Author: Thorn Run Partners

Both chambers will resume legislative business next week as lawmakers look to clear a bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ahead of the May 10 deadline. While the FAA Reauthorization Act cleared the Senate’s latest procedural vote during yesterday’s session, negotiations are still ongoing with respect to votes on a series of amendments that are both germane and nongermane to aviation. Notable amendments that have been filed to the bill that pertain to: (1) credit card swipe fees; (2) extending the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP); (3) children’s online safety legislation; (4) perimeter slots at DCA; and (5) raising the pilot retirement age. If the Senate is unable to move the bill in time for next Friday’s deadline, another short-term extension could be needed to keep the agency operational.

Senators will gavel in for legislative business today as they look to advance a bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The first procedural vote on the FAA Reauthorization Act will occur around 3:00 PM EST today, and the measure is expected to advance with bipartisan support. However, leadership is still navigating a series of policy disagreements on aviation and non-aviation issues that have, so far, presented roadblocks to a “time agreement” to speed up consideration for a final vote this week. Stay tuned for additional announcements on votes related to the FAA reauthorization during today’s session.

• Situational awareness. Lingering aviation policy disagreements, particularly around a provision to add additional perimeter slots at DCA, as well as the pilot retirement age and training requirements, could be relitigated on the Senate floor by way of the bill’s amendment process. Some lawmakers — including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) — have also been pushing for the inclusion of banking and financial services-related provisions on cannabis banking, stablecoins, and more, but these efforts have not been embraced by the authors of the final FAA bill. Congress must reauthorize the FAA by Friday, May 10 to avoid a lapse in agency operations.

Congress is back in session today as House and Senate transportation leaders look to push through a final compromise version of a bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through 2028. Procedural votes on the FAA Reauthorization Act are expected during tomorrow’s session as leadership looks to reach a “time agreement” to speed up consideration. However, lingering aviation policy disagreements are likely to be relitigated on the Senate floor before final passage, particularly around a provision to add additional perimeter slots at DCA. Some lawmakers — including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) — have also been pushing for the inclusion of banking and financial services-related provisions on cannabis banking, stablecoins, and more, but these efforts have not been embraced by the authors of the final FAA bill. Congress must reauthorize the FAA by Friday, May 10 to avoid a lapse in agency operations.

• Today in Congress. The House will gavel in to consider a slate of GOP-sponsored bills out of the Natural Resources Committee that seek to implement a series of regulatory changes regarding the use of public lands, reinstating mining leases, and gray wolf protections. Meanwhile, the Senate will resume consideration of pending judicial nominations.

Late last night, House and Senate transportation leaders filed bill text for a bipartisan, bicameral bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ahead of the agency’s May 10 funding deadline. The FAA Reauthorization Act (text; summary) authorizes $105 billion in funding for the agency through 2028 and includes a slate of provisions related to aviation safety, consumer protections, accessibility, and infrastructure upgrades. The Senate will consider the bill first as an amendment to the House-passed FAA reauthorization bill, thus allowing the measure to be quickly considered by the House prior to next week’s deadline.

 

• Situational awareness. While leaders are confident that the bill can reach the president’s desk without incident, some of the issues that have bogged down the FAA reauthorization process this Congress are poised to get relitigated on the Senate floor. This includes a provision in the final bill that would add additional perimeter slots at DCA — something that has been strongly opposed by lawmakers in the Virginia and Maryland delegations. Some lawmakers are hopeful that the bill could be used as a broader legislative vehicle to carry a series of banking and financial services-related provisions on cannabis banking, stablecoins, and more, but it remains to be seen whether these efforts will be successful. Additionally, votes on amendments related to the pilot retirement age and training requirements could also come up on the Senate side this week as leaders push for a “time agreement” to expedite consideration.

 

• Today in Congress. The House will return first this week to consider 17 bills under suspension of the rules. This includes a bill out of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee that would create a program at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to improve forecasting of weather and environmental conditions that contribute to wildfires. Lawmakers will also consider several measures out of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee that seek to ensure that veterans can access a range of federal benefits. Meanwhile, the Senate will gavel in for legislative business tomorrow to resume consideration of pending nominations before turning to the FAA Reauthorization Act.

President Joe Biden is poised to sign a $95 billion national security funding package after the Senate overwhelmingly passed [79-18] the package late last night. The supplemental appropriations measure provides $61 billion for Ukraine, $26.4 billion for Israel and Gaza, and $8.1 billion for U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific. It also includes a modified version of the TikTok “divest-or-ban” legislation, which will force the social media app’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app to a U.S. company within 270 days to avoid a possible ban in the U.S. Last night’s vote was the last in either chamber until lawmakers return from the Passover state work period on Monday.

The Senate will gavel in for legislative business today to kick off consideration of the House-passed national security funding package. The first procedural vote for the roughly $95 billion package — which includes $61 billion for Ukraine, $26.4 billion for Israel and Gaza, and $8.1 billion for U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific, as well as a modified version of the TikTok divest-or-ban legislation — will occur at 1 PM EST today, and it is widely expected to advance with bipartisan support. Senate leadership will then look to strike a time agreement to expedite consideration of the measure, which requires cooperation from all 100 senators to proceed. As of now, expectations are that the Senate will hold a final up-or-down vote on the national security supplemental during tomorrow’s session following a series of procedural and amendment votes.

House lawmakers overwhelmingly passed a series of supplemental appropriations measures to provide additional national security funding for Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific this past weekend following several months of debate and partisan gridlock. A fourth bill — which includes a modified version of the TikTok “divest-or-ban” bill and a series of foreign policy and national security provisions — also passed the House on Saturday. Under a House procedural maneuver, the bills will be packaged together as an amendment to the Senate-passed national security supplemental for a final up-or-down vote in the upper chamber on Tuesday. This is the only scheduled floor vote in either chamber for this week. Legislative activity will resume after the Passover district work period on Monday, April 29.

House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole (R-OK) officially filed bill text for a slate of national security-focused supplemental funding bills as Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) readies weekend votes to try and clinch the measures ahead of the Passover district work period. The three bills would provide roughly $61 billion for Ukraine, $26.4 billion for Israel and Gaza, and $8.1 billion for U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific. Lawmakers will also take up a fourth measure that includes, among other things: (1) an updated version of the TikTok divestiture-or-ban legislation that extends the divestment period from six months to one year; (2) a provision allowing the Biden administration to sell frozen Russian assets; and (3) additional sanctions and other measures against Russia, China, and Iran.

• Context & Next Steps. The Rules Committee is meeting today to develop a rule that will govern debate on all four measures, but GOP leadership is facing some opposition from Republican lawmakers on the panel. Notably, Reps. Chip Roy (R-TX), Thomas Massie (R-KY), and Ralph Norman (R-SC) are currently opposed to the supplemental funding bills and are prepared to vote No on the rule in committee to try and stall consideration. As such, Speaker Johnson and his leadership team will likely need help from Democrats on the Rules Committee — as well as the rank-and-file on the floor — to break any potential logjams in the process. Assuming the House can pass the rule, final votes on each of the four bills are expected on Saturday.

The House formally transmitted articles of impeachment against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas during yesterday’s session, and senators are slated to be sworn in as jurors today. While details on how Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) plans to proceed have been scant, it is widely expected that the Senate will move to dismiss the case before a full trial given skepticism on both sides of the aisle. As of now, Democrats and Republicans are still negotiating on a “time agreement” that would allow floor debate on certain procedural motions before a vote to dismiss, but it is unclear how long this process will take.