Hybrid Hearing with Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin
Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis
Source: House.gov
Saturday, August 29, 2020
House Committee Schedule
Hybrid Hearing with Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin
Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis
Source: House.gov
Congressional Outlook
FBI leadership halted effort to get FISA warrant over suspected foreign effort to influence Clinton's campaign: Documents
USPS
• DeJoy spars with Democrats: "Get me the billion and I'll put the machines in"
• Oversight subcommittee asks DeJoy to detail communications with Trump campaign
Engel announces contempt proceedings against Pompeo
House subcommittee launches investigation into Pompeo's RNC speech from Jerusalem
Mnuchin to testify before House coronavirus panel
Floor Outlook
Congress faces tough call next month on stopgap funding length
House to vote on removing cannabis from list of controlled substances
Congress Last Week
Floor Activity Headline (about previous weekend)
House passes $25 billion Postal Service bailout that would block reforms
Federal Spending
White House backs CR as part of coronavirus aid package, Meadows says
Technology Policy
Ridesharing innovation is in trouble if well-intended Sami's Law passes
Congress
Scalise Denounces Pelosi After She Called Trump, Allies ‘Enemies’ of US
Saturday, August 22, 2020
House Committee Schedule
Protecting the Timely Delivery of Mail, Medicine, and Mail-in Ballots
Committee on Oversight and Reform
Source: House.gov
Congressional Outlook
Postmaster general agrees to testify before House Oversight Committee
Senators question Postmaster General
Postmaster general denies discussing USPS changes with Trump
Senate report details 'counterintelligence threat' posed by Russian influence campaign in 2016 election — Five takeaways
GOP duo seek access to Russia investigation documents from Senate Intelligence Committee
Democrats Slow Roll Subpoenas For Christopher Steele Associates, Republicans Say
Floor Outlook
Pelosi calls House back to act on Postal Service, to take up $25B bill, other fixes amid election uproar
House poised to approve $25B for Postal Service in rare Saturday vote
House Republican leaders to members: vote against the "conspiracy theory bill"
McConnell: Senate unlikely to pass stand-alone Postal Service bill
Senate GOP to counter House’s postal bill with broader virus aid package
Congress Last Week
Foreign Policy
Congressional Republicans Praise Trump Admin Bid to ‘Snapback’ All Sanctions on Iran
Constitution
A reality-based look at the post office
Postmaster general says he's suspending USPS changes until after election
First Amendment
Democrats push to tighten control of political money — a Gospel issue
Friday, August 21, 2020
House Floor Schedule
On Saturday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for legislative business. Last votes expected Saturday evening.
H.R. 8015 - Delivering for America Act (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Carolyn Maloney / Oversight and Reform Committee)
Additional Legislative Items Are Possible
Saturday, August 15, 2020
Senate Floor Schedule
Pro forma session schedule:
Tuesday, August 18, 2020, at 12 p.m.
Friday, August 21, 2020, at 11:15 a.m.
Congressional Outlook
Ron Johnson subpoenas FBI Director Wray in Crossfire Hurricane investigation
Lindsey Graham: Declassified document shows FBI misled Senate about Steele dossier
Graham says FBI chief 'committed to being helpful'
Lindsey Graham referring former FBI counterintelligence chief to prosecutor over Steele dossier briefing
Floor Outlook
Senate leaves until September, will not hold votes until Sept. 8 unless coronavirus deal is reached
House won’t take votes Labor Day week, citing COVID-19 concerns, will not hold votes until Sept. 14 unless coronavirus deal is reached
House in Session for 3 Weeks before November Elections, mostly absent until mid-November
Congress Last Week
National Security
Teaching hate under the guise of ‘inclusion’ in the US Army
Foreign Policy
As Turkey Pivots Toward Russia, Congress Quietly Halts Arms Sales
State Department watchdog: Saudi arms sales were legal but didn't weigh civilian casualties
Sen. Blumenthal calls classified briefing on Russian interference "absolutely chilling"
GOP Lawmakers Demand ‘Snapback’ of All Sanctions on Iran
McSally and Blackburn Demand China Repay $1.6 Trillion Debt to U.S.
Saturday, August 8, 2020
Limited disappointment in failed negotiations
If the reader thinks that meant they offered to cut spending amounts or slow the rate of spending over the duration of the spending deal by a third of their $3 trillion bill, the reader would be mistaken.
As Roll Call reported, the only cuts the Democrats were offering was for how long the programs would last, “by moving up expiration dates of relief programs, not cutting the amount of aid they want to provide.” Buy two thirds now, get the other third later.
It's no surprise, then, that White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows “dismissed that as a budget gimmick.” Further, Roll Call noted, “It’s unclear even if Republicans had agreed to Democrats’ offer to cut the cost of the package by about $1 trillion if they could do that just by moving around expiration dates.”
The funding sticking points were “on state and local and unemployment.” Democrats are demanding “giving state and local governments $915 billion” and “extending enhanced unemployment benefits at $600 per week.”
Shining a light on blasphemy laws
From the Congressional Record:
Mr. LANKFORD. Mr. President, thousands of radical Islamists rallied on Friday in Northwestern Pakistan in support of a man who earlier this week walked into a courtroom in the city of Peshawar and gunned down a U.S. citizen on trial for blasphemy.
That is how the New York Times started its article on this issue last week. The American, Tahir Naseem, died of his wounds before he could be taken to the hospital while the gunman was taken into custody.
The U.S. State Department said Naseem was standing trial after being lured to Pakistan from his home in Illinois. He was entrapped by the country's controversial blasphemy law, which international rights groups have sought to have repealed.
The blasphemy law calls for the death penalty for anyone found guilty of insulting Islam, but, in Pakistan, the mere allegation of blasphemy can cause mobs to riot and vigilantes to kill those who have been accused.
Thursday, August 6, 2020
Senate endorses New Age medicine
In 2016, Public Law 114-198 established a commission known as the Creating Options for Veterans' Expedited Recovery or COVER Commission.
Its duties included examining available research on “complementary and integrative health” treatment for “mental health issues” and to “identify what benefits could be made with the inclusion” of “(A) music therapy; (B) equine therapy; (C) training and caring for service dogs; (D) yoga therapy; (E) acupuncture therapy; (F) meditation therapy; (G) outdoor sports therapy; (H) hyperbaric oxygen therapy; (I) accelerated resolution therapy; (J) art therapy; (K) magnetic resonance therapy; and (L) other therapies the Commission determines appropriate.”
This is the first mention of yoga in the United States Code.
Saturday, August 1, 2020
House Committee Schedule
An Update on the Rohingya Crisis
Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and Nonproliferation (Committee on Foreign Affairs)
Hybrid Hearing on "FITARA 10.0"
Subcommittee on Government Operations (Committee on Oversight and Reform)
Source: House.gov
House Floor Schedule
Madam Speaker, as the Members know and as the country knows, we have failed to reach an agreement on moving ahead on COVID-19 legislation. Therefore, Members are advised that no additional votes are expected in the House this week after we complete the next two votes.
Members are further advised, Madam Speaker, that as conversations surrounding additional coronavirus relief legislation continues, it is expected that the House will meet during the month of August.
I have told my Members, and I have told the minority leader and whip, that no one should schedule themselves for next week or until such time as we adopt COVID-19 legislation.
Senate Committee Schedule
Armed Services
Hearings to examine the nominations of
John E. Whitley, of Virginia, to be Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation,
Shon J. Manasco, of Texas, to be Under Secretary of the Air Force, and
Michele A. Pearce, of Virginia, to be General Counsel of the Department of the Army, all of the Department of Defense, and
Liam P. Hardy, of Virginia, to be a Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.
Foreign Relations
Hearings to examine Venezuela, focusing on security and humanitarian situation.
Senate Floor Schedule
Thursday, Senate began consideration of the following:
Senate began consideration of the amendment of the House of Representatives to S. 178, taking action on the McConnell motion to concur in the amendment of the House to the bill, with McConnell Amendment No. 2499, in the nature of a substitute, “Coronavirus Relief Fair Unemployment Compensation Act of 2020.”
Congressional Outlook
Attorney General Barr hearing zeroes in on protests
• Barr ‘Not Sure’ Congress Would Defend Capitol From Rioters
• 'Reclaiming my time': Tensions soar Democrats repeatedly interrupt Barr
• Democratic attorneys criticize House Judiciary Democrats' questioning of Barr
Park Police head defends tactics, admits missing files
Big questions for Big Tech
• Tech's major powers face heat during House antitrust hearing
• Jordan confronts tech CEOs over claims of anti-conservative bias
• Bezos asked about Amazon empowering hate
Sally Yates to testify on 8/5 as part of GOP probe into Russia investigation
Floor Outlook
Congress' fight over the next coronavirus stimulus isn't ending soon
Pelosi rules out liability protections for employers of "essential workers"
Pelosi suggests House could stay in session longer to complete COVID-19 relief bill
McConnell tees up fight on unemployment benefits
Congress Last Week
Floor Activity Headlines
House passes legislation to create Smithsonian Latino museum
House passes bill establishing commission to study racial disparities affecting Black men, boys
Senate rejects dueling coronavirus bills
House votes to end military ban on transgender troops
House adopts Ocasio-Cortez amendments to block HUD rule changes
House approves amendments to rein in federal forces in cities
House passes $1.3T spending bill
Rep. Schweikert sanctioned on House floor
Raising Judicial Selection Standards
Full text of Senator Hawley's floor speech
Senator Hawley is clearly not happy with the Roberts Court. His frustration is understandable given decisions from the Court during its most recent term. The Senator is looking for better methods and a higher standard for how we shape the U.S. Supreme Court.
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