Director’s Desk



Kristin Nicholson | April 15, 2024

Dear Friends,

With FY2024 funding bills finally off the to-do list, the House and Senate have a bit more bandwidth to focus on other priorities. But even as I write this, events are overtaking the chambers’ planned schedules. Following Iran’s weekend attack on Israel in retaliation for a recent strike, it appears the House will take up aid to Israel this week. What that legislation will look like and whether it will also include aid to Ukraine and Taiwan, remains unclear.

On Tuesday, the Senate is expected to receive articles of impeachment for Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas, which seem likely they will be quickly dismissed. And of course, appropriators aren’t getting a break either, with FY25 lurking on the horizon. Funding decisions in the House will be in the hands of new Chairman Tom Cole, who will lead a shuffled roster of subcommittee cardinals. The abbreviated timeframe for crafting the next round of funding bills virtually guarantees another Continuing Resolution coming our way in September.

In this month’s featured article, Senior Fellow Josh Huder takes a look at Speaker Johnson’s role as a leader without a true majority to lead. It’s an especially timely piece that comes on the heels of yet another Republican rule being defeated on the Floor, as the House stumbled toward passing a reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act on the fourth try.

You can be sure we’ll be watching and analyzing all the action as it continues to shape our classes in real time.

All the best,

Kristin


Kristin Nicholson is the Director of the Government Affairs Institute


Categories: Director's Desk, Media Center, Updates