The Senate reconvened at 10:00 A.M. and at approximately 1:45 P.M. will vote on confirmation of the nomination of DeAndrea Gist Benjamin, of South Carolina, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit and the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Cindy K. Chung, of Pennsylvania, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit. The Senate on Thursday is also holding its first hearing on the Chinese spy balloon that floated over the United States last week before it was shot down over the weekend. The Senate Appropriations Committee will hear testimony from top Pentagon officials, including Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims II, the director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Vice Admiral Sara Joyner, director of force structure, resources and assessments for the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The House convened at 9:00 A.M. and unanimously approved a resolution this morning to condemn the Chinese Communist Party for using the spy balloon over the United States, 419-0. The resolution calls on the Biden administration to continue keeping Congress apprised of developments that include a timeline of when the balloon was first detected to when it was shot down, an assessment of surveillance data the People’s Republic of China was potentially able to collect or send, a detailed account of measures taken to mitigate the intelligence collection threat from the balloon, a description of options to mitigate the situation, and an account of diplomatic communications between Washington and Beijing on the matter. The resolution also requests information on previous times the People’s Republic of China used surveillance balloons across the world. The vote comes after the full House received a classified briefing on the balloon issue, with senators expected to receive a briefing as well. A senior State Department official said earlier Thursday that the Chinese balloon that flew above the U.S. for eight days included “multiple antennas” capable of collecting signals, intelligence, and that the balloon maker has proven ties to the Chinese military.
The House is also considering H.J. Res. 26 – Disapproving the action of the District of Columbia Council in approving the Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022.
When the House adjourns today, it will be in recess for the next two weeks for President’s Day, and will reconvene on Monday, February 27th. The Senate will next convene on Monday, February 13th.
