This Week in Congress

Congress returned this week after a brief recess with the House limiting their legislative activity to allow members to attend the late Rep. Payne (D-NJ)’s funeral on Thursday.  Prior to adjournment, the House voted on legislation including Rep. Lawler (R-NY)’s Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2023, which would instruct the Department of Education to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism, along with determining the validity of Title VI complaints of discrimination against Jewish students.  Additionally, the House considered two immigration-related bills; the Extending Limits of U.S. Customs Waters Act, which would extend the customs waters territory of the United States from 12 nautical miles to 24 nautical miles, and the second would allow U.S. Customs and Border Protection greater latitude to police offshore activities. Finally, in anticipation of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act set to expire in 2025, the House began creating 10 teams to tackle specific provisions of the next major tax bill with groups dedicated to supply chains, U.S. innovation, global competitiveness, and working families.

Meanwhile, the Senate voted on the reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

On April 24th, President Biden signed into law a $95 billion bill that provides much-needed security assistance to American partners, including Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.  Additionally, last week, a final rule adopted by the Federal Trade Commission was announced, which would essentially end noncompete agreements restricting workers from seeking better-paying jobs within their industry. Finally, the Biden administration announced a final rule, which would significantly increase the number of salaried workers eligible for overtime by lifting income thresholds.