Yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) announced he will hold off on a vote on the bill to codify same-sex marriage into law until after the midterm elections as lawmakers struggle to win the support of ten Republicans to advance it. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) told reporters on Thursday afternoon of the decision, which increases the chances the bill will ultimately get across the finish line with the requisite number of GOP votes. However, it means that Republicans will not be put on the record ahead of the November elections. At the moment, there are only three hard yes GOP votes for the bill — Senators Susan Collins (Maine), Rob Portman (Ohio) and Thom Tillis (North Carolina).
Both the Senate and the House are expected to spend most of next week working on the continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government through December 16th. Still to be resolved is how Senator Joe Manchin’s (D-West Virginia) separate permitting reform bill will be dealt with on the continuing resolution. Manchin struck a deal with Leader Schumer to support a sweeping Democratic climate and infrastructure bill and the side bill has sparked fierce backlash from climate hawks in the Democratic caucus, and it remains unclear if Republican support for the measure exists to offset any Democrats who decline to support it. Last week, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Raúl Grijalva (D-Arizona) led more than 75 House Democrats in a letter asking House leadership not to include Manchin’s measure in stopgap funding that will prevent a government shutdown.
When the Senate convenes at 3:00 P.M. on Monday, it will resume consideration of the nomination of Florence Y. Pan to be United States Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit as well as potentially begin work on Treaty Document 117-1 Amendment to Montreal Protocol, Kigali Amendment.
The House is scheduled to reconvene at 6:30 P.M. on Monday.
