Weekly Congress Update

Daily Digests – House • Senate — Prayers — Committee Reports

Senate — Daily Leader Remarks • Actions begun

Republicans help save Garcetti nomination for India ambassador

Willow Project, a ceasefire for Alaska from the Biden Administration

Wednesday, March 8, 2023, Senator Sullivan of Alaska gave a speech on the Senate floor in defense of the Willow Project and called on President Biden to approve it. Five days later, the Biden administration approved the Willow Project. Senator Murkowski of Alaska thanked the President on the Senate floor.

It's still worth noting the level of frustration, not of conservatives vs. environmentalists, but of Alaska vs. “the lower 48.” Six moments and the conclusion were especially noteworthy in Sen. Sullivan's speech:

Local support is unanimous

“As I mentioned, we had a meeting with the President last week, and, at the beginning of the meeting, in addition to handing the President a unanimous resolution from the entire Alaska Legislature—the entire State senate, the entire State house; Democrats, Republicans, Independents; Native, non-Native—all passed a resolution saying to the Biden administration: Please support the Willow Project.”

Alaska under siege

In an Oval Office meeting with President Biden, “I said, respectfully: Mr. President, in every region of the State, every industry—oil, gas, mining, hunting, fishing; you name it—there have been 45 Executive orders and Executive actions—it is now 46; there has been another one since the meeting we had last week—looking to shut down Alaska. It is exhausting, to be honest. No other State is getting that kind of attention. I walked through some of these, but I just, again, respectfully, wanted the President to know, and that is it. Every time we meet with senior White House officials and say—these are the days we have met with senior White House officials—“Hey, how about a ceasefire?” we just get more, more. There is no other State in the country getting this kind of attention. It is unwanted attention.”

Weekly Congress Update

Daily Digests – House • Senate — Prayers — Committee Reports

Senate — Daily Leader Remarks • Actions begun, passed, declined

DC Council tries to withdraw crime bill from Senate, to stall Senate vote • Senate plows forward • Senate Dem support swells: Sherrod Brown, Schumer • Senate votes to overturn DC criminal code changes (H.J.Res. 26) after Biden drops opposition • 33 Senate Democrats join Republicans

U.S. Senate confirms three more Biden judicial picks as momentum slows (Ballou, Schopler, Subramanian) • Senate confirms Connecticut justice to federal appeals court (51-42)

Senate confirms Werfel to lead IRS in bipartisan vote (54-42) to oversee $80B IRS infusion

Senate Passes Resolution in Support of Slam the Scam Day (S.Res. 101)

Sen. Cotton spoke on Israel and Benjamin Netanyahu (S. 691, a bill to deter foreign financial institutions from providing banking services for the benefit of foreign terrorist organizations and from facilitating or promoting payments for acts of terrorism.)

Senate halts promotions for uniformed military officers over SecDef turning DOD 'into an abortion travel agency'

Senators reintroduce abortion bill (S. 701, second reading requested) • Durbin: “this debate has gone far beyond the floor of the U.S. Senate in Washington--it is on your street corner; it is in your mall; it is in the shopping center that you have been going to all your life” - In other words, abortion is everywhere now

House — Bills • Actions passed

House votes down effort to pull troops from Syria (H.Con.Res. 21, Floor Debate)

House passes bill to ban federal officials from pressuring tech platforms on content (H.R. 140, Floor Debate)

House votes to overturn Biden administration water regulation (H.J.Res. 27, Floor Debate)

House unanimously sends COVID-19 origins declassification bill to Biden’s desk, to force Biden spy chief to declassify intelligence on COVID-19 origins (S. 619, Floor Debate) • White House noncommittal

Recap: Week of March 6, 2023 | Majority Leader

Weekly Congress Update

Daily Digests – House • Senate — Prayers — Committee Reports

Senate — Daily Leader Remarks • Actions begun, passed

In Israel, Schumer reaffirms Senate's commitment to never forget the horrors of the Holocaust

Senate passes bill demanding pandemic origin info be made public (S. 619) •

Ohio train derailment: Senate leader calls for Norfolk Southern CEO testimony, blames Trump • Floor remarks of Leaders McConnell and Schumer • Last summer, there was a House hearing on rail safety. The one mention of President Trump was in a question from Rep. Crawford (R-AR) about a Federal Railroad Administration rule proposed during the Obama administration to require “a Class I freight rail to operate with two people in the cab of a locomotive” which it noted was not based in any data showing crew size made operations more or less safe. “The Trump administration then withdrew that rulemaking, recognizing a lack of safety data to justify its implementation.” Rep. Crawford asked if now, during the Biden Administration, there is data to support the rule. (Full Transcript, Docs)

Manchin will vote against new DC crime law • Why a DC crime bill is creating big problems for Democrats, becoming political 'nightmare' for Senate Democrats • Biden won't veto dealing blow to Democrats, says he’ll sign resolution (H.J.Res. 26) • Why • Byron Donalds says Biden reversal on DC crime law 'absolutely necessary': 'This isn't politics, it's real life' • House Democrats blindsided, outraged • Liberals fume • House Democrats blast Biden • Pelosi: I wish Biden 'would’ve told us first' • DC AG rips Biden decision • Top Senate Democrat lines up behind Biden • White House clarifies what policy statements do, and do not, mean

Senate clears resolution to nullify ‘ESG’ rule; Biden plans veto (H.J.Res. 30) • Manchin and Tester side with GOP in ESG vote, set to force first veto from Biden • Manchin blasts Biden retirement plan rule prioritizing a 'liberal policy agenda' • White House confirms Biden will veto GOP-backed anti-ESG bill

Wyden began a series of floor speeches defending at-home abortions

House — Bills • Actions passed

Majority Leader Weekly Recap

House approves resolution mourning Turkey, Syria earthquake deaths; condemning Assad (H.R. 132, Floor Debate)

House passes bill to prevent smart fridges from spying on users (H.R. 538, Floor Debate)

House holds moment of silence to honor victims of Michigan State shooting (Moment of Silence)

House approves measure targeting Biden rule allowing ESG investing (H.J.Res. 30, Floor Debate)

House passes bill to require inflation estimates for executive orders (H.R. 347, Floor Debate: Tuesday, Wednesday) • bill draws bipartisan backing

Pro-Life Senate Committee Activity Update

Hearing with Attorney General Garland

The Senate Committee on the Judiciary held an oversight hearing for the Department of Justice with Attorney General Merrick Garland in which several Senators raised issues with the DOJ’s pro-abortion bias and targeting of pro-life advocates.

Weekly Congress Update

Daily Digests – House • Senate — Prayers

National Security / Military

GOP lawmakers seek investigation after military records released to Democratic-linked firm


Foreign Policy

Schumer in India stresses economic ties as 'crucial counterweight' to China

McConnell trip abroad to include visit with UAE leader

A welcome Senate visit to Saudi Arabia

One year later: On grim anniversary, Zelensky declares, ‘We see the light of this victory’

Biden's Ukraine visit exposes GOP fault lines • Graham: Biden visit to Ukraine sends 'right signal' at 'right time' • Ted Cruz accuses Zelensky of political 'theater'

Senators Want to Block Chinese Airlines from Flying Over Russia

Britt brings back legislation countering “Chinese Communist Party aggression” (S.Res. 66, S. 68, S. 442, S. 370)

Plans in Congress on China and TikTok Face Hurdles After Spy Balloon Furor

Weekly Congress Update

Daily Digests – House • Senate — Prayers

Senate — Daily Leader Remarks • Actions begun, passed

Senate confirms Oregon Justice Adrienne Nelson to a seat on federal bench

McConnell demands answers on unidentified objects shot down: 'What in the world is going on?' (Full Speech)

McConnell slams Democrats’ ‘bizarre’ focus on judicial ‘demographic box-checking’ (Full Speech)

As DC crime wave reaches Congress, McConnell calls on the Senate to take action (H.J.Res. 26, S.J.Res. 12)

Weekly Congress Update

Daily Digests – House • Senate — Prayers — Committee Report

Joint Session for the State of the Union Address • Progressive takeaways • Republican Response in English, • in Spanish • Senate Republican Leader Response • tense exchange on Social Security • Lawmakers react to address • lawmakers blast omission of Chinese spy balloon • Fact check of economic claims • Fact Checking 7 Claims • Misguided Policies in Address • McConnell slams Rick Scott over 12-point plan, says sunsetting Social Security, Medicare is a 'Rick Scott plan' only (which is consistent with how the Constitution is written: “No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law”) • Scott doubles down, invites Biden to debate, announces new Social Security, Medicare bill (Rick Scott bills) • Biden once offered budget bill strikingly similar to Rick Scott plan

Senate — Daily Leader Remarks • Actions begun

Senate confirms 1st Biden judicial nominee of 2023

House — Weekly Leader Colloquy • Bills • Actions passed

Republicans read Constitution on House floor (Reading)

House passes bill to end COVID vaccine requirement for foreign air travelers (H.R. 185, Floor Debate)

While Biden says US-China relations have not been damaged by spy balloon incident, House unanimously approves resolution condemning China for 'brazen surveillance' (H.Res. 104, Floor Debate)

House votes to overturn DC law allowing illegal immigrants to cast ballots in local elections (H.J.Res. 24, Floor Debate)

House votes to overturn DC law softening penalties for murder, carjackings (H.J.Res. 26, Floor Debate)

House passes resolutions to block DC noncitizen voting bill, criminal code

Weekly Congress Update

Daily Digests – House • Senate — Prayers — Committee Reports

Senate — Daily Leader Remarks • Actions begun, passed

Schumer endorses resolution to ratify Equal Rights Amendment, cites overturning of Roe as a reason (S.J.Res. 4, USCCB PDF)

McConnell endorses Capito's resolution to codify the Trump Administration's repeal of the Waters of the United States EPA rule (S.J.Res. 7), commends energy security priority of House (H.R. 21)

McConnell notes Biden judicial nominee flubs basic legal questions (Full Speech)

Senate commemorated the 20-year anniversary of the Space Shuttle Columbia loss; Died: 7 astronauts, 2 during debris search

House — Bills • Actions passed

House passes bill to block HHS from enforcing vaccine mandate at some health facilities (H.R. 497, Floor Debate)

House Republicans pass bill to end COVID-19 public health emergency (H.R. 382, Floor Debate)

House passes resolution to end COVID-19 national emergency (H.J.Res. 7, Floor Debate)

House passes bill to end coronavirus-era telework policies for executive agencies (H.R. 139, Floor Debate)

These House lawmakers broke from their parties on pandemic-related measures (H.R. 139, H.J.Res. 7)

House Republicans vote to remove Omar from Foreign Affairs panel (H.Res. 76, Floor Debate) •

House passes resolution denouncing socialism, vote splits Democrats (H.Con.Res. 9, Floor Debate) • Dems press GOP on whether anti-socialist bill could hit Medicare, Social Security • 86 House Democrats Vote Against Condemning Socialism

Weekly Congress Update

Daily Digests – House • Senate — Prayers — Committee Reports

Senate — Daily Leader Remarks • Actions declined

Kamala Harris swears in Nebraska's Pete Ricketts into US Senate

Senators spoke on the Senate floor about the March for Life Tuesday

McConnell knocks DC officials over crime in city (Full Speech)

House — Bills • Actions passed

Representatives recognized the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade decision

House amendments: cheaper by the dozen • Lawmakers submit more than 140 amendments as House opens process for first time in seven years (Amendments offered 1/24, 1/25) • rule change opens door for Democrats to score political points • House passes bill aimed at restricting presidential releases of reserve oil (H.R. 21) • Biden administration threatens veto

House passes bill to improve FAA system that grounded flights (H.R. 346)

Resolution honoring Iranian protesters passes House with one GOP ‘no’ vote (H.Con.Res. 7)

House lawmakers hold moment of silence honoring victims of Monterey Park shooting (Moment of Silence)

House holds moment of silence honoring victims of Half Moon Bay shooting (Moment of Silence)