LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY

House To Begin Floor Consideration of FY 2015 Appropriations Bills

According to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA), the House will begin consideration of the FY 2015 Military Construction-Veterans Affairs (MilCon) (H.R. 4486/H.Rept. 113-416) and the Legislative Branch (H.R. 4487/H.Rept. 113-417) spending bills this week. The House Rules Committee is expected to meet Tuesday to establish the process for consideration on the House floor. The MilCon bill is expected to come up under an open rule, which allows unlimited amendments, while the Legislative Branch bill is expected to be brought up under a structured rule, which limits amendments to those approved by the Rules panel. This, in part, is in response to an anticipated amendment from Representative Jim Moran (D-VA) to provide a housing stipend to Congress. He proposed the amendment during the committee markup, where it was rejected.

The House Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Subcommittee will consider its FY 2015 spending bill on Wednesday. As such, Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers (R-KY) is also expected to announce the topline allocations for the remaining spending bills this week. He was awaiting the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) score of the President’s FY 2015 Budget Proposal, which was released over the recess.

This Week’s Hearings

Senate Appropriations Committee Hearings

  • Tuesday, April 29: Full committee hearing “Driving Innovation through Federal Investments.” Witnesses: John Holdren, Ph.D., Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President; Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, Ph.D.; Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D., Director, National Institutes of Health; France Cordova, Ph.D., Director, National Science Foundation; and Arati Prabhakar, Ph.D., Director, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Department of Defense.
  • Wednesday, April 30:  The Interior and Environment Subcommittee will hold a hearing on the FY 2015 budget request for the U.S. Forest Service.
  • Wednesday, April 30: The Labor, HHS, and Education Subcommittee will hold a hearing on the FY 2015 budget request for the Department of Education.
  • Wednesday, April 30: The Defense Subcommittee will hold a hearing on the FY 2015 budget request for the Department of the Army.
  • Wednesday, April 30: The Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee will hold a hearing on the FY 2015 budget request for the Department of Treasury and IRS.
  • Wednesday, April 30: The Energy & Water Subcommittee will hold a hearing on the FY 2015 budget request for the National Nuclear Security Administration.
  • Thursday, May 1: The Commerce, Justice, Science Subcommittee will hold a hearing on the FY 2015 budget request for NASA.

House Appropriations Committee Hearings

  • Tuesday, April 29: The Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee will hold a hearing on the FY 2015 budget request for the Department of Treasury.
  • Tuesday, April 29: The Homeland Security Subcommittee will hold a CLSOED hearing on the FY 2015 budget request for cybersecurity.
  • Tuesday, April 29: The State, Foreign Operations Subcommittee will hold a hearing on the FY 2015 budget request for United States Assistance in Africa.
  • Wednesday, April 30: The Commerce, Justice, Science Subcommittee will hold a markup of it FY 2015 appropriations bill.

House Budget Committee Hearing

  • Wednesday, April 30: Full committee hearing “A Progress Report on the War on Poverty: Lessons from the Frontlines.” Witnesses: Bishop Shirley Holloway, Founder, House of Help City of Hope and Robert Woodson, President, Center for Neighborhood Enterprise.