Both the House and Senate are in session this week.
The House will meet this week to consider a minibus package of six of the 12 fiscal 2023 spending bills, which incorporates large increases sought by President Joe Biden in his budget request, which proposed a 14% overall increase for nondefense programs. More than 600 amendments were filed to the package.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) has acknowledged that the spending bills do not have a clear path forward at this time because many House Republicans oppose the large increases to domestic spending. Furthermore, the Senate Appropriations Committee has yet to mark up any of the spending bills, raising the likelihood of a continuing resolution at the beginning of the fiscal year, which would result in a lame duck negotiating session. The Senate bills are expected to be posted online by the end of July, though no markups have been scheduled.
In the Senate, there is expectation of a procedural vote on a scaled-back version of the China competition legislation, which would include, at a minimum, $52 billion in incentives and an investment-tax credit for U.S. semiconductor manufacturing. This effort came together after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) threatened to withhold support for the broader conference package while Democrats were attempting to move forward with their budget reconciliation package.
However, last week Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) presented another roadblock to Democratic efforts as he signaled his opposition to any tax and climate bill without first seeing some moderation in the inflation picture, which surged again in June. Senate Democrats are still continuing their efforts to put together a budget reconciliation package that includes agreed-to measures, including working with Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough to ensure an agreement aimed at lowering drug prices complies with budget rules.
House Side
On Monday, the House will meet to consider multiple bills under suspension.
- S. 144 – Desert Sage Youth Wellness Center Access Improvement Act (Sen. Feinstein – Natural Resources). The bill would authorize the Department of Health and Human Services to acquire surrounding land to construct and maintain a paved access road to the Desert Sage Youth Wellness Center in Hemet, California.
- H.R. 1286 – Southern Campaign of the Revolution National Heritage Corridor Act of 2021, as amended (Rep. Clyburn – Natural Resources). The bill would establish the Southern Campaign of the Revolution National Heritage Corridor to commemorate Revolutionary War events in North Carolina and South Carolina.
- H.R. 2024 – Southern Maryland National Heritage Area Act, as amended (Rep. Hoyer – Natural Resources). The legislation would establish the Southern Maryland National Heritage Area to preserve and promote resources in St. Mary’s, Calvert, Charles, and Prince George’s counties.
- H.R. 3222 – Alabama Black Belt National Heritage Area Act, as amended (Rep. Sewell – Natural Resources). The bill would establish the Alabama Black Belt National Heritage Area to preserve and promote sites in 19 Alabama counties.
- H.R. 4404 – Kissimmee River Wild and Scenic River Act, as amended (Rep. Soto – Natural Resources). The bill would require the Interior Department to study restored segments of the Kissimmee River in Florida for potential designation as part of the Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
- H.R. 6337 – Biking on Long-Distance Trails Act, as amended (Rep. Neguse – Natural Resources). The bill would require the Agriculture and Interior departments to identify potential long-distance bike trails on federal recreational lands.
- H.R. 7002 – Gateway Solidarity Act, as amended (Rep. Wagner – Natural Resources). The legislation would direct the Interior Department to illuminate the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, with blue and yellow lights in support of Ukraine.
- H.R. 7025 – Advancing Human Rights-Centered International Conservation Act of 2022, as amended (Rep. Grijalva – Natural Resources). The legislation would generally prohibit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from awarding any international conservation assistance for foreign security forces if credible information demonstrates that they have committed human rights violations.
- H.R. 7693 – National Park Foundation Reauthorization Act of 2022 (Rep. Westerman – Natural Resources). The bill would reauthorize the National Park Foundation through fiscal year 2030.
- H.Res. 1130 – Expressing support for the sovereign decisions of Finland and Sweden to apply to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), as well as calling on all members of NATO to ratify the protocols of accession swiftly, as amended (Rep. Keating – Foreign Affairs).
Tuesday – Thursday, the House will meet for legislative business.
- Bills expected under a rule
- H.R. 8294 – Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Agriculture, Rural Development, Energy and Water Development, Financial Services and General Government, Interior, Environment, Military Construction, and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2023 (Rep. DeLauro – Appropriations). The minibus packages together six of the 12 fiscal 2023 appropriations bills.
- H.R. 8373 – Right to Contraception Act (Rep. Manning – Energy and Commerce). The legislation would create a statutory right to obtain contraceptives and engage in contraception.
Senate Side
On Monday, the Senate will vote on the motion to invoke cloture, or limit debate, on Nina Wang’s nomination to sit on the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. The upper chamber is also expected to vote to confirm Michelle Childs as an appellate judge on the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals.
Additionally, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) has filed for cloture on Nancy Maldonado’s nomination to be a judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.