Legislative Activity Continuing Resolution Although Congress is set to be in session for another two weeks, it is likely the House will adjourn for the year as soon as this Thursday afternoon. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has promised the House will vote on a Continuing Resolution (CR) before the current CR expires on … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Appropriations Outlook It increasingly appears that the House will approve a Continuing Resolution (CR) in lieu of an Omnibus or a series of Minibuses before the current CR expires on December 9. This approach is easier for Republican leadership because it will placate members of the Freedom Caucus who do not want to … Continue Reading
LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY Appropriations Work Begins Following last week’s submission by President Obama of his FY 2015 Budget Proposal to Congress, appropriators are set to begin work in earnest on the FY 2015 spending bills. Senate Budget Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-WA) previously stated that her committee would not take up a budget resolution for FY … Continue Reading
LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY Appropriators Ready Omnibus For Action Closely guarding any progress, House and Senate Appropriations staff worked over the holiday recess to reconcile their respective versions of FY 2014 spending bills in order to incorporate them into a comprehensive omnibus package. Early this week, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Ranking Member Richard Shelby … Continue Reading
Legislative Branch Activity Budget Lawmakers are facing an extremely abbreviated timeline to move a $1.012 trillion appropriations measure for FY 2014 that would cover government operations through September 30. Both chambers have slightly more than a week to pass the likely omnibus measure – or a continuing resolution – before the current stopgap spending measure … Continue Reading
The Senate will convene today, Monday, September 30, at 2:00 pm. After any leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning business until 5:00 pm, with senators being permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each. Senators will be notified when any votes are scheduled. Today, the House will convene at … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Appropriations Action Last week, the House approved its $595 billion FY 2014 Defense appropriations bill (H.R. 2397) by a vote of 315-105. An amendment from Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI) to eliminate funding for the National Security Administration’s (NSA) telephone record collection program, which Republican leadership resisted bringing to the floor, was narrowly … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Transportation Appropriations Both the House (H.R. 2610) and Senate (S. 1243) Transportation-HUD appropriations bills are poised for floor consideration before the August recess. In the House, there has been delay in Rules Committee action and in bringing the bill to the floor, but the intention is to consider it before the month-long August … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Secretary of Homeland Security After Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano’s announcement last week that she will be stepping down from her position, it remains unclear who will be chosen to replace her as the head of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Several names have been mentioned in connection with a possible … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Appropriations Action Last week, the House Appropriations Committee passed the FY 2014 Commerce-Justice-Science, Financial Services, and Legislative Branch appropriations bills. The House was expected to debate the Defense appropriations bill (H.R. 2397) last week as well, but disagreements over the rule process have stalled floor action. Republican leadership would like to debate … Continue Reading
Legislative Branch Activity Defense Budget Last week, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel sent a letter to the Senate Armed Services Committee in which he “strongly” opposed the $52 billion sequester cuts to the Defense Department’s FY 2014 Budget. He particularly cited risks to U.S. military readiness and technological superiority. Secretary Hagel noted the adverse effects … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Appropriations Action Last week the House passed the FY 2014 Energy and Water Appropriations bill (H.R. 2609), the third FY 2014 spending bill to be approved by the chamber. This week, floor consideration of the FY 2014 Defense Appropriations bill (H.R. 2397) will commence under a structured rule that will limit the … Continue Reading
Legislative Branch Activity National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Over the course of two days last week, the House debated over 150 amendments to its FY 2014 NDAA bill (H.R. 1960). Notably, the House approved by 305-121 an amendment to transfer all combat operations to Afghans by the end of this year and withdraw all U.S. … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Budget and Appropriations Last Thursday, June 6 the House approved the FY 2014 Homeland Security appropriations bill by a vote of 245-182, which provides $38.9 billion in discretionary funding to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Both Republican and Democrat amendments successfully transferred funds from the Office of the Undersecretary for Management … Continue Reading
Legislative Branch Activity National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Last week the House Armed Services Committee marked-up and passed, by a vote of 59-2, its FY 2014 NDAA bill. H.R. 1960 complies with the House Budget Act, funding national defense at pre-sequester levels but within the sequester budget cap of $966 billion for discretionary funding. Next week, … Continue Reading
LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY Action on FY 2014 Appropriations Bills. Last week the House passed its first FY 2014 appropriations bills – Military Construction-Veterans Affairs (H.R. 2216) and Homeland Security (H.R. 2217). Even before the bills were brought to the floor, the White House threatened to veto both, citing its disagreement with the topline discretionary spending cap … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Budget and Appropriations On May 22, the House Appropriations Committee approved the FY 2014 Homeland Security appropriations bill, which provides $38.9 billion in discretionary funding to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) overall: $35 million below the president’s request, $618 million below the fiscal 2013 enacted amount and $981 million above the … Continue Reading
Executive and Legislative Branch Activity Pentagon Budget This Wednesday, June 5, the House Armed Services Committee will mark up its version of the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 1960). That same day, the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee will also mark up, in a closed session, a spending bill for the Department of Defense (DOD). It … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Appropriations Action On Friday, May 31, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) released the House legislative agenda for June which includes consideration of four FY 2014 appropriations bills: Military Construction-Veterans Affairs (MilCon-VA); Homeland Security; Defense; and Agriculture. The MilCon-VA (H.R. 2216) and Homeland Security (H.R. 2217) bills are both on the House … Continue Reading
