Democrats have introduced an immigration bill – The US Citizenship Act- which could provide a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented people. The bill is being championed by Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA) and Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ). President Biden has already indicated support. Among other things, the bill will:
The bill is expected to be introduced in the House this week, and in the Senate next week, where it would need 10 Republican Senators to vote in favor. Bill text is available here (Senate) and here (House).
The bill contains numerous, wide-ranging provisions, and our office is still working through the text.
The FY21 joint budget resolution under consideration by the House and Senate will give “reconciliation” instructions to 11 authorizing committees, directing them to report legislation related to spending, revenue, or debt. The Democrats’ joint resolution carves out an addition $1.9 trillion in deficit spending by changing the top level discretionary spending amount for FY21.
The 3 committees with the largest instructions are:
The deadline to report legislation is February 16th.
The reconciliation process can be used as a vehicle to pass large agenda items such as a minimum wage increase, COVID relief, and additional stimulus checks, as long as it is related to the budget. Congress is limited to one reconciliation measure each year from each of the categories of direct spending, revenue and the debt limit.
There are various restrictions as to how this process can be used. In the Senate, reconciliation bills are not subject to the filibuster (can pass by simple majority) and amendments must be germane to the bill, however the Byrd Rule applies which limits the provisions included. For a more detailed overview, you can read here.
With the swearing-in of the new Biden Administration scheduled for tomorrow, the first set of confirmation hearings for several key posts within the Administration are set to start today. These include:
Read more about the nominees and the confirmation process here, here, and here.
President-elect Joe Biden has announced several key scientific positions in his administration.
Dr. Eric Lander will serve as Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy within the White House. Dr Lander is currently a professor at MIT. The President-elect also announced he will elevate the position to cabinet-level rank.
Dr. Francis Collins will continue serving as Director of the National Institutes of Health.
Several deputies were also announced. The full press release is available here.