Director’s Desk
Kristin Nicholson | June 5, 2019
Dear Friends:
Congressional subpoena fights and will-they-or-wont-they coverage of potential impeachment proceedings may be grabbing most of the headlines (more on that below), but there is a slew of other activity for Congress watchers to keep an eye on.
The House Appropriations Committee continues to make quick work of its FY2020 funding bills, and a massive “minibus” may reach the House Floor next week. The roughly $1 trillion package combines five of the twelve annual appropriations bills, including the two largest – Defense and Labor-HHS-Education – along with funding for State and Foreign Operations, Energy and Water, and Legislative Branch. The House also passed – at long last – a major disaster relief bill with funding for hurricane recovery in Puerto Rico, flooding in the Midwest, fires in California, among others. The bill now awaits President Trump’s signature.
The Senate has yet to consider any of its FY20 funding bills, but they have moved on another must-pass measure: the National Defense Authorization Act. The Senate Armed Services Committee passed its version at the end of May and the full Senate is expected to act on the bill this month. The House is not far behind, with House Armed Services subcommittees marking up their portions of the bills this week. The full committee will hold its mark-up on June 12, and the NDAA is expected on the House Floor before the July 4th recess.
In the latest edition of our newsletter, GAI Senior Fellow Laura Blessing takes a deeper look at America’s recent history with impeachment and what lessons those experiences may (or may not) hold for the current debate over whether to open such proceedings.
When you’re finished reading, be sure to check out our most recent “Congress, Two Beers In” podcast, which features a fascinating and wide-ranging discussion with political scientist Richard Skinner and our regular crew of GAI Senior Fellows. And as always, you can keep track of what we’re up to on Twitter, check our calendar of upcoming programs and stay in touch if there’s anything we can do to help.
Kristin
Categories: Director's Desk, Media Center, Updates