Senate Sends Kids’ Online Safety Package to the House

— SENATE SENDS KIDS’ ONLINE SAFETY PACKAGE TO THE HOUSE. The Senate overwhelmingly passed a package of kids’ online safety and privacy bills during yesterday’s session. The Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act — which includes the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and the Children and Teens Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0) — now heads to the House for consideration in the fall work period. Timing on the House vote is unclear as of now, as Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) noted that he will work to find consensus among lawmakers before moving forward.

Programming note. The Senate is in session today for final up-or-down votes on a series of judicial nominations. During yesterday’s session, senators unanimously passed a pair of bills to reauthorize the National Alzheimer’s Project (S. 133) and require an annual report of the project’s budgetary needs (S. 134). Additional measures that have the support of all 100 senators could likewise clear by unanimous consent prior to the end of the week as the Senate looks to clear the decks on pending legislative efforts before the end of the year.

Schumer Files Votes on Smith-Wyden Tax Bill

Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has scheduled a procedural vote on a bipartisan package of family and business tax provisions before the Senate gavels out for August. The Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act, otherwise known as the Smith-Wyden tax billpassed the House with strong bipartisan support earlier this year but is not expected to meet the 60-vote threshold needed to advance given the ongoing disagreements. In particular, several Senate Republicans have raised concerns about the Child Tax Credit (CTC) provisions, while some Democratic senators have argued that the family tax portion of the bill does not go far enough. As such, the move by Leader Schumer is largely viewed as a messaging exercise to give both parties some talking points on tax in the final weeks of the summer campaign.

This Week: Senate Set to Pass Kids’ Online Safety Package

The Senate will return later this afternoon for the last week of legislative business for the summer work period. Notably, a package of kids’ online safety and privacy bills is on a glidepath to passage early this week. Specifically, the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act — which includes the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and the Children’s and Teens Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0) — overwhelmingly cleared the first procedural vote by an 86-1 vote late last week, with Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) being the lone vote in opposition. A final vote on the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act is currently scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. Off the floor, Senate appropriators will mark up the remaining five fiscal year (FY) 2025 spending bills on Thursday before the chamber gavels out for the August state work period: Labor-HHS-Education, Financial Services and General Government (FSGG), Energy-Water Development, Defense, and Homeland Security.

  • Programming note. The House will not be in for legislative business as previously scheduled this week. Leadership had originally targeted this week for consideration of the House Labor-HHS-Education funding bill, but there are still several outstanding disagreements on the Republican side that have brought the chamber’s appropriations process to a halt. When lawmakers return next month, a top priority will be passing a short-term government funding bill before the September 30 deadline given how far behind Congress is in the appropriations process.

Thorn Run Listed as Top 10 Lobbying Firm by POLITICO Influence

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Senate Votes Filed on Kids’ Online Safety Package

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is slated to file votes on legislation that seeks to shore up kids’ and teens’ online safety. The package of bills —which includes the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and the Children’s and Teens Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0) — does have broad bipartisan support in both chambers, but it remains to be seen whether there will be cooperation among all 100 senators to expedite the final vote during this two-week stretch. Leader Schumer is also expected to tee up procedural votes on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), with consideration and final passage likely to occur during the September work period.

  • Programming note. Both chambers will receive a Joint Address to Congress from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu around 2 PM EST today. As such, legislative activity on the Senate side will pick back up closer to the 3-4 PM EST window.

The Latest on FY 2025 Government Funding

The House has gaveled in for legislative business as GOP leadership looks to advance a pair of government funding bills. Lawmakers will consider the fiscal year (FY) 2025 appropriations measures for Energy-Water Development and Interior-Environment during today’s session, but will no longer consider the Agriculture-FDA and Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) bills due to ongoing disagreements. It’s also reportedly unclear whether the Energy-Water and Interior-Environment bills can pass at all given the present dynamics. Under the current schedule, final votes could occur ahead of or after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Joint Address to Congress tomorrow afternoon. It is also possible the votes get canceled at the last minute if GOP leadership feels that the spending bills are on a path to failing in the narrowly-divided House.

  • Scheduling rumors. With the Agriculture-FDA and FSGG bills no longer set to be considered, there is increased chatter on Capitol Hill that House GOP leadership could adjourn early for the August district work period and give back the last week of July. A few additional conversations suggest that lawmakers could fly out as soon as tomorrow night. But as of now, GOP leadership has given no formal notice of a change in the House schedule.

Biden’s Exit Shakes Up 2024 Election

Yesterday afternoon, President Joe Biden took the unprecedented step of ending his re-election bid amid lagging poll numbers and mounting calls within his own party to step aside following his lackluster debate performance last month. With less than four months until the general election — and less than a month until the Democratic National Convention (DNC) — Democrats will be scrambling to coalesce behind a new presidential ticket to square off against former President Donald Trump and his running mate Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) this fall.

  • Situational awareness. Shortly after his announcement, President Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination, and several prominent national and state Democrats have already followed suit. This includes: (1) Reps. Steven Horsford (D-NV), Nannette Barragán (D-CA), and Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) — the chairs of the Congressional Black, Hispanic, and Progressive Caucuses; (2) Democratic Govs. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI), Josh Shapiro (D-PA), and Gavin Newsom (D-CA), who have been viewed as potential presidential candidates in the future; (3) Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Chair Suzan DelBene (D-WA); (4) House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) and former Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC); and (5) Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), among others. As of now, the Vice President is in the pole position to lead the Democratic ticket this fall, but it remains to be seen if anyone else will jump into the race ahead of next month’s DNC in Chicago, IL.

 

Congress Returns Next Week

Congress will return for legislative business next week, starting with the House on Monday. Leadership is currently targeting passage of four fiscal year (FY) 2024 appropriations bills on the floor next week, including Financial Services and General Government (FSGG), Agriculture-FDA, Interior-Environment, and Energy-Water Development. However, after the Legislative Branch bill unexpectedly failed on the House floor last week, these spending bills could get delayed if lingering disagreements among House Republicans do not get resolved. Meanwhile, the Senate is likely to take up the FY 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) before wrapping up the July work period, as well as pending nominations. We’ll also be watching to see if Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) calls up any additional “messaging” votes during this two-week period, as well as a possible vote on the Smith-Wyden tax bill.

  • Scheduling rumor. According to conversations on the Hill, if the FSGG bill fails to pass the House floor next week, leadership could opt to give back the last week of July and adjourn early for the August district work period. But as of now, GOP leadership has given no formal notice of a change in the House schedule.
  • Programming note. The House is also slated to take up two dozen suspension bills next week, and more are possible as lawmakers mull a potential legislative response to the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. Under the current schedule, lawmakers will consider the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which overwhelmingly passed out of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee during last month’s markup. Additionally, the House will consider a bill out of the Financial Services Committee that would set up a fintech working group to combat terrorism and illicit financing. A full list of suspension bills up on the House side next week can be viewed here

Senate Dems Eye Messaging Vote Against Dobbs Decision

The Senate will meet for legislative business today as Democrats look to move another bill on reproductive health. The Reproductive Freedom for Women Act (S. 4554) is void of any notable policy changes, instead expressing the sense of Congress that access to abortion and other reproductive health care should be supported following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The bill is not expected to meet the 60-vote threshold needed to advance in the upper chamber. In the House, lawmakers will take up GOP-sponsored legislation that seeks to require proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections, as well as overturn Biden administration regulations on sex-based discrimination. These bills will likely pass along party lines and are considered dead-on-arrival in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

House Preps Floor Debate for Legislative Branch Spending Bill

The House will convene today to tee up floor consideration of the chamber’s fifth spending bill for fiscal year (FY) 2025. Lawmakers are expected to begin debate on the FY 2025 Legislative Branch spending bill following final up-or-down votes on legislation that seeks to curtail energy efficiency regulations for refrigerators and dishwashers. Meanwhile, the House Appropriations Committee released its updated 302(b) subcommittee allocations — as well as report language for the Agriculture-FDA, Labor-HHS-Education, and Transportation-HUD bills — ahead of tomorrow’s full committee markup.

  • Senate Schedule. Senators are set to resume consideration of pending presidential nominees, including a final up-or-down vote on Patricia Lee’s nomination to be a Member of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board. Additional roll call votes are expected on judicial nominees to the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and the D.C. Superior Court.