Both chambers of Congress will return to action today to begin the second week of the April legislative session. In the House, floor activity for the week includes a pair of immigration-related measures pertaining to the Trump administration’s travel ban on individuals from predominantly Muslim countries, as well as access to legal counsel for immigrants (H.R. 1333; H.R. 1573). Additionally, House lawmakers will also take up a bill that would make Washington, D.C. the 51st state, providing equal representation in Congress for its residents.

Congress will return this week to kick off the April legislative session as lawmakers turn their attention to crafting legislation that closely aligns with President Joe Biden’s “American Jobs Plan” for infrastructure. The Senate will open later this afternoon to resume consideration of the President’s pending nominees, starting with Polly Trottenberg’s nomination to be Deputy Secretary of Transportation. In the month ahead, Senators are poised to take up several House-passed bills — as well as Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions that seek to overturn Trump era regulatory actions — that will face a narrow path to passage in the 50-50 Senate.

Congress stands adjourned for the spring district work period. The Senate will return to Washington on Monday, April 12, followed by the House on Tuesday, April 13.

Congress stands adjourned for the spring district work period and will convene for votes during the week of April 12. Looking ahead to the April session, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) outlined the upper chamber’s agenda when senators return in two weeks. The “Dear Colleague” letter notes that the Senate will focus on three main issue areas, including: (1) climate change, economic recovery, and jobs; (2) voting rights and civil rights; and (3) health and gun safety. The upcoming session is expected to include consideration of several House-passed bills that will likely be stonewalled due to the 50-50 split in the Senate. As such, the pressure will be on Democrats to modify or eliminate the filibuster as the Majority seeks to clinch legislative wins on key policy priorities.

House lawmakers have completed their voting sessions for the month of March after passing a measure to ensure that the increase in deficit spending as a result of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) does not trigger statutorily-required across-the-board spending cuts. The bill would avert billions of dollars in automatic spending cuts — known as sequestration — to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and other programs required under the 2010 pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) law. If the Senate does not act on the PAYGO sequester prior to the end of this year’s session, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the increase in spending would trigger roughly $381 billion in funding cuts annually over five years, beginning in fiscal year (FY) 2022. The House will convene for a Committee Work Week next week, and its next scheduled voting day is Tuesday, April 13.

After President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act into law last Thursday, Congress will next look to ensure that the massive increase in deficit spending does not trigger statutorily-required across-the-board spending cuts. According to House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), lawmakers will take up a bill this week that seeks to avert billions of dollars in automatic spending cuts — known as sequestration — to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and other programs required under the 2010 pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) law. If lawmakers do not act on the PAYGO sequester prior to the end of this year’s session, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that the increase in spending would trigger roughly $381 billion in funding cuts annually over five years, beginning in fiscal year (FY) 2022. In the past, Members have typically coalesced behind a PAYGO waiver in a bipartisan manner, most recently in 2017 following passage of the GOP’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA).