Month: September 2020

Capitol Hill Update

Congress is expected to conclude its September legislative work session this week before embarking on a month-long sprint to the finish for the 2020 campaign. In the upper chamber, Senators are poised to take up the bipartisan continuing resolution (CR) (text; summary) tomorrow ahead of Wednesday’s Sept. 30 government funding deadline. The measure — which includes extensions for the surface transportation law, National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), and expiring health care programs — would punt the funding deadline into the “lame duck” session on Friday, Dec. 11. Meanwhile, the Senate is scheduled to return later in October to begin the confirmation process for Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court, with a hearing scheduled in the Senate Judiciary Committee for Oct. 15. President Donald Trump tapped Barrett to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg over the weekend.

Capitol Hill Update

Congress will convene today with less than 10 days remaining until the government funding deadline. Congressional leadership is hopeful that lawmakers will be able to take up and pass a continuing resolution (CR) this week that would avert a shutdown on Sept. 30th, but the talks have hit a snag over various lingering issues. Funding for agriculture relief payments, election security, and COVID-19 relief, as well as the overall length of the stopgap funding measure, stand out as key sticking points that have delayed the measure’s official introduction thus far. House Democratic leadership is hopeful they can file the text early this week, but that deadline could end up slipping if the two sides are unable to bridge these differences.

Capitol Hill Update

Senators failed to advance (52-47) the GOP’s targeted pandemic relief bill last week Senate Democrats, plus Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), voted against the motion to proceed for the underlying bill. The package — which included Republican priorities on child care, liability protections, health care, education, and small business — did not meet the 60-vote threshold required to advance the measure for full consideration on the floor. While Congressional Democrats continue to push for a more robust stimulus package to address existing and emerging issues related to the pandemic, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has reiterated her willingness to strike a relief agreement that totals below the $3 trillion outlined in the House-passed HEROES Act. Negotiations between the two sides are expected to continue when the House convenes for votes this week. However, the likelihood of a deal getting struck prior to both the Nov. 3 election and the end of this congressional session remains precarious, as both sides still remain far apart on the overall size and scope of the relief package.