Weekly Washington Outlook — November 17, 2014
What to Watch This Week:
Congress:
House:
The House will meet Monday morning to consider legislation under suspension of the rules:
1) H.R. 5441 – To amend the Federal charter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States to reflect the service of women in the Armed Forces of the United States (Sponsored by Rep. Jeff Miller / Judiciary Committee)
2) H.R. 3608 – Grand Portage Band Per Capita Adjustment Act (Sponsored by Rep. Rick Nolan / Natural Resources Committee)
3) H.R. 5162 – To amend the Act entitled “An Act to allow a certain parcel of land in Rockingham County, Virginia, to be used for a child care center” to remove the use restriction, and for other purposes (Sponsored by Rep. Bob Goodlatte / Natural Resources Committee)
4) H.R. 4049 – Ashland Breakwater Light Transfer Act, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Sean Duffy / Natural Resources Committee)
5) H.R. 5040 – Idaho County Shooting Range Land Conveyance Act (Sponsored by Rep. Raul Labrador / Natural Resources Committee)
6) H.R. 5069 – Federal Duck Stamp Act of 2014, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. John Fleming / Natural Resources Committee)
7) H.R. 5468 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1103 USPS Building 1103 in Camp Pendleton, California, as the “Camp Pendleton Medal of Honor Post Office” (Sponsored by Rep. Darrell Issa / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
8) H.R. 5331 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 73839 Gorgonio Drive in Twentynine Palms, California, as the “Colonel M.J. ‘Mac’ Dube, USMC Post Office Building” (Sponsored by Rep. Paul Cook / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
9) H.R. 5386 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 11662 Gravois Road in St. Louis, Missouri, as the “Lt. Daniel P. Riordan Post Office” (Sponsored by Rep. Ann Wagner / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
10) S. 1499 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 278 Main Street in Chadron, Nebraska, as the “Sergeant Cory Mracek Memorial Post Office” (Sponsored by Sen. Mike Johanns / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
11) S. 1093 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 130 Caldwell Drive in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, as the “First Lieutenant Alvin Chester Cockrell, Jr. Post Office Building” (Sponsored by Sen. Thad Cochran / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
12) S. 885 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 35 Park Street in Danville, Vermont, as the “Thaddeus Stevens Post Office” (Sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
13) S. 1512 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1335 Jefferson Road in Rochester, New York, as the “Specialist Theodore Matthew Glende Post Office” (Sponsored by Sen. Charles Schumer / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
14) H.R. 5142 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 113 West Jackson Street in Rich Square, North Carolina, as the “Chief Joseph E. White, Jr. Post Office Building” (Sponsored by Rep. G.K. Butterfield / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
15) H.R. 5544 – Low-Dose Radiation Research Act of 2014, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Paul Broun / Science, Space, and Technology Committee)
On Tuesday, the House will vote on H.R. 1422 – EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act of 2013 (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Chris Stewart / Science, Space, and Technology Committee)
On Wednesday, the House will consider legislation under suspension of the rules:
1) H.R. 5681 – To provide for the approval of the Amendment to the Agreement Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for Cooperation on the Uses of Atomic Energy for Mutual Defense Purposes (Sponsored by Rep. Ed Royce / Foreign Affairs Committee)
2) H. Res. 754 – Condemning the Government of Iran for its gross human rights violations (Sponsored by Rep. Ed Royce / Foreign Affairs Committee)
3) H.R. 3398 – Girls Count Act of 2014, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Ed Royce / Foreign Affairs Committee)
4) H.R. 5448 – John F. Kennedy Center Reauthorization Act of 2014 (Sponsored by Rep. Lou Barletta / Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)
Under a rule, the House will also vote on H.R. 4012 – Secret Science Reform Act of 2014, Rules Committee Print (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. David Schweikert / Science, Space, and Technology Committee)
The House will conclude its work for the week before recessing for the following week by voting on H.R. 4795 – Promoting New Manufacturing Act (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Steve Scalise / Energy and Commerce Committee)
Senate:
The Senate will finish its consideration of a bipartisan and bicameral agreement to reauthorize the Childcare and Development Block Grant (S.1086). A vote on passage is expected this evening, as well as procedural votes on three judicial nominees. On Tuesday, in addition to confirmation of the judicial nominations, the Senate is scheduled to vote on approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline and could vote later in the week on a measure to curb government collection of big data (S. 2685).
White House:
On Monday, the president will attend meetings at the White House.
On Tuesday, President Obama 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.
On Wednesday, President Obama will host “ConnectED to the Future”, a conference with superintendents and other educators from across the country who are leading their schools and districts in the transition to digital learning.
On Thursday, the president will award a new class of recipients the National Medal of Science and National Medal of Technology and Innovation—our Nation’s highest honors for achievement and leadership in advancing the fields of science and technology.
On Friday, President Obama will attend meetings at the White House.
Also this Week:
Leadership Elections – House Republicans, Senate Republicans, and Senate Democrats held their party leadership elections last week. House Democrats will hold their election on Thursday, Nov. 18. Minority Leader Pelosi is expected to keep her position.
Steering Committees – This week, both parties will begin their process to choose Chairs and Ranking Members of House and Senate Committees. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus will also hold its election for a new Chair on Tuesday.
Immigration – In advance of an announcement of administrative relief, members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus will make brief speeches on the House floor in support on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon.
Appropriations – When Congress returns after Thanksgiving break, its top priority will be to pass a spending bill to keep the government open when the current resolution expires on December 11. Top appropriators have been working on an omnibus spending bill to go through September 30, and this has been tentatively scheduled for floor consideration the week of December 8. There is some concern, however, that an omnibus will not be completed by this time. Compounding on this logistical challenge, there is a fraction of members that would prefer to see a short-term continuing resolution to allow a Republican-controlled House and Senate to set spending priorities in the next Congress. The President’s looming action on immigration is further complicating passage of a spending bill. There are those who would like to shutdown the government to prevent implementation of whatever is announced and others who have proposed enacting a temporary spending bill for just the Department of Homeland Security.
UAC – The House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Western Hemisphere Subcommittee will hold a hearing on Wednesday on the Administration’s policy toward unaccompanied children crossing the southwestern border. Assistant Secretary of State Roberta Jacobson of the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs; Elizabeth Hogan, acting assistant administrator in the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean; and Robert Kaplan, president and CEO of the Inter-American Foundation, are scheduled to testify. The hearing comes as the White House has asked Congress for $1.5 billion in emergency spending to care for these children.
Housing – The Senate Banking Committee will hear from Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mel Watt on Wednesday. The hearing will focus on balancing stability and affordability in the mortgage market.
Health – In addition to a number of ebola-related hearings happening this week, U.S. Chief Technology Officer Todd Park will testify on Wednesday to the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee’s oversight subcommittee about technological difficulties with healthcare.gov.