Senate Takes Up Iraq AUMF Repeal, House Gets a Late Start This Week, Veto Override Attempt Expected
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.
Senate considers repeal of the 1991 and 2002 AUMFs: The Senate returns at 3:00 pm on Tuesday to resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S. 316, which would repeal the 1991 and 2002 authorizations for the use of force (AUMFs) against Iraq. The cloture motion on the motion to proceed was agreed to on Thursday by a vote of 68 to 27. Around 5:30 pm, the Senate will vote on the motion to proceed to S. 316. Obviously, the Gulf War and the Iraq War are over and have been for quite some time. However, the AUMFs that authorized military action in Iraq have remained on the books even though there are no military operations happening in Iraq. Consideration of amendments is expected at some point during the week. It’s important to note that the 2001 AUMF that authorized military action against Afghanistan and al-Qaeda (and launched the War on Terrorism™) isn’t touched by S. 316, although an amendment may be filed to repeal it. Such an amendment isn’t expected to be approved. It remains to be seen what the House will do with S. 316. Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has been annoyingly coy. However, President Biden is expected to sign the bill.
Senate committee schedule: Below are some Senate committee hearings that may be of interest. The full Senate committee schedule for the week is here.
Recruiting Challenges Facing the United States Military (Armed Services, Wednesday at 9:30 am)
A Review of the Fiscal Year 2024 President’s Budget for the U.S. Forest Service (Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; Wednesday at 10:00 am)
Review of the Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Request for the U.S. Department of State (Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs; Wednesday at 10:00 am)
The President’s Fiscal Year 2024 Health and Human Services Budget (Finance, Wednesday at 10:00 am)
Nominations Hearing (Judiciary, Wednesday at 10:00 am)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Proposed Fiscal Year 2024 Budget (Environment and Public Works, Wednesday at 10:00 am)
Drug Shortage Health and National Security Risks: Underlying Causes and Needed Reforms (Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Wednesday at 10:00 am)
Risky Business: How Climate Change is Changing Insurance Markets (Budget, Wednesday at 10:00 am)
Taxpayers Paid Billions For It: So Why Would Moderna Consider Quadrupling the Price of the COVID Vaccine? (Health, Labor, Education, and Pensions; Wednesday at 10:00 am)
Executive Session (Commerce, Science, and Transportation; Wednesday at 10:00 am)
Department of Defense Small Business Tools for Enhancing the Industrial Base (Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, Wednesday at 2:30 pm)
A Review of the President’s FY 2024 Funding Request and Budget Justification for the Department of Health and Human Services (Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies; Wednesday at 2:30 pm)
Review of the FY 2024 Budget for the Department of the Treasury (Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, Wednesday at 2:30 pm)
Living Up to America’s Promise: The Need to Bolster the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Safety; Wednesday at 2:30 pm)
Business Meeting (Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Wednesday at 2:45 pm)
Oversight of the U.S. Small Business Administration and Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Proposal (Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Wednesday at 2:46 pm)
FY2024 Budget Requests for the Library of the Congress and the Architect of the Capitol (Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch, Wednesday at 3:00 pm)
Strengthening Methods of Recruitment and Retention for VA’s Workforce (Veterans’ Affairs, Wednesday at 3:00 pm)
Review of the President’s FY 2024 Funding Request and Budget Justification for the U.S. Department of Transportation (Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies; Thursday at 10:00 am)
Modernizing the Government’s Classification System (Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Thursday at 10:00 am)
Examining Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities to the United States' Energy Infrastructure (Natural Resources, Thursday at 10:00 am)
If you’re interested in watching any of these hearings online, you can find committee websites here.
Schedule and suspensions in the House: It’s an abrupt week in the House because of the Republicans’ retreat in Florida. The House returns on Wednesday at 2:00 pm for legislative business. First votes are expected at 6:30 pm. Legislative business will begin at 10:00 am on Thursday and 9:00 am on Friday. Last votes for the week are expected no later than 3:00 pm Friday. Four bills (listed below) will be considered under the suspension of the rules. The cost estimates for these bills can be found here.
H.R. 1093, To direct the Secretary of State to submit to Congress a report on implementation of the advanced capabilities pillar of the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States
H.R. 1159, To amend the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2020 to require periodic reviews and updated reports relating to the Department of State's Taiwan Guidelines
H.R. 406, Providing Appropriate Recognition and Treatment Needed to Enhance Relations (PARTNER) with ASEAN Act
H.Con.Res. ____, Authorizing the use of Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center for a ceremony as part of the commemoration of the days of remembrance of victims of the Holocaust
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 is expected to meet at some point this week to markup the rule for the Parents Bill of Rights Act, H.R. 5. No date and time has been announced for that markup. As of Friday, more than 50 amendments had been filed to the bill. The Parents Bill of Rights Act is a leadership priority. Majority leadership always reserves H.R. 1 through H.R. 10 while minority leadership gets H.R. 11 through H.R. 20. The fact sheet from the House Education and the Workforce Committee for the Parents Bill of Rights Act is here. Separately, the House may consider the veto message for H.J.Res. 30. This is a CRA that passed the House on February 28 and the Senate on March 1. H.J.Res. 30 has been presented to President Biden, and he is expected to veto it. That veto override attempt is expected to fail.
House committee schedule: Below are some House committee hearings that may be of interest. The full House committee schedule for the week is here.
Fiscal Year 2024 Request for the Government Accountability Office Budget Hearing (Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch, Thursday at 9:30 am)
Fiscal Year 2024 Request for the United States Forest Service (Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; Thursday at 9:30 am)
Fiscal Year 2024 Request for the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General (Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Thursday at 9:30 am)
Member Day - Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies (Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Thursday at 10:00 am)
ATF’s Assault on the Second Amendment: When is Enough Enough? (Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance and Oversight and Accountability Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Thursday at 10:00 am)
U.S. Military Posture and National Security Challenges in the Greater Middle East and Africa (Armed Services, Thursday at 10:00 am)
CISA 2025: The State of American Cybersecurity from a Stakeholder Perspective (Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection, Thursday at 10:00 am)
Business Meeting to Authorize the Women Veteran Task Force (Veterans’ Affairs, Thursday at 10:00 am)
Fiscal Year 2024 Request for the Department of Defense (Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, Thursday at 10:00 am)
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Budget Request for Fiscal Years 2024 and 2025 (Veterans’ Affairs, Thursday at 10:00 am)
The President's Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Request (Budget, Thursday at 10:00 am)
TikTok: How Congress Can Safeguard American Data Privacy and Protect Children from Online Harms (Energy and Commerce, Thursday at 10:00 am)
FAA Reauthorization: Navigating the Comprehensive Passenger Experience (Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation, Thursday at 10:00 am)
A Review of Title VII: USDA Implementation of Research Programs (Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology, Thursday at 10:00 am)
The State of American Diplomacy in 2023: Growing Conflicts, Budget Challenges, and Great Power Competition (Foreign Affairs, Thursday at 10:00 am)
Public Witness Day (Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies; Thursday at 10:00 am)
Legislative Hearing on Several Measures (Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries; Thursday at 10:15 am)
Fiscal Year 2024 Request for the Department of Energy (Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, Thursday at 10:30 am)
2022 Midterms Look Back Series: Election Observer Access (House Administration Subcommittee on Elections, Thursday at 10:30 am)
Fiscal Year 2024 Request for the United States Capitol Police (Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch, Thursday at 11:00 am)
Fiscal Year 2024 Request for the Library of Congress (Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch, Thursday at 1:00 pm)
Member Day (Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; Thursday at 1:00 pm)
Fiscal Year 2024 Request for the Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General (Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Thursday at 1:30 pm)
Review of Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Request for Federal Maritime Transportation Programs, and Implementation of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, Thursday at 2:00 pm)
Fiscal Year 2024 Request for Army Military Construction and Family Housing (Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies; Thursday at 2:00 pm)
Oversight of the Small Business Administration (Small Business, Thursday at 2:00 pm)
Fiscal Year 2024 Request for the Department of State (Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs; Thursday at 2:00 pm)
Free Speech: The Biden Administration’s Chilling of Parents’ Fundamental Rights (Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government, Thursday at 2:00 pm)
President Biden’s Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Request and Economic Outlook (Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, Thursday at 3:00 pm)
Looking Ahead Series: Office of the Attending Physician (House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight, Thursday at 3:00 pm)
Science, Technology, and Innovation at the Department of Defense (Armed Services Subcommittee on Cyber, Information Technologies, and Innovation; Thursday at 3:30 pm)
The Ortega-Murillo Regime’s War Against the Catholic Church and Civil Society in Nicaragua: Bishop Alvarez, Political Prisoners, and Prisoners of Conscience (Foreign Affairs Subcommittees on Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations and the Western Hemisphere; Wednesday at 4:00 pm)
Fiscal Year 2024 Members’ Day Hearing and Public Witness Testimony for the Record (Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch, Friday at 9:00 am)
House Communications Standards Commission Organizational Meeting (House Administration, Friday at 9:30 am)
If you’re interested in watching any of these hearings online, you can find committee websites here.
RSC on the debt limit: The Republican Study Committee, chaired by Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK), has released a “playbook” on the debt limit. Basically, the document outlines the list of priorities, including eliminating recent increases in discretionary spending, enacting regulatory reforms, making the individual tax reforms from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent, and enacting a Swiss-style debt brake.
Deficit watch: The budget deficit through February of FY 2023 was $724 billion. That’s up by $248 billion at the same point in FY 2022. Individual income and payroll tax receipts were down by 3 percent while corporate income tax receipts were up by 10 percent. Receipts are down by 4 percent while outlays are up by 8 percent. Spending for Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, and interest on the national debt accounted for $129 billion of the $176 billion increase in outlays compared to the same point in the previous fiscal year.
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