Below is this week’s congressional update by BakerHostetler’s Federal Policy team. We’ll continue to post in weeks when both chambers of Congress hold floor votes.
HEADLINES
• President Joe Biden will host top congressional leaders at the White House on Wednesday seeking bipartisan common ground on large-scale infrastructure legislation.
• The House and Senate reconvene with a full agenda of hot-button issues beyond the infrastructure package that leaders wish to address in the near term: police reform, China competition, election reform, and hate crimes legislation all could see action before Memorial Day.
• House Republicans plan to hold a conference vote to replace Conference Chair Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., with Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., because of Cheney’s vocal criticism of former President Donald Trump.
HOUSE
- The House plans to be in session tomorrow through Friday. Votes are planned on the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, to enhance workplace protections for pregnant women, and on the Comprehensive Debt Collection Improvement Act, aimed at reforming various aspects of the debt collection industry, as well as several noncontroversial bills on mental health.
- The House Financial Services Committee will vote on several bills including the Fair Lending for All Act and the Climate Risk Disclosure Act, the latter of which would require public companies to disclose in their annual reports information relating to the financial and business risks associated with climate change.
- The Ways and Means Committee will hold a hearing on the Biden administration’s trade policy agenda with U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai.
- The full list of this week’s House committee activity can be found here.
SENATE
- The Senate plans to continue consideration of President Biden’s sub-cabinet nominations, including Andrea Joan Palm to be deputy secretary of Health and Human Services and Cynthia Marten to be deputy secretary of Education.
- The Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday will vote on two nominations and 10 bills, including the Endless Frontier Act, the “centerpiece” of Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s, D-N.Y., legislative initiative to confront China.
- The Senate Judiciary Committee will take up legislation aiming to update merger fees for major corporate deals and enhance the Federal Trade Commission’s funding; the committee will also vote on bills to protect law enforcement serving abroad, and to ensure benefits for disabled first responders.
- The current list of Senate committee activity can be found here.
WHITE HOUSE
- Biden will meet Tuesday with a bipartisan group of governors regarding COVID vaccination programs.
- Biden will host the top four bipartisan congressional leaders Wednesday for a pivotal meeting on his American Jobs Plan and American Families Plan.
- Biden will host a group of Republican senators Thursday to discuss their counterproposal on infrastructure, led by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.V.
