The Senate met at 10:30 a.m. and resumed consideration of the nomination of Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo to be Secretary of Commerce and at 2:15pm the Senate will vote on confirmation of the nomination. Following disposition of the Raimondo nomination, the Senate will vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Cecilia Rouse to be Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. If cloture is invoked on the Rouse nomination the Senate will vote on confirmation of the nomination during Tuesday’s session. At 1:10 p.m. President Joe Biden will join Senate Democrats by phone during their weekly lunch, ahead of the COVID relief bill being taken up in the upper chamber. Nearly two dozen House progressives on Monday called on Vice President Harris to overturn the Senate parliamentarian’s ruling that a $15 minimum wage could not be included in the Democrats’ $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package. “Eighty-one million people cast their ballots to elect you on a platform that called for a $15 minimum wage,” the members wrote in a letter led by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-California). Progressives want Harris, the President of the Senate, to overrule the parliamentarian, a move requiring support from at least 50 other senators. But Biden and Senate Number two Democrat, Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), said they’ll respect the parliamentarian’s ruling. President Biden launched a lobbying effort targeting fellow Democrats on Monday to unify them behind his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill as the Senate prepares to move forward on the massive legislation this week. Democrats don’t have a vote to spare in the Senate, but several moderate-leaning senators have raised concerns about the structure of unemployment insurance benefits and Biden’s plan to send $350 billion to state and local governments, among other issues. Biden convened a group of these Democrats on a conference call Monday afternoon, the first in a days-long outreach campaign that will also include calling into the weekly Senate Democratic lunch on Tuesday and addressing the House Democratic caucus on Wednesday evening. The White House and congressional Democrats are staring down a March 14th deadline when enhanced unemployment benefits will expire unless the relief legislation is signed into law first. The House passed the bill on Saturday, allowing just two weeks to get it through the Senate, where it’s likely to undergo some changes, and then back to the House for final passage. “I expect a hearty debate and some late nights,” Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) said on the Senate floor Monday.
Also at 10 a.m. FBI Director Christopher Wray began testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the department’s January 6th response. Director Wray opened his testimony on Capitol Hill today by stating that the bureau views the attack on January 6th as “domestic terrorism.” He said the behavior that day by the rioters was “criminal” and has “no place in our democracy.” Wray added that “tolerating” the actions of those who sieged the Capitol “would make a mockery of our nation’s rule of law.”
As the Biden administration nominees continue to be processed by the Senate, the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the nomination of Merrick Garland to be attorney general by a bipartisan vote Monday, setting up a potential final floor vote on confirmation as early as this week. The 15-7 vote was expected, as senators from both parties had indicated they supported Garland leaving his longtime spot on the federal appeals court in Washington to run the Justice Department. Republican senators who voted against Garland were Ted Cruz of Texas, Mike Lee of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, John Kennedy of Louisiana and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee. So far, 11 of Biden’s 23 Cabinet-level nominees requiring Senate approval have been confirmed — with Hawley having opposed each one.
Today, the House met at 9 a.m. for legislative business and will begin Consideration of H.R. 1 – For the People Act of 2021. The Rule that was passed makes in order 56 amendments and allows for amendments to be offered en bloc. A full list of amendments can be found here. At 2 p.m. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) and Democratic leadership kick off the House Democrats 2021 Issues Conference. At 8:15 p.m.: Vice President Harris will speak at the issues conference.
