The Weekly Hill Update

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 are in session.

HEADLINES

• Senate negotiators on gun control legislation hope to continue to surpass expectations and finalize a bill for votes in both chambers of Congress this week.
• Supreme Court watchers are on high alert, as the court is in the final two weeks of its term with several high-profile decisions remaining on its docket, including regarding abortion.
• Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell will appear before committees in both chambers, following aggressive Fed action aiming to counter inflation.

HOUSE

• The House is in session tonight through Friday. The agenda includes final approval of Senate-passed legislation to ensure treatment for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits in Iraq or Afghanistan.
• The House Oversight Committee tomorrow will hold a hearing with National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell regarding the workplace culture of the Washington Commanders.
• Powell will testify Thursday before the Financial Services Committee, after the Fed last week increased its benchmark interest rate by 0.75 percent, the largest increase since 1994.
• The full hearing schedule can be found here.

SENATE

• Senators negotiating on significant gun control compromise legislation hope to have a bill ready for a vote this week, before a two-week congressional recess. Steve Dettelbach’s nomination to run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms is also on the floor agenda.
• The Senate Banking Committee will host Powell tomorrow.
• The Foreign Relations Committee will hold a hearing tomorrow on the proposed accession to NATO of Sweden and Finland.
• The current list of committee meetings can be found here.

WHITE HOUSE

• President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden today will visit a Washington, D.C., clinic to highlight availability of COVID-19 vaccines to children under 5 years old.
• Biden plans to decide this week whether to seek a federal gasoline tax holiday.
• This weekend, Biden will depart on a trip to Germany and Spain.