Congress has a Short but Busy Week

The House will have a short but busy week, with last votes now expected Wednesday evening, as the Majority Leader cancelled the votes planned for Thursday to accommodate the funeral service for Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (D-NJ). Late votes are expected tonight through Wednesday to complete the floor agenda.

The House Republican leadership has scheduled votes on a series of bills from the Natural Resources Committee intended to counter the Biden Administration’s “land grab” policies, with floor consideration of:

• Western Economic Security Act (H.R.3397), which would require the Bureau of Land Management to withdraw its proposed rule on conservation and landscape health.
• Alaska’s Right to Produce Act (H.R.6285), which would codify authorizations, permits, and any other approvals or orders necessary for the establishment and administration of the Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program.
• Superior National Forest Restoration Act (H.R.3195), which would rescind the Bureau of Land Management’s Public Land Order No. 7917, reinstating mineral leases and permits in the Superior National Forest in Minnesota. 
• Mining Regulatory Clarity Act (H.R.2925), which would establish a process to allow mine operations to use, occupy, and conduct operations on public land, regardless of whether a mineral deposit has been discovered on the land. 
• Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act (H.R.615), which would prohibit the Interior and Agriculture Secretaries from prohibiting the use of lead ammunition or tackle on federal land or water under their jurisdictions. 
• Trust the Science Act (H.R.764), which would require the Interior Secretary to reissue Trump-era regulations removing the gray wolf from the list of endangered and threatened wildlife. 

The House will also consider the Antisemitism Awareness Act (H.R.6090), which would require the Department of Education to consider the definition of antisemitism set forth by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance when enforcing federal antidiscrimination laws concerning education programs. 

Meanwhile, after the Senate reconvenes this afternoon, it will vote at 5:30PM on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Georgia Alexakis to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also filed cloture last week on the motion to proceed to consideration of the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization, ahead of the agreement finalized over the weekend.

FAA Reauthorization Act: The Chairs and Ranking Members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure and Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committees announced late Sunday evening they have reached an agreement on an FAA Reauthorization package and released legislative text, as well as a section-by-section summary. Committee leaders said in a joint statement, “The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 is the culmination of months of work between House and Senate committee leaders, and we look forward to moving this agreement through both chambers as expeditiously as possible.”    

Highlights of the bill include:

• An increase of 5 long-distance flight slots at Reagan National Airport.
• No change to the airline pilot retirement age, which remains 65.

With the latest stopgap extension expiring on May 10th, the current plan is for the Senate to proceed first and process the FAA bill beginning this week – and it is likely the Senate will need to consider amendments as part of any time agreement to expedite consideration. Given that this is the last real “must-pass” bill until September 30th, when the fiscal year ends, Senators are expected to attempt to attach additional legislation to this package. The House is planning to move the bill next week under a suspension of the rules, meaning it will require a two-thirds majority for passage.  

Oversight: Several notable oversight-related hearings are lined up this week, including:

• Office of Management and Budget: Deputy Director Jason Miller appears before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee (on Tuesday, at 10AM).
• Influence of environmental activist groups in the Department of the Interior: An expert panel appears before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations (on Tuesday, at 10:15AM). 
• U.S.-Taiwan relations: Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink appears before the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy (on Tuesday, at 2:30PM) and the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Indo-Pacific (on Wednesday, at 2PM). 
• Change Healthcare cyberattack: UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty appears before the Senate Finance Committee (on Wednesday, at 9AM) and House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations (on Wednesday, at 2PM). 
• Implementation of the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act: Representatives from the Bank Policy Institute, Edison Electric Institute, USTelecom | The Broadband Association, and OpenPolicy Group appear before the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection (on Wednesday, at 2PM). 
• Worldwide threats: Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines and Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee (on Thursday, at 9:30AM). 

House floor activity in May: For the remainder of the month of May, House Republican leaders hope to bring to the floor several items, including:

• Coast Guard Authorization Act (H.R.7659), which is expected to be considered under a suspension of the rules after having been reported out of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on a 53-3 vote in March.
• Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to “Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 121” (H.J.Res.109), which relates to safeguards for crypto-assets held by entities for platform users.
• Equal Representation Act (H.R.7109), which would require a citizenship question on the decennial census and modify apportionment of Representatives to be based on U.S. citizens instead of all persons. 
• Legislation in support of law enforcement, which will coincide with National Police Week (May 12-18).
• Legislation related to consumer choice in home appliances pending in the Rules Committee: 
  • The Hands Off Our Home Appliances Act (H.R.6192), Liberty in Laundry Act (H.R.7673), Clothes Dryers Reliability Act (H.R.7645), Refrigerator Freedom Act (H.R.7637), Affordable Air Conditioning Act (H.R.7626), and Stop Unaffordable Dishwasher Standards Act (H.R.7700), which would prohibit the Secretary of Energy from prescribing or enforcing energy conservation standards for certain home appliances that are not cost effective, economically justified, or technologically feasible.