Month: November 2019

House lawmakers are set to begin consideration of a measure out of the Financial Services Committee that would reauthorize the Export-Import Bank. The bill — which was approved (30-27) by the Committee on a near party-line vote — would: (1) reauthorize the bank for 10 years; (2) increase the agency’s lending authority to $175 billion; (3) rename it the United States Export Finance Agency; and (4) make a number of tweaks to the bank’s operations. Final passage of the bill is expected tomorrow after lawmakers consider 21 amendments to the underlying legislation today.

Continue reading “Today on the Hill: House Begins Consideration of Ex-Im Reauthorization Measure”

House and Senate Appropriations leaders made progress toward averting a government shutdown and funding the government for fiscal year (FY) 2020 during a meeting late yesterday. In a press gaggle following the meeting, House Appropriations Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) and Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) announced that the forthcoming continuing resolution (CR) will fund the government through Dec. 20 to provide for additional time to hammer out a broader deal for FY 2020 bills. Lawmakers in the House and Senate are expected to take up the stopgap funding measure early next week prior to next Thursday’s deadline.

Continue reading “Today on the Hill: Progress Made Toward Averting November Shutdown”

Both chambers of Congress will reconvene for legislative business this afternoon while government funding talks off the floor continue. With less than two weeks left to avert a funding lapse, House Appropriations Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) and Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) are expected to meet today to continue negotiations on another continuing resolution (CR), as well as broader spending allocations for each one of the fiscal year (FY) 2020 spending bills. While “poison pill” issues —namely border security — have largely stymied FY 2020 funding talks, lawmakers have coalesced around another stopgap measure that would fund the government through Dec. 13 or Dec. 20 in hopes of providing appropriators with more time to hammer out a deal.

Continue reading “This Week on the Hill: Government Funding Talks Enter Crucial Stretch”

The Senate will reconvene today to continue work on presidential nominations as negotiators deliberate next steps in the Congressional appropriations process. While Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) and House Appropriations Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) work to clinch a spending agreement that would avert a funding lapse, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) indicated yesterday that confirming nominees will be the focus of the upper chamber’s work so long as appropriations talks are deadlocked. On the floor for today, the upper chamber will vote on the nomination of Danielle Hunsaker to be a Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit. A full list of nominations filed for this week can be found here.

Continue reading “Today on the Hill: Senate to Focus on Judicial Nominations”

The Senate will convene for legislative business later this afternoon and will return its attention to clearing the presidential nominations queue. For today, the upper chamber will vote on the nomination of David Tapp to be a Judge on the Court of Federal Claims, and will look to end debate on the nomination of Danielle Hunsaker to be a Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit. A full list of nominations filed for this week can be found here.

Continue reading “Today on the Hill: Senate Turns to Presidential Nominations”

With 17 days left to avert a government shutdown, Congressional appropriators are ramping up spending negotiations as the Nov. 21 funding deadline approaches. In addition to a continuing resolution (CR) that would likely punt the government funding deadline until mid-December, negotiators are also working to broker an agreement on subcommittee allocations for each of the 12 spending bills as lawmakers look to begin reconciling funding bills that have already cleared the House and Senate. However, President Donald Trump’s border wall priorities — which includes $8.6 billion in funding and authority to transfer defense funds to the border wall effort — have complicated efforts to reach an agreement.

Continue reading “This Week on the Hill: Appropriators Deliberate Next Steps in Funding Process”