After last night’s State of the Union, the House convened at 10:00 A.M. and began work on H.R. 3967 – Honoring our PACT Act of 2021. The Rule passed yesterday will make in order 28 amendments and allows for amendments to be offered en bloc. A full list of amendments can be found here. The legislative package will make available healthcare to more than 3.5 million veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during their military service. The legislation also finally recognizes the health effects of exposure to burn pits and airborne hazards.
The House is also set to vote today on a resolution sponsored by Representatives Greg Meeks (D-New York) and Michael McCaul (R-Texas) that asserts House support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and a ceasefire. The nonbinding resolution states that “The House of Representatives stands steadfastly, staunchly, proudly, and fervently behind the Ukrainian people in their fight against the authoritarian Putin regime.”
The Senate reconvened at 11:00 A.M. and resumed consideration of H.R.3076, Postal Service Reform Act. Key parts of the bill include requiring Postal Service employees to enroll in Medicare, which would cut down on premiums. Currently, about a quarter of retired postal workers do not enroll in Medicare, even when they are eligible, and it is estimated this would save approximately $22.6 billion over 10 years. Additionally, USPS would no longer be required to pre-fund health benefits for its current and retiring employees, which saves about $27 billion over 10 years. This is where the greatest cost savings for the Postal Service would come.
The Senate at noon today will also consider S.J. Res. 32, a Congressional Review Act resolution from Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) to block the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ vaccine mandate for health care workers. The measure may find support in the Senate but would likely not clear the House and would ultimately be vetoed by President Joe Biden.
Also today, President Biden’s Supreme Court nominee, Ketanji Brown Jackson will begin meeting with senators, including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York), Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) followed by afternoon meetings with key Judiciary Committee members including Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) and ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).
