Senate Prepares to Start Infrastructure Debate While House Takes Up Visas for Afghan Interpreters

What’s happening in Congress?

• The Senate is set to confirm another one of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees before it takes procedural steps to start considering infrastructure legislation, while the House returns for floor business after a two-week break.

SENATE SCHEDULE

• The Senate starts its week Monday with a confirmation vote on the nomination of Tiffany Cunningham to be a federal judge on the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. Additional nominations may be considered later in the week.
• Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) indicated that the Senate will take its initial procedural vote on infrastructure legislation on Wednesday.
• At a time to be announced, the Senate is expected to take a vote on a bill to increase funding for grants to help crime victims.
• Committees will hold hearings on the federal perspective on the COVID-19 response; impacts of climate change on communities; cybersecurity vulnerabilities in physical infrastructure; immigrant farmworkers; and labor union organizing.

HOUSE SCHEDULE 

• The House will convene for floor business on Monday when it will consider 14 bills under the fast-track suspension of the rules process, including bills to encourage reunions between Korean-Americans with relatives in North Korea and to have the U.S. participate in a vaccine development program for future epidemics. Lawmakers are also expected to consider another slate of 13 suspension bills later in the week.
• The rest of the week will feature bills to increase the number of visas available to Afghan interpreters and their families along with streamlining their visa process; designate PFAS as hazardous substances and monitor their presence in water systems; and allow the Federal Trade Commission to obtain both injunctive and monetary relief for violations of laws it enforces. 
• Committees will hold hearings on small business cybersecurity; equitable housing infrastructure; and environmental justice in 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 after 6:30pm (under suspension of the rules)

• H.R. 826: Divided Families Reunification Act Passed 415-0.
• H.R. 2118: Securing America From Epidemics Act Vote postponed.
• H.R. 3119: Energy Emergency Leadership Act Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 2931: Enhancing Grid Security through Public-Private Partnerships Act Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 2928: Cyber Sense Act of 2021 Vote postponed.
• H.R. 678: PHONE Act of 2021 Vote postponed.
• H.R. 1250: Emergency Reporting Act Vote postponed.
• H.R. 1754: MEDIA Diversity Act of 2021 Vote postponed.
• H.Res. 277: Reaffirming the commitment to media diversity and pledging to work with media entities and diverse stakeholders to develop common ground solutions to eliminate barriers to media diversity Vote postponed.
• H.R. 3003: Promoting United States Wireless Leadership Act of 2021 Vote postponed.
• H.R. 1158: Refugee Sanitation Facility Safety Act of 2021 Vote postponed.
• H.Res. 294: Encouraging reunions of divided Korean-American families Vote postponed.
• H.R. 1079: Desert Locust Control Act, as amended Vote postponed.
• H.R. 1036: Bassam Barabandi Rewards for Justice Act Vote postponed.

Tuesday after 12pm

• H.R. 2668: Consumer Protection and Recovery Act Passed 221-205.
• H.R. 2118: Securing America From Epidemics Act Passed en bloc 319-105.
• H.R. 1870: Strengthening Local Transportation Security Capabilities Act of 2021, as amended Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 1893: Transportation Security Preparedness Act of 2021 Passed en bloc 319-105.
• H.R. 1895: Transportation Security Public Health Threat Preparedness Act of 2021 Passed en bloc 319-105.
• H.R. 1877: Security Screening During COVID-19 Act, as amended Passed en bloc 319-105.
• H.R. 1871: Transportation Security Transparency Improvement Act Passed en bloc 319-105.
• H.R. 2795: DHS Blue Campaign Enhancement Act, as amended Passed en bloc 319-105.
• H.R. 3138: State and Local Cybersecurity Improvement Act, as amended Passed en bloc 319-105.
• H.R. 1833: DHS Industrial Control Systems Capabilities Enhancement Act of 2021, as amended Passed en bloc 319-105.
• H.R. 2980: Cybersecurity Vulnerability Remediation Act, as amended Passed en bloc 319-105.
• H.R. 3223: CISA Cyber Exercise Act Passed en bloc 319-105.
• H.R. 3264: Domains Critical to Homeland Security Act Passed en bloc 319-105.
• H.R. 1850: Supporting Research and Development for First Responders Act Passed en bloc 319-105.
• H.R. 3263: DHS Medical Countermeasures Act Passed en bloc 319-105.
• H.R. 2928: Cyber Sense Act of 2021 Passed en bloc 319-105.
• H.R. 678: PHONE Act of 2021 Passed en bloc 319-105.
• H.R. 1250: Emergency Reporting Act Passed en bloc 319-105.
• H.R. 1754: MEDIA Diversity Act of 2021 Passed en bloc 319-105.
• H.Res. 277: Reaffirming the commitment to media diversity and pledging to work with media entities and diverse stakeholders to develop common ground solutions to eliminate barriers to media diversity Passed en bloc 319-105.
• H.R. 3003: Promoting United States Wireless Leadership Act of 2021 Passed en bloc 319-105.
• H.R. 1158: Refugee Sanitation Facility Safety Act of 2021 Passed en bloc 319-105.
• H.Res. 294: Encouraging reunions of divided Korean-American families Passed en bloc 319-105.
• H.R. 1079: Desert Locust Control Act, as amended Passed en bloc 319-105.
• H.R. 1036: Bassam Barabandi Rewards for Justice Act Passed en bloc 319-105.

Wednesday after 12pm

• H.R. 2467: PFAS Action Act of 2021 Passed 241-183.

Thursday between 9am and 3pm

• H.R. 3985: Allies Act of 2021 Passed 407-16.

SENATE

Monday after 5:30pm

• Confirmation of Tiffany Cunningham as a judge for the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals Confirmed 63-33.

Tuesday after 11:30am

• Cloture motion on the nomination of Kenneth Polite, Jr. to be an Assistant Attorney General Invoked 57-43.
• Confirmation of Kenneth Polite, Jr. as Assistant Attorney General Confirmed 56-44.
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Jennifer Ann Abruzzo to be General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board for a term of four years Invoked 51-50.
• Toomey Amendment to H.R. 1652: VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act of 2021 Not adopted 40-60.
• H.R. 1652: VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act of 2021 Passed 100-0.

Wednesday after 11:30am

• Confirmation of Jennifer Ann Abruzzo as General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board for a term of four years Confirmed 51-50.
• Cloture motion on the motion to proceed to H.R. 3684: Legislative vehicle for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework Not invoked 49-51.
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Bonnie Jenkins to be Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Invoked 52-48.
• Confirmation of Bonnie Jenkins as Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Confirmed 52-48.

Thursday after 1:30pm

• Confirmation of Jill Hruby to be Under Secretary for Nuclear Security, Dept. of Energy

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

— Eric Revell