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News and updates

House Passes First “Minibus”

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After completing its debate earlier today, the House passed the first of its “minibus” packages containing three of the 12 FY2019 appropriations bills, the Energy and Water Development, Military Construction-Veterans Affairs, and Legislative Branch bills.  The goal of the House leadership is to bundle different spending bills into “minibus” measures and move several bills at once rather than trying to pass them individually.

Although the Senate Appropriations Committee has cleared a number of spending bills, none have yet reached the floor for consideration.

 

More Progress Seen on Appropriations Front

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Both chambers of Congress continue to make progress on the FY2019 appropriations bills.

The House is expected to start its debate on its first “minibus” package of bills today.  The measure includes the Energy and Water Development, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction-Veterans Affairs Appropriations Bills.  The Appropriations Committee approved its Interior spending bill yesterday evening.

On the Senate side, the Appropriations Committee earlier this morning approved both the Transportation-Housing and Urban Development and Military Construction-Veterans Affairs bills.  Four of the 12 spending bills have been cleared by the committee in the Senate so far.  Seven bills have been approved by the House committee.

Trump to Announce Sweeping Reorg of Federal Gov’t

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Today Politco is reporting that “The Trump administration is preparing to release a sweeping plan for reorganizing the federal government that includes a major consolidation of welfare programs — and a renaming of the Health and Human Services Department.

The report, set to be released in the coming weeks by the White House OMB, seeks to move safety-net programs, including food stamps, into HHS, two sources with knowledge of the plan told POLITICO. The plan would also propose changing the name of the sprawling department, while separately seeking cuts at USAID and the State Department.”

Read more from Politico and check back here for more information as it’s available.

Most of August Recess for Senate Canceled

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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced today that he is cancelling most of the traditional month-long August recess.  Under the new schedule, the Senate would have a week-long recess at the beginning of August but would return to Washington for the rest of the month.

Read more about McConnell’s decision here, here, and here.  It is still possible that the August recess could be extended.

The House has not announced any changes to its August schedule.

This Week in Congress, June 4-8

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U.S. House of Representatives

HOUSE FINANCIAL SERVICES
Subcommittee Hearing
Homeless Children
June 6, 10 a.m., 2128 Rayburn Bldg.

HOUSE OVERSIGHT & GOVERNMENT REFORM
Subcommittee Hearing
Iran Nuclear Agreement
June 6, 2 p.m., 2154 Rayburn Bldg.

HOUSE RULES
Full Committee Business Meeting
Energy and Water Development Appropriations
June 6, 3 p.m., H-313, U.S. Capitol

HOUSE WAYS & MEANS
Subcommittee Hearing
Consumer-Directed Health Plans
June 6, 11 a.m., 1100 Longworth Bldg.

HOUSE SCIENCE, SPACE & TECHNOLOGY
Subcommittee Hearing
Future Electric Grid
June 7, 1 p.m., 2318 Rayburn Bldg.

HOUSE TRANSPORTATION & INFRASTRUCTURE
Subcommittee Hearing
Maritime Transportation in the Arctic
June 7, 11 a.m., 2167 Rayburn Bldg.

HOUSE JUDICIARY
Subcommittee Hearing
U.S. Census Questions
June 8, 9 a.m., 2141 Rayburn Bldg.

U.S. Senate

SENATE APPROPRIATIONS
Subcommittee Hearing
Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations
June 5, 10:15 a.m., 124 Dirksen Bldg.

SENATE ENERGY & NATURAL RESOURCES
Full Committee Hearing
Wildland Fire Outlook and Management
June 5, 10 a.m., 366 Dirksen Bldg.

SENATE COMMERCE, SCIENCE & TRANSPORTATION
Subcommittee Hearing
Preventing Abuse in Athletics
June 5, 3 p.m., 253 Russell Bldg.

SENATE APPROPRIATIONS
Subcommittee Hearing
Defense Appropriations
June 6, 10 a.m., SVC-217, U.S. Capitol

SENATE JUDICIARY
Subcommittee Hearing
China’s Infiltration of U.S. Academia
June 6, 2:30 p.m., 226 Dirksen Bldg.