House Returns From Recess to Consider Abortion Rights Bill & Stopgap Funding Bill as Gov’t Shutdown Looms

What’s happening in Congress?

• The House returns to the Capitol from recess this week as lawmakers look to advance stopgap funding legislation that would prevent a partial government from occurring on September 30th. 
• Additionally, Democrats in both chambers are negotiating the parameters of their $3.5 trillion spending plan and preparing to take messaging votes on issues including abortion and elections.

SENATE SCHEDULE

• The Senate convenes Monday when it will take a confirmation vote on the nomination of Veronica Rossman to be a judge on the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Following Rossman’s confirmation, the Senate is expected to consider the nomination of a district court judge. 
• Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is expected to schedule a procedural vote on Democrats’ latest election reform package, likely on Wednesday or Thursday. When it occurs the vote will lack the Republican support needed to reach 60 votes and continue the debate by overcoming the legislative filibuster. 
• Committees will hold hearings on terror threats to the homeland 20 years after 9/11; fraud and scams during the pandemic; and cybersecurity for federal and critical infrastructure systems.

HOUSE SCHEDULE 

• The House meets Monday for its first day of floor business since August 24th. It will consider several bills under the fast-track suspension of the rules process to extend expiring authorities at the Dept. of Veterans Affairs (VA), to provide a cost-of-living adjustment for veterans’ benefits, and to rename VA clinics. A number of other suspension bills may be considered over the course of the week.
• Lawmakers will take up several other notable bills before the work week concludes on Friday, including a continuing resolution to fund the government beyond September 30th to prevent a shutdown, which may also include an emergency spending package for disasters and Afghan resettlement. 
• Democrats are also expected to bring up a bill to codify abortion rights under the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court precedent into federal law; in addition to the annual defense authorization package. 
• Committees will hold hearings on terror threats to the homeland 20 years after 9/11; veteran suicide prevention; and voluntary carbon markets in agriculture and forestry.

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. 5392: Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2021 Passed 423-0.
• S. 189: Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2021 Passed 423-0.
• H.R. 3475: To name the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Columbus, Georgia, as the ‘‘Robert S. Poydasheff VA Clinic” Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 4172: To name the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Aurora, Colorado, as the ‘‘Lieutenant Colonel John W. Mosley VA Clinic’’ Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 1281: To name the Department of Veterans Affairs community based outpatient clinic in Gaylord, Michigan, as the "Navy Corpsman Steve Andrews Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Clinic" Passed by voice vote.

Tuesday after 12pm

• H.R. 5305: Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act Passed 220-211.
• S. 1828: HAVANA Act of 2021 Passed 427-0.
• H.R. 1029: Free Veterans from Fees Act Vote postponed.

Wednesday after 12pm

• Amendments to H.R. 4350: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022

Thursday after 12pm

• Amendments to H.R. 4350: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022
• H.R. 4350: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 Passed 316-113.
• H.R. 5323: Iron Dome Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022 Passed 420-9, 2 present.

Friday after 9am

• H.R. 3755: Women’s Health Protection Act of 2021 Passed 218-211.

TBA

• H.R. 1029: Free Veterans from Fees Act
• S. 848: Consider Teachers Act of 2021
• H.R. 1154: Great Dismal Swamp National Heritage Area Act
• H.R. 3533: To establish occupational series for Federal positions in software development, software engineering, data science, and data management, and for other purposes, as amended
• H.R. 3599: Federal Rotational Cyber Workforce Program Act of 2021, as amended
• H.R. 1204: District of Columbia Chief Financial Officer Salary Home Rule Act, as amended
• H.R. 978: Chai Suthammanont Remembrance Act of 2021, as amended
• H.R. 2617: Performance Enhancement Reform Act, as amended
• S. 2382: To authorize the National Cyber Director to accept details from other elements of the Federal Government on nonreimbursable basis, and for other purposes
• H.R. 4611: DHS Software Supply Chain Risk Management Act of 2021, as amended
• H.R. 4089: Darren Drake Act, as amended
• S. 1917: K-12 Cybersecurity Act of 2021
• H.R. 4094: One-Stop Pilot Program Act of 2021, as amended
• H.R. 4682: UAS Act, as amended

SENATE

Monday after 5:30pm

• Confirmation of Veronica Rossman to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Tenth Circuit Confirmed 50-42.

Tuesday after 11:30am

• Cloture motion on the nomination of Margaret Strickland to be U.S. District Judge for the District of New Mexico Invoked 52-46.
• Confirmation of Margaret Strickland as U.S. District Judge for the District of New Mexico Confirmed 52-45.
• Motion to discharge from the Banking Committee the nomination of Rohit Chopra to be Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for a term of five years Agreed to 49-48.

Wednesday after 11am

• Cloture motion on the nomination of Lily Lawrence Batchelder to be an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Invoked 63-35.
• Confirmation of Lily Lawrence Batchelder to be an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Confirmed 64-34.
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Jayme Ray White to be a Deputy U.S. Trade Representative for the Western Hemisphere, Europe, the Middle East, Labor, and Environment Invoked 78-20.
• Confirmation of Jayme Ray White to be a Deputy U.S. Trade Representative for the Western Hemisphere, Europe, the Middle East, Labor, and Environment Confirmed 80-18.
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Florence Pan to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Columbia Invoked 66-27.

Thursday after 10am

• Confirmation of Florence Pan to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Columbia Confirmed 68-30.
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Sarah Bianchi to be Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Invoked 85-13.
• Confirmation of Sarah Bianchi to be Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Confirmed 85-11.
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Daniel Kritenbrink to be Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Invoked 77-18.
• Confirmation of Daniel Kritenbrink to be Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Confirmed 72-14.
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Karen Donfried to be an Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs and Eurasian Affairs Invoked 65-21.
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Monica Medina to be an Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Invoked 57-26.
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Mary Catherine Phee to be an Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Invoked 58-25.
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Todd Robinson to be an Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Invoked 54-29.
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Jessica Lewis to be an Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Invoked 62-21.

Next Week / TBA

• (Possible consideration) Cloture motion on the motion to proceed to H.R. 5305: Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act
• Cloture motion on the motion to proceed to S. 2747: Freedom to Vote Act

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

— Eric Revell