The Senate convened today at 10:00 A.M. The upper chamber is expected to consider the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024 (H.R. 4366).
The House is expected to reconvene at 12:00 P.M. and will work on H.R. 4364 – Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2024. The Rules Committee will meet at 4 P.M. to take up the Transportation-HUD and Interior-Environment spending bills and the Israel aid supplemental. Of note, the House Republican bill to provide aid to Israel will add $26.8 billion to the U.S. budget deficit, according to a new report Wednesday by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The bill championed by new Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) pairs $14.3 billion in aid to Israel with $14.3 billion in cuts to IRS funding that was enacted under the Inflation Reduction Act, the Biden administration initiative passed by Democrats last year. But the CBO found that the IRS cuts coupled with the Israel aid would lead to a $26.8 billion decline in revenue, contradicting the stated goal of offsetting the aid. The CBO and the Treasury Department have said the funds, if left intact, would lead to tougher IRS enforcement and the collection of more tax revenues. Johnson has presented the measure as a challenge for Democrats to choose between help for Israel and an expanded IRS. Senate Democrats have blasted the bill and made clear it won’t pass the upper chamber, which is hoping to move aid to Israel alongside funding for Ukraine and other security requests from the Biden administration.
The House is also expected to process through a number of bills and resolutions under suspension of the Rules related to the ongoing situation in the Middle East including: H. Res. 559 – Declaring it is the policy of the United States that a nuclear Iran is unacceptable, H.R. 340 – Hamas International Financing Prevention Action, H.R. 3774 – SHIP Act, H. Res. 599 – Urging the European Union to designate Hizballah in its entirety as a terrorist organization, H.R. 3266 – Peace and Tolerance in Palestinian Education Act and H. Res. 798 – Condemning the support of Hamas, Hezbollah, and other terrorist organizations at institutions of higher education, which may lead to the creation of a hostile environment for Jewish students, faculty, and staff.
In an especially proud moment, the House may also take up: H. Res. 773 – Providing for the expulsion of Representative George Santos from the House of Representatives, H. Res. 807 – Censuring Representative Rashida Tlaib for antisemitic activity, sympathizing with terrorist organizations, and leading an insurrection at the United States Capitol Complex and H. Res. 610 – Censuring Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene.
