Secretary Becerra on Partial Birth Abortion Ban

Today, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra testified during a hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Health on the Department's annual budget for next year. (Full recording)

During the hearing, Secretary Becerra responded to questions about the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 (18 U.S. Code § 1531) by initially denying that the law existed and then by sidestepping further questions about whether he would enforce it.

Congress Update

Daily Digests: M 5/3 • T 5/4 • Th 5/6 • F 5/7 — Prayers

National Security

Congressman Introduces Bill Banning Critical Race Theory In U.S. Military Service Academies


Foreign Policy

House Members Pose Questions to US Nonprofit That Helped Fund Wuhan Lab • House Republicans Demand State Department Documents Probing COVID Origin As Potential Lab Leak

House, Senate on collision course over Schumer’s China plan

Lawmakers send letter to Biden administration urging promotion of leadership on international religious freedom

Chairman Meeks’ Statement on Venezuela’s National Electoral Council

Congress Update

Daily Digests: M 4/26 • T 4/27 • W 4/28 • Th 4/29 • F 4/30 — Prayers

Related Headlines:

Monday

Sen. Sullivan calls on John Kerry to resign over betraying Israel to Iran • Senate Republicans step up pressure on Kerry to resign over alleged leak to Iran

Tuesday

81-13, Senate confirmed the nomination of Jason Scott Miller, of Maryland, to be Deputy Director for Management, Office of Management and Budget.

52-42, Senate confirmed the nomination of Janet Garvin McCabe, of Indiana, to be Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

49-45, Senate confirmed the nomination of Colin Hackett Kahl, of California, to be Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. • Controversial Biden Pentagon pick confirmed by Senate • Pentagon Nominee Criticized For Past Tweets Attacking Republicans

Wednesday

Mitch McConnell Takes to Senate Floor • Rips Biden’s First 100 Days In Office Before Joint Session Of Congress, Lists Policy Failures • accuses Biden of breaking promise to unify — Full Speech

68-26, Senate confirmed the nomination of Samantha Power, of Massachusetts, to be Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development. • Senate confirms former Obama official Samantha Power to lead USAID

52-42, Senate passed S.J.Res. 14; A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to “Oil and Natural Gas Sector: Emission Standards for New, Reconstructed, and Modified Sources Review”.

Senate declined to pass S. 1410, A bill to codify the temporary scheduling order for fentanyl-related substances by adding fentanyl-related substances to schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.

Senate declined to agree to S.Res. 185, A resolution requesting that the President transmit to the Senate documents relating to the Administration's discussions and plans to assess, mitigate, and prevent growing inflation.

Joint Session — Presidential Message

Biden calls on Congress to pass voting, elections reform bills • Media fawns over Biden's 'direct, conversational, under-stated' speech to Congress • First lady hosted virtual guests for Biden's address to Congress

‘No More Washington Schemes, Socialist Dreams’ — Tim Scott Delivers Republican Address After Biden’s Joint Session Of Congress • Fires Back After Left Hits Him with a Barrage of Racist Attacks Over Biden Rebuttal

Transition From Capitalism to Socialism: Sen. Jim Risch on Biden’s Speech to Congress

Thursday

89-2, Senate passed S. 914, As Amended; A bill to amend the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to reauthorize programs under those Acts, and for other purposes.

Senate confirms ex-Sen. Nelson to NASA

Senate declines to pass S. 593, Alaska Tourism Recovery Act

Congress Update

Daily Digests: M 4/19 • T 4/20 • W 4/21 • Th 4/22 — Prayers

Related Headlines:

Monday, 4/19

House votes to condemn Chinese government over Hong Kong, Ongoing Suppression — H.Res. 130

House Passes Marijuana Banking Bill With Bipartisan Support — H.R. 1996

Tuesday, 4/20

Democrats adopting rule to limit Freedom Caucus delay tactics

House rejects GOP resolution to censure Waters over Remarks on Chauvin Trial — H.Res. 331, 216-210

54-45, Senate confirmed the nomination of Gary Gensler, of Maryland, to be a Member of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Senate Overwhelmingly Confirms Lisa Monaco To Be Deputy Attorney General, No. 2 official at DOJ — 98-2

House Democrats Block Consideration Of Bipartisan Immigration Bill — H.R. 2321

Wednesday, 4/21

Schumer: US “must invest in the technologies of the future to outcompete China”

Senate confirms Vanita Gupta for No. 3 spot at Justice Department in narrow vote — 51-49

House votes to extend ban on fentanyl-like substances — H.R. 2630

Harris casts tiebreaking vote to advance Biden nominee — 50-50, Senate agreed to the nomination of the Motion to Discharge Colin Hackett Kahl to be Under Secretary of Defense for Policy from the Committee on Armed Services.

House Passes Another Democrat Attempt to Limit Executive Power for Issuing Travel Bans — H.R. 1333

Thursday, 4/22

House approves bill to make DC a state — H.R. 51

Senate declines to pass the CRUISE Act — S. 1105

On the same day a House Member described the Senate filibuster as “a death grip on our democracy,” Senate Majority Leader Schumer (D-NY) was rejoicing in the abundance of bipartisan regular order in the Senate: “We are marking up bipartisan bills in committee and considering bipartisan amendments here on the floor. We have just seen this back process play out on the anti-Asian hate crimes bill this week, and next week we are going to follow it up with a water infrastructure bill that is also thoroughly bipartisan.”

Senate passes anti-Asian hate crimes bill — S. 937 — 94-1
• 49-48, Senate rejected Cruz Amdt. No. 1456; To prohibit Federal funding for any institution of higher education that discriminates against Asian Americans in recruitment, applicant review, or admissions.
• 49-48, Senate rejected Lee Amdt. No. 1425; To require a report on State restrictions on religious exercise during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Linking abortion to climate change

Monday, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and 10 other Senators introduced the U.S. CLIMATE Act (S. 1201). Title VI of this legislation is the Women and Climate Change Act by Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI).

In Section 602, the bill finds, “(13) The ability of women to adapt to climate change is constrained by underlying gender inequality, including a lack of” “(C) access to financial resources, education, family planning, and reproductive healthcare services”, a legal euphemism for abortion.

In Section 605, the bill (a) establishes “in the Department of State the Federal Interagency Working Group on Women and Climate Change” which (d) functions to “(1) coordinate and integrate the development of all policies and activities of the Federal Government” including (5) “collection of data relevant to” “(E) access to comprehensive health care, including reproductive health”.

Congress Update

Daily Digests: M 4/12 • T 4/13 • W 4/14 • Th 4/15 • F 4/16 — Prayers

Tuesday, 4/13

82-15, Senate confirmed the nomination of Polly Ellen Trottenberg, of New York, to be Deputy Secretary of Transportation.

56-42, Senate confirmed the nomination of Wendy Ruth Sherman, of Maryland, to be Deputy Secretary of State.

Wednesday, 4/14

Biden SEC Pick Gary Gensler Confirmed to Police Wall Street — 53-45

Senate confirms Biden's pick to lead White House environmental council — 53-45

Anti-Asian hate crimes bill overcomes first Senate hurdle — 92-6

Senate declined to pass S. 1130, an election reform bill

House Majority Leader Hoyer recognized Capitol Police

Thursday, 4/15

House passes H.R. 7 to combat gender pay gap — 217-210

Pro-Life implications of the Paycheck Fairness Act, H.R. 7

Recognizing Israel: Rep. Manning, Rep. Schneider, Rep. Torres

49-34, Senate agreed to discharge the nomination of Vanita Gupta from the Committee on the Judiciary

Senate Republicans' letter outlines objections to the Vanita Gupta nomination
1. Her support for eliminating qualified immunity
2. Her support for decriminalizing all drugs
3. Her support for defunding the police
4. Her death penalty record

Friday, 4/16

House passes bill to prevent violence in health care workplaces — 254-166

Rep. Tenney introduced the Election Integrity Caucus

Pro-Life implications of the Paycheck Fairness Act, H.R. 7

Yesterday, April 15, the House of Representatives passed the Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 7) by a vote of 217-210. The bill was amended in Committee on March 24, 2021. The amended version contains pro-life concerns:

The bill would add to the Fair Labor Standards Act a definition of sex that can be argued to include abortion. The Committee on Education and Labor amended the bill to add to the Fair Labor Standards Act an expanded definition of sex that includes “pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition.” The term “related medical condition” has been identified by the courts and by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) as a coded reference to abortion.

Congress Update

Daily Digests: M 4/5 • Th 4/8 — Prayers

H.Con.Res. 27: The remains of the late United States Capitol Police Officer William F. Evans shall be permitted to lie in honor in the rotunda of the Capitol on April 13, 2021.

National Security

Biden Proposes $715 Billion Defense Budget, Senate GOP notes increase smaller than proposed nondefense spending


Foreign Policy

Senate Republicans voice opposition to Biden on Iran

GOP Senators Introduce Bill Targeting Communist China’s Influence at American Colleges

Senate Preps Bill To Check China’s ‘Aggressive And Assertive Behavior’

GOP Puts Biden Admin on Notice: Congress Not Bound By New Iran Deal

Congress Update

Daily Digests: M 3/29 • Th 4/1 — Prayers

Foreign Policy

Cotton Statement on Chinese Sanctions Against U.S. Religious Freedom Group

Afghanistan Deadline is ‘Too Soon’ for Biden Administration, Top House Dem Says

Congress Failed Once to Use Its Power on Iran Nuclear Agreement. It Shouldn’t Fail Again.

Congress Weighs Countering China on Chips, Cost Makes GOP Wary


Constitution

On Electoral Redistricting Panels, H.R. 1 Would Require Racial, Gender Discrimination

NH Democrat Blasts Pelosi Voting Reform Bill

Congress Update

Daily Digests: M 3/22 • T 3/23 • W 3/24 • Th 3/25 • F 3/26 — Prayers

Related Headlines:

Monday

US Senate Confirms Former Union Leader and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh as Biden's Labor secretary — 68-29

Tuesday

Vivek Murthy Confirmed by Senate as Surgeon General — 57-43

Senate Confirms Biden’s Deputy Budget Director Shalanda Young — 63-37

Wednesday

McConnell details the earliest history of the filibuster

Sen. Sasse spoke about how the filibuster allows for diversity

Senate confirms Levine for HHS • concerns remain over COVID-19 record — 52-48

Senate confirmed the nomination of David Turk, of Maryland, to be Deputy Secretary of Energy —  98-2

Sen. Sasse (R-NE) read a 2005 speech from then-Senator Biden (D-DE) on the filibuster. — Original 2005 speech

Thursday

Senate pays tribute to victims of mass shootings — Record

Senate passes extension of popular small-business loan program

The forgotten history of Sunday in America

Senate passes bill heading off Medicare cuts

Senate Approves Two More Months of PPP, With $79 Billion Left

Friday

The House agreed to concur in the Senate amendment to H.R. 1651, to amend the CARES Act to extend the sunset for the definition of a small business debtor.