Both the House and Senate will be in session this week.
The Senate will begin processing more than 20 of President Biden’s nominees while the House turns to its long-awaited consideration of the America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing, Pre-Eminence in Technology, and Economic Strength Act, or America COMPETES Act.
The America COMPETES Act is the House’s response to the Senate-passed U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, which was voted out of the upper chamber back in June 2021 with strong bipartisan support. Key officials in the Administration and other stakeholders have been pushing for months for the legislation to be enacted. However, the House bill as currently drafted includes numerous controversial Democratic-sponsored trade and climate provisions that have upset Republicans, who are now signaling widespread opposition to the package. Democrats can still pass the bill this week, when it will then go to a conference committee to be reworked in order to pass the Senate, where it requires 60 votes for passage.
Democrats are also continuing to evaluate options in the hopes of advancing their Build Back Better Act, the $1.75 trillion tax and spending package, as it continues to evade any consensus in the upper chamber and appears stalled for the time being.
Additionally, Appropriations Committee leaders are still hoping to pass a spending package before the current continuing resolution (CR) expires on February 18. However, that timeframe has become more uncertain because negotiators have still yet to agree on top-line spending figures for defense and nondefense spending, or on a framework for how to approach contentious policy riders.
Administration
President Biden will meet on Monday with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani; they’re expected to discuss shoring up energy supplies to Europe and diplomacy with the Taliban. On Thursday, Biden will travel to New York to participate in an event with Mayor Eric Adams focused on guns, crime, violence, and police funding.
House Side
On Tuesday, the House will meet for legislative business to consider multiple bills under suspension.
- S. 583 – PRICE Act of 2021 (Sen. Peters – Oversight and Reform)
- H.R. 5577 – To designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 3900 Crown Road Southwest in Atlanta, Georgia, as the “John R. Lewis Post Office Building” (Rep. Nikema Williams – Oversight and Reform)
- S. 566 – To designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 42 Main Street in Slatersville, Rhode Island, as the “Specialist Matthew R. Turcotte Post Office” (Sen. Reed – Oversight and Reform)
- H.R. 2324 – To designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 2800 South Adams Street in Tallahassee, Florida, as the “D. Edwina Stephens Post Office” (Rep. Lawson – Oversight and Reform)
- H.R. 735 – To designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 502 East Cotati Avenue in Cotati, California, as the “Arthur Luis Ibleto Post Office Building” (Rep. Mike Thompson – Oversight and Reform)
- H.R. 3539 – To designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 223 West Chalan Santo Papa in Hagatna, Guam, as the “Atanasio Taitano Perez Post Office” (Rep. San Nicolas – Oversight and Reform)
- H.R. 2842 – To designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 120 4th Street in Petaluma, California, as the “Lynn C. Woolsey Post Office Building” (Rep. Huffman – Oversight and Reform)
- H.R. 3579 – To designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 200 East Main Street in Maroa, Illinois, as the “Jeremy L. Ridlen Post Office” (Rep. Rodney Davis – Oversight and Reform)
- H.R. 3613 – To designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 202 Trumbull Street in Saint Clair, Michigan, as the “Corporal Jeffrey Robert Standfest Post Office Building” (Rep. McClain – Oversight and Reform)
- H.R. 4168 – To designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 6223 Maple Street, in Omaha, Nebraska, as the “Petty Officer 1st Class Charles Jackson French Post Office” (Rep. Bacon – Oversight and Reform)
- H.R. 1298 – To designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 1233 North Cedar Street in Owasso, Oklahoma, as the “Staff Sergeant Marshal Roberts Post Office Building” (Rep. Hern – Oversight and Reform)
Wednesday – Friday, the House will meet for legislative business.
- Bills expected under a rule
- H.R. 4521 – America COMPETES Act of 2022 (Rep. Eddie Johnson – Science, Space, and Technology). The measure would include more than $50 billion for semiconductor research and development and authorize new initiatives, including a supply chain fund, a Science and Engineering Directorate at the National Science Foundation, Energy Department research, and international efforts to address climate change. It also would extend trade preference programs and authorize two more rounds of a miscellaneous tariff bill.
Senate Side
On Monday, the Senate will vote on the motion to invoke cloture, or limit debate, on the nomination of Bridget Brennan to be a judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) filed cloture on four federal judges, seven jurists to serve District of Columbia courts, four Pentagon picks, and four others for diplomatic posts before last week’s recess. His office has stated that the vote series will likely consume most of the week.
Schumer could also schedule votes to discharge from committee other picks for the federal judiciary, including Dale Ho, who was tapped to serve as a judge for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.