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 12.09.2024

The end of the 118th Congress is around the corner and Congress has a full agenda. On the House side, lawmakers will vote on the must-pass National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which comes in this year at a topline of $895.2 billion. Before December 20, lawmakers will also need to finalize a continuing resolution (CR) to extend government funding into the new year and avert a government shutdown. In the Senate, members will also consider the defense authorization bill and advance nominations.

Table of Contents:

SCOTUS Watch

The Progressive Caucus Action Fund released a Supreme Court preview for the 2024-2025 term. The Supreme Court is considering several cases that have the potential to shape our society and legal landscape. From LGBTQ+ discrimination to ghost guns and police use of force, the Court's decisions have the power to impact individuals and communities across the nation. You can read more about the upcoming cases for this term here.

House Floor

The House will vote on 20 suspension bills from the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, Homeland Security, Oversight and Accountability, and Budget. Suspension bills require a ⅔ majority to pass. For a list of all suspension bills being considered, click here.

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

H.R. 7673 – Liberty in Laundry Act (Sponsored by Rep. Ogles / Energy and Commerce Committee): The legislation would prohibit the Secretary of Energy from prescribing or enforcing energy efficiency standards for clothes washers that are not technologically feasible and economically justified, likely to increase net costs for consumers, and would fail to result in significant energy conservation. The bill would also block the Department of Energy from enforcing an existing rule related to these terms.

S. 4199 – JUDGES Act of 2024 (Sponsored by Sen. Young / Judiciary Committee): The legislation would add 63 permanent and three temporary judges to district courts. The judgeships would be added every two years over the next decade and would span three presidential terms.

House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R 5009 – National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA): The legislation authorizes funding for defense and national security programs at the Pentagon, Energy Department, and other agencies at a total of $883.7 billion in discretionary spending. The measure authorizes troop pay raises, weapons systems, and military construction projects. It includes a 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted troops and would prohibit the military health program from providing gender-affirming care to children.

House Committee Highlights

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

Tuesday Hearings

Given the Green Light: Open Border Policies and Threats to Law Enforcement (Committee on Homeland Security)

Budget and Oversight Hearing--District of Columbia Budget for Fiscal Year 2025 (Committee on Appropriations)

DC Mayor, Muriel Bowser is testifying
DC City Council Chair, Phil Mendelson is testifying

Oversight of the U.S. Postal Service (Committee on Oversight and Accountability)

Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy U.S. Postal Service is testifying
U.S. Postal Service Inspector General, Tammy Hull is testifying

Republican Hearing on Protests at National Parks (Committee on National Resources)

Wednesday Hearings

Sounding the Alarm: Pathways and Possible Solutions to the U.S. Fiscal Crisis (Committee on the Budget)

An Assessment of the State Department’s Withdrawal from Afghanistan by America’s Top Diplomat (Committee on Foreign Affairs)

Secretary of State, Antony Blinken is testifying

The Communist Cuban Regime’s Disregard for Human Rights (Committee on Foreign Affairs)

Nominations

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

Tiffany Rene Johnson, to be District Judge for the Northern District of Georgia
Keli Marie Neary, to be District Judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
Cynthia Valenzuela Dixon, to be District Judge for the Central District of California
Noel Wise, to be District Judge for the Northern District of California

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

How Mass Deportations Will Separate American Families, Harm Our Armed Forces, and Devastate Our Economy (Judiciary)

Wednesday Hearings
Consumer Protection: Protecting Workers’ Money and Fighting for the Dignity of Work (Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs)

NDAA

The House and Senate recently released their compromise version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The bill authorizes $883.7 billion for fiscal year (FY) 2025, in addition to other funds, boosting topline defense funding for FY2025 to $895.2 billion—the highest amount on record.

The House bill included attacks on DEI, transgender care, and reproductive rights. The final text preserves the Pentagon’s abortion travel policy, meaning service members can continue to use their annual leave and travel stipends to access reproductive care for themselves and their dependents. The compromise version includes a historic 14.5% pay raise for the most junior service members and a 4.5% pay raise for other service members.

The bill would also allow 48 out of 58 of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter jets to be developed. The remaining ten can only be approved when the Defense Secretary submits a plan that addresses the numerous operational issues with the fighter jet. The House Rules Committee will meet today to mark up the compromise text. The Senate could also vote as early as this week to pass it.

Government Funding

In September, Congress passed a stopgap continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government funded through December 20. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has suggested extending funding until March, to allow President-elect Donald Trump and GOP lawmakers to exert more influence over spending negotiations. As of today, no bill text has been proposed publicly, and several questions remain unanswered—including whether the CR will carry funds to help communities recover from hurricanes and extend expiring laws, like the farm bill.