Congressional Outlook

The House and Senate are in session this week.

Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) put a stop to a larger pre-August recess reconciliation bill Friday, saying he would only consider a tax and climate provisions in September citing a desire to see the U.S. inflation numbers. On Thursday, Senator Manchin rejected Senate Democrats’ proposed energy and climate investments, as well as their goals of increasing taxes on the wealthy and large corporations. Senator Manchin did, however, say he would support a smaller package lowering prescription drug prices and extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, two critical pieces of the Biden administration’s legislative agenda. This week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) will move forward with the smaller reconciliation package before the August recess, potentially preventing millions of Americans from having their ACA premiums rise in January.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) was on record saying he would not support the USICA bill, a bipartisan package to fund $50 billion in semiconductor programs and advanced microelectronics research, if Democrats moved forward with a reconciliation package. The guidelines agreed to currently allow for a semiconductor bill to move ahead, according to Senator John Cornyn (R-TX). Majority Leader Schumer will now work to bring the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) for America bill, which includes over $52 billion in grants and incentives to increase semiconductor manufacturing and competition with China, to a vote as early as Tuesday. Senate Democratic leaders said they wouldn’t be marking up any appropriation measures before recess, making it likely that Congress will need to pass a continuing resolution to keep the government open past September 30.

The House will consider a six-bill appropriations minibus following a Rules Committee meeting to set floor debate terms. The package, H.R. 8294, contains the Agriculture-FDA, Energy and Water Development, Financial Services-General Government, Interior-Environment, Military Construction-Veterans Affairs, and Transportation-HUD bills. The House will likely consider the remaining six FY23 spending bills during the week of July 25. The House will also vote on the Right to Contraception Act (H.R. 8373), a bill that would codify the right to obtain and use contraceptives and the rights of healthcare providers to deliver contraceptives and relevant information to their patients. For the remainder of the week, the House will also vote on 10 bills under suspension of the rules, including the National Park Foundation Reauthorization Act of 2022 (H.R. 7693), increasing the annual authorization for the foundation to $15 million from $5 million, and the Biking on Long-Distance Trails Act (H.R.6337), which would require the Agriculture and Interior departments to identify potential long-distance bike trails on federal recreational lands.

For the remainder of the week, several House and Senate committees will hold hearings, including a House Transportation and Infrastructure hearing on "Implementing the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act” and a House Agriculture Subcommittee on Commodities and Risk Management hearing on “A 2022 Review of the Farm Bill: Stakeholder Perspectives on Title XI Crop Insurance.” The House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol will also hold a primetime hearing on Thursday. The state of Maryland will hold their primary elections on Tuesday.

Last Week:

• Manchin's offer to Dems: Take a health care deal or try again later READ MORE
• Senate poised for vote on semiconductor bill after Manchin again shrinks Dems' reconciliation package READ MORE
• Democrats push for climate deal as time runs short READ MORE
• Schumer to move on long-awaited bill to boost semiconductor industry READ MORE
• Manchin pumps brakes: Bill ‘needs to be scrubbed much better’ READ MORE
• U.S. annual consumer inflation posts largest increase since 1981 READ MORE
• Manchin rejects adding climate spending, tax hikes on wealthy, striking blow to Biden agenda READ MORE
• Senate confirms Steve Dettelbach as Biden's pick to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives READ MORE
• Barr confirmed as Fed's newest governor as inflation roars READ MORE