This Week in Congress
This week, congressional leaders continued bipartisan negotiations on a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the federal government beyond December 20th. The CR is expected to run through March. Still being negotiated is the size and scope of disaster aid and "anomalies" including $6.6 billion for veterans’ health care and nearly $10.7 billion for Virginia-class and Columbia-class submarine procurement. In addition, the following authorizations are expected to hitch a ride onto the legislation:
- Health care extenders: A roughly $30 billion array of health care-related measures including various extensions of lapsing Medicare and Medicaid provisions
- Farm extension: A one-year extension of expiring farm bill programs
- Reauthorization of the Older Americans Act of 1965
- Reauthorization of a 2014 law authorizing Labor Department job-training and workforce development programs
- Coast Guard reauthorization
- China package: Senate-backed notification requirements for potential U.S. investments in Chinese-tech companies and legislation that would bar companies receiving federal funds from buying biotechnology equipment or services from certain Chinese-controlled firms
- Legislation to streamline the permitting process for energy-related infrastructure projects
The House voted on their version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a bill that would authorize defense spending consistent with budget caps. The $883.7 bill includes pay raises for military personnel, 4.5 percent for all troops and an additional 10 percent raise on top of that for the lowest-ranking troops, plus so-called quality-of-life improvements in everything from child care to medical services to housing. The legislation prevents the Pentagon's TRICARE insurance program from covering gender-transition procedures. House Members also voted on two measures requiring a simple majority vote for passage: the Liberty in Laundry Act (H.R. 7673), which would limit the Secretary of Energy’s authority to set energy conservation standards for washing machines, and the JUDGES Act (S. 4199), which would add 60 new judges to federal district courts over the next decade. Finally, the House voted on a major bill (S. 4367) to authorize numerous Army Corps of Engineers water resources projects, along with several other bills out of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and bills out of the Homeland Security Committee relating to U.S. cybersecurity.
The Senate voted on Biden administration judicial nominees.