Capitol Hill Update

Congress will reconvene for a pivotal week of legislative business that will likely shape the future of President Joe Biden’s term. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is pressing forward on a plan to bring both the bipartisan infrastructure deal and the fiscal year (FY) 2022 reconciliation package to the floor for votes this week, emphasizing in a “Dear Colleague” letter that both of these items are “must-pass.” The House Budget Committee approved the $3.5 trillion framework over the weekend as Democratic leadership looks to shore up support on a path forward with both the progressive and moderate flanks of the party. However, lingering disagreements over these big-ticket measures still have the potential to derail progress depending on how intraparty negotiations pan out.

Capitol Hill Update

The House will convene for legislative business this week as lawmakers look to address a series of key policy issues, including keeping the government funded past the September 30 deadline. Lawmakers are scheduled to consider a continuing resolution (CR) that is widely expected to fund the government into December, providing Congress with more time to iron out a broader funding agreement for fiscal year (FY) 2022. Also, on the House floor this week, Members will take up the chamber’s version of the FY 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), as well as a measure that seeks to create new federal protections on abortion rights. Meanwhile, the Senate is expected to primarily focus on confirming President Joe Biden’s pending judicial nominees.

Capitol Hill Update

The House will gear up for another week of budget reconciliation markups this week as Democrats look to clear each of their respective bills by Wednesday’s deadline. Members on the House Ways and Means Committee are slated to mark up the tax portion of the reconciliation package — which includes revenue boosting measures pertaining to the child tax credit, earned income tax credit, drug price negotiation, and clean energy tax incentives — on Tuesday and Wednesday. Additionally, the House Financial Services Committee is slated to consider $327 billion worth of housing-related policies in its reconciliation instructions at a markup today. 

Capitol Hill Update

House lawmakers are set to convene for another week of committee work, with the bulk of this week’s activities focusing on reconciliation markups. The House Ways and Means Committee will kick off its four-day markup on Thursday, along with the Committees on Education & Labor, Science, Space & Technology, Small Business, and Veterans’ Affairs. Members on Ways and Means are scheduled to resume their work on Friday, with the Agriculture and Homeland Security Committees set to hold reconciliation markups as well.

Capitol Hill Update

House lawmakers will meet for “Committee Work Days” this week as key committees of jurisdiction are scheduled to begin crafting legislative language that conforms to the fiscal year (FY) 2022 budget resolution’s instructions. Members will kick off markups of their respective portions of the reconciliation package next week — starting with the Natural Resources and Oversight & Reform Committees on Thursday. While a formal announcement from each committee is still forthcoming, the currently anticipated markup schedule is as follows:

Capitol Hill Update

The House will convene for a brief legislative session this week as lawmakers eye action on the Senate-passed budget resolution for fiscal year (FY) 2022. Members will vote today on a rule that will set up debate on the budget resolution, voting rights legislation, and the bipartisan infrastructure deal. While the budget resolution and John Lewis Voting Rights Act (H.R. 4) are both slated for final up-or-down votes tomorrow, the bipartisan infrastructure deal is not expected to be taken up until later in the fall after a budget reconciliation package has been clinched. Nearly a dozen moderate Democrats are continuing to press for a vote on the infrastructure package as soon as possible, however, with some threatening to vote against the budget resolution absent a vote on Biden-endorsed legislation. Meanwhile, Speaker Pelosi doubled down her position in a “Dear Colleague” letter last week that emphasized the importance of triggering the reconciliation process, while taking a swipe at the Senate’s infrastructure bill for “not [being] reflective of the totality of Democrats’ vision.”

Capitol Hill Update

The Senate wrapped up its extended summer session last week after passing the bipartisan infrastructure deal and adopting the Democratic budget resolution for fiscal year (FY) 2022. Both measures now head to the House, where lawmakers will return during the week of August 23 to get a head start on its jam-packed legislative agenda for the fall. Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) noted in a “Dear Colleague” letter that Members will take up the $3.5 trillion budget framework and formally trigger the reconciliation process, as well as legislation pertaining to voting rights.

Capitol Hill Update 

Senators wrapped up another weekend session on the bipartisan infrastructure deal as the Biden-endorsed effort inched closer to final passage. The $550 billion agreement cleared its final set of procedural hurdles on Sunday, with 18 Republicans joining all 50 Democrats in voting to end debate on the underlying measure. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) had hoped to wrap up consideration of the measure late last week, but lingering disagreements over amendments have dragged out the process into the second week of August.

Capitol Hill Update

Senators will reconvene for legislative business this week as negotiations on the bipartisan infrastructure framework continue. The bipartisan “G20” group has expressed optimism that they will settle on a final agreement and produce legislative text by the end of today, followed by another procedural vote to try and advance the bill at some point this week. The two sides have reportedly agreed to further delay the Trump administration’s Medicare rebate rule to help offset some of the plan’s costs, but it is not yet clear whether Senators have resolved a lingering disagreement over transit funding. With an ambitious agenda of clearing both the Biden-endorsed infrastructure deal and a budget resolution prior to the end of the summer, it is likely that the Senate will nix part of its August state work period to free up additional floor time.