Author: Thornrun

House lawmakers are poised to take up another disaster relief bill (text; summary) in hopes of breaking a months-long impasse over the emergency funds. The latest $17.2 billion offer from House Appropriations Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) includes additional funding for Army Corps of Engineers projects, Community Block Development Grants, and the Department of Agriculture's Emergency Conservation program. The bill would also provide an extension of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), pushing the expiration date from the end of this month to Sept. 30 in hopes of providing lawmakers with more time to hammer out a long-term reauthorization measure.

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Lawmakers in the House are set to begin consideration of a bill that would reject President Donald Trump’s stance on the Paris Climate Agreement. The Climate Action Now Act (H.R. 9) — which is expected to pass later this week along party lines — would bind the Trump administration to the carbon-cutting goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement after the president vowed to withdraw the U.S. from almost two years ago. The lower chamber’s work on the bill will start with consideration of 30 amendments to the underlying text.

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House and Senate lawmakers will return from their two-week district work period this afternoon to begin four weeks of legislative business. For the month of May, House Democratic leadership plans to queue up votes on key policy priorities pertaining to drug pricing, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), climate change, and equal rights. Lawmakers are also expected to consider a host of financial services-related measures during this month, including: (1) legislation (H.R. 1994) intended to incentivize retirement savings; (2) a bill reauthorizing the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP); and (3) a measure (H.R. 1500) that would reverse several actions taken by former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Acting Director Mick Mulvaney.

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Senators are set to wrap up their legislative work week today and leave town for a two-week district work period. On the floor, the Senate will hold a confirmation vote on Acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt’s nomination to lead the department permanently. Bernhardt’s nomination is expected to pass despite concerns from lawmakers about possible conflicts of interest and the Interior Department’s plans for opening U.S. coasts to oil and gas drilling. House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) stated that he plans to call Bernhardt to testify before his committee once confirmed as part of ongoing oversight investigations into policy decisions shepherded by former Secretary Ryan Zinke. 

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House Democrats have pulled their proposal to raise discretionary spending caps from the floor amid disagreements over non-defense spending levels. The legislation would provide for a $17 billion increase above FY 2019 budget caps for defense spending and a $34 billion bump above that level for non-defense. Members from the Congressional Progressive Caucus wouldn't support the underlying bill without an amendment from Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) that would have added $33 billion to non-defense spending, while moderates from the Blue Dog Coalition were pushing for a balanced budget amendment. Despite the House’s inaction on the spending caps deal and a budget resolution, the rule setting up debate on the Democrats spending cap proposal will allow appropriators develop fiscal year (FY) 2020 spending bills with an overall limit of $1.3 trillion for defense and non-defense funding.

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House Democrats are set to follow through key campaign promise to rebuke the Trump administration’s action on Net Neutrality. Lawmakers will begin consideration of a bill (H.R. 1644) that would undo the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) repeal of the 2015 Open Internet Order, as well as 12 amendments to the underlying text. The bill is expected to pass the lower chamber later today but is considered dead on arrival in the GOP-controlled Senate and White House, which issued its official veto threat to the legislation yesterday. 

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