The Senate reconvened at 10:00 A.M. and is expected to spend today processing nominations before turning back to the Ukraine aid package tomorrow. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) slammed Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) for delaying the $40 billion Ukraine aid package by over a week, calling the move “repugnant” and predicting the legislation will pass the Senate Thursday. Paul objected to passing the legislation last week, insisting that leaders add language to the package to give the Afghanistan inspector general oversight of how humanitarian and military assistance is spent in Ukraine.
For today, the Senate is expected to take up the nominations of Jennifer Louise Rochon to be US District Judge for the Southern District of New York, Barbara A. Leaf to be an Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Elizabeth Schoff Watson to be an Assistant Secretary of Labor, Trina L. Thompson to be US District Judge for the Northern District of California, Sunshine Suzanne Sykes to be US District Judge for the Central District of California and Christopher Joseph Lowman to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense.
The House reconvened at 12:00 P.M. and is expected to complete consideration of H.R. 6531 – Targeting Resources to Communities in Need Act of 2022. The House is also expected to consider H.R. 350 – Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2022 before turning to legislation to help potentially alleviate the infant formula shortage crisis. The House will consider H.R. 7790 – Infant Formula Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2022, legislation to provide an additional $28 million to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to help address the baby formula shortage affecting families across the country. The supplemental appropriations bill introduced by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Connecticut), the chair of the House Appropriations Committee, would provide resources to keep fraudulent formula products from making their way onto store shelves and helps acquire better data on the formula marketplace. It would also fund the balance of needed FDA activities, bolster the workforce focused on formula issues and boost FDA inspection staff. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) said last Friday that the House will also bring up a bill granting emergency authority to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) to address supply chain disruptions and recalls of formulas.
The House may also complete consideration of S. 2938, naming a Florida post office, as well as work through up to thirteen bills under suspension of the Rules.
Adam S. Olsen, Washington, D.C.
