The House and Senate are in session this week.
On Tuesday, President Biden will give his State of the Union address to Congress. He is expected discuss a range of issues, including the war in Ukraine and the looming debt-ceiling fight. Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders will be delivering the Republican response to Biden’s speech.
The Administration is planning to hold a briefing for congressional leadership and the chair and ranking members of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees to discuss details of the Chinese balloon that was shot down off the coast of South Carolina over the weekend. The balloon has captured national attention over the past week and has been linked to a Chinese spying program, although China has claimed it was a climate-research airship.
Additionally, Senate committees are scheduled to hold organizing meetings this week to approve rules and budgets, which will allow them to formally begin working, after the committee rosters were finalized by leadership last week.
President Biden’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2024 is scheduled to be released on March 9.
Administration
After President Biden delivers his State of the Union address, he will travel to Madison, Wisconsin, and Tampa, Florida, to discuss the state of the economy, job creation, and protecting Social Security and Medicare. Then on Friday, Biden will welcome Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to the White House for a bilateral meeting. He will also host U.S. governors throughout the weekend.
House Side
On Monday, the House will meet to consider multiple bills under suspension.
- Bills expected under suspension of the rules
- H.R. 302 – Energy Cybersecurity University Leadership Act of 2023, as amended (Rep. Ross – Science, Space, and Technology). The bill would require the Energy Department to provide financial assistance to graduate students and postdoctoral researchers taking cybersecurity and energy infrastructure courses.
- H.R. 548 – Eastern Band of Cherokee Historic Lands Reacquisition Act (Rep. Fleischmann – Natural Resources). The measure would put into trust about 96 acres of federal land in eastern Tennessee for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
- H.R. 423 – Pala Band of Mission Indians Land Transfer Act of 2023 (Rep. Issa – Natural Resources). The bill would allow the Interior Department to take roughly 721.1 acres of land in San Diego County, California, into a trust for the Pala Band of Mission Indians.
Tuesday – Thursday, the House is scheduled to meet for legislative business.
- Bills expected under a rule
- H.R. 185 – To terminate the requirement imposed by the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for proof of COVID-19 vaccination for foreign travelers (Rep. Massie – Energy and Commerce).
- H.J.Res. 24 – Disapproving the action of the District of Columbia Council in approving the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2022 (Rep. Comer – Oversight and Accountability). The binding resolution would overturn a Washington, D.C. law allowing noncitizen residents, including immigrants who lack necessary documents, to vote in local races.
- H.J.Res. 26 – Disapproving the action of the District of Columbia Council in approving the Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022 (Rep. Clyde – Oversight and Accountability). The binding resolution would overturn a Washington, D.C. law that overhauls the city’s criminal code.
Senate Side
On Tuesday, the Senate will resume consideration on the nomination of DeAndrea Gist Benjamin to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit. The chamber’s Democrats and Republicans are also planning separate in-town retreats on Wednesday to discuss the year’s potential legislative agenda.