Congress to Start Consideration of Stopgap Funding Bill to Prevent Gov’t Shutdown

What’s happening in Congress?

• Lawmakers return to the Capitol this week hoping to advance a short-term funding package to prevent a partial government shutdown at the end of September, as Congress mourns the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and braces for what will be a contentious confirmation process for her successor on the Supreme Court.
• Bipartisan negotiators were reportedly nearing an agreement on Friday on a continuing resolution (CR) to extend government funding through December 11th to give Congress time after the election to pass appropriations for fiscal year 2021. Without a CR, federal funding would lapse on September 30th.

SENATE SCHEDULE

• The Senate starts its week Monday with a procedural vote on the nomination of a judge to the federal claims court. A confirmation vote will likely occur Tuesday, which is expected to be followed by the consideration of three nominees to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and two district judges.
• Depending on the timing of the House’s passage of the CR, the Senate may start its consideration of the stopgap bill before the end of the week. 
• Senate leadership may also announce a plan for holding hearings and a potential confirmation vote on a Supreme Court nominee.
• Committees will hold hearings on updates to the federal COVID-19 pandemic response, U.S. policy in a changing Middle East, and confirmation hearings for Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf to serve in that role in a permanent capacity.

HOUSE SCHEDULE 

• The House starts its week Monday with the consideration of 42 relatively uncontroversial bills under the fast-track “suspension of the rules process” and any requests for recorded votes will be postponed until Tuesday.
• The rest of the week is expected to include consideration of a bill to promote clean energy jobs, bills to prevent the use of forced labor from imprisoned Uyghur Muslims in China, plus an additional 15 bills under suspension of the rules.
• If negotiators are able to agree on a final text for the CR, the House will likely vote on the bill before the end of the week.
• Committees will hold hearings on the response by the Treasury Dept. and Federal Reserve to the pandemic, Puerto Rico’s options for a non-territory status, and the representation of people of color in the media.

Check below throughout the week to see the vote results and updates to the schedule.

Schedule subject to change. All times Eastern.

SENATE

Monday after 5:30pm

• Cloture motion on the nomination of Edward Hulvey Meyers to be a U.S. Federal Claims Court Judge for a 15 year term Invoked 65-25.

Tuesday after 11:30am

• Confirmation of Edward Hulvey Meyers to be a U.S. Federal Claims Court Judge for a 15 year term Confirmed 66-27.
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Andrea Lucas to be a Member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for a term expiring July 1, 2025 Invoked 49-44.
• Confirmation of Andrea Lucas to be a Member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for a term expiring July 1, 2025 Confirmed 49-44.
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Keith Sonderling to be a Member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for a term expiring July 1, 2024 Invoked 52-41.
• Confirmation of Keith Sonderling to be a Member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for a term expiring July 1, 2024 Confirmed 51-42.

Wednesday after 11:45am

• Cloture motion on the nomination of John Charles Hinderaker to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Arizona Invoked 71-26.
• Confirmation of John Charles Hinderaker to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Arizona Confirmed 70-27.
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Roderick Young to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia Invoked 93-3.
• Confirmation of Jocelyn Samuels to be a Member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for a term expiring July 1, 2021 Confirmed 54-42.

Thursday after 11:45am

• Confirmation of Roderick Young to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia Confirmed 93-2.
• Motion to proceed to H.R. 8337: Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 Agreed to 93-2.

HOUSE

Monday after 12pm (under suspension of the rules)

• S. 209: PROGRESS for Indian Tribes Act Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 3160: Blackwater Trading Post Land Transfer Act Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 3349: Republic of Texas Legation Memorial Act, as amended Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 3465: Fallen Journalist Memorial Act, as amended Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 4957: Native Child Protection Action, as amended Passed by voice vote.
• S. 294: Native American Business Incubators Program Act Passed by voice vote.
• S. 832: To nullify the Supplemental Treaty Between the United States of America and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of Indians of Middle Oregon, concluded on November 15, 1865 Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 139: Springfield Race Riot Study Act, as amended Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 895: Tribal School Federal Insurance Parity Act Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 1702: Free Veterans from Fees Act, as amended Passed by voice vote.
• S. 490: B-47 Ridge Designation Act Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 5602: Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2020, as amended Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 5309: CROWN Act of 2020, as amended Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 6100: STOP FGM Act of 2020 Passed by voice vote.
• S. 227: Savanna's Act Passed by voice vote.
• S. 982: Not Invisible Act of 2019 Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 5546: Effective Assistance in the Digital Era Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 1418: Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act of 2019 Passed by voice vote.
• S. 1321: Defending the Integrity of Voting Systems Act Passed by voice vote.
• S. 1380: Due Process Protections Act Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 5053: Justice for Juveniles Act Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 5322: Ensuring Diversity in Community Banking Act, as amended Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 6934: To amend the CARES Act to require the uniform treatment of nationally recognized statistical rating organizations under certain programs carried out in response to the COVID–19 emergency, and for other purposes Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 7592: STIFLE Act of 2020 Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 6735: COVID-19 Fraud Prevention Act, as amended Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 5698: Promoting Secure 5G Act of 2020 Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 6294: Improving Emergency Disease Response via Housing Act of 2020, as amended Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 4866: National Centers of Excellence in Continuous Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Act of 2020 Passed by voice vote.
• S. 2661: National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020 Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 7574: Strengthening America’s Strategic National Stockpile Act of 2020, as amended Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 2271: Scarlett’s Sunshine on Sudden Unexpected Death Act Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 5918: To direct the Federal Communications Commission to issue reports after activation of the Disaster Information Reporting System and to make improvements to network outage reporting Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 4995: Maternal Health Quality Improvement Act of 2020, as amended Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 451: Don't Break Up the T-Band Act of 2020 Recorded vote postponed.
• H.R. 3935: Protecting Patients Transportation to Care Act Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 1646: HERO Act Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 4564: Suicide Prevention Lifeline Improvement Act of 2020, as amended Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 4585: Campaign to Prevent Suicide Act, as amended Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 5619: Suicide Prevention Act Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 5567: MEDIA Diversity Act of 2020 Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 5663: Safeguarding Therapeutics Act Passed by voice vote.

Tuesday after 12pm

• H.R. 8337: Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 Passed 359-57, 1 present.
• H.R. 6210: Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Passed 406-3.
• H.R. 5664: Leveraging Information on Foreign Traffickers Act, as amended Passed 414-0.
• H.R. 7795: Veterans Benefits Fairness and Transparency Act of 2020 Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 3228: VA Mission Telehealth Clarification Act Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 6092: Veteran's Prostate Cancer Treatment and Research Act Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 6589: Department of Veterans Affairs Chief Financial Officer Authority and Collaboration Act of 2020 Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 4908: Native American PACT Act, as amended Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 3010: Honoring All Veterans Act Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 4864: Global Child Thrive Act of 2020, as amended Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 2166: Global Health Security Act of 2020, as amended Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 991: Extension of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 8276: To authorize the President to posthumously award the Medal of Honor to Alwyn C. Cashe for acts of valor during Operation Iraqi Freedom Passed by voice vote.
• Possible consideration of H.R. 6270: Uyghur Forced Labor Disclosure Act of 2020 Vote postponed.
• H.R. 6096: READI Act of 2020 Vote postponed.

Wednesday after 9am 

• Amendments to H.R. 4447: Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act
• H.R. 451: Don't Break Up the T-Band Act of 2020 Passed 410-5.
• S. 785: Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act of 2019 Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 5245: SHIELD for Veterans Act, as amended Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 7105: DELIVER Act, as amended Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 8247: Veterans Comprehensive Prevention, Access to Care, and Treatment Act of 2020 Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 3798: Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act Passed by voice vote.

Thursday after 12pm

• H.R. 4447: Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act Passed 220-185.

Friday between 9am and 3pm

• Votes canceled.

Tell your reps how to vote on this week's bills and share your thoughts below!

— Eric Revell