Weekly Congress Update

Daily Digests – House • Senate — Prayers — Committee Reports

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

Sen. Moran (R-KS) on National Defense: 'At no time in my life have I been more concerned about the enormity of the challenges our country faces.'

House — Bills • Actions passed

Seven House Democrats mark only 'no' votes on bill requiring State Department reports on Taiwan guidelines (H.R. 1093, Floor Debate)

House fails to override Biden's first veto (H.J.Res. 30, Floor Debate)

House Republicans pass Parents Bill of Rights (H.R. 5, Floor Debate: 3/23, 3/24) • Legislation codifies federal education law to give parents access to school curricula, library books and other teaching materials • 5 things to know • With House parental rights vote, a GOP-favorite state policy reaches national stage

The Republican Recap: Week of March 20, 2023 | Majority Leader

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.