The Archive

IN THIS EDITION

FEMA chief set to take more heat

What we’re watching

Appropriations subcommittee shuffle

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FEMA chief set to take more heat

Happy Monday morning.

Welcome to the second edition of The Portal weekly newsletter, where we guide you through the most important policy debates of the upcoming week in Congress.

We’ll share the bills we’re watching, regulations we’re tracking and committees we’re following — all in Punchbowl News’ style.

I’m Samantha Handler, the anchor of The Portal newsletters. I would love to hear your feedback. Reach me at Samantha@Punchbowl.news.

Let’s get into this week’s edition.

What a disaster relief package could look like may soon start to take shape as lawmakers dig more into the details about what’s needed.

Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young sent a letter to lawmakers this morning promising a “comprehensive disaster package” in the coming days.

But the spotlight will shine most brightly this week on the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is about to face a tough round of scrutiny.

A handful of hearings this week will focus on how the disaster response agency has handled recovery efforts in the wakes of Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

Enacting any disaster relief was never going to be an easy lift for this Congress. The increased scrutiny FEMA is facing from Republicans may make those efforts harder even if they still ultimately come to fruition.

Republican anger: The GOP has increased pressure on the agency after it was revealed that an employee leading recovery efforts in Florida was reported to have told workers to avoid homes with President-elect Donald Trump signs.

House Transportation and Infrastructure Republicans already had an investigation going into the agency, and that’s now part of it, according to a letter they wrote last week. FEMA Administrator Deanna Criswell will appear before the panel Tuesday to face lawmakers and later that day will appear at the House Oversight Committee.

Lawmakers are expected to grill Criswell on both the employee issue and the agency’s general recovery efforts. Criswell did fire the employee after reports came out, but Florida’s attorney general has now filed a discrimination lawsuit against FEMA.

Some Republicans say these hearings will just be the beginning. Here’s Rep. Greg Murphy (R-N.C.):

On investigations, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has also called for a watchdog to review the accusations against the Florida official to ensure that no one has been denied disaster relief due to their political beliefs.

Spending details: The Senate Appropriations Committee will this week dig into the work of figuring out exactly how much disaster relief will be needed. The spending panel is having a hearing Wednesday with Criswell and a host of other administration officials.

Here’s the rest of the lineup:

• Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.)
• Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg
• Small Business Administrator Isabel Guzman
• Agriculture Secretary Xochitl Torres Small
• Housing and Urban Development Secretary Adrianne Todman

Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said she expects any disaster funding package will be bipartisan. Getting something done “as soon as possible” is a priority, she said during last week’s leadership press conference.

Simmering tensions: When all is said and done, that will likely happen, given the bipartisan and bicameral interest in doing so. But it likely won’t be easy and expect some shouting along the way.

For instance, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) stymied efforts last week from both Tillis and Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) to pass a bill by unanimous consent to refill the Small Business Administration’s disaster loans account.

Paul wanted the relief to be paid for by clawing back funds from the Inflation Reduction Act. Paul and Tillis sparred on the floor. Tillis said it’s no time to be playing games.

“I’m focused on trying to get North Carolina back on track,” the state’s senior senator said.

Paul’s efforts have even ruffled feathers in the House – Murphy said he was disappointed that there was one senator holding things up.

ICYMI: We scooped on Friday that Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) led a bipartisan letter urging the OMB to send a supplemental appropriations request to Congress. The agency usually sends requests in just a few weeks, the lawmakers noted in the letter.

– Samantha Handler

THE WEEK AHEAD

What we’re watching

Other than those FEMA and disaster relief hearings, here’s what else we’re watching this week in Congress.

The House has a number of foreign relations-related bills on the suspension calendar.

Monday: The House Rules Committee meets. The panel will consider a bill on geothermal leasing and permitting and a rule on a bill to end tax penalties for American hostages held overseas.

Tuesday: The Senate Judiciary Committee holds two hearings, one on how to bring more competition to the credit card system and how to lower fees, and another on China’s cybersecurity threat, focusing on big tech.

The Joint Economic Committee meets for a hearing on the upcoming expiration of the 2017 tax law, where former Ways and Means Committee Chair Kevin Brady (R-Texas) will testify.

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee holds a markup on over 70 federal lands- and energy-related bills.

The Senate Commerce Committee holds a subcommittee hearing on artificial intelligence scams.

The House Natural Resources subcommittee on federal lands holds a markup on nine bills. Another Natural Resource’s subcommittee, energy and mineral resources, also holds a markup on four bills.

Wednesday: The Senate Judiciary Committee meets for a nominations hearing.

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee holds a markup on four nominees and several bills.

The Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee holds a hearing on tax policy.

The House Natural Resources subcommittee on water, wildlife and fisheries holds a markup on four bills.

Thursday: The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a markup to consider six judicial nominees, including former Rep. Anthony Brindisi (D-N.Y.).

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Brett Holmgren, the acting director of the National Counterterrorism Center Office of the Director of National Intelligence, will testify at the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

– Samantha Handler

GAVEL WATCH

Appropriations subcommittee shuffle

Appropriators have big decisions to make soon – what subcommittee gavels they’ll grab in the next Congress.

Lost elections and retirements have opened up some key subcommittee chair and ranking positions. Still, there are a few wild cards left that will determine how the dominoes ultimately fall.

First, on the Senate side, incoming Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) said she hasn’t made a decision about her own subcommittee. Outgoing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is expected to rejoin the committee and is likely to chair the defense subcommittee.

Collins could then choose another subcommittee to helm or forgo one altogether. If she does choose another, that would bump another GOP senator.

For Senate Democrats, Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) has a decision to make. Schatz is next-in-line to be the top Democrat on the defense subcommittee, after Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) lost his election. Schatz told us it’s too early to make these decisions.

If Schatz moves, then that opens up his top spot in Transportation-Housing and Urban Development. Any of the Chris’s – Chris Coons of Delaware, Chris Murphy of Connecticut or Chris Van Hollen of Maryland – may take the Hawaii Democrat’s spot. Any of them moving would create yet another open top job.

Van Hollen summed it up well to us: “I’m reviewing the options right now. As you know, the options depend partly on choices other people make.”

The departure of Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) also opens up the Military-Construction-VA Democratic leadership role, though it’s unclear who’s in the mix to take her job. The Democrats on that subcommittee all chair other subcommittees or are restricted by Democratic conference rules.

Conference rules bar Democrats who chair “A” committees from leading a subcommittee on appropriations. That also means Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) will likely need to give up her leadership role on Commerce-Justice-Science as she’s expected to be the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Waiver watch: The House side is less complicated but still has some dynamics to watch. Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) has her choice between the Commerce-Justice-Science and State-Foreign-Operations panels.

For House Republicans, it’s uncertain if Reps. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) and John Carter (R-Texas) will seek waivers to remain on their subcommittees. It’s also unclear if they would get those waivers if asked.

Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.) is likely to take Calvert’s gavel on defense if that’s the case. Who takes Carter’s gavel on Military-Construction-VA is less clear.

The maneuvering on both sides of the Hill will soon pick up. Even though the breakdown of the appropriations process in recent years has taken some of the luster off the panels, it’s still good to be a cardinal.

– Samantha Handler