DRIVING THE WEEK:
IN THE SENATE: The Senate is continuing consideration of a public lands package that includes permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund. If Senators agree to limit debate, a final vote on passage could be held this afternoon. Next up will be the nomination of William Barr to be Attorney General, with the Senate expected to confirm Barr on Wednesday or Thursday. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved Barr’s nomination last week on a straight party-line vote of 12-10. And, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell continues apace confirming federal judges.
AND IN THE HOUSE: The House will consider a number of non-controversial bills this week and is expected to pass a resolution on Wednesday directing the removal of U.S. forces from Yemen. Votes have been canceled on Tuesday to allow members to attend funeral services in Dearborn, Mich. for former Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), who served in the House from 1955 to 2014. On Thursday, there will also be a service in Washington, D.C., where former President Clinton, former Speaker Boehner, and Majority Leader Hoyer will speak.
NOTABLE COMMITTEE ACTION:
- February 12 – House Ways and Means Committee hearing on prescription drug prices.
- February 13 – House Ways and Means Committee hearing on how the 2017 tax law is affecting middle-class families.
- February 13 – House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing on the effect of the recent government shutdown on the aviation industry.
- February 13 – Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing on infrastructure needs, with witnesses from the ports, railroad, cable, trucking and trade industries.
- February 13 – Senate Armed Services joint subcommittee hearing on "Current Condition of the Military Housing Privatization Initiative." Subcommittee on Personnel and Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support.
- February 28 – New date for House Intelligence Committee closed-door hearing that was scheduled for February 8 to hear from Michael Cohen, President Trump's former personal lawyer. (Cohen’s closed-door testimony scheduled for February 12 before the Senate Intelligence Committee has also been postponed to a later date.)
GOVERNMENT FUNDING/BORDER SECURITY: Democratic and Republican negotiators have resolved the Homeland Security funding impasse and are currently poised to pass bipartisan legislation in both chambers prior to the expiration of the continuing resolution which expires this Friday at 11:59 pm. The stalemate that occurred over the weekend over the number and purpose of immigration detention beds ended with the Democrats giving ground. The current language provides $1.37 billion for 55 miles of border barrier fencing and an additional $1.7 billion in border security. There will be no cap on the number of people who can be detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Administration’s request for additional detention beds will be met. The leaders of the Senate and House appropriations committees – Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL), Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Chairman Nita Lowey (D-NY), and Ranking Member Kay Granger (-TX) will shepherd the legislation this week with an eye on getting the measure to President Trump by Friday.
There were early signs last night and this morning that Trump would sign the measure and avoid the shutdown – while continuing to explore executive action to find additional sources of funding for a physical border wall. But, but, but – this is eerily similar to where we were back in mid-December when Capitol Hill thought they were on a path to an agreement only to be thwarted by Trump who was riled up from negative commentary by a number of his conservative media allies. That commentary began in earnest again over the past 12 hours…We’re watching our Twitter feed this morning as well as an 11:30 am Cabinet meeting for signs of where Trump will come down on the agreement. Our guess is that he’ll sign the measure and aggressively pursue executive actions led by acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney. Then again, we were wrong last time around.
CHINA TRADE: Negotiations will continue between the U.S. and China, with the goal of reaching a deal before March 1, when the U.S. plans to raise tariffs from 10% to 25% on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods. This week the talks are in Beijing, with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin joining the negotiations on Thursday. It was reported this morning that Chinese Vice Premier Liu He will join the talks later this week. President Trump’s advisers have discussed holding a summit at Mar-a-Lago in mid-March with the Chinese President and Administration officials indicated that Trump plans to speak to President Xi by phone before March 1, but a long-term deal won’t be finalized before the two leaders meet.
