The Senate reconvened at 11:00 A.M. and is working on the nomination of Kathryn Huff, to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) announced today that he will force a vote next week on legislation codifying Roe v. Wade, in the wake of a draft Supreme Court decision that would strike down the landmark case. The test procedural vote is guaranteed to fall short because the bill needs 60 votes to advance, but Democrats are eager to make Republicans go on the record and show their own voters that they are fighting against the troubling draft decision. Leader Schumer will move to tee up the bill on Monday, setting up an initial vote for Wednesday. It will be the second vote Schumer has forced on the issue. The Senate previously rejected a similar bill in a 46-48 vote earlier this year, with Senator Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) voting with Senate Republicans. The vote comes as Republicans have largely gone quiet over the potential that Roe v. Wade could be struck down, instead focusing on the draft ruling being leaked. A Politico/Morning Consult poll released Wednesday found that 50 percent of voters believe the landmark case that guarantees abortion access should not be overturned, while only 28 percent said that it should be overturned.
The Senate on Wednesday moved to begin a formal conference on a long-stalled bill to pay for $52 billion in semiconductor chips manufacturing subsidies and boost U.S. competitiveness with China. The Senate completed votes on more than two dozen motions addressing a range of issues, including Iran policy. Although the motions are not binding, they convey a sense of what senators would like to see in the final bill and what could keep it from getting enough votes to become law. Late Wednesday, the Senate completed action on more than two dozen “Motions to Instruct.” Of note, Senators voted 78 to 17 against a proposal by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) that sought to delete language that would authorize the $10 billion development of a new lunar lander for NASA, a move seen as part of the senator’s effort to nix federal funds that could go to billionaire Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin. Senators voted 62-33 in favor of another motion that seeks to bar the Biden administration from lifting the terrorist designation for Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, an obstacle to reviving the nuclear pact. The Senate also voted 86-12 on a motion arguing terrorism-related sanctions on Iran are necessary to limit cooperation between China and Iran. The Senate first passed a version of the semiconductor chips and China competition bill in June, with strong bipartisan support. That $250 billion bill was hailed as potentially the most significant government intervention in manufacturing in decades, but stalled in the House. The House passed a version in February 2022 that had $52 billion in chips funding but significant differences on other provisions.
The Senate is expected to recess for the week later today and will reconvene on Monday, May 9th. The House will reconvene for votes at 6:30 P.M. on Tuesday, May 10th.
Adam S. Olsen, Washington, D.C.
