The House and Senate are both in recess this week for the Independence Day holiday. When the House returns on July 8, it will consider the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (H.R. 2500), which authorizes $733 billion for FY2020 appropriations and sets forth policies for Department of Defense (DoD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. The House will also vote on the FY 2020 Homeland Security and Legislative Branch Appropriations bills later in July, the two remaining spending bills that have not yet passed the lower chamber.

 

When the Senate returns, it will vote on six judicial and executive nominations: Daniel Bress to be a U.S. Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals; T. Kent Wetherell II to be a U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Florida; Damon Leichty to be a U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Indiana; J. Nicholas Ranjan to be a U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania; Robert King to be the Education Department's Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education; and Peter Wright to be the Environmental Protection Agency's Assistant Administrator for the Office of Solid Waste.

 

Congressional leaders have made no progress with the White House in striking a two-year deal to raise budget caps as well as the federal debt limit. While the House has already passed ten of its twelve FY 2020 spending bills, the Senate has yet to begin their appropriations process, waiting for the longer-term deal to materialize. Now, when they return from the Independence Day recess next week, the Senate may decide to "deem" top-line spending caps that appropriators can work from to move their versions of FY 2020 spending bills. If this happens, spending levels will likely be set at current FY 2019 enacted numbers, not at higher levels deemed by the House. The fiscal year ends on September 30, 2019.

 

On Monday afternoon, President Trump will sign the Taxpayer First Act (H.R. 3151) into law, which requires the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to modify its appeals, summons, and asset seizure procedures, in addition to making a variety of other changes to the agency. Trump will also likely sign the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Humanitarian Assistance and Security at the Southern Border Act, 2019 (H.R. 3401) into law later this week, which provides $4.6 billion in emergency supplemental appropriations to address the humanitarian and security crisis at the southern border. On Thursday, July 4, President Trump will deliver remarks at the "Salute to America" event taking place in front of the Lincoln Memorial. On Friday, Trump will travel to Bedminster, New Jersey for a brief vacation.