Waiting on the Senate

Posted on December 30, 2020December 30, 2020

As of Wednesday, the US Senate has still not voted on whether to override President Trump’s veto of the FY21 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). A final vote, and eventual passage, is expected by this weekend after Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) objected to unanimous consent today. The House already voted to override the veto with bipartisan support.

Sanders’ objection was an attempt to push Majority Leader Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to schedule a vote on the increased, $2000 stimulus payments. The increased payments already passed in the House, and have the backing of President Trump. In a statement, Senator McConnell said the increased payments have “no realistic path to quickly pass the Senate.”

The clock is ticking to finish remaining agenda items before the 117th Congress is sworn in at 12:00pm on Sunday, January 3rd, 2021.

House Approves Bigger Checks, Overrides Defense Veto

Posted on December 28, 2020

Today the US House of Representatives voted, by a 2/3 majority, to increase COVID-relief stimulus checks from $600 to $2000 per individual. The President has signaled support of this, however it is unclear if it can pass in the Senate.

The House also voted, with significant bipartisan support, to override the President’s veto of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), an annual piece of legislation setting broad defense policy. If the Senate also votes to override, the legislation can become law without the President’s signature.

President Signs Appropriations Bills into Law

Posted on December 27, 2020December 27, 2020

President Trump has signed both the $900 billion COVID relief package, as well as the $1.4 trillion FY21 omnibus appropriations bill, into law. His signature will avert a government shutdown.

More details here.

Trump Follows Through on Veto Threat (No, not on THAT bill)

Posted on December 23, 2020

President Trump this afternoon followed through on his earlier threats and vetoed the FY2021 defense authorization bill, known as the “NDAA.” The legislation sets defense policies every year and addresses issues like troop withdrawals, and has been adopted every year since 1967. The bill was approved by Congress earlier this month by veto-proof margins in both chambers.

Trump wanted the bill to include a provision that stripped away protections for social media companies, a topic that is not related to defense. He also wanted the to prevent the renaming of Southern military bases. Trump had threatened to veto the legislation over those two provisions and he followed through on that threat this afternoon.

The House will be in session next Monday and may seek to override the veto then. The Senate is scheduled to be in session Tuesday and may follow suit, if the House is successful in its override attempt. Although the House vote earlier this month was by a veto-proof margin of 335 – 78, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) did not commit to push House Republicans to override a veto from President Trump. The Senate vote was also by a veto-proof margin, 83-14.

Based on the White House developments earlier this afternoon on the omnibus appropriations/COVID package, Monday could turn out to be even more critical, as the current government funding bill expires at Midnight Tuesday.

Read more about the unfolding situation here, here, and here.

Biden Education Secretary Named

Posted on December 22, 2020

Reports on Tuesday indicate President-elect Biden will name Miguel Cardona, the education commissioner of Connecticut, to be US Secretary of Education-designee. Cardona is a public school educator who started his career as a 4th grade teacher.