The Archive

THE TOP

Happy Monday morning.

The House and Senate are back in town beginning today for a three-week sprint before the midterm elections. There are 57 days until Election Day.

The Capitol is returning to normal – almost.

The public will be allowed into the Senate chamber starting today as part of the “Phase 3” reopening, the Sergeant at Arms told Senate offices last week. Beginning 30 minutes before the Senate comes into session, two public galleries will open to visitors. These galleries will remain open until adjournment. When the Senate isn’t in session, the galleries will be open from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m., Monday to Friday. Tickets are available through Senate offices.

On the House side, we expect that the Sergeant at Arms will announce the “Phase 3” reopening this week as well, according to Democratic aides. And starting today, members can bring tour groups into the House public galleries while the chamber is in session. A member or staffer must stay with those visitors while they’re in the galleries. Members can also make appointments to bring tour groups onto the floor when the House is out of session.

House and Senate office buildings are open to the public from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

One of the biggest challenges in fully reopening the Capitol is staffing levels for the U.S. Capitol Police. The Jan. 6 insurrection and Covid-19 pandemic were both brutal on the Capitol Police. USCP Chief Tom Manger says the force is still short more than 200 employees despite efforts to step up recruiting.

New Covid infections remain a major problem for the force as well. Just in the last two weeks, 36 USCP officers have contracted Covid, we’re told.

There’s no shortage of Covid cases among lawmakers either. Two senators tested positive last week – Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) – while a third, Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), contracted Covid while in India. Ossoff quarantined in that country and is expected to return to the United States this week. Reps. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) and Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) also announced they’d tested positive.

These latest moves by the House and Senate come as the Supreme Court will reopen to the public for the first time in two-and-a-half years when it begins a new session in October. The White House is already open for public tours.

If and when those tens of thousands of federal employees begin coming back downtown en masse is an open question that a lot of Biden administration officials, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and local businesses would like to see answered. So far, there’s not much from the White House on this.

→	This is a big week for President Joe Biden.

Biden will finally get his White House celebration for the Inflation Reduction Act. The president and Vice President Kamala Harris will headline an event Tuesday with lawmakers, advocates and guests on the South Lawn of the White House. “Thousands of people” are expected for this event, we’re told, although the details are still up in the air.

Biden will be in Boston on Monday to talk about the “Cancer Moonshot” at the JFK Library and Museum. It’s the 60th anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s “Moonshot” speech. On Wednesday, Biden is in Detroit for the annual auto show. He’ll focus on domestic EV manufacturing in that appearance. On Thursday, Biden will speak at the “United We Stand Summit” to combat hate and extremism. Biden will also attend the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Gala. Biden meets with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday. And on Saturday, Biden and First Lady Jill Biden travel to England for the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. That funeral will take place on Sept. 19.

→

As for what’s happening on the Hill, there’s a lot of TBD right now. The Senate will take up several circuit court nominations this week while negotiations continue on a short-term government funding bill and same-sex marriage legislation. The House – back for the first time in a month – will vote on several transparency measures.

Members will also vote on a bill by Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) that says federal employees can’t be reclassified as “Schedule F” unless Congress approves. Former President Donald Trump issued an executive order on this shortly before he lost the 2020 election. It potentially could’ve allowed him to fire tens of thousands of federal workers. Biden rescinded the order when he came into office, but there are reports Trump will bring it back if reelected in 2024.

The continuing resolution to keep federal agencies open past Sept. 30 is still under discussion, and floor action isn’t expected this week. The end date for the CR is still likely to be Dec. 16. What will be attached to the CR is the sticking point.

The White House is seeking $47 billion in funding for Ukraine, Covid, monkeypox and disaster relief. The Covid funding request – as it has for months – is running into GOP opposition. Republicans believe that the White House should reprogram funds from the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan to meet any needs for vaccines, tests and therapeutics.

Biden is seeking more than $13 billion in Ukraine-related funding as part of this latest package. Following the stunning battlefield successes by Ukrainian forces during the last few days – developments that have shocked official Washington – this request looks all but guaranteed. It was anyway. But winning makes it that much easier.

Floor action on the CR will begin in the Senate, likely next week. As always, nothing can happen in the Senate without consent. There is no danger of a shutdown, of course. It’s just that lawmakers need to get a deal before they can go home to campaign.

→

A same-sex marriage bill. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has promised a vote on same-sex marriage bill this month. Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) are floating a “religious liberty” amendment to the underlying proposal. The earliest that floor action is likely on this measure – if there’s an agreement – is late in the week.

→	New Hampshire primary. Granite State voters will decide who takes on Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan in November, in addition to deciding the GOP challengers for Democrats Chris Pappas and Ann Kuster.

Democrats have spent millions of dollars boosting retired Army Gen. Dan Bolduc in that primary, gambling the pro-Trump candidate would be an easier opponent than New Hampshire Senate President Chuck Morse. Morse has the support of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and GOP Gov. Chris Sununu, although Bolduc – who lost the Republican primary in 2020 – is leading in the polls.

There are primaries in Rhode Island and Delaware as well on Tuesday, which is the last primary day of the year.

Heads up: We will have a special Tally edition tomorrow ahead of another primary day.

– John Bresnahan

---