Look Ahead to the Week of February 12: Will Congress Pass a Foreign Aid Funding Bill?
Both the Senate and House are in session this week.
Although the Senate was originally scheduled to be in recess, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is keeping the upper chamber in Washington to pass a $95 billion aid package to support Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan and provide humanitarian relief in Gaza. The package passed a key procedural hurdle Sunday afternoon. The bill does not have any provisions to enhance border security after talks broke down last week, scuttling any attempts to enact immigration reform.
Further, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) was dealt a surprising defeat last week after the House failed to pass a standalone $17.6 billion Israel aid package and a bill to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. However, GOP leadership has committed to vote again this week on the impeachment if they can secure enough votes for passage.
After reaching an agreement on top-line spending and subcommittee allocations, congressional appropriators are continuing to work on crafting the 12 fiscal year funding bills. Congress has been operating under a temporary, “laddered” government funding measure, which is set to partially expire on March 1 with the rest expiring on March 8.
Administration
On Monday, President Biden will welcome King Abdullah II and Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan to the White House. On Friday, Biden will travel to East Palestine, Ohio, to participate in events related to last year’s railway disaster.
Separately, Biden is planning to send to Congress his fiscal year 2025 budget proposal on March 11, a few days after his State of the Union address. Lawmakers have already acknowledged how difficult it will be to make progress on appropriations bills ahead of the September 30 funding deadline given that Congress is still working to enact a fiscal year 2024 funding package and the upcoming elections.
House Side
On Tuesday, the House will meet to consider multiple bills under suspension.
- Bills expected under suspension of the rules.
- H.R. 2766 – Uyghur Policy Act of 2023, as amended (Rep. Young Kim – Foreign Affairs). The bill would establish a special coordinator position in the State Department to oversee government policies and programs affecting Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minority groups in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous region.
- H.R. 533 – Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act, as amended (Rep. McGovern – Foreign Affairs). The bill would direct the State Department to take steps to counter Chinese disinformation about Tibet.
- H.R. 4039 – No Dollars to Uyghur Forced Labor Act, as amended (Rep. Moran – Foreign Affairs). The legislation would bar the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development from spending funds on goods produced by Uyghur forced labor.
- H.R. 5375 – Strengthening the Quad Act, as amended (Rep. Meeks – Foreign Affairs). The legislation would require the State Department to negotiate the establishment of a parliamentary working group with the governments of Australia, India, and Japan.
- H.R. 3016 – IGO Anti-Boycott Act, as amended (Rep. Lawler – Foreign Affairs). The measure would expand a prohibition on U.S. participation in boycotts of ally countries to apply to those sponsored by international governmental organizations such as the United Nations.
- H.R. 3202 – Assad Regime Anti-Normalization Act of 2023, as amended (Rep. Joe Wilson – Foreign Affairs). The measure would expand U.S. sanctions on, and prohibit normalizing relations with, the Syrian government led by President Bashar al-Assad.
- H.Res. 966 – Condemning rape and sexual violence committed by Hamas in its war against Israel (Rep. Frankel – Foreign Affairs). The resolution would condemn all forms of sexual violence as weapons of war, including those acts committed by Hamas during the October 7 attacks against Israel.
- H.R. 5856 – Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act, as amended (Rep. Chris Smith – Foreign Affairs). The legislation would reauthorize through fiscal year 2028 federal programs to combat human trafficking in the United States and internationally.
- H.R. 3205 – Project Precursor Act, as amended (Rep. McCaul – Foreign Affairs). The legislation would direct the State Department to take several actions to counter fentanyl production and trafficking in Mexico.
Wednesday – Friday, the House is scheduled to meet for legislative business.
- Bills expected under a rule.
- H.Res.863 – Impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas for high crimes and misdemeanors, as amended (Rep. Mark Green – Homeland Security). The resolution would impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for willfully and systemically refusing to comply with immigration laws and breaching public trust.
- H.R. 7176 – Unlocking Our Domestic LNG Potential Act of 2024 (Rep. Pfluger – Energy and Commerce). The legislation would repeal restrictions on the import and export of natural gas. It would remove the requirement for the Energy Department to determine whether an import or export of natural gas to certain countries is in the public interest before authorizing trade.
Senate Side
On Monday, the Senate will resume consideration of its foreign aid legislation, including a tranche of amendments that will likely fail. The Senate bill includes $60.1 billion for Ukraine, $14.1 billion for Israel, $9.2 billion in humanitarian aid, and $4.8 billion for the Indo-Pacific.