This Week on the Hill: Senate Looks to Clinch Deal on Disaster Aid Funding

Congress is set to resume legislative business today following a weeklong district work period. In the Senate, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has queued up a vote on the progressive-sponsored "Green New Deal" resolution (S.J.Res 8) in hopes of forcing Senate Democrats into a tough political vote. While Democrats initially decried the move as a partisan stunt, they have coalesced around a message that climate change is an issue that needs attention and that they look forward to debating these issues on the Senate floor. Following consideration of the Green New Deal resolution, Senators are expected to take up a supplemental disaster aid bill (H.R. 268) that would provide emergency funding to states and territories that have been impacted by various natural disasters in recent months. 

Meanwhile, House lawmakers have queued up an attempt to override President Trump's veto of a resolution of disapproval that would prevent him from circumventing Congressional appropriation authority to allocate funding for the construction of a border wall. Despite the resolution's passage in both chambers, the effort to overturn the President's veto is unlikely to have the support of a two-thirds majority in the lower chamber. For today, the House will consider a slate of suspension bills, including a measure (H.R. 1839) out of the Energy and Commerce Committee that would: (1) extend protections for Medicaid recipients of home and community-based services against spousal impoverishment; (2) establish a State Medicaid option to provide coordinated care to children with complex medical conditions through health homes; and (3) prevent the misclassification of drugs in the Medicaid drug rebate program.