Democrats Near Spending Deal as Senate Takes Up Nominees, House Considers Bill Protecting Older Job Applicants

What’s happening in Congress?

• Democrats are closing in on a deal on the final legislative text of their social spending plan, the Build Back Better Act, and may bring it up for a vote this week if they’re able to resolve their intra-party negotiations over its contents. An agreement on a revised framework was reached last week, although the internal haggling over the package continues.

SENATE SCHEDULE

• The Senate starts its week Monday with confirmation votes on a pair of circuit court judges ― Beth Robinson to the Second Circuit and Toby Heytens to the Fourth Circuit. It will then move on to considering five nominees to positions in the executive branch.
• Later in the week, the Senate may take a re-vote on a failed procedural nomination to start debate on Democrats’ latest election reform bill, although if it occurs it’s likely to fail along party-lines again because it lacks the 60 votes needed to overcome the legislative filibuster. 
• Committees will hold hearings on cleaning up online marketplaces selling stolen, counterfeit, and unsafe goods; aviation safety reform; and potential non-electric applications of civilian nuclear energy.

HOUSE SCHEDULE 

• The House starts its week Monday with votes on eight bills under the fast-track “suspension of the rules” process which requires a two-thirds majority for passage in exchange for limited debate. 
• An additional seven suspension bills are on Tuesday’s docket and nine more are tentatively slated for consideration later in the week, although the schedule from Tuesday through Friday may change if Democrats reach a deal on their spending plan.
• If, or when, Democrats finalize the Build Back Better Act it may receive a floor vote shortly thereafter. That may coincide with a vote on the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that has been blocked by House Democrats in the absence of a deal on their partisan spending plan.
• The House may also vote on a bill to increase protections for older job applicants against age discrimination in the hiring process and the annual intelligence authorization, in addition to other potential legislation that’s added to the agenda as the week goes on.
• Committees will hold hearings on financial technology products; U.S. cybersecurity policy; and strengthening congressional oversight capacity.

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. 1619: Catawba Indian Nation Lands Act
• H.R. 2758: Lumbee Recognition Act
• H.R. 1975: Pala Band of Mission Indians Land Transfer Act of 2021
• H.R. 5221: Urban Indian Health Confer Act
• H.R. 3616: Bear River National Heritage Area Study Act
• S. 108: A bill to authorize the Seminole Tribe of Florida to lease or transfer certain land, and for other purposes
• H.R. 4881: Old Pascua Community Land Acquisition Act
• H.R. 2088: Eastern Band of Cherokee Historic Lands Reacquisition Act, as amended

Tuesday after 12pm

• H.R. 3469: Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Act of 2021, as amended
• H.R. 4256: Investing in Main Street Act of 2021
• H.R. 3462: SBA Cyber Awareness Act
• H.R. 4481: Small Business 7(a) Loan Agent Transparency Act
• H.R. 4531: 7(a) Loan Agent Oversight Act
• H.R. 4513: Small Business Advanced Cybersecurity Enhancements Act of 2021
• H.R. 4515: Small Business Development Center Cyber Training Act of 2021

Wednesday or Thursday after 12pm, Friday between 9am and 3pm

• H.R. 3992: Protect Older Job Applicants Act of 2021
• H.Con.Res. 44: Fiscal State of the Nation Resolution, as amended
• H.R. 1917: Hazard Eligibility and Local Projects Act
• H.R. 1339: Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act, as amended
• H.R. 3193: E-Bridge Act, as amended
• H.R. 3709: Preliminary Damage Assessment Improvement Act of 2021
• H.R. 2220: To amend title 40, United States Code, to modify the treatment of certain bargain-price options to purchase at less than fair market value, and for other purposes
• H.R. 390: To redesignate the Federal Building located at 167 North Main Street in Memphis, Tennessee as the "Odell Horton Federal Building"
• H.R. 4679: To designate the Federal building located at 1200 New Jersey Ave Southeast in Washington, DC, as the “Norman Yoshio Mineta Federal Building”
• H.R. 4660: To designate the Federal building and United States Courthouse located at 1125 Chapline Street in Wheeling, WV, as the “Frederick P. Stamp, Jr. Federal Building and United States Courthouse”
• Possible consideration of the Senate Amendment to H.R. 3684: Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
• Possible consideration of the Build Back Better Act
• Possible consideration of the Intelligence Authorization Act for FY2022
• Additional legislative items are possible.

SENATE

Monday after 5:30pm

• Confirmation of Beth Robinson to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Second Circuit
• Confirmation of Toby Heytens to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit

Rest of the Week (Tentative)

• Cloture motion on the nomination of Jonathan Davidson to be Deputy Under Secretary of the Treasury
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Benjamin Harris to be an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Jeffrey Prieto to be an Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Isobel Coleman to be a Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Rajesh Nayak to be an Assistant Secretary of Labor
• Possible motion to reconsider the failed 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