Congress Returns From Recess: House to Take Up China Competition Bill, Senate Considers Nominations

What’s happening in Congress?

• Lawmakers will return to the Capitol this week fresh off a one-week recess, with the House expected to consider a bill to bolster America’s economic and geopolitical competitiveness with China and the Senate set to continue considering nominations.

SENATE SCHEDULE

• The Senate meets Monday for a procedural vote on the nomination of Bridget Brennan to be a federal district court judge for the District of Northern Ohio. If it succeeds, a confirmation vote would likely follow Tuesday.
• Over the course of the rest of the week the Senate is expected to consider two more federal judicial nominees to the District of Northern Ohio ― Charles Fleming and David Ruiz ― before it moves onto seven nominees to the District of Columbia’s court of appeals; and several nominees to diplomatic and military positions.
• Later in the week, the Senate may take a procedural vote on the nomination of Judge Leonard Stark to be an appellate judge on the Federal Circuit.
• Committees will hold hearings on mental health and substance use disorders; Sudan’s transition following a coup and U.S. policy; the state of the U.S. territories; improving domestic recycling and composting programs; and a bipartisan anti-trust bill.

HOUSE SCHEDULE 

• The House starts its week on Tuesday with the consideration of a bill to promote efficiency in procurement and acquisitions within the Dept. of Homeland Security; in addition to 10 bills naming post offices around the country.
• The rest of the week will largely be focused on the China competitiveness bill, although it’s unclear when a final vote will occur or how much it will differ from the Senate’s version of the legislation which passed last summer with bipartisan support.
• Committees will hold hearings on “Respecting Artists with the American Music Fairness Act”; the dynamic landscape of terrorism and what it means for America; and the Biden administration’s foreign policy goals in the Middle East and North Africa.

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

Schedule subject to change. All times Eastern.

HOUSE

Monday

• No votes are scheduled.

Tuesday after 6:30pm (under suspension of the rules)

• S. 583: PRICE Act of 2021
• H.R. 5577: To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3900 Crown Road Southwest in Atlanta, Georgia, as the "John R. Lewis Post Office Building"
• S. 566: To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 42 Main Street in Slatersville, Rhode Island, as the "Specialist Matthew R. Turcotte Post Office"
• H.R. 2324: To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2800 South Adams Street in Tallahassee, Florida, as the "D. Edwina Stephens Post Office"
• H.R. 735: To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 502 East Cotati Avenue in Cotati, California, as the "Arthur Luis Ibleto Post Office Building"
• H.R. 3539: To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 223 West Chalan Santo Papa in Hagatna, Guam, as the "Atanasio Taitano Perez Post Office"
• H.R. 2842: To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 120 4th Street in Petaluma, California, as the "Lynn C. Woolsey Post Office Building"
• H.R. 3579: To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 200 East Main Street in Maroa, Illinois, as the "Jeremy L. Ridlen Post Office"
• H.R. 3613: To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 202 Trumbull Street in Saint Clair, Michigan, as the "Corporal Jeffrey Robert Standfest Post Office Building"
• H.R. 4168: To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 6223 Maple Street, in Omaha, Nebraska, as the "Petty Officer 1st Class Charles Jackson French Post Office"
• H.R. 1298: To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1233 North Cedar Street in Owasso, Oklahoma, as the "Staff Sergeant Marshal Roberts Post Office Building"

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

• H.R. 4521: America COMPETES Act of 2022
• Additional legislative items are possible.

SENATE

Monday after 5:30pm

• Cloture motion on the nomination of Bridget Brennan to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Ohio

Rest of the Week

• (If cloture is invoked) Confirmation of Bridget Brennan to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Ohio
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Charles Fleming to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Ohio
• Cloture motion on the nomination of David Ruiz to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Ohio
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Rupa Puttagunta to be an Associate Judge of the D.C. Court of Appeals for a term of 15 years
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Kenia Lopez to be an Associate Judge of the D.C. Court of Appeals for a term of 15 years
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Sean Staples to be an Associate Judge of the D.C. Court of Appeals for a term of 15 years
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Ebony Scott to be an Associate Judge of the D.C. Court of Appeals for a term of 15 years
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Donald Tunnage to be an Associate Judge of the D.C. Court of Appeals for a term of 15 years
• Cloture motion on the nomination of John Howard III to be an Associate Judge of the D.C. Court of Appeals for a term of 15 years
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Loren AliKhan to be an Associate Judge of the D.C. Court of Appeals for a term of 15 years
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Amy Gutmann to be Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Lisa Carty to be U.S. Representative on the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Scott Nathan to be Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Chantale Wong to be U.S. Director of the Asian Development Bank
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Gabriel Camarillo to be Under Secretary of the Army
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Andrew Hunter to be an Assistant Secretary of the Air Force
• Cloture motion on the nomination of John Coffey to be General Counsel of the Dept. of the Navy
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Alexandra Baker to be a Deputy Under Secretary of Defense
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Reta Lewis to be President of the Export-Import Bank for a term expiring January 20, 2025
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Leonard Start to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Federal Circuit

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

— Eric Revell