This Week on the Hill: Senate Eyes First FY 2020 Appropriations Floor Votes

Congress returns to action today as Senators gear up for their first fiscal year (FY) 2020 government funding votes on the floor. Prior to adjourning last week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) filed cloture on motions to proceed to two House-passed spending packages that will serve as “shell” legislative vehicles for spending bills that have cleared the Senate Appropriations Committee. While Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) indicated that the first package could include the measures for Transportation-HUD and Agriculture, Leader McConnell stated that the second vehicle would be dedicated for defense funds, as well as "resources for other priorities such as the opioid epidemic."

In the lower chamber, lawmakers are poised to take up a sweeping corporate transparency measure later this week. Aimed at addressing concerns over "shell corporations," the Corporate Transparency Act would require persons forming corporations and limited liability companies to disclose the identities of those who control the entity to the federal government. For today, the House will consider four suspension bills out of the Small Business Committee, including two measures that seek to improve the women’s business center (H.R. 4405) and small business development center (H.R. 4406) programs.