Congress Returns as House Takes Up Wage Discrimination, Senate Considers Nominees

What’s happening in Congress?

• Both chambers of Congress will return from their spring recess this week, with the House starting a two-week period of floor work and the Senate kicking off a three week work session.

SENATE SCHEDULE

• The Senate starts its week Monday with a procedural vote on the nomination of Polly Trottenberg to be deputy secretary of transportation, which if successful would set up a confirmation vote on Tuesday.
• Following the Trottenberg nomination, the Senate is expected to take up the nominations of Wendy Sherman to be deputy secretary of state; Gary Gensler to be reappointed as a member of the Securities and Exchange Commission; and Brenda Mallory to be a member of the Council on Environmental Quality.
• The Senate may also take a procedural vote to start initial debate and potentially consider amendments on a bill to have an employee at the Dept. of Justice expedite the review of hate crimes against Asians and Pacific Islanders related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. 
• Committees will hold hearings on worldwide threats, public transportation infrastructure, and the “cost of inaction on climate change.”

HOUSE SCHEDULE 

• The House starts its week on Tuesday when it will consider a bill to prevent automatic spending cuts to Medicare and other mandatory spending programs caused by sequestration. The Senate amended the bill before it passed the upper chamber to remove provisions to avoid additional cuts triggered by the enactment of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, so the House has to pass the amended bill before it goes to the president’s desk.
• The primary focus of the House’s schedule for the rest of the week will be a bill to make it easier for employees to sue for gender-based wage discrimination unless pay differences relate to education, training, or experience; and a bill to establish a workplace violence safety standard for healthcare and social services settings.
• Additionally, the House is expected to consider a number of relatively bipartisan bills under the fast-track suspension of the rules process, which requires a two-thirds majority for passage after accelerated debate. Suspension bills on the docket include legislation to increase awareness of scams targeting seniors, reauthorize funding for the bone marrow and cord blood donor registry, prevent diversion of prescription drugs, and debar bad actors manufacturing drugs containing controlled substances.
• Committees will hold hearings on statehood for Puerto Rico, statehood for the District of Columbia, and investing in “equitable and affordable housing infrastructure.”

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

Schedule subject to change. All times Eastern.

HOUSE

Monday

• Pro forma session, no votes are expected.

Tuesday after 12pm (under suspension of the rules)

• Senate Amendment to H.R. 1868: To prevent automatic spending cuts, as amended Passed 384-38.

Wednesday after 12pm

• H.R. 941: TRANSPLANT Act of 2021 Vote postponed.
• H.R. 446: Protecting Seniors from Emergency Scams Vote postponed.
• H.R. 1002: DEBAR Act of 2021 Vote postponed.
• H.R. 1899: Ensuring Compliance Against Drug Diversion Act of 2021 Vote postponed.
• H.R. 172: United States Anti-Doping Agency Reauthorization Act of 2021 Passed 381-37.
• S. 578: FASTER Act of 2021 Passed 415-11.
• H.R. 189: John Lewis NIMHD Research Endowment Revitalization Act of 2021 Passed by voice vote.
• S. 164: Advancing Education on Biosimilars Act of 2021 Passed 412-8.
• S. 415: To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the scope of new chemical exclusivity Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 1215: Fraud and Scam Reduction Act Vote postponed.
• H.R. 1460: Nicholas and Zachary Burt Memorial Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2021 Vote postponed.
• H.R. 1762: Protecting Indian Tribes from Scams Act Vote postponed.
• H.R. 1766: FTC Collaboration Act of 2021 Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 1502: Microloan Improvement Act of 2021 Vote postponed.
• H.R. 1487: Microloan Transparency and Accountability Act of 2021 Vote postponed.
• H.R. 1490: 504 Modernization and Small Manufacturer Enhancement Act of 2021 Vote postponed.
• H.R. 1482: 504 Credit Risk Management Improvement Act of 2021 Vote postponed.

Thursday after 12pm

• H.R. 7: Paycheck Fairness Act Passed 217-210.
• H.R. 941: TRANSPLANT Act of 2021 Passed 415-2.
• H.R. 446: Protecting Seniors from Emergency Scams Passed 413-8.
• H.R. 1002: DEBAR Act of 2021 Passed 411-5.
• H.R. 1899: Ensuring Compliance Against Drug Diversion Act of 2021 Passed 412-5.
• H.R. 1460: Nicholas and Zachary Burt Memorial Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2021 Passed 362-49.
• H.R. 1215: Fraud and Scam Reduction Act Passed 396-13.
• H.R. 1762: Protecting Indian Tribes from Scams Act Passed 408-10.
• H.R. 1766: FTC Collaboration Act of 2021 Vote postponed.
• H.R. 1502: Microloan Improvement Act of 2021 Passed 397-16.
• H.R. 1487: Microloan Transparency and Accountability Act of 2021 Passed 409-4.
• H.R. 1490: 504 Modernization and Small Manufacturer Enhancement Act of 2021 Passed 400-16.
• H.R. 1482: 504 Credit Risk Management Improvement Act of 2021 Vote postponed.

Friday between 9am and 3pm

• H.R. 1195: Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act Passed 254-166.
• H.R. 1482: 504 Credit Risk Management Improvement Act of 2021 Passed 411-8.

SENATE

Monday after 5:30pm

• Cloture motion on the nomination of Penny Trottenberg to be Deputy Secretary of Transportation Invoked 81-14.

Tuesday after 12pm

• Confirmation of Penny Trottenberg as Deputy Secretary of Transportation Confirmed 82-15.
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Wendy Sherman to be Deputy Secretary of State Invoked 55-42.
• Confirmation of Wendy Sherman as Deputy Secretary of State Confirmed 56-42.
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Gary Gensler to be a member of the Securities and Exchange Commission Invoked 53-45.

Wednesday after 11:45am

• Confirmation of Gary Gensler as a member of the Securities and Exchange Commission Confirmed 53-45.
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Brenda Mallory to be a member of the Council on Environmental Quality Invoked 53-45.
• Confirmation of Brenda Mallory as a member of the Council on Environmental Quality Confirmed 53-45.
• Cloture motion on the motion to proceed to S. 937: COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act

Thursday after 12pm

• Motion to proceed to S. 937: COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act Agreed by unanimous consent.
• Motion to discharge the nomination of Vanita Gupta to be Associate Attorney General Agreed to 49-34.

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

— Eric Revell