Author: Thorn Run Partners

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 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.

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 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

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.

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.

Lawmakers will return to Washington on Monday to kick off the July work period. In the House, the primary focus will be clearing fiscal year (FY) 2025 government funding bills that have been reported out of the Appropriations Committee, starting with the Legislative Branch measure next week. The panel will also hold full committee markups for the six remaining spending bills: Labor-HHS-Education, Agriculture-FDA, Transportation-HUD, Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS), Interior-Environment, and Energy-Water Development.

Meanwhile, The Senate Appropriations Committee is set to begin marking up its FY 2025 spending bills next week, starting with the bills for Agriculture-FDA, Military-Construction-VA, and Legislative Branch. The panel will also take up the Senate’s 302(b) subcommittee allocations during next Thursday’s markup. Looking ahead to additional floor activity this month, consideration of the Senate’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is likely to occur before the chamber gavels out for the August state work period. We’ll also be watching to see if Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) schedules votes on the Smith-Wyden tax bill, cannabis banking and/or legalization, rail safety, or other “messaging” bills that align with Senate Democratic campaign priorities.

Last week, House lawmakers passed three fiscal year (FY) 2025 spending bills to close out the June work period. The House has now passed four of its twelve spending bills for FY 2025: Military Construction-VA, Defense, Homeland Security, and State-Foreign Operations. Appropriations committee activity and floor action will resume on the House side during the July work period, including further consideration of the Labor-HHS-Education and Agriculture-FDA funding bills. Meanwhile, Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) announced that the committee will begin marking up the FY 2025 spending bills when the chamber gavels back into session following the Fourth of July state work period.

The House is wrapping up legislative business for the week with final up-or-down votes on three appropriations bills. Once lawmakers are finished debating amendments to the fiscal year (FY) 2025 Defense bill, the House will hold a final vote on that legislation plus the funding measures for Homeland Security and State-Foreign Operations. Assuming these all pass along party lines, the House will have passed four out of the 12 spending bills for FY 2025. Meanwhile, Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) announced that the committee will begin marking up the FY 2025 spending bills when the chamber gavels back in after the Fourth of July state work period.