Weekly Washington Outlook – July 14, 2014
What to Watch This Week:
Congress:
The House:
On Monday, the House will vote to name several Postal Service facilities and consider a number of other measures under suspension of the rules:
1) H.R. 5031 – The STEM Education Act of 2013 (Sponsored by Rep. Lamar Smith / Science, Space, and Technology Committee)
2) H.R. 1786 – The National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act Reauthorization of 2014 (Sponsored by Rep. Randy Neugebauer / Science, Space, and Technology Committee)
3) H.R. 5035 – To reauthorize the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and for other purposes(Sponsored by Rep. Larry Bucshon / Science, Space, and Technology Committee)
4) H.R. 5056 – The Research and Development Efficiency Act(Sponsored by Rep. Larry Bucshon / Science, Space, and Technology Committee)
5.) H.R. 5029 – The International Science and Technology Cooperation Act of 2014 (Sponsored by Rep. Daniel Lipinski / Science, Space, and Technology Committee)
6) H.R. 451 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 500 North Brevard Avenue in Cocoa Beach, Florida, as the “Richard K. Salick Post Office”(Sponsored by Rep. Bill Posey / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
7) H.R. 606 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 815 County Road 23 in Tyrone, New York, as the “Specialist Christopher Scott Post Office Building” (Sponsored by Rep. Tom Reed / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
8) H.R. 2223– To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 220 Elm Avenue in Munising, Michigan, as the “Elizabeth L. Kinnunen Post Office Building”(Sponsored by Rep. Dan Benishek / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
9) H.R. 3534 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 113 West Michigan Avenue in Jackson, Michigan, as the “Officer James Bonneau Memorial Post Office” (Sponsored by Rep. Tim Walberg / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
10) H.R. 2802 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 418 Liberty Street in Covington, Indiana, as the “Fountain County Veterans Memorial Post Office” (Sponsored by Rep. Todd Rokita / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
11) H.R. 4355 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 201 B Street in Perryville, Arkansas, as the “Harold George Bennett Post Office” (Sponsored by Rep. Tim Griffin / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
12) H.R. 3027 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 442 Miller Valley Road in Prescott, Arizona, as the “Barry M. Goldwater Post Office” (Sponsored by Rep. Paul Gosar / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
13) H.R. 2291 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 450 Lexington Avenue in New York, New York, as the “Vincent R. Sombrotto Post Office”(Sponsored by Rep. Carolyn Maloney / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
14) H.R. 3085 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3349 West 111th Street in Chicago, Illinois, as the “Captain Herbert Johnson Memorial Post Office Building” (Sponsored by Rep. Dan Lipinski / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
15) H.R. 4416 – To redesignate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 161 Live Oak Street in Miami, Arizona, as the “Staff Sergeant Manuel V. Mendoza Post Office Building” (Sponsored by Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
16) H.R. 4193 – The Smart Savings Act, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Darrell Issa / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
17) H.R. 4195– The Federal Register Modernization Act(Sponsored by Rep. Darrell Issa / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
18) H.R. 4185 – The District of Columbia Courts, Public Defender Service, and Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency Act (Sponsored by Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
19) H.R. 4197– The All Circuit Review Extension Act (Sponsored by Rep. Elijah Cummings / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
20) H.R. 1192 – To redesignate Mammoth Peak in Yosemite National Park as “Mount Jessie Benton Fre’mont” (Sponsored by Rep. Tom McClintock / Natural Resources Committee)
On Monday, the House may also begin consideration of the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act of 2015 (H.R. 5016).
On Tuesday, the House will resume consideration of the Financial Services and General Appropriations Act and will also vote on the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2014 (a bill to fund the Highway Trust Fund). In addition, the House will take-up two bills under suspension of the rules:
1) H.R. 3086– Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act (Sponsored by Rep. Bob Goodlatte / Judiciary Committee)
2) H.R. 306 – For the relief of Corina de Chalup Turcinovic (Sponsored by Rep. Dan Lipinski / Judiciary Committee)
On Wednesday, the House should complete its work on the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act of 2015. On Thursday, the House will proceed to the Fighting Hunger Incentive Act of 2014 (H.R. 4719). It is possible this week the House will also take up its version of the Terrorism Risk Insurance extension (H.R. 4871).
The Senate:
The Senate meets Monday afternoon and has scheduled votes on two Federal Energy Regulatory Commission nominees Tuesday morning. Following their confirmation, the Senate will proceed to the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (S. 2244), a seven-year extension of terrorism risk insurance. Majority Leader Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader McConnell (R-Ky.) have reached an agreement to allow votes on four banking-related amendments from Senators Coburn (R-Okla.), Vitter (R-La.), Flake (R-Ariz.), and Tester (D-Mont.). Later in the week, Senate leadership plans to bring a bill (S. 2578) from Senator Murray (D-Wash.) and Senator Mark Udall (D-Colo.) that would require closely-held for-profit companies to provide insurance coverage for contraceptives. The measure is a response to the Supreme Court’s recent Hobby Lobby decision allowing a religious exemption to the ACA’s contraception requirement.
White House:
On Monday, the President will participate in an Ambassador Credentialing Ceremony in the Oval Office. At this event, the President will receive the credentials from foreign Ambassadors recently posted in Washington. The presentation of credentials is a traditional ceremony that marks the formal beginning of an Ambassador’s service in Washington. In the evening, the President will host an Iftar dinner celebrating Ramadan at the White House. On Tuesday, the President will deliver remarks on the economy at the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center in McLean, Virginia. On Wednesday, the President will attend meetings at the White House. On Thursday, the President will travel to New York City area to attend a DNC roundtable. On Friday, the President will attend unspecified meetings at the White House.
Also this week and beyond:
Unaccompanied Children – Last week, the Senate Appropriations Committee held a hearing on the Presidents request for $3.7 billion in supplemental funding to handle the rise in children fleeing from violence along the border. This request did not include a change to the Trafficking Victim Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA), a 2008 law that prevents children from non-contiguous countries to the United States from being processed through expedited removal, among other protections. Since the release of the supplemental request, the Administration and a number of members of Congress have subsequently suggested that this change would help with the crisis. Senator McCain (R-Ariz.) and Senator Flake (R-Ariz.), both members of the Gang of 8, released a bill last week that would treat Central American children like Mexican children; Senator Cornyn (R-Texas) and Congressman Cuellar (D-Texas) are also working on legislation to do the same. Both Majority Leader Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Pelosi (D-Calif.) have signaled a willingness to include a change to TVPRA in the supplemental funding request. While Majority Leader Reid has said he would like to move the supplemental request before the August recess, House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) said that he intends to move a more modest emergency spending measure, focused on more robust border security measures. Without an offset, it is unclear if any emergency funding can be passed in the House. Elsewhere, the House working group on unaccompanied children lead by Congresswoman Kay Granger (R-Texas) is scheduled to release its recommendations on Tuesday. There has been considerable speculation that the group will recommend repealing DACA.
Private Relief – Under suspension of the rules, the House will vote on a private relief bill (H.R. 306) to grant Corina de Chalup Turcinovic legal permanenet resident status. Turcinovic entered the United States in 1990 through a visa waiver program, after her fiancé was paralyzed when a drunk driver in New Jersey struck him. Her status was extended for humanitarian reasons and she married her fiancé in 1996. Her husband later became a legal permanent resident, but was unable to visit a USCIS office in-person to complete his application to naturalize. He died in 2004 and Turcinovic was unable to extend or change her immigration status. The bill would provide the adjustment she would have received had her husband been able to go to the required in-person fingerprinting. Private Relief bills of this nature are relatively uncommon.
Appropriations – The House will continue its consideration of appropriations bills this week with Financial Services funding. Among other things, the bill would limit the Commodities Future Trading Commission’s regulatory authority, bar the District of Columbia from easing marijuana laws, and mandate the continuation of Saturday mail delivery. In the Senate, Senator Mikulski has said that she is still committed to finding a path forward for the stalled “minibus,” three spending bills packaged together. With the September 30th deadline to fund the government quickly approaching, both chambers are increasingly discussing strategies for a continuing resolution.
Budget – The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) will release its long-term budget projections Tuesday. CBO Director Douglas Elmendorf will testify Wednesday at a House Budget Committee hearing.
Consumer Protection – The House Financial Services Committee will hold a hearing on Tuesday on a Department of Justice program intended to fight consumer fraud perpetrated by payday lenders. The hearing comes in the wake of allegations from the Community Financial Services Association of America that they were unfairly targeted.
Education – The House will vote this week on several bills related to science education. The STEM Education Act (H.R 5031) would reauthorize the National Science Foundation to continue providing grants to support education in STEM fields. H.R. 5056 would require the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to form a working group to review federal regulations affecting how universities conduct research with federal funding. Finally, H.R. 5029 would direct the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to set up a group to identify and coordinate international science and technology cooperation.
Highway Trust Fund – Last week, both the House Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committees approved competing bills to fund the Highway Trust Fund, expected to be insolvent at the end of this month. Both measures use pension smoothing and customs user fees as pay-fors, but the Senate bill also includes several other tax-related changes seen as unpalatable in the Republican-controlled House. The House is likely to approve its measure this week, hoping to gain an advantage by acting first.
Healthcare – The House Rules Committee will hold a hearing on Wednesday on a draft resolution that would authorize the House to sue the Obama Administration over delays in the implementation of the ACA.
Tax – The House will vote this week on a series of bills to permanently extend expired tax credits including six related to charitable giving and another on conservation easements. The Senate is not expected to act on any of these.
