Letters from Capitol Hill that Members of Congress have written and signed on to lately.
Dec. 18 | HOUSE SCHEDULE
On Wednesday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for morning hour and noon for legislative business. First and last votes expected: 4:00 p.m.
Legislation Considered Under Suspension of the Rules:
H.R. 9748 - Research Security and Accountability in DHS Act (Sponsored by Rep. D’Esposito / Homeland Security Committee)
H.R. 8664 - DHS Intelligence and Analysis Oversight and Transparency Act, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Lee (FL) / Homeland Security Committee)
H.R. 8662 - TSA Commuting Fairness Act (Sponsored by Rep. Kennedy / Homeland Security Committee)
S. 3959 - Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act of 2024 (Sponsored by Sen. Wicker / Homeland Security Committee)
S. Amdt. to H.R. 8663 – DETECT Fentanyl and Xylazine Act of 2024 (Sponsored by Rep. LaLota / Homeland Security Committee)
Postponed suspensions:
S. 1351 – Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act (Sponsored by Sen. Merkley / Energy and Commerce Committee)
S. 3857 – Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act (Sponsored by Sen. Padilla / Natural Resources Committee)
Additional legislative items are possible.
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Dec. 17
McHenry and Hill wrote to Treasury, the Federal Reserve, the SEC and other regulators asking them to respond by the end of the year with how they will ensure all records relevant to their request will be preserved, Politico says
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Dec. 17
The Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Patrick McHenry (NC-10), and the incoming Chairman and current Committee Vice Chair, French Hill (AR-02), sent letters to the outgoing Biden Administration’s agencies and regulators under the Committee’s jurisdiction. After the American people delivered Republican control of the House, Senate, and White House in a stark rebuke of the Biden Administration’s regulatory agenda, the lawmakers are warning against finalizing partisan rulemakings prior to the Trump Administration entering office. They are also demanding the agencies preserve all documents and communications.
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Dec. 17
A Republican congressman is disputing Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s insistence that the State Department did not block citizens from leaving Mazar-i-Sharif Airbase in Afghanistan during the frenzied withdrawal.
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Dec. 16
Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, demanding full transparency regarding on the Department of Defense’s role in selling parts of our southern border wall.
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Dec. 16
Crockett Leads Letter Calling For Clemency for Americans Convicted On Federal Crack Cocaine Offenses
Congresswomen Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and 18 members of the House Democratic Caucus sent a letter to President Joseph R. Biden calling for him to use his clemency power to commute those individuals serving longer sentences due to the crack cocaine versus powder cocaine sentencing disparity that was established during the 1980’s “War on Drugs.”
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Dec. 16
Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1), Chairman of the National Intelligence Enterprise Subcommittee on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), sent a letter calling on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to immediately deploy advanced resources to address the escalating concerns over unidentified unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) sightings operating near critical infrastructure in southeastern Pennsylvania.
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Dec. 16
Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Representative Bob Good (R-VA) are continuing to pressure Attorney General Merrick Garland to recover taxpayer funds that were used to make improper payments to multiemployer pension plans.
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Dec. 15
Representatives Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY-02) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-06) sent a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA-04) and Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY-08) urging them to address the recent spate of drone sightings and activity by including the bicameral counter-drone legislation in the Continuing Resolution currently being negotiated as the 118th Congress draws to a close.
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Dec. 13
U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (D-IL-05) sent a letter to the leaders of Amtrak, Canadian National, Metra, and Union Pacific, urging the leaders to reach an agreement on all outstanding aspects of Amtrak and the Illinois Department of Transportation’s upcoming federal grant application to advance the Chicago Hub Improvement Project (CHIP) for Chicago Union Station (CUS). The application for the 2024 Federal-State Partnerships for Intercity Passenger Rail grant, which would help fund the completion of CHIP, is due by December 16. Since the members met with Union Pacific (UP) CEO Jim Vena in February 2024, UP has been a collaborative partner with Amtrak and has been helpful with advancing the project.
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Dec. 13
U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-VT) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), led Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and Brian Schatz (D-HI) in urging President Biden to promptly designate the Palestinian Territories forTemporary Protected Status (TPS) and further protect Palestinians present in the United States from deportation. In their letter, the Senators outlined how the ongoing catastrophe in Gaza and the West Bank demands such a designation to ensure the safety of this vulnerable population. The Senators also outlined historical precedent for the designation of similar entities for TPS, including the Clinton Administration’s designation of the province of Kosovo during the war with Yugoslavia.
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Dec. 12
U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) and a bipartisan group of colleagues sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) urging passage of the bipartisan Pharmacy Benefit Manager Reform Act, which includes legislation Warner and Kaine led that would help lower drug costs for Virginians and Americans as a whole.
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Dec. 13
Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce Chairman Pete Sessions (R-Texas) and Ranking Member Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.) continue their bipartisan oversight of the Department of Defense’s personnel vetting practices. The lawmakers remain concerned about delays and issues with the National Background Investigation Service (NBIS) program. In a letter to the U.S. Government and Accountability Office (GAO) Comptroller General Gene L. Dodaro, they requested a GAO review of NBIS citing longstanding concerns about missed deadlines and cost overruns associated with developing a modernized security clearance vetting system that facilitates appropriate and secure access to our nation’s most sensitive materials.
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Dec. 12
U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) is urging Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to rein in damaging pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) practices that hurt patients and pharmacies.
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