Letters from Capitol Hill that Members of Congress have written and signed on to lately.
Congress going up on a Tuesday
The Hill Rats are scurrying all over the place on Capitol Hill today:
Senate committees are paneled for cabinet nomination considerations. Top billed here is Pete Hegseth, 6x millionaire from speeches in the last two years and self-proclaimed reformed drinker, who said he would not imbibe alcohol at the helm of the Pentagon should he be confirmed. He did an expert job dodging questions about alleged infidelity, as well.
Over in the House, committee leadership is taking shape, with North Carolina Congresswoman Virginia Foxx tapped to lead the ever powerful Rules Committee, which oversees what legislation comes to the floor and what dies. From her tenure on the Small Business and Education Committees, Foxx has shown herself to be a stickler for the rules.
Substantive strategy on the President-to-Be’s policy ambitions continues to pose a number of questions, with House Speaker Johnson’s latest word that he will be working to ensure a debt limit extension through Trump’s second term.
A declared Baptist, Johnson said he is agnostic on whether a move to extend the debt limit through 2029 comes as part of a reconciliation budget plan or in another package.
However, he may need a prayer to get it passed, openly acknowledging how much the move could cost in terms of what Democrats would want in exchange for their support, even if the bills packages are bifurcated or split into multiples.
Related to shattering this debt ceiling, final terms of a reconciliation package remain prospective, including whether border matters can be closed by this means.
For the strict rules of reconciliation, including requirements that all provisions included in a reconciliation package be explicitly and not just esoterically related to the budget, this might need to be another item for Republicans’ prayer lists or agnostic thoughts.
Over in the Senate, Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said he plans to use reconciliation to fast track and expand oil and gas production, opening more federal land for development and streamlining regulations, as well as overhaul permitting and scrutinizing of state policies.
California’s plan to require zero-emissions for cars in the state is top of the chopping block for conservatives across the country.
In other Member news, Rand Paul (R-KY), son of a great Texan from Galveston, is taking the chair in the Upper Chamber’s Homeland Security Committee.
Known for taking a pragmatic approach to problems, including physically resolving a matter with a neighbor back home in Kentucky, it is unclear where Paul stands on expanding rules and laws to deal with the border, and the ‘d’ word - deportation, is coming out with an $86 billion price tag.
Sticker shock may cloud some strong feelings on this radical move in the congressional arsenal to deal with the border.
Burning a chit, several Members are calling for potential federal aid to support a severely charred Los Angeles to be tied to considerations for the debt ceiling, showing that nothing is off limits for bargaining to achieve consensus this Congress, even if there’s a fire.
While a disaster relief fund was replenished by Congress last year, fewer calls for leveraged exchange of federal relief were made when Hurricane Helene ravaged the East Coast, highlighting a resistance to supporting a state that frequently bucks federal prescriptions.
For a historical fun fact and some context, before the new turn of the century, Oklahoma was the last state to raise the drinking age to 21, and, had federal funding for roads not been threatened, the change may never have materialized.
Carrots and sticks, Coronas and spirits.
On the subject of potential solutions for the California wildfire disaster, Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-WY) told reporters Monday he plans to reintroduce a bill this week aimed at improving forest management through thinning and other mitigation techniques.
Two in the hand: while taking a hard line stance on needing an increased limit to pay for U.S. debt by raising the ceiling, the Donald announced an intention to form a new external revenue department dedicated to managing a spate of tariff threats.
Ahead of his official re-installment in the White House, Trump has touted plans for all kinds of tariffs, upending and empowering economic confidence everywhere all at once around the world:
“We will begin charging those that make money off of us with Trade, and they will start paying, FINALLY, their fair share. January 20, 2025, will be the birth date of the External Revenue Service,” the President-elect posted on social today.
Speaking of Trump stirring the pot, the razor-thin majority count will dip even lower when (if) a number of Members are approved for their appointment to the President’s cabinet.
Related to concerns on the numbers, akin to concerns with accommodating action from Members who may be unable to reach the Capitol, this week Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D-CO) is expecting her second child and is unable to fly to Washington under “medical and travel restrictions.”
Pettersen is among a group of lawmakers pressing the House to allow new parents to vote remotely, though Speaker Johnson said he opposes proxy voting on constitutional grounds.
Pettersen will be the 13th sitting lawmaker to give birth in the 236 years since Congress was formed.
Perhaps ironically, the President-elect is due to dial in next week while world leaders convene in Davos.
Last highlights from Washington - President Biden continues his work on the way out the door, today announcing Cuba to be removed from the terrorist designation blacklist.
While this may offer a chance to normalize relations with the communist-torn country, Members of Congress balk at the administration’s exit moves, including concerns with granting temporary protected status to a bevy of people seeking refuge in the U.S.
GET IT ON THE FLOOR
Alongside issues related to state and local taxes in the U.S., federal funding for Ukraine, and a burgeoning AI guidance document, the House is considering legislation to address who can participate in women’s sports.
H.R. 28, a bill to prevent schools from receiving federal funds if they allow transgender women assigned a male gender at birth from participating in women’s sports, passed today 218-206, with two Dems joining the GOP on passage.
House Members approved the terms of debate of this bill on the Floor, barring amendments, as part of the broader rules package adopted Jan. 3.
The House is also due to consider H.R. 153, which would require creation of a webpage showing the amount of federal disaster assistance provided each quarter. The measure was debated on Jan. 13 under suspension of the rules, which requires a two-thirds majority for passage.
From House Majority Leader Scalise
First and last votes expected: 2:00 p.m.
Legislation Considered Pursuant to a Rule:
H.R. 28 – Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025 (Sponsored by Rep. Steube / Education and Workforce Committee) (Passed 218-206)
Postponed Suspension:
H.R. 153 – Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act (Sponsored by Rep. Ezell / Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)
On Wednesday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for morning hour and noon for legislative business. First and last votes expected: 4:00 p.m.
Legislation Considered Pursuant to a Rule:
H.R. 33 – United States-Taiwan Expedited Double-Tax Relief Act (Rep. Smith (MO) / Ways and Means Committee)
Postponed Suspensions:
H.R. 164 – POWER Act of 2025 (Sponsored by Rep. Hoyle / Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)
H.R. 144 – Tennessee Valley Authority Salary Transparency Act (Sponsored by Rep. Cohen / Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)
Over in the Senate, Members are returning to the “Laken Riley Act” (S. 5), which would require Homeland Security to detain individuals in the U.S. illegally arrested for or charged with theft.
The chamber formally proceeded to the bill yesterday in an 82-10 vote, allowing members to start offering amendments.
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) submitted one amendment for consideration to require mandatory detention for crimes resulting in death or serious bodily injury.
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 9 a.m.: A hearing on the nomination of Gov. KRISTI NOEM to be Homeland Security secretary
Senate Judiciary Committee, 9:30 a.m. | A hearing on the nomination of PAM BONDI to be attorney general of the United States
Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 10 a.m. | A hearing on the nomination of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) to be secretary of State
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, 10 a.m. | A hearing on the nomination of JOHN RATCLIFFE to be the director of the Central Intelligence Agency
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Jan. 14 | Ohio Democrats Make Demands for Equal Rights
Next week, the country will have a new president, and a group of Ohio lawmakers have one big ask before Joe Biden leaves The White House. In a letter, the Ohio House Democratic Caucus is urging the president to formally publish the Equal Rights Amendment as the 28th amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
They argue, since Virginia became the 38th state to ratify the amendment in 2020, all that’s left is the ministerial procedure of directing the National Archivist to add the ERA to the Constitution.
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Jan. 13 | Disaster Du Jour
Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) led Senators Alex Padilla (CA) and Adam Schiff (CA), along with Reps. Brad Sherman (CA-32), Ted Lieu (CA-36), and George Whitesides (CA-27), to extend a formal invitation to President-Elect Trump to visit the sites of Los Angeles County devastated by recent wildfires. This action comes following her verbal invitation to the President-elect and Speaker Mike Johnson to visit disaster zones on Face the Nation yesterday and a formal letter to Speaker Johnson, House leadership, and top appropriators from Rep. Chu requesting they visit.
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Jan. 13 | Conditions and Threats for Support from Congress
A North Carolina congressman along with others wrote a letter urging the White House to keep vital resources for Helene recovery in Western North Carolina (WNC) in light of the wildfires in California.
Congressman Chuck Edwards (NC-11) was joined by Senator Thom Tillis, Senator Ted Budd, Congresswoman Virginia Foxx, Congressman Pat Harrigan, Congressman Addison McDowell, Congressman Tim Moore, Congressman Greg Murphy, Congressman Mark Harris, Congressman David Rouzer, Congressman Richard Hudson and Congressman Brad Knott.
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Jan. 13 | Direct to Israel, Do Not Pass Go
Representatives Jerrold Nadler and Mike Lawler led Greater New York City Area Representatives Clarke, Gillen, Goldman, Gottheimer, Kean, LaLota, Latimer, Meeks, Menendez, Meng, Pou, Sherrill, Suozzi, and Torres in a bipartisan letter to the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration supporting the expedited review and fair consideration of additional Israeli airlines’ bid to fly directly between New York City area airports and Tel Aviv.
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Jan. 10 | Urging Action for Haitians
Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20) led a group of 40 lawmakers urging President Biden and DHS Secretary Mayorkas to redesignate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians in the United States.
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Jan. 10 | Congress on CMS
Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) sent a letter to the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) urging the agency not to revoke the Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital’s (EBCH) designation as a Critical Access Hospital (CAH).
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Jan. 10 | Bondi…Pam Bondi
U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) requesting records relevant to the Senate Judiciary Committee’s consideration of the nomination of President-elect Trump’s presumptive nominee to be Attorney General, Pam Bondi.
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Jan. 10 | Congress’ Hands are Tai’d on Trade Agreements
House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) and Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Ala.) are investigating the Biden Administration’s politically-motivated efforts to remove essential investor protections for U.S. companies from free trade agreements.
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Jan. 10 | Hotel Hurricane Home Extension Requests
Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) and Rep. Pat Harrigan (R-NC) sent a letter to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanna Criswell demanding that the agency grant additional extensions to the Transitional Sheltering Assistance Program for individuals affected by Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina.
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Jan. 09 | Continued FTC Considerations
Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), along with Representatives Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.) and Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.), sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) urging them to approve the release of a second interim report on pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) at the FTC’s Open Commission Hearing on Tuesday, January 14, 2025.
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