With the House expected to begin work on the continuing resolution (CR) next week upon its return, Senate negotiators expect to also reach a deal on a bill to protect same-sex marriages in time to begin considering it on floor next week, which would put it on a path to pass before the end of the month. Republican negotiators caution they haven’t yet locked down ten Republican votes to overcome an expected filibuster against the bill, but they say they are making good progress. Negotiators believe they will work out a compromise to protect the views of religious groups that don’t recognize same-sex marriage, which would then attract more Republican support for the legislation. The House passed its version of the Respect for Marriage Act in July by a vote of 267 to 157, with 47 Republicans joining all Democrats in passing the measure.
Senators have a small window to act before Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) moves to a short-term government funding measure, which needs to pass by September 30th to avoid a shutdown. Democratic leadership has said they will include Senator Joe Manchin’s (D-West Virginia) permitting reform legislation that he has pushed for that would speed up the process for approving energy and infrastructure projects. When Manchin announced his support for the Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act, he and Senate Majority Leader Schumer said in a joint statement that they would separately pass a deal to reform the permitting process for these projects as part of the deal. But the push has come under fire from progressives, led by Representative Raúl Grijalva (D-Arizona), who have raised concerns about the potential for undermining environmental reviews and helping the fossil fuel industry. Grijalva, who chairs the House Natural Resources Committee, has circulated a letter asking leadership to separate the Manchin deal out of the continuing resolution and the letter has over 70 signatures. Democratic lawmakers are asking Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Maryland) not to include the permitting reforms championed by Manchin into the stopgap funding measure complicating passage of the continuing resolution.
The Senate stands adjourned until 3:00 P,M, on Monday when it will resume consideration of the nomination of Lara E. Montecalvo to be United States Circuit Judge for the First Circuit. The Senate is also expected to vote on the confirmation of Salvador Mendoza, Jr. to be United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit and vote to invoke cloture on Arianna J. Freeman to be United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit.
The House will return for votes at 6:30 P.M. on Tuesday, September 13th.
