President Joe Biden is joining top messengers already crisscrossing the country to highlight what they say are the benefits of the Democrat’s COVID-19 rescue plan. The White House has set a theme for each day, and Tuesday is promoting aid for small businesses. Biden is set to visit a small business in Chester in suburban Philadelphia on Tuesday, his initial trip outside Washington for the “Help is here” tour that got underway yesterday when Vice President Kamala Harris dropped in on a COVID-19 vaccination site and a culinary academy in Las Vegas, while first lady Dr. Jill Biden toured a New Jersey elementary school. Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, will continue their promotion of the legislation in Colorado today. They’re expected to visit a vaccination clinic in Fort Lupton and then will participate in a listening session with small business owners at Maria Empanada, an eatery in Denver. Biden has said he wants to publicize the plan to the public, saying Democrats paid a political price for not doing so after passage of the very successful 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Biden, who said yesterday that $100 million in checks will be in Americans’ pockets within the next 100 days, encapsulates Democrats push: “Shots in arms and money in pockets.” Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a Dear Colleague has encouraged rank-and-file Democrats to hold town halls and send mailers about the bill and what it means for families and the economy in their districts.
For today, the Senate convened at 10 a.m. and resumed consideration of the nomination of Isabella Guzman to be Biden’s Administrator of the Small Business Administration. The Senate today will also proceed with a vote to invoke cloture on the nomination of Katherine Tai to be U.S. trade representative. On Monday, Senate Majority Leader Schumer (D-New York) filed cloture on the nominations of Xavier Becerra to be Secretary of Health and Human Services and Marty Walsh to be Secretary of Labor. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP) is holding a hearing that began at 10.am. on the nomination of Julie Su to serve as deputy secretary of Labor.
In the House, the Rules Committee met at 11 am to prepare both House Democrat immigration bills for floor consideration and a bill that would halt sequestration cuts totaling as much as $90 billion set to occur in January because President Biden’s COVID relief package increased projected deficits, as well as other bills. Both the Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021, H.R. 1603, and American Dream and Promise Act of 2021, H.R. 6, will be considered by the full House this week. After the action in the Rules Committee, the House meets at 2 p.m. for legislative business and will consider the Rule Providing for Consideration of 1.) H.J.Res. 17 – Removing the deadline for the ratification of the equal rights amendment 2.) H.R. 1620 – Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2021 3.) H.R. 6 – American Dream and Promise Act of 2021 4.) H.R. 1603 – Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021 5.) H.R. 1868 – To prevent across-the-board direct spending cuts. The House will also consider 5 bills under suspension of the Rules, including a bill to award three congressional gold medals to the United States Capitol Police and those who protected the U.S. Capitol during the insurrection led by supporters of former President Donald J. Trump on January 6, 2021.
As the House considers the Rule for both immigration bills, House Democrats are pressing ahead with parts of their immigration agenda while they scramble to build support for a much broader comprehensive package. An immigration overhaul stands among the top priorities of President Biden, and Democrats in both chambers introduced the U.S. Citizen Act last month reflecting the administration’s goals. But disagreements between liberal and moderate Democrats have complicated the strategy for bringing that legislation to the floor, highlighting both the explosive nature of immigration politics in Washington and the struggles facing congressional Democrats as they charge ahead with an ambitious legislative slate.
