The House and Senate are in session this week. The House will vote on eight bills under suspension of the rules, including the ACCESS BROADBAND Act (H.R. 1328), which would create a new Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA); the Office would maintain a database to track broadband infrastructure built with federal support and work with agencies to develop streamlined application processes. For the remainder of the week, the House will vote on the Protecting Americans with Preexisting Conditions Act of 2019 (H.R. 986), which would block the Trump Administration's October 2018 guidance on state innovation waivers provided under the Affordable Care Act; and the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2019 (H.R. 2157), which provides $17.2 billion to communities and federal agencies affected by natural disasters in 2018 and 2019. H.R. 2157 includes an additional $3 billion for flooded Midwestern states as well as Democrats' wish list for long-term rebuilding aid to Puerto Rico, and would also extend the authorization of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) from May 31 to September 30, 2019.

 

The Senate will vote on six executive and judicial nominations, including: Joseph Bianco to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Second Circuit; Kimberly Reed to be President of the Export-Import Bank of the United States for a term expiring January 20, 2021; former Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL) to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Export-Import Bank of the United States for a term expiring January 20, 2023; Judith Pryor to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Export-Import Bank of the United States for a term expiring January 20, 2021; Janet Dhillon to be a Member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for a term expiring July 1, 2022; and Michael Park to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Second Circuit. Senate Republicans and Democrats will continue to negotiate a bipartisan deal on a disaster supplemental package as the House votes on their new package this week.

 

The full House Appropriations Committee will markup the FY 2020 Labor-Health and Human Services-Education; Legislative Branch; and Military Construction-Veterans Affairs Appropriations bills on Wednesday and Thursday, in addition to new 302(b) allocations for each of the 12 annual spending bills for FY 2020. The House and Senate Appropriations Committees will hold additional FY 2020 budget hearings with the heads of the Departments of the Interior, Defense, and Homeland Security; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Federal Communications and Federal Trade Commissions; and the Commodity Futures Trading and Securities and Exchange Commissions.