packed weeks as they aim to fund the government and respond to world events. This week, House lawmakers are considering three appropriations bills and a bill to provide aid to Israel. They may also consider resolutions regarding specific House members. Similarly, Senators are considering a minibus to fund part of the government, while Biden Administration officials defend an emergency security package. 

Table of Contents:

 

 
 

Just weeks ago, the Supreme Court began its latest term with consequential cases. Tune into the Progressive Caucus Action Fund’s latest Tools for Progress Briefing, “The People vs. SCOTUS: A Preview of the 2023 Fall Supreme Court Term,” on Wednesday, November 8th at 1 pm ET. You’ll learn about the cases before the Court this term and what we can do to fight for a Supreme Court that will truly protect the people. We will also hear from Special Guest Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) on legislative proposals to restore legitimacy to – and expand – the Court. 

 
 

We’ll break down the most critical cases on the docket this year with leading experts, including:

  • Special Guest Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04), lead sponsor of the Judiciary Act

  • Damon Hewitt, President and Executive Director, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law

  • Meagan Hatcher-Mays, Director of Democracy Policy, Indivisible; and

  • Ricardo Pacheco, Senior Legislative Affairs Associate, Progressive Caucus Action Fund

This term, the Court is considering cases that could restrict our right to vote, deny access to medication abortion care nationwide, slash regulations on big banks, make it harder to expose companies violating our civil rights, and so much more. On top of that, we have a more corrupt Court than ever and need to hold it accountable. Don’t miss this free virtual briefing on November 8 at 1 pm ET/10 am PT! Sign up today!

 

 

House Floor

The House will vote on six suspension bills from the Committees on Foreign Affairs and Education & the Workforce. 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. 4364 – Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2024 (Sponsored by Rep. Amodei / Appropriations Committee): The bill would provide the House of Representatives and legislative branch agencies $5.3 billion for Fiscal Year 2024, a decrease of $263 million, or 4.7 percent, below 2023

H.R. 4821 – Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024 (Sponsored by Rep. Simpson / Appropriations Committee): The bill would provide the Environmental Protection Agency, Interior Department, and related agencies $25.4 billion in discretionary funding for Fiscal Year 2024, which is $13.4 billion below the 2023 level, a cut of 35 percent.

H.R. 4820 – Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024 (Sponsored by Rep. Cole / Appropriations Committee): The bill would provide the Departments of Transportation and Housing & Urban Development $65 billion for Fiscal Year 2024, $26 billion below the 2023 level, a reduction of over 28 percent.

The House may also vote on additional legislation, including: 

H. Res. 773 – Providing for the expulsion of Representative George Santos from the House of Representatives (Sponsored by Rep. D’Esposito / Ethics Committee): The resolution would expel Rep. George Santos (R-NY-03) from the House of Representatives for deceiving his constituents and fraud charges. The Constitution requires a ⅔ majority to expel someone from the House. 

H. Res. 807 – Censuring Representative Rashida Tlaib for antisemitic activity, sympathizing with terrorist organizations, and leading an insurrection at the United States Capitol Complex (Sponsored by Rep. Greene (GA) / Ethics Committee): The resolution would censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12) for “antisemitic activity, sympathizing with terrorist organizations, and leading an insurrection” at the U.S. Capitol. 

H. Res. 610 – Censuring Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (Sponsored by Rep. Balint / Ethics Committee): The resolution would  censure Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA-14) for “racism, antisemitism, LGBTQ hate speech, Islamophobia, anti-Asian hate, xenophobia, and other forms of hatred.” 

House Committee Highlights

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

Thursday Hearings

Examining the SEC’s Agenda: Unintended Consequences for U.S. Capital Markets and Investors (Financial Services)

The Factors Influencing the High Cost of Insurance for Consumers (Financial Services)

 

 

Senate Floor

H.R. 4366 – Making appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, and for other purposes. (Sponsored by Rep. Carter (TX) / Appropriations Committee): The bill is a vehicle for a “minibus” package that includes the Military Construction-VA, Agriculture-FDA, and Transportation-HUD spending bills for Fiscal Year 2024 (3 of 12 spending bills). The bill would provide $155 billion for Military Construction-Veterans Affairs; $26 billion for the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration, and includes full funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and $6.3 billion for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); and $99 billion for the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).   

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

AI and the Future of Work: Moving Forward Together (HELP)

A Review of the National Security Supplemental Request (Appropriations)

  • Antony Blinken, Secretary of the Department of State, is testifying

  • Lloyd Austin, Secretary of the Department of Defense, is testifying

Threats to the Homeland (Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs)

  • Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, is testifying

  • Christopher Wray, Director of the FBI, is testifying

Wednesday Hearings 

The Science of Extreme Event Attribution: How Climate Change Is Fueling Severe Weather Events (Environment & Public Works)

The Great Outdoors: Small Businesses and America’s Outdoor Recreation Economy (Small Business & Entrepreneurship)

Ongoing Threats to Election Administration (Rules & Administration)

Thursday Hearings

Hearing to Consider the Nomination of the Honorable Martin O'Malley, of Maryland, to be Commissioner of Social Security (Finance)

Ensuring Financial Protection for Servicemembers, Veterans, and Their Families (Banking, Housing, & Urban Affairs)

 

 

New House Speaker

For three weeks, the House of Representatives remained at a standstill, unable to advance legislation without a Speaker of the House. That ended last week when House lawmakers elected Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA-04) as the next Speaker by a party-line vote. Elected in 2016, Speaker Johnson is a staunch conservative who has opposed LGBTQ+ rights, abortion, and gun violence prevention. He also played a prominent role in the Republican attempt to overturn the 2020 election to keep then-President Donald Trump in power. As Speaker, he now faces some pressing issues including funding the government and responding to global events like the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war. Moreover, he must navigate his tenure as Speaker in a divided government and balance the priorities of both the centrist and far-right wings of the Republican party. 

Government Funding 

Congress avoided a government shutdown in September when lawmakers passed a stopgap funding bill, otherwise known as a continuing resolution (CR) that pushed the funding deadline to November 17. While the CR aimed to provide Congress more time to negotiate the annual funding bills, lawmakers quickly found themselves at an impasse when Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-20) was ousted as House Speaker. Now, with the funding deadline less than three weeks away, Congress must pass all 12 appropriations bills or another CR before November 17 or face a government shutdown. The Senate this week is continuing work on a minibus funding bill that includes funding for the Departments of Agriculture, Transportation, Housing & Urban Development, and Veterans’ Affairs. Similarly, the House this week is working on advancing funding bills for the Legislative Branch, the Department of the Interior, and the Departments of Transportation and Housing & Urban Development. Over the weekend, newly-elected House Speaker Mike Johnson said that he would support a stopgap funding bill until January 15, 2024. Such a stopgap will almost certainly be necessary given the lack of progress on spending bills that can pass both chambers. 

White House Emergency Security Package

Earlier this month, the White House released details of a $106 billion emergency security package to aid Ukraine and Israel, among other things. Specifically, the package would provide $61.4 billion to support Ukraine, $14.3 billion to support the Israeli military, and $9.15 billion for humanitarian efforts across the world, including Gaza. The request comes after the October 7th Hamas attack that killed over 1,400 Israelis and the Israeli military’s ongoing response in Gaza that has killed over 8,000 Palestinians. The security package would also provide $14 billion for the southern U.S. border and $7.4 billion for operations in the Indo-Pacific. Many lawmakers support aid for both Ukraine and Israel, but there is disagreement on how the funding should be packaged. While the White House wants the proposals passed as a single bill, newly-installed House Speaker Mike Johnson, who has previously opposed aid for Ukraine, said that aid for Ukraine and Israel should be taken up in separate packages. Over the weekend, House Republicans announced plans to vote on a $14.5 billion standalone bill that would provide aid to Israel. However, unlike typical emergency spending, reporting indicates the bill will include spending cuts to offset the aid’s cost—though those cuts’ nature remains unknown.

White House Request for Domestic Priorities

Following an emergency security package request for Ukraine and Israel, the White House released details of a $56 billion package that would fund a range of critical domestic priorities. Specifically, the package would provide $23.5 billion for natural disaster relief, $16 billion to support the child care sector, and $6 billion to maintain free and discounted internet through next year. The package also includes funding for international food aid, energy assistance, and federal wildland fighters, among other items. It is unclear whether Congress will take up the measure. 

 

 

November: Native American Heritage Month

November 8: The People vs. SCOTUS: A Preview of the 2023 Fall Supreme Court Term 

November 11: Veterans Day

November 17: Government funding expires

 November 23: Thanksgiving Day

November 24: Native American Heritage Day