House to Take Up Conservative Debt Limit Bill, Nominee Kicks Off Work Week in the Senate, New CBO Baseline Coming
Jason Pye - Director, Rule of Law Initiatives
Point of Order is a (mostly) weekly preview of key congressional activity for those with more than a passing interest in federal policy.
Schedule and suspensions in the House: The House returns on Tuesday at 2:00 pm for legislative business. First votes are expected at 6:30 pm. Legislative business will begin at 10:00 am on Wednesday, 9:00 am on Thursday, and 9:00 am on Friday. Last votes for the week are expected no later than 3:00 pm Friday. The House will also meet around 11:00 am on Thursday for a joint meeting to receive Yoon Suk Yeol, President of the Republic of Korea. Six bills (listed below) will be considered under the suspension of the rules. The cost estimates for these bills can be found here.
H.R. 675, Secure Space Act (Energy and Commerce Committee)
H.R. 1339, Precision Agriculture Satellite Connectivity Act (Energy and Commerce Committee)
H.R. 1343, Institute for Telecommunication Sciences Codification Act (Energy and Commerce Committee)
H.R. 1353, Advanced, Local Emergency Response Telecommunications Parity Act (Energy and Commerce Committee)
H. Res. 90, Demanding that the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Communist Party of China immediately release Mark Swidan (Foreign Affairs Committee)
H. Res. 311, Encouraging the expansion and strengthening of the Abraham Accords to urge other nations to normalize relations with Israel and ensure that existing agreements reap tangible security and economic benefits for the citizens of those countries and all peoples in the region (Foreign Affairs Committee)
Bills that come to the floor under suspension of the rules require two-thirds of members present and voting for passage. This is the most common way that bills considered by the House come to the floor. Some of these bills may be passed by a voice vote, rather than a roll call vote. Most bills that come to the floor under suspension aren’t widely considered controversial, although leadership may occasionally test a bill under suspension to gauge opposition or sneak a bill through the chamber.
Rule bills: The House Rules Committee will meet on Tuesday at 4:00 pm to markup the rule for the Limit, Save, Grow Act, H.R. ____, and a resolution disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of Commerce relating to ”Procedures Covering Suspension of Liquidation, Duties and Estimated Duties in Accord With Presidential Proclamation 10414,” H.J. Res. 39. The House may also consider a War Power Resolution to remove U.S. forces from Somalia, H.Con.Res. 30.
About the rule bills: The Limit, Save, Grow Act is House Republicans’ debt limit bill. The bill includes several different priorities of House Republicans. Among the priorities is a recession of unspent COVID-19 funds, the Regulations from the Executive In Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act, work requirements for SNAP and TANF, and an increase in the debt limit of $1.5 trillion through March 2024. H.J.Res. 39 is a CRA related to a Department of Commerce rule issued in accordance with Presidential Proclamation 10414.
The debt limit drama: The Limit, Save, Grow Act is quite a test for House Republican leadership. It’s likely the most conservative bill that I’ve seen Republicans put forward, even though the bill doesn’t come close to balancing the budget over the next ten years. Although there’s not a cost estimate from the Congressional Budget Office, House Republicans say that the bill will save more than $4.5 trillion over ten years. (The projected budget deficit over the next ten years is $20.2 trillion. See Table 1-1 at the link.) The stakes are high considering that crossing the threshold on the debt limit appears to be a real possibility. For their part, some House Democrats are encouraging the White House to talk to Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). Passage of the Limit, Save, Grow Act isn’t a sure thing. With a thin margin, McCarthy can’t lose more than four of his members. The moderates in the conference (the few of them who are left) may be nervous about the bill because of the cuts to nondefense discretionary spending and the new work requirements for social programs like Medicaid and SNAP. I don’t watch debate on the floor all the time, although I often keep it on for background noise, I’ll pay close attention to this one.
House committee schedule: Below are some House committee hearings that may be of interest. The full House committee schedule for the week is here.
Electronic Health Record Modernization Deep Dive: Pharmacy (Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization, Tuesday at 3:00 pm)
Producer Perspectives on the 2023 Farm Bill (Agriculture Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit (Committee on Agriculture; Wednesday at 10:00 am)
Markup of Various Measures (Financial Services, Wednesday at 10:00 am)
Social Security Fundamentals: A Fact-Based Foundation (Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security, Wednesday at 10:00 am)
The Government Accountability Office’s 2023 High Risk List (Oversight and Accountability, Wednesday at 10:00 am)
Markup of H.R. ____ (Homeland Security, Wednesday at 10:00 am)
Oversight of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (Judiciary, Wednesday at 10:00 am)
FY 2024 Request for the Federal Aviation Administration (Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies; Wednesday at 10:00 am)
Provider Relief Fund and Healthcare Workforce Shortages (Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies; Wednesday at 10:00 am)
Reducing Health Care Costs for Working Americans and Their Families (Education and Labor Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions; Wednesday at 10:15 am)
U.S. Military Posture and National Security Challenges in Europe (Armed Services, Wednesday at 10:30 am)
Exposing the Environmental, Human Rights, and National Security Risks of the Biden Administration’s Rush to Green Policies (Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials; Wednesday at 10:30 am)
Full Committee Markup (Foreign Affairs, Wednesday at 10:30 am)
Fiscal Year 2024 Request for the Department of Justice Grantmaking Components (Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Wednesday at 1:30 pm)
The Consequences of School Closures, Part 2: The President of the American Federation of Teachers, Ms. Randi Weingarten (Coronavirus Pandemic, Wednesday at 2:00 pm)
China in Our Backyard: How Chinese Money Laundering Organizations Enrich the Cartels (Oversight and Accountability Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services, Wednesday at 2:00 pm)
Tax-Exempt Hospitals and the Community Benefit Standard (Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight, Wednesday at 2:00 pm)
Fiscal Year 2024 Army Modernization Programs (Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces, Wednesday at 2:30 pm)
The Biden Border Crisis: Exploitation of Unaccompanied Alien Children (Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement; Wednesday at 3:00 pm)
The Path Toward a More Modern and Effective Congressional Research Service (House Administration Subcommittee on Modernization, Wednesday at 3:00 pm)
Fixing FISA: How a Law Designed to Protect Americans Has Been Weaponized Against Them (Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance, Thursday at 9:00 am)
Oversight of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet; Thursday at 9:00 am)
Fiscal Year 2024 Request for the Drug Enforcement Administration (Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Thursday at 9:00 am)
Department of the Air Force Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Request (Armed Services, Thursday at 12:30 pm)
Accountability and Transparency at the Internal Revenue Service with IRS Commissioner Werfel (Ways and Means, Thursday at 1:00 pm)
Fiscal Year 2024 Request for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Thursday at 1:30 pm)
The Future of Digital Assets: Identifying the Regulatory Gaps in Spot Market Regulation (Agriculture Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development; Thursday at 2:00 pm)
Addressing America's Data Privacy Shortfalls: How a National Standard Fills Gaps to Protect Americans' Personal Information (Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce; Thursday at 2:00 pm)
CISA 2025: The State of American Cybersecurity from CISA’s Perspective (Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection, Thursday at 2:00 pm)
The Future of Digital Assets: Identifying the Regulatory Gaps in Digital Asset Market Structure (Financial Services Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology, and Inclusion; Thursday at 2:00 pm)
Oversight of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence (Financial Services Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Institutions; Thursday at 2:00 pm)
American Confidence in Elections: State Tools to Promote Voter Confidence (House Administration, Thursday at 2:30 pm)
The Biosafety of Risky Research: Examining if Science is Outpacing Policy and Safety (Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Thursday at 2:30 pm)
Department of the Navy Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Request (Armed Services, Friday at 9:00 am)
The Reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program: FEMA’s Perspective (Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance, Friday at 9:00 am)
Oversight Hearing – Tribal Perspectives on Housing and Transportation (Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, Urban Development, and Related Agencies; Friday at 10:00 am)
Markup of Pending Legislation (Veterans’ Affairs, Friday at 10:00 am)
If you’re interested in watching any of these hearings online, you can find committee websites here.
Senate committee schedule: Below are some Senate committee hearings that may be of interest. The full Senate committee schedule for the week is here.
A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Requests for the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate and the United States Capitol Police (Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch, Tuesday at 3:30 pm)
Opportunities to Improve Project Reviews for a Cleaner and Stronger Economy (Environment and Public Works, Wednesday at 10:00 am)
Review of the FY 2024 United States Agency for International Development Budget (Foreign Relations, Wednesday at 10:00 am)
Nomination of Julie Su to serve as Secretary of Labor (Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; Wednesday at 10:00 am)
Building Consensus to Address Housing Challenges (Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; Wednesday at 10:00 am)
Lessons Learned: 10 Years Since the Boston Marathon Bombings (Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight, Wednesday at 10:00 am)
The Assault on Reproductive Rights in a Post-Dobbs America (Judiciary, Wednesday at 10:00 am)
Under the Weather: Diagnosing the Health Costs of Climate Change (Budget, Wednesday at 10:15 am)
A Review of the FY 2024 Budget and FY 2025 Advance Appropriations Requests for the Department of Veterans Affairs (Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies; Wednesday at 10:30 am)
A Review of the Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Request for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation (Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, Wednesday at 2:00 pm)
U.S. Policy on Tunisia (Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia and Counterterrorism; Wednesday at 2:00 pm)
A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2024 Funding Request for the Department of Commerce (Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Wednesday at 2:30 pm)
Examining the Effects of Increased Migration on Communities Along the Southern Border (Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Government Operations and Border Management, Wednesday at 2:30 pm)
To receive testimony on Air Force modernization in review of the Defense authorization request for FY 2024 and the future years defense program (Armed Services Subcommittee on Airland, Wednesday at 2:30 pm)
To receive testimony on public integrity and anti-corruption law at the Department of Defense (Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, Wednesday at 3:00 pm)
Hearing to Consider Pending Legislation (Veterans’ Affairs, Wednesday at 3:00 pm)
Oversight of SBA’s Implementation of Final Rules to Expand Access to Capital (Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Wednesday at 3:30 pm)
Impacts of Plastic Production and Disposal on Environmental Justice Communities (Environment and Public Works, Thursday at 9:30 am)
Business Meeting (Foreign Relations, Thursday at 10:00 am)
Oversight of the Credit Reporting Agencies (Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; Thursday at 10:00 am)
Executive Business Meeting (Judiciary, Thursday at 10:00 am)
If you’re interested in watching any of these hearings online, you can find committee websites here.
And over in the Senate: The Senate will convene on Tuesday at 3:00 pm to resume consideration of the nomination of Joshua David Jacobs to be the Under Secretary for Benefits of the Department of Veterans Affairs. A roll call vote on the cloture motion for the Jacobs nomination is expected around 5:30 pm. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) also filed cloture on the VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act, S. 326.
Recapping last week in the upper chamber: Although Schumer suggested that the Senate would consider a resolution condemning calls to defund the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, that didn’t happen. Schumer did introduce the resolution, S.Res. 165, and it was referred to Judiciary. The Senate processed the Fire Grants and Safety Act, S. 870, nearly all of last week.
New budget baseline coming: The Congressional Budget Office will release a new ten-year baseline on Friday, May 12, and new long-term budget projections in June. Separately, the nonpartisan budget agency will release a score of President Biden’s discretionary spending proposals on Thursday, May 18.
Members on Substack: I wanted to flag a couple of Substacks. The first is from Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME), who has floated a debt limit deal at
. The other is from Rep. Jeff Jackson (D-NC), who has documented his freshman term on social media. Over at , Jackson explains that the members who come across the angriest in public are faking it.Due Process Institute is a bipartisan nonprofit that works to honor, preserve, and restore principles of fairness in the criminal legal system. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.