Both the House and Senate will reconvene for the week today for legislative business.
The House met at noon, with votes postponed until 6:30 p.m. when it will consider seventeen bills listed for consideration under suspension of the Rules including H.R. 2911 – VA Transparency and Trust Act of 2021.
The Senate will meet at 3 p.m. to take up the motion to proceed to the Endless Frontier Act, TEXT, with a vote to invoke cloture at 5:30 p.m. Last week, the Senate Commerce Committee approved the bill that would invest billions in tech and science and emerging technologies in an effort to compete with China by a vote of 24-4, with four Republican Senators voting against the bill. The committee approved the legislation with significantly less funds included for the founding of a Technology and Innovation Directorate at the National Science Foundation, with much of the originally proposed $100 billion being funneled to other research efforts. The bill was approved after several hours of debate that saw well over 100 amendments proposed by senators. The funding levels have caused concern among some Republicans, but the legislation is expected to be approved.
In the House, the Rules Committee will have a virtual business meeting at 3 p.m. on two bills: The Fairness in Orphan Drug Exclusivity Act which was delayed last week on the floor after Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Pennsylvania) wouldn’t let Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Georgia) co-lead the bill because of his anti-certification vote of the Pennsylvania election results on January 6th in the wake of the Trump incited insurrection at the Capitol. The Committee will also consider a bill which condemns the March 16th shootings in Atlanta and seeks to reaffirm the House’s stance on combating hate crimes towards the Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities.
President Joe Biden plans to speak to the nation Monday afternoon on his administration’s coronavirus response and vaccinations. His scheduled remarks come as state and local government officials and businesses scramble to respond to last week’s decision by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to overhaul its guidance to no longer require fully vaccinated individuals to wear masks. So far, 59 percent of U.S. adults said they have gotten one shot, and another 14 percent say they plan to, according to a poll by PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist. But 24 percent do not plan to get vaccinated and over four out of 10 Republicans say they do not plan to get a vaccine at all.
The Biden administration will begin paying hundreds of dollars per month to millions of American families in July as it rolls out the refundable child tax credit that was created as part of the economic relief legislation that Congress passed in March. The provision in the stimulus bill was viewed by Democrats as central to their efforts to reduce poverty and income inequality in the United States. The program is expected to provide additional funds to 39 million households and the Biden administration projects that it will lift 5 million children out of poverty this year. The Treasury Department said on Monday that the temporary payments of up to $300 per month will begin on July 15th to families that are eligible. Families with children under 6 years old can receive the $300 monthly payment, while those with children over 6 receive $250 per month. The size of the payments are phased out based on income levels.
Adam S. Olsen, Washington, D.C.
