This Week In Washington

Latest news from Washington, D.C. produced by Total Spectrum/SGA exclusively for members of the Arizona 小红帽直播app of Commerce & Industry

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Thanks for your interest in Washington, D.C., and thanks for reading This Week in Washington.

Special thanks to those who participated in this week鈥檚 Arizona 小红帽直播app Fly-in. and I enjoyed visiting with each of you who attended. The pandemic robbed members of Congress from interacting with Americans鈥� and the pandemic robbed Americans from interacting with members of Congress and their staff. Thankfully, that鈥檚 all in the rearview mirror.

Both the Senate and the House returned to Washington right after Labor Day, and both are scheduled to leave town by the end of September. has written an excellent summary of Congress鈥� legislative agenda 鈥� what鈥檚 possible in the next 7 days and what is going to get pushed off until the lame duck session. Patrick鈥檚 Washington Whispers articles are always good, and this week鈥檚 is exceptionally well done.

monitored the September 20^th hearing of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, entitled 鈥淭ightening the Screws on Russia.鈥�

While Patrick summarized the legislative agenda, the political agenda is also on the front burner, and the water is boiling. Republicans expect to take back the House of Representatives; the question is how many seats they will hold next January. The very conservative low is about 220, and the realistic high is around 230. Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy will present the House Republicans鈥� 鈥�Commitment to America鈥� today in Pittsburgh, which they hope will help them achieve the biggest majority possible in the next Congress.

The Senate is way too close to call. The key states have been 鈥� and still are 鈥� Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Republicans had momentum through the spring, but Democrats took some back over the summer. Republicans now sense a slight breeze at their back as inflation, interest rates, and the economy become more impactful. Senate Republicans are beginning to feel cautiously optimistic that they could hold a one or two seat majority next January.

罢辞诲补测鈥檚&苍产蝉辫; interview is with Nathan Gonzales, the Editor and Publisher of Inside Elections, which provides nonpartisan analysis of Senate, House, and gubernatorial, and presidential elections. Nathan provides important context and fascinating observations on November鈥檚 elections.

Congressman Erik Paulsen has planned a number of really important interviews for our series. The next interview should be distributed next week, and as always, we welcome your thoughts and comments.We鈥檒l be back in two weeks with the next issue of This Week.

Total Spectrum Managing Director

Total Spectrum Spotlight

Labor Day starts the final lap toward the finish line for this year鈥檚 elections.

n this week鈥檚听,听听speaks with Nathan Gonzales, Editor and Publisher of听Inside Elections,听a publication which provides nonpartisan analysis of campaigns for Senate, House, governor and president.听Mr. Gonzales also serves as Elections Analyst for听CQ Roll Call.

Mr. Gonzales shares his insights on the GOP鈥檚 momentum going into November鈥檚 midterm election and how the Supreme Court鈥檚 Dobbs decision may have changed that momentum.听He also explores whether results from special elections should be considered as trend indicators, and which Senate races are surprising analysts 鈥� and the potential for another runoff in Georgia

All this and more in today鈥檚听Total Spectrum Spotlight.

Washington Whispers

By Patrick Robertson, Total Spectrum Strategic Consultant

Congress returned after Labor Day from its summer break and its to-do list has narrowed as September marches on.

Coming into the month, the Senate had hoped to vote on a bill to codify the right for same-sex couples to marry, pass the annual defense authorization bill, pass a permitting reform bill authored by Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), and pass a Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the government beyond the end of Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22), which ends at midnight on September 30.

But since Congress returned, a number of these items have been pushed until after the election or even later. First, Democratic and Republican Senators that they would put off a vote on the same sex marriage bill until after the election. The bill negotiators, who include Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Susan Collins (R-ME), have been working for months to agree on a product that will get 60 votes in the Senate. This delay will give them more time to find the 60 votes they will surely need to clear the filibuster.

Congress has passed an annual defense authorization bill for the better part of six decades. The Senate has not debated this year鈥檚 version, but the House passed a bill with almost 330 votes and defense negotiators have decided to conference a final product that both chambers can pass in a lame duck session following the November election. This strategy has been used in years past and observers expect that the bill will eventually pass.

In exchange for his vote on the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) got assurances from Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to consider a permitting reform bill that would make it easier to get federal permits for infrastructure projects, especially in the energy sector. This agreement was necessary because the changes Senator Manchin is seeking could not be considered under the Senate鈥檚 limited budget reconciliation rules that the Senate used to pass the IRA.

Senator Manchin this week which proposes these permitting changes:

A maximum time to consider federal permit requests;
Concurrent review of permit application by multiple federal agencies;
A new designation of projects of 鈥渟trategic national importance鈥� to receive expedited consideration;
Some shorter timelines for legal challenges to federal permitting actions; and
Enhance federal government authority over interstate transmission lines.

Leader Schumer and Senator Manchin are working to insert these changes into the extension of government funding because it is a bill that will get 60 votes. They are banking on Republican support for both the funding bill and the permitting reform bill carrying over to make this package pass the Senate. But there are a few warning signs. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) has with 46 Republican Senate cosponsors, which gives those Republicans cover for opposing the Manchin plan if they want to do so. Some Republican Senators are suggesting they could tank the deal as revenge on Democrats who used budget reconciliation to pass their priorities. In addition, 72 House Democrats have said they oppose the Manchin plan. Just yesterday, Sen. Capito announced she will vote in favor of Sen. Manchin鈥檚 bill if it is included in the CR.

Finally, in addition to some of the concerns being raised on the left, top House Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy is currently urging House Republicans to oppose the CR over their concerns on border funding. On Friday, Leader McCarthy will be in Pittsburgh, PA to announce Republicans鈥� unified message, called 鈥淐ommitment to America.鈥�

In short, there are a lot of twists and turns remaining in the debate to pass a funding bill before September 30 and the Congress has left a lot of work for itself when it returns after the November midterm elections. Lame duck sessions of Congress go one of two ways 鈥� either a lot of bipartisan dealmaking happens or Congress does the bare minimum, sometimes even punting decisions to the new Congress in the new year.

At this point, Congress is banking on having some cooperation in the lame duck but no one can know if that will be true until the political dynamic is set post-election. As a reminder, the 2020 Senate landscape was not clear until January 2021 with runoffs and recounts, so there could be an even more compressed timeline.Most observers predict that Congress will pass a short-term funding bill before September 30 to fund the government until either December 9 or December 16, and then decide if anything else can ride on that bill or if all items will need to wait until after the midterms.

Hearing Report

By Ramona Lessen, Executive Director, Total Spectrum

Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on “Tightening the Screws on Russia”

Tuesday, September 20, 2022; 9:00 a.m.

To view a livestream of the hearing please .

Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chairman

Senator Patrick J. Toomey (R-PA), Ranking Member

Witnesses:

The Honorable Elizabeth Rosenberg

Assistant Secretary For Terrorist Financing And Financial Crimes

U.S. Department of the Treasury

Mr. Andrew C. Adams

Director, Task Force KleptoCapture

United States Department of Justice

Congressional Calendar

All times ET

Monday, Sept. 19

2 p.m. House Rules Committee to consider a bill, S. 1098, that would authorize federal direct consolidation loan borrowers to separate joint consolidation loans.

Tuesday, Sept. 20

9 a.m. Senate Banking Committee on 鈥渢ightening the screws on Russia,鈥� focusing on smart sanctions, economic statecraft and next steps.
9:30 a.m. Senate Armed Services Committee on U.S. nuclear strategy and policy.
10 a.m. House Agriculture Conservation and Forestry Subcommittee on a 2022 review of the Farm Bill, with respect to stakeholder perspectives on Title II conservation programs.
10 a.m. House Oversight Committee of at least five bills, including one that would provide for expanded home rule for the residents of the District of Columbia.
10 a.m. House Financial Services Consumer Protection and Financial Institutions Subcommittee on alternative payment systems and the national security impacts of their growth.
10 a.m. House Science Committee on 鈥漵trengthening science to respond to a rapidly changing Arctic.鈥�
10 a.m. House Small Business Committee on the Small Business Administration鈥檚 Office of International Trade.
10 a.m. House Veterans’ Affairs Oversight and Technology Modernization subcommittees joint on 鈥漋A Major Acquisitions Failures: In Search of Solutions.鈥�
10:15 a.m. House Education and Labor Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education Subcommittee on meeting students鈥� academic, social and emotional needs.
11 a.m. House Natural Resources Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee on a bill, H.R. 8802, that would require the Interior Department the Forest Service to align management of public lands and waters with the president’s greenhouse gas emission reduction goal.
1 p.m. House Natural Resources Indigenous Peoples Subcommittee on 鈥淓xamining Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta: The Implications of the Supreme Court’s Ruling on Tribal Sovereignty.鈥�
2 p.m. House Agriculture Commodity Exchanges, Energy and Credit Subcommittee on assessing crypto as a tool for financial inclusion.
2 p.m. House Financial Services Diversity and Inclusion Subcommittee on a review of diversity and inclusion at America鈥檚 largest insurance companies, including on five bills, one of which would require Dodd-Frank-regulated entities to provide information necessary for the Offices of Women and Minority Inclusion to carry out their duties.
2 p.m. House Rules Committee to consider the Presidential Election Reform Act.
2:30 p.m. Senate Banking Transportation-HUD Subcommittee on stakeholder perspectives on the USDA鈥檚 Rural Housing Service.
2:30 p.m. Senate Homeland Security Investigations Subcommittee on how DOJ 鈥渇ailed to implement鈥� the Death in Custody Reporting Act.
2:30 p.m. Senate Judiciary Antitrust and Competition Subcommittee on oversight of federal enforcement of antitrust laws.

Wednesday, Sept. 21

9:30 a.m. House Oversight National Security Subcommittee on Russia鈥檚 use of private military companies.
10 a.m. House Financial Services Committee on oversight of the U.S.鈥� largest consumer-facing banks. The hearing will include testimony on 14 bills, including one that would require the CFPB to create 鈥渃lear federal oversight鈥� over the development of credit scoring models and testimony from several witnesses, including JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon.
10 a.m. House Foreign Affairs Middle East, North Africa and Terrorism Subcommittee on U.S. interest in regional security cooperation in the Middle East and North Africa.
10 a.m. House Homeland Security Committee on critical infrastructure preparedness and resilience, with a focus on water.
10 a.m. House Rules Legislative and Budget Process Subcommittee on legislative and budgetary solutions to unfair restrictions on third-party repair of electronic devices.
10 a.m. House Science Space Subcommittee on the next generation of weather satellites.
10 a.m. Senate Appropriations Military Construction-VA Subcommittee on an update on rollout, cost and schedule of the VA鈥檚 electronic health record modernization efforts.
10 a.m. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on five nominations, including Colleen Shogan鈥檚 nomination to be the archivist of the National Archives.
10 a.m. Senate Judiciary Committee on pending nominations.
10 a.m. House Judiciary Committee of six measures, including a bill that would create a grant program for states to assist their efforts in modernizing criminal justice data infrastructure to facilitate automated record sealing and expungement.
10 a.m. House Natural Resources Committee of a bill, H.R. 4690, which would reauthorize existing fishery conservation and management laws.
10 a.m. House Small Business Committee of two measures, including a bill, H.R. 8844, that would reauthorize the Small Business Administration (SBA)鈥檚 State Trade Expansion Program, or STEP.
10 a.m. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee to consider eight nominations, including six for the Tennessee Valley Authority board of directors, and five General Services Administration resolutions. The business meeting will be followed by a hearing on state and local perspectives on 鈥減utting the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to work.鈥�
10:15 a.m. House Education and Labor HELP Subcommittee on administration of the unemployment insurance system.
10:30 a.m. Senate Energy and Natural Resources National Parks Subcommittee on 16 measures, including a resolution that would redesignate the Robert E. Lee Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery as the “Arlington House National Historic Site.”
2 p.m. House Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee on how the recommendations of the Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military have been implemented and on the establishment of the Office of Special Trial Counsel.
2 p.m. House Foreign Affairs Europe, Eurasia, Energy and the Environment Subcommittee on accountability for atrocity crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine.
2 p.m. House Select Coronavirus Subcommittee on the impact of the coronavirus on nursing homes.
2:15 p.m. Senate Foreign Relations Committee on women leaders countering authoritarianism.
2:30 p.m. Senate Indian Affairs Committee on promoting and supporting tribal access to spectrum and related benefits in Native communities.
2:30 p.m. Senate Intelligence Committee on 鈥淧rotecting American Innovation: Industry, Academia, and the National Counterintelligence and Security Center.鈥�
2:30 p.m. Senate Small Business Committee on SBA STEP oversight.
3:30 p.m. Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee on the status of military recruiting and retention efforts across DoD.

Thursday, Sept. 22

9 a.m. Senate Judiciary Committee听听to consider S. 673, which would temporarily allow news organizations to band together and negotiate with the likes of Facebook and Google without breaking antitrust laws, and Kirk Taylor鈥檚 nomination to be a U.S. marshal for the District of Colorado.
9 a.m. House Financial Services Housing and Insurance Subcommittee听听on the impact of growing wildfire risk on the insurance market.
9:30 a.m. Senate Banking Committee听听on annual oversight of the U.S.鈥� largest banks. Several witnesses, including JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon, will testify.
10 a.m. House Homeland Security Oversight Subcommittee听听on the risk assessment process with respect to federal building security.
10 a.m. House Natural Resources Committee听听on oversight of PROMESA and LUMA Energy鈥檚 Contract.
10 a.m. Senate Aging Committee听听on stopping senior scams and empowering communities to fight fraud.
10 a.m. Senate ENR Committee听听on opportunities and challenges in deploying innovative battery and non-battery technologies for energy storage. 366 Dirksen.