Look Ahead to the Week of September 16: Will Congress Avoid a Shutdown?

Both the House and Senate are in session this week to continue working on an agreement to fund the government beyond September 30.

A stopgap measure proposed by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) was pulled from consideration last week after receiving bipartisan pushback. The proposal would have extended government funding at current levels through March 28, 2025 and included a provision to require voters to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote. House Republican leaders are considering several paths forward but ultimately must find a solution that can pass both chambers with bipartisan support. It is expected that the eventual agreement will likely fund the government at current levels until shortly after the election, potentially setting the stage for an end-of-the year spending package.

In the upper chamber, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) will pursue a vote on legislation establishing a legal right to in vitro fertilization. Most Senate Republicans opposed the measure when it was voted on earlier this summer.

Members of both parties are significantly concerned about the second attempted assassination of the Republican nominee, former President Trump.  

Administration

On Wednesday, President Biden will host a White House reception in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. On Saturday, he will host the Quad leaders’ summit in Wilmington, Delaware, which will include Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, and Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan. The summit will focus on bolstering strategic convergence and benefits of the partnership.

House Votes

On Tuesday, the House will meet to consider multiple bills under suspension.

• Bills expected under suspension of the rules.
  • H.R. 7438 – FIFA World Cup 2026 Commemorative Coin Act (Rep. LaHood – Financial Services). The bill requires the Treasury Department to mint coins to commemorate the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
  • S. 2825 – Dustoff Crews of the Vietnam War Congressional Gold Medal Act (Sen. Cornyn – Financial Services). The bill would award U.S. Army crewman Dustoff Crews the congressional gold medal.
  • S. 2861 – Billie Jean King Congressional Gold Medal Act (Sen. Gillibrand – Financial Services). The legislation would award Billie Jean King the congressional gold medal.
  • H.R. 1432– VETT Act, as amended (Rep. Wenstrup – Ways and Means). The bill would permit charitable contributions made to any federally chartered veterans service organization to be deductible from individual or corporate income taxes.
  • H.R. 5861 – BRIDGE for Workers Act, as amended (Rep. LaHood – Ways and Means). The bill would codify a state’s ability to provide reemployment services to all unemployment insurance claimants.
  • H.R. 8292 – Taxpayer Data Protection Act, as amended (Rep. Jason Smith – Ways and Means). The bill would increase the maximum fine for the unauthorized disclosure of tax return information from $5,000 to $250,000, and the maximum imprisonment term from five years to 10 years.
  • H.R. 3784 – Improving Social Security’s Service to Victims of Identity Theft Act, as amended (Rep. Ferguson – Ways and Means). The legislation would require the Social Security Administration to provide a “single point of contact” to support individuals on cases related to identity theft.
  • H.R. 3800 – Chronic Disease Flexible Coverage Act, as amended (Rep. Wenstrup – Ways and Means). The legislation would treat additional services and items for chronic conditions as preventive care and covered by a high-deductible health plan.
  • S. 1146 – Find and Protect Foster Youth Act, as amended (Sen. Cornyn – Ways and Means). The bill would require the Department of Health and Human Services to provide technical assistance to states and American Indian tribes to eliminate obstacles to responding to reports of missing foster care youth.
  • H.R. 9076 – Supporting America’s Children and Families Act, as amended (Rep. LaHood – Ways and Means). The legislation would reauthorize through fiscal year 2029 formula grants to states for child and family services.
  • H.R. 8314 – No Foreign Election Interference Act, as amended (Rep. Malliotakis – Ways and Means). The bill would prohibit tax-exempt nonprofits that receive funding from foreign nationals from making donations to political committees.
  • H.R. 6324 – Fiscal Year 2024 Veterans Affairs Major Medical Facility Authorization Act, as amended (Rep. Bost – Veterans’ Affairs). The bill would authorize the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out 11 major medical facility construction projects in fiscal year 2024.
  • H.R. 7777 – Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2024 (Rep. Luttrell – Veterans’ Affairs). The bill would provide disabled veterans and their families a cost-of-living adjustment to their disability and survivors’ compensation, effective December 1.
  • H.R. 7100 – Prioritizing Veterans’ Survivors Act (Rep. Ciscomani – Veterans’ Affairs). The legislation would establish the operations of the VA Office of Survivors Assistance as part of the VA secretary’s office.
  • H.R. 7323 – Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserves Tuition Fairness Act of 2024, as amended (Rep. Van Orden – Veterans’ Affairs). The legislation would require higher education institutions to charge in-state tuition to reservists and members of the National Guard who are using Montgomery GI Bill benefits to pay for education or training.
  • H.R. 4424 – Vietnam Veterans Liver Fluke Cancer Study Act, as amended (Rep. LaLota – Veterans’ Affairs). The legislation would direct the VA to study and track the prevalence of cholangiocarcinoma, or bile duct cancer, in Vietnam War veterans.
  • H.R. 7816 – Clear Communication for Veterans Claims Act, as amended (Rep. Duarte – Veterans’ Affairs). The bill would require the VA to contract with a federally funded research and development center to review the agency’s processes for providing written notices to VA benefit claimants.
  • H.R. 7342 – Veterans Accessibility Advisory Committee Act of 2024, as amended (Rep. Valadao – Veterans’ Affairs). The legislation would require the VA to establish an advisory committee to provide recommendations on ways to improve access to the department’s facilities, services, and benefits for individuals with disabilities.
  • H.R. 5464 – To name the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Guntersville, Alabama, as the “Colonel Ola Lee Mize Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic” (Rep. Aderholt – Veterans’ Affairs).
  • H.R. 4190 – Restoring Benefits to Defrauded Veterans Act, as amended (Rep. Trone – Veterans’ Affairs). The legislation would permit survivors of deceased veterans whose benefits were misused by a fiduciary to reclaim those benefits from the VA.
  • H.R. 2911 – Fairness for Servicemembers and their Families Act of 2024, as amended (Rep. Strickland – Veterans’ Affairs). The bill would require the VA to review the maximum coverage available to policyholders under the Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance and the Veterans’ Group Life Insurance programs every five years.
  • H.R. 9468 – Making supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, and for other purposes (Rep. Mike Garcia – Appropriations). The legislation would provide the VA with $2.88 billion in supplemental mandatory funding for fiscal year 2024 to stave off an immediate budget shortfall.
  • H.R. 8111 – Medicaid Program Improvement Act, as amended (Rep. Miller-Meeks – Energy and Commerce). The legislation would require state Medicaid agencies to implement a process to regularly collect and verify address information for Medicaid beneficiaries from managed care organizations and other reliable data sources.
  • H.R. 8112 – To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to further require certain additional provider screening under the Medicaid program, as amended (Rep. D'Esposito– Energy and Commerce). The bill would require states to check the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Data Exchange System to determine whether healthcare providers or suppliers enrolled in their Medicaid programs have been terminated from participating in Medicare or other states’ Medicaid programs.
  • H.R. 8089 – Medicare and Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act of 2024, as amended (Rep. Mike Garcia – Energy and Commerce). The bill would require states to check the SSA’s Death Master File to determine whether a healthcare provider or supplier enrolled in their program is deceased.
  • S. 1648 – Launch Communications Act (Sen. Schmitt – Energy and Commerce). The legislation would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to finalize service rules for businesses to access spectrum frequencies for commercial space launches and reentry activities.
  • H.R. 8084 – LIVE Beneficiaries Act, as amended (Rep. Bilirakis – Energy and Commerce). The bill would require states to check the SSA’s Death Master File to identify whether any enrolled Medicaid beneficiaries are deceased and disenroll them from the program.
  • H.R. 6160 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize a lifespan respite care program, as amended (Rep. Molinaro – Energy and Commerce). The legislation would reauthorize the Department of Health and Human Services’ Lifespan Respite Care program at its current level of $10 million annually through fiscal year 2029.
  • S. 4351 – Poison Control Centers Reauthorization Act of 2024 (Sen. Murray – Energy and Commerce). The bill would reauthorize HHS poison control programs from fiscal year 2025 through 2029 at a combined $30 million annually.
  • H.R. 7406 – DeOndra Dixon INCLUDE Project Act, as amended (Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers – Energy and Commerce). The bill would codify a National Institutes of Health program focused on research related to Down syndrome.
  • H.R. 7218 – BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Reauthorization Act of 2024 (Rep. Guthrie – Energy and Commerce). The bill would reauthorize a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention program to support public health awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
  • H.R. 6033 –SPEAK Act of 2023, as amended (Rep. Steel – Energy and Commerce). The bill would require HHS to issue guidance on best practices for providing telehealth services to individuals with limited English language proficiency.
  • H.R. 7858 –TELEMH Act of 2025, as amended (Rep. James – Energy and Commerce). The bill would require HHS to establish requirements to include an insurance code or modifier for claims related to telehealth services by auxiliary personnel.
  • S. 265 – SIREN Reauthorization Act (Sen. Durbin – Energy and Commerce). The legislation would reauthorize through fiscal year 2028 a grant program to provide emergency medical service training and equipment in rural areas.
  • H.R. 7208 – Dennis John Benign Traumatic Brain Injury Reauthorization Act of 2024, as amended (Rep. Pascrell – Energy and Commerce). The bill would reauthorize through fiscal year 2029 traumatic brain injury programs.
  • H.R. 4758 – Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act, as amended (Rep. Trahan – Energy and Commerce). The bill would permit states to streamline the process to enroll out-of-state healthcare providers in their Medicaid programs to treat covered patients younger than 18.
  • H.R. 1513 – FUTURE Networks Act (Rep. Matsui – Energy and Commerce). The bill would require the FCC to establish a “6G Task Force” with representatives from the communications industry, public interest organizations, and government agencies.
  • H.R. 7213 – Autism CARES Act of 2024, as amended (Rep. Chris Smith – Energy and Commerce). The legislation would modify and reauthorize through fiscal year 2029 federal research, education, and intervention programs for individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

     

  Wednesday – Friday, the House is scheduled to meet for legislative business.

   

• Bills expected under a rule.
  • H.R. 5339 – Protecting Americans’ Investments from Woke Policies Act (Rep. Allen – Education and the Workforce). The measure would require retirement plan fiduciaries to prioritize returns over environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors when making investment decisions.
  • H.R. 5179 – Anti-BDS Labeling Act (Rep. Tenney – Ways and Means). The measure would codify a Customs and Border Protection rule requiring goods originating from Israeli- and Palestinian-controlled areas of the West Bank to be labeled as “Made in Israel” or “Made in Gaza.”
  • H.R. 7909 – Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act (Rep. Mace – Judiciary). The measure would make noncitizens who commit sex offenses, domestic violence, and related crimes inadmissible to and deportable from the United States.
  • H.R. 3724 – End Woke Higher Education Act (Rep. Owens – Education and the Workforce). The measure would prohibit accreditation standards from requiring higher education institutions to support or oppose political views or ideologies.
  • H.R. 4790 – The Prioritizing Economic Growth Over Woke Policies Act (Rep. Huizenga – Financial Services). The measure would make it easier for publicly owned companies to block votes on investor proposals related to ESG issues.
  • H.J.Res. 136 – Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to “Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for Model Years 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles” (Rep. James – Energy and Commerce), also known as the Tailpipe Emissions rule.
  • H.R. 5717 – No Bailout for Sanctuary Cities Act (Rep. LaLota – Judiciary). The legislation would prohibit states and cities that have policies that hinder the federal government from enforcing immigration laws from receiving federal aid for migrant care.

Senate Votes

On Monday, the Senate will begin consideration of the nominations of Kevin Ritz to be a judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and Mary Kathleen Costello to be a judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.