Both the House and Senate are in session this week.
The House will meet this week to consider infant formula shortages and rising gas prices. Democratic leadership is planning to hold a vote on legislation that would prohibit “unconscionably excessive” gas prices if the President declares an energy emergency in an attempt to address their opposition to major gas and oil companies reaping record profits during the surge. However, the measure is unlikely to receive bipartisan support.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) also stated in a Dear Colleague letter last week that the chamber would consider two measures to address the rapid shortage of infant formula. The first is a bill that would grant emergency authority to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which helps with the purchase of formula. The second is an emergency funding measure to help ease the formula shortage. The details of that legislation are being worked out by House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), including a provision that would allow the import of FDA-approved baby formula from abroad.
The Senate will continue its efforts to pass the $40 billion aid package for Ukraine after they were unable to move forward last week under expedited procedures due to Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-KY) objections and his desire to adopt an amendment that would put the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction in charge of oversight of the Ukraine funds. Both parties have expressed urgency for passage of the legislation, including a commitment that the package would pass this week from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) during a trip over the weekend to Ukraine.
Administration
On Monday, President Biden will host a bilateral meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. On Thursday, he will travel to South Korea and Japan for his first trip to Asia as President.
House Side
On Monday, the House will meet to consider multiple bills under suspension.
- H.R. 6873 – Bombing Prevention Act of 2022, as amended (Rep. Malinowski – Homeland Security), which would establish the Office of Bombing Prevention within the Homeland Security Department.
- H.R. 6824 – President’s Cup Cybersecurity Competition Act, as amended (Rep. Luria – Homeland Security), which would codify the competition for the federal cybersecurity workforce.
- S. 2520 – State and Local Government Cybersecurity Act of 2021 (Sen. Peters – Homeland Security), which would require coordination on cybersecurity between the Homeland Security Department and state, local, tribal, and territorial government organizations.
- H.R. 6825 – Nonprofit Security Grant Program Improvement Act of 2022, as amended (Rep. Bennie Thompson – Homeland Security), which would boost the funding authorization for a federal grant program that supports security upgrades at houses of worship and other nonprofits at risk of attack.
- H.R. 6871 – DHS Acquisition Reform Act (Rep. LaTurner – Homeland Security), which would expand authority and responsibility for acquisition management at several offices within the Homeland Security Department.
- H.R. 6868 – Cybersecurity Grants for Schools Act of 2022, as amended (Rep. Garbarino – Homeland Security). The bill would authorize the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to award financial assistance for cybersecurity and infrastructure security education and training.
- H.R. 5658 – DHS Roles and Responsibilities in Cyber Space Act, as amended (Rep. Bacon – Homeland Security), which would require the Homeland Security Department to report on the roles and responsibilities of the department and its components in responding to cyber incidents.
- S. 3527 – To amend Title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to transfer the name of property of the Veterans Affairs Department designated by law to other property of the department (Sen. Tester – Veterans’ Affairs).
- S. 1760 – To designate the community-based outpatient clinic of the Veterans Affairs Department planned to be built in Oahu, Hawaii, as the “Daniel Kahikina Akaka Department of Veterans Affairs Community-Based Outpatient Clinic” (Sen. Hirono – Veterans’ Affairs).
- S. 2514 – To rename the Provo Veterans Center in Orem, Utah, as the “Col. Gail S. Halvorsen ‘Candy Bomber’ Veterans Center” (Sen. Lee – Veterans’ Affairs).
- H.R. 7500 – Fiscal Year 2022 Veterans Affairs Major Medical Facility Authorization Act (Rep. Allred – Veterans’ Affairs), which would authorize major medical facility projects for the Veterans Affairs Department.
- H.R. 5754 – Patient Advocate Tracker Act, as amended (Rep. McClain – Veterans’ Affairs). The bill would require the Veterans Affairs Department’s Office of Patient Advocacy to create an online system for veterans to file and track complaints about VA health care services.
- H.R. 6604 – Veterans Eligible to Transfer School (VETS) Credit Act, as amended (Rep. Buchanan – Veterans’ Affairs). The bill modifies the Veterans Affairs Department’s process for restoring VA educational benefits when school closures or program disapprovals prevent servicemembers from completing an educational program.
- S. 2687 – Strengthening Oversight for Veterans Act of 2021 (Sen. Tester – Veterans’ Affairs), which would give testimonial subpoena authority to the Veteran Affairs inspector general.
- H.R. 7375 – To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to update the payment system of the Veterans Affairs Department to allow for electronic fund transfer of educational assistance, administered by the Secretary, to a foreign institution of higher education (Rep. Sherrill – Veterans’ Affairs).
- H.R. 6376 – Student Veteran Work Study Modernization Act (Rep. Axne – Veterans’ Affairs), which would require the Veterans Affairs Department to carry out a five-year pilot program to pay work-study allowances to student veterans who are enrolled at least half-time.
- H.R. 7153 – Department of Veterans Affairs Principles of Benefits Automation Act, as amended (Rep. Bost – Veterans’ Affairs), which would require the department to submit a plan to Congress for modernizing the Veterans Benefits Administration’s information technology systems to automate claims processing.
Tuesday – Thursday, the House will meet for legislative business and to consider additional bills under suspension.
- Bills expected under a rule
- H.R. 7309 – Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2022 (Rep. Robert Scott – Education and Labor), which would authorize almost $80 billion from fiscal years 2023 through 2028 for federal workforce development programs.
- H.R. 6531 – Targeting Resources to Communities in Need Act of 2022 (Rep. Clyburn – Oversight and Reform), which would instruct the Office of Management and Budget to direct federal agencies to increase the funding they target to areas of high and persistent poverty.
- S. 2938 – To designate the U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building located at 111 North Adams Street in Tallahassee, Florida, as the “Joseph Woodrow Hatchett United States Courthouse and Federal Building” and the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 120 4th Street in Petaluma, California, as the “Lynn C. Woolsey Post Office Building” (Sen. Rubio – Transportation and Infrastructure).
- H.R. 7688 – Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act (Rep. Schrier – Energy and Commerce). The bill would permit the President to issue an emergency proclamation making it illegal to sell consumer fuel at a price that’s “unconscionably excessive” and exploitative.
- Bills under suspension
- H.R. 5738 – Lactation Spaces for Veteran Moms Act, as amended (Rep. Luria – Veterans’ Affairs), which would require Veterans Affairs Department medical centers to have dedicated lactation spaces for veterans and members of the public.
- H.R. 7335 – MST Claims Coordination Act (Rep. Luria – Veterans’ Affairs). The bill would instruct the Veterans Benefits Administration to coordinate with the Veterans Health Administration to provide required paperwork to servicemembers who have submitted compensation claims related to military sexual trauma.
- H.R. 6961 – Dignity for MST Survivors Act, as amended (Rep. Mrvan – Veterans’ Affairs), which would require the Veterans Affairs Department to ensure that each Board of Veterans’ Appeals member is offered annual training on military sexual trauma and proceedings concerning related claims for compensation.
- H.R. 6064 – To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to seek to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine for a review of examinations, furnished by the Secretary, to individuals who submit claims to the Secretary for compensation under Chapter 11 of Title 38, United States Code, for mental and physical conditions linked to military sexual trauma (Rep. Nehls – Veterans’ Affairs).
- H.R. 2724 – VA Peer Support Enhancement for MST Survivors Act, as amended (Rep. Delgado – Veterans’ Affairs). The bill would provide access to peer support and other services for veterans who experienced sexual trauma during their military service and are seeking disability compensation and other benefits from the Veterans Affairs Department.
- S. 4089 – Veterans Rapid Retraining Assistance Program Restoration and Recovery Act of 2022 (Sen. Durbin – Veterans’ Affairs), which would extend job training benefits for veterans who are unemployed due to COVID-19.
- S. 2533 – Making Advances in Mammography and Medical Options for Veterans Act (Sen. Tester – Veterans’ Affairs), which would expand breast imaging services for veterans.
- S. 2102 – Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas SERVICE Act (Sen. Boozman – Veterans’ Affairs), which would require the Veterans Affairs Department to provide mammograms to veterans who served in locations associated with exposure to burn pits.
- H.R. 6052 – Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General Training Act of 2021 (Rep. Underwood – Veterans’ Affairs). The bill would require the Veterans Affairs Department to develop and implement a training program for employees on reporting issues to the department’s Office of the Inspector General.
Senate Side
On Monday, the Senate will take up the motion to proceed to the Ukraine supplemental appropriations package. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has also filed cloture on three picks to serve as district court judges: Jennifer Rochon for the Southern District of New York, Trina Thompson for the Northern District of California, and Sunshine Suzanne Sykes for the Central District of California.