Congress Update
Appropriations stall in both chambers
Daily Digests: M 9/11 (PDF) • T 9/12 (PDF) • W 9/13 (PDF) • Th 9/14 (PDF)
Senate — Votes — Legislation: New: 89 (D, R), Action: 7, Voted: 1, Passed: 6 — News
M 9/11/2023 — Record PDF, Log • Summary
T 9/12/2023 — Record PDF, Log • Summary
Senate appropriations leadership 'pleased' with bringing their work to the floor
Senate declines to prohibit the imposition of vaccination requirements relating to COVID-19 for Senate Pages (S.Res. 336)
W 9/13/2023 — Record PDF, Log • Summary
Th 9/14/2023 — Record PDF, Log • Summary
Combo appropriations package hits the skids in Senate (Floor Debate: Collins "surprised and disappointed" after they had "worked so hard" and characterized the options for "all 12 of the appropriations bills" as either combining bills or an omnibus bill, "It is one or the other, or a government shutdown—even worse.")
House — Legislation: New: 155 (R, D), Scheduled, Action: 9, Voted: 7, Passed: 9 — News
T 9/12/2023 — Record PDF, Extensions PDF • Activity, Votes
Rules Committee Meeting: H.Res. 680 (Report) providing for consideration of H.R. 4365 (Report), H.R. 1435 (Report) — Calvert Remarks on H.R. 4365
‘Iran and Its Proxies Have Rained Hell’: House Passes Trio of Bills Targeting Islamic Republic (H.R. 589—Debate, H.Res. 492—Debate, H.R. 3152—Debate)
W 9/13/2023 — Record PDF, Extensions PDF • Activity, Votes
Th 9/14/2023 — Record PDF, Extensions PDF • Activity, Votes
Since California Can Barely Keep the Lights On with an unreliable electric grid, House Passes Bill to Protect Gas-Powered Cars Amid California’s Electric Vehicle Push (H.R. 1435, Floor Debate) • AAF Applauds
Military — Committees: Senate, House
Don’t Ask Tommy Tuberville Why The Senate’s Not Voting On Military Nominations. Ask Chuck Schumer • ‘ALL TALK’: Chuck Schumer’s Own Talking Points Give the Lie to His Claims on Military Readiness, Tuberville Says
Foreign Policy — Committees: Senate, House
CRS: The Kingdom of Bhutan
Second Amendment
Gov. Gavin Newsom Officially Calls for Convention to Change US Constitution
Warren complains Supreme Court follows 2nd Amendment
Homeland Security — Committees: House, Senate
103 House Democrats Call Out Biden in Official Letter • join calls for Biden to open up the immigration playbook
Immigration
Senators downplay chances for ‘Dreamers’ bill after latest court ruling (S. 365)
Trade
CRS: Export Controls—International Coordination: Issues for Congress
Budget — Committees: House, Senate
CBO: Monthly Budget Review: August 2023
House GOP’s official 10-year budget plan coming next week
Federal Spending — Committees: House, Senate — FY 2024 bills, table
‘American People Are Sick of It’: House Freedom Caucus Vows to Oppose More Reckless Spending • House Freedom Caucus Draws Hard Line, Says ‘No’ to Current Spending Levels • Freedom Caucus Chairman Perry says there is 'still some room' to shrink government spending • House GOP spending standoff hardens • Conservative opposition stalls House vote on Pentagon funding bill (H.R. 4365) • White House threatens veto • Spending Bills Must Address Border Crisis, Conservatives Say: No Security, No Funding
House GOP grows skeptical on Ukraine: ‘It’s not just the Freedom Caucus’
House GOP negotiating short-term spending stopgap with border security measures • starts to coalesce around stopgap funding plan
Congress lurches closer to shutdown • Chances still high
Community health center funding is mandatory spending, not subject to the discretion of Congress
Senate Democrats ready $16 billion in funding for child care
McConnell: 'Seven percent of American adults are veterans of the Armed Forces.'
Executive — Committees: House, Senate
House GOP Questions Biden Admin on why it “argues that conservative political beliefs are illegal”
Congressional investigators demand State turn over records on firing of Ukraine prosecutor
House Veterans Affairs Committee chairman expressed frustration with VA%92s continued lack of transparency around its rule which directs the VA to provide abortion and abortion counseling to veterans and their dependents%2C and with VA education and training resources which deepen concerns about the VA abortion policy
Biden ATF Harassed and Stalked Florida Gun Shop Owner after He Testified to Congress About the Agency
CRS: Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate
Judiciary — Committees: Senate, House
CRS: Congressional Court Watcher: Recent Appellate Decisions of Interest to Lawmakers (September 5, 2023–September 10, 2023)
Justice — Punishing Evil, Praising Good (Romans 13:3-4; 1 Peter 2:14)
McConnell notes growing crime around the country: In Los Angeles the soft-on-crime DA has tasked his department's investigators with escorting staff to and from the office rather than prosecuting the criminals who make them feel so unsafe. ... In Minnesota last week, a local liberal official who once supported defunding the police, took to social media to urge her city to finally hold repeat offenders accountable for their actions after she was savagely beaten in her own driveway ... by carjackers.
30 Members of Congress Tell DOJ to Protect Children from AI Exploitation
Congress poised to spend less on federal prison infrastructure
CRS: Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs), the U.S. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, and FIU Operational Independence
Corruption — Praising Evil, Punishing Good (Isaiah 5:20)
Abortion Lawyer Accused of Perjuring Herself Before Congress
The new abortion policy Sen. Bill Cassidy could have stopped
Senators push to pass cannabis banking bill after marijuana rescheduling (S. 1323)
For Hillary Scholten, faith (and Jerry Ford) led the way to Congress, quoting scripture on the House floor in defense of abortion
Commerce Policy — Committees: Senate, House
Durbin on UAW: Stellantis complains that it is behind thousands of units, while it continues to lay off workers. It just doesn't add up. • EV mandates from 'pro-union' President Biden stand in the way of automaker union member wage increases (Vance statement)
McConnell: 'Freezing the development of clean and reliable energy here at home does nothing more than kick production of more expensive and less reliable fuels into overdrive overseas.'
After infant formula crisis, lawmakers look to donor milk
CBO: The U.S. Economic Outlook
CRS: Economic Development and Recovery in Maui
Agriculture Policy — Committees: Senate, House
CRS: Farm and Food Support Under USDA’s Section 32 Account
Health Care Policy — Committee: Senate
Sanders, Marshall reach deal on health programs, but challenges remain
CIA Whistleblower's Testimony: Spooks Paid Off Analysts to Suppress Wuhan Origins of COVID
Science/Technology Policy — Committee: House, Senate
Schumer: AI 'Insight Forum' focused on being bipartisan, diverse, and balanced, Congressional action on AI must be bipartisan and with 'outside help' • Musk, Zuckerberg among tech titans converging for Senate AI forum • Schumer on 'AI Insight Forum': There was 'universal support' among participants that 'Congress must play a role' to avoide the 'lowest common denominator' of 'Racial bias' being 'enshrined in AI', 'massive job displacement', and 'unthinkable doomsday scenarios' • There’s consensus, not details, on AI regulation, Schumer says • Senate AI co-chair says action this year unlikely
As lawmakers eye regulation, AI could reshape Congress itself
Congress — Committees: House, Senate
Speaker McCarthy and Leader Jeffries Co-Host Fifth Congressional Hackathon
GOP Rep Puts McCarthy on Notice Hours After Biden Impeachment News (Floor Speech)
Leftist protesters storm, briefly occupy McCarthy's office on Capitol Hill to make demand about federal program
Alaska Congresswoman's Husband Dies in Plane Crash
Schumer had three friends who died on 9/11/2001: high school friend, businessman, firefighter
AOC Reportedly Lists Fiancé As Spouse, Though Office Denies She Is Married Sparking Possible Breach of House Rules • AOC Embroiled in Congressional Ethics Controversy Over Her Marital Status - 5 Year Prison Sentence Broached • New York Turns Against AOC: Protesters Drown Out Congresswoman's Speech with Jeers on Live TV
Congressional aides learn how to provide overdose aid
Scalise is back, but unclear for how long
Appeals Court Rules Against Special Counsel Jack Smith Regarding Access to Rep. Scott Perry's Phone
Mitt Romney To Retire From Senate