Senate Breaks for August After Nominations Stalemate

President Trump joined Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and outgoing Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto in Buenos Aires to sign the highly anticipated United States-Mexico-Canada-Agreement (USMCA) this morning. The wide-ranging agreement — which includes provisions for biologic drugs, intellectual property, agriculture, automotive, and labor — now must be ratified by the legislatures of each country. […]

Congressional lawmakers are poised to address reauthorization for a series of key programs, including the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and the Farm Bill. Regarding NFIP, lawmakers have introduced a short-term funding bill that would extend the program until December 7, giving Congress more time to figure out a solution. Both chambers will need to […]

House Democrats will meet behind closed doors today to elect their leadership for the 116th Congress. Despite some intraparty opposition from a host of incumbent and incoming Democrats, a clear challenger to Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has yet to emerge — a sign that she is expected to win the closed-door vote for the speaker’s […]

House Democrats are set to continue a contentious debate over the speaker’s gavel for the 116th Congress. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) — the presumed favorite for the speakership in the 116th Congress — is facing pushback from a host of incumbent and incoming Democrats who claim they have the votes to block her path […]

The Week in Review Following a grueling 2018 midterm campaign, House and Senate lawmakers returned to Washington last week to begin the “lame duck” session of Congress. On the floor, Senators cleared the legislative vehicle (S.140) for Coast Guard reauthorization as well as the nomination of Michelle Bowman to be a member of the Board […]

House Democrats are bracing for a contentious battle over the speaker’s gavel. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) — the presumed favorite for the speakership in the 116th Congress — is facing pushback from a host of incumbent and incoming Democrats who say they have the votes to block her path to victory. While both sides […]

House Republicans are set to hold leadership elections for the next Congress today. GOP lawmakers are expected to elect Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to be Minority Leader for the 116th Congress, despite a challenge from Freedom Caucus co-founder Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH). In hopes of quelling an intraparty feud, reports suggest that President Trump has privately […]

House and Senate lawmakers will return to Washington today to begin the “lame duck” session of Congress. As lawmakers seek to clear the seven outstanding appropriations bills, Congress faces a distinct possibility of a post-election showdown over border wall funding. If lawmakers are unable to reach a deal, another continuing resolution (CR) will likely be […]

Riding a wave of unprecedented political engagement in a midterm election, Democrats have regained control of the House of Representatives for the first time since 2010. The 2018 midterms will send one of the largest classes of freshman Members to Washington in recent history — replacing a cadre of centrist, suburban Republicans with establishment-backed Democrats […]

Candidates in both parties are gearing up for an historic midterm election as voters will head to the polls and cast their ballots today. The 2018 midterms are widely viewed as a referendum on President Trump’s first two years in office — a dynamic that provides opportunities and challenges for both parties.

Following passage of the legislative vehicle (S. 3021) for reauthorization of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), the Senate will reconvene today and turn its attention to the presidential nominations queue. For the balance of the week, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has filed cloture on three nominations including: (1) Jeffrey Bossert Clark to be […]

The Senate is due back in Washington today for legislative business. When the chamber reconvenes later this afternoon, Senators are expected resume consideration of the legislative vehicle (S. 3021) for reauthorization of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). The Senate is also expected to chip away at the presidential nominations queue, as Majority Leader Mitch McConnell […]