Look Ahead to the Week of January 16: Stopgap Package Released to Keep Government Open
Both the House and Senate are in session this week, though weather conditions across the nation could create logistical complications with an almost evenly divided House and Senate. The House has already postponed votes on Tuesday because of the weather conditions and will resume on Wednesday.
Over the weekend, congressional leaders announced another temporary spending bill, also known as a continuing resolution (CR), which would extend government funding beyond the upcoming deadlines of January 19 and February 2 to give negotiators more time to reach agreements on the 12 spending bills for the fiscal year. The CR, which would extend certain agency funds to March 1 and others to March 8, comes after a top-line spending deal was reached for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2024 government funding. That deal sets the cap for the 12 annual spending bills at $1.59 trillion, although negotiators need more time to agree on the specifics.
The Senate is scheduled to start procedural votes on Tuesday on the CR, which will require cooperation among the 100 senators to pass before the Friday deadline. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who agreed to both the CR and top-line spending deal, will face significant opposition from the Freedom Caucus members of his party over these agreements. In the House, the CR will need to be passed with both Republican and Democratic votes on the suspension calendar, which requires a two-thirds majority and no ability to offer amendments.
Separately, Republican leaders have continued to demand stronger border security policies as part of Biden’s separate request for additional aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. Those negotiations are ongoing.
Also over the weekend, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) announced an agreement on an $80 billion tax policy proposal that focuses on business deductions and the child tax credit. They will now need to build support in both the House and Senate to determine if passage is possible in the coming weeks.
Congress will also continue its efforts in the coming months to pass reauthorizations for the Federal Aviation Administration authorities, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act’s electronic surveillance authorities, and the Farm Bill. Congress also continues to negotiate a health care package on price transparency rules and pharmacy benefit manager reform.
House Side
On Wednesday, the House will meet to consider multiple bills under suspension.
- Bills expected under suspension of the rules.
- H.R. 1568 – Moving Americans Privacy Protection Act, as amended (Rep. Waltz – Ways and Means). The bill would require the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to remove personally identifiable information from cargo manifests before disclosing them to the public.
- H.R. 3058 – Recruiting Families Using Data Act of 2023, as amended (Rep. Kildee – Ways and Means). The bill would require states to implement family partnership plans to improve the recruitment and retention of foster and adoptive families.
- H.R. 3667 – Social Security Child Protection Act of 2023, as amended (Rep. Wenstrup – Ways and Means). The legislation would require the Social Security Administration to issue new Social Security numbers to children whose original numbers were lost or stolen.
- H.R. 5862 – To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 on the authority of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to consolidate, modify, or reorganize customs revenue functions, as amended (Rep. Steel – Ways and Means).
- H.R. 4250 – Protect Reporters from Exploitative State Spying Act (Rep. Kiley – Judiciary). The bill would prohibit the federal government from compelling a journalist to reveal confidential sources and information.
- S. 3250 – A bill to provide remote access to court proceedings for victims of the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, as amended (Sen. Cornyn – Judiciary).
Thursday – Friday, the House is scheduled to meet for legislative business.
- Bills expected under a rule.
- H.Res. 957 – Denouncing the Biden Administration's open-borders policies, condemning the national security and public safety crisis along the southwest border, and urging President Biden to end his Administration's open-borders policies (Rep. Moran – Judiciary).
- H.Res.__ – Report to accompany the “Resolution Recommending that the House of Representatives Find Robert Hunter Biden in Contempt of Congress for Refusal to Comply with a Subpoena Duly Issued by the Committee on Oversight and Accountability” (Rep. Comer – Oversight and Accountability).
- H.Res.__ – Report to accompany the “Resolution Recommending that the House of Representatives Find Robert Hunter Biden in Contempt of Congress for Refusal to Comply with a Subpoena Duly Issued by the Committee on the Judiciary” (Rep. Jordan – Judiciary).
- H.R. 6914 – Pregnant Students’ Rights Act (Rep. Hinson – Education and the Workforce). The legislation would require higher education institutions to provide, as a condition of receiving federal student aid, relevant information to pregnant students to carry a baby to term.
- H.R. 6918 – Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act (Rep. Fischbach – Ways and Means). The bill would block a provision in a proposed Biden Administration rule that would prevent anti-abortion pregnancy centers from receiving federal funds.
Senate Side
On Tuesday, the Senate will begin consideration of the CR to extend funding through March 1 for some agencies and March 8 for others. The upper chamber also plans to vote on discharging a resolution (S. Res. 504) from the Foreign Relations Committee to request a State Department report on Israel’s human rights practices.