The Senate is in, but the House will be gone for a one-week recess. During the break, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) will lead a 20-member bipartisan congressional delegation to Israel.
Last week, McCarthy was able to corral the Republican conference and narrowly pass his legislation for raising the debt limit. The plan would increase the debt ceiling by $1.5 trillion, enough to delay any default on U.S. payments until March 31, 2024. It also would expand work requirements under several social safety net programs, streamline energy permitting, cancel most of the funding provided last year to the IRS in the tax and climate law, and repeal various clean energy tax credits. McCarthy will now attempt to use passage of the package as leverage to reengage in discussions with the White House.
In the Senate, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has publicly stated that the package is dead on arrival and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has indicated that an agreement must be reached between Speaker McCarthy and President Biden. However, Leader Schumer sent a letter Monday morning stating that Senate committees will begin holding hearings on the House legislation this week, starting with a Budget Committee hearing on Thursday.
Separately, House Appropriations Chairwoman Kay Granger (R-TX) has announced that Republicans are planning to mark up their annual government funding bills between mid-May and mid-June.
Administration
On Monday, President Biden will welcome Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to the White House for a bilateral meeting.
Senate Side
On Monday, the Senate will vote on the nomination of Anthony Johnstone to be a judge for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Majority Leader Schumer has also filed cloture on three additional district court nominees.
The upper chamber may also vote on a joint resolution that would delist the lesser prairie chicken as a threatened and endangered species (S.J.Res.9). It only needs a simple majority to pass under the Congressional Review Act. Additionally, a spokesperson for Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) has stated that the Senate may consider legislation that would reinstate solar tariffs on US imports of panels from Southeast Asia (S.J.Res.15). The House passed its version of the legislation last week with some Democratic support, but without enough backing needed to overcome a veto.