The Senate convened at 10 a.m. and is considering the nomination of J. Nellie Liang to be an Under Secretary of the Treasury and the nomination of Donald Michael Remy to be Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs. The Senate will also begin work on the nomination of Tiffany P. Cunningham to be United States Circuit Judge for the Federal Circuit. In two hearings of note, at 9:30 a.m. Fed Chair Jerome Powell began testifying at a Senate Banking hearing on the semiannual monetary policy report to Congress, (Powell Testimony), and at 10:30 a.m. The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee began a hearing on supply chain resiliency.
The House remains in a committee work week. The House Appropriations Committee will mark up the FY2022 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (TEXT) and Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee Appropriations (TEXT) Bills at 10:00 a.m. The House Energy and Commerce Committee Health Subcommittee will markup 19 bills. Pallone MEMO.
President Joe Biden met with the Senate Democratic caucus Wednesday to shore up support for his sweeping infrastructure and economic investment goals, less than a day after the lawmakers announced they had reached an agreement on a multitrillion-dollar budget resolution. The agreement on the $3.5 trillion budget blueprint, including plans to pour money into addressing climate change and expanding Medicare among an array of other Democratic priorities, will advance alongside a bipartisan infrastructure deal. Of note, the plan includes universal prekindergarten for all 3- and 4-year-olds, two years of free community college, clean energy requirements for utilities and lower prescription drug prices. Medicare benefits would be expanded, and green cards would be extended to some undocumented immigrants. Combined with nearly $600 billion in new spending on physical infrastructure contained in the bipartisan plan, which omits many of Democrats’ highest ambitions, the measure is intended to deliver on President Biden’s $4 trillion economic proposal. The budget blueprint, expected to be dominated by spending, tax increases and programs that Republicans oppose, would pave the way for a Democrats-only bill that leaders plan to push through Congress using a process known as reconciliation, which shields it from a filibuster. Senate Democrats still need to hammer out some of the details, and legislative text has yet to be released. They also need to get all 50 members of their caucus on board with the proposal for it to pass without GOP support. Schumer has said he wants the Senate to pass the budget resolution before the August recess, as well as the bipartisan infrastructure measure that would include the $579 billion in new spending.
This morning, the President and The Vice President deliver remarks to mark the day that tens of millions of families will get their first monthly Child Tax Credit relief payments as part of the American Rescue Plan. The families of nearly 60 million children are receiving roughly $15 billion in the first monthly payments of the advanced Child Tax Credit. Democratic lawmakers and administration officials hope the money, part of the latest round of COVID-19 pandemic relief passed earlier this year, is just the beginning. It’s a provision of the American Rescue Plan, which expanded the Child Tax Credit to $3,600 per child younger than six and $3,000 per child ages six to 17, made it fully refundable and advanced half of it to families as monthly installments. Households with children six years old and younger will receive $300 per child each month, while families with children six to 17 will receive $250 for each of the next six months.
Later today, the President hosts Her Excellency Dr. Angela Merkel, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, for an Official Working Visit to affirm the deep and enduring bilateral ties between the United States and Germany Biden and Merkel will meet one-on-one in the Oval Office before an expanded session with aides and a concluding joint press conference. Biden and the first lady will host Merkel and her husband for dinner at the White House with a “range of individuals” who have been supporters of Germany. And Merkel will also receive an honorary degree from Johns Hopkins University while in the states, marking her 18th honorary degree so far. Officials said the leaders will unveil a “Washington Declaration” that spells out a joint vision for cooperating on difference policy challenges, and a shared commitment to human rights and the results democratic leadership provides for the world. They will also announce other initiatives, including a “futures forum” that brings together Americans and Germans from different sectors; an economic dialogue; and a climate and energy partnership.
Adam S. Olsen, Washington, D.C.
