TODAY IN CONGRESS (C-SPAN TV SCHEDULE):
I am posting the daily C-Span TV schedule, when I can, for those here who may be interested in tuning in to see what Congress is up to. Also, I have provided the results of yesterday’s votes on some significant Bills/Resolutions when Congress was in session the previous day.
Here’s today’s schedule with the events I think may be the most interesting in bold. You can watch C-Span HERE. NOTE: Sometimes C-Span posts additional Congressional events not on my list, later in the day.
House:
10:00 am — House Subcommittee on Appropriations’ Hearing on Defense Department’s 2020 Budget (Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan testifies on the president’s 2020 budget request before a House Appropriations subcommittee.)
10:00 am — House Morning Session (General Speeches)
12:00 pm — House Session (The House will begin work on a bill requiring the President to develop a plan for the U.S. to meet goals to combat climate change set by the 2015 Paris Agreement. The bill would also bar the use of federal funds to withdraw from the Paris Agreement.)
Senate:
10:00 am — Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on the Mueller Report (Attorney General William Barr testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding the Mueller report.)
10:00 am — Senate Session (Senators will continue working on more of the President’s US District Court and sub-Cabinet nominations including for the Energy and State Departments.)
Yesterday’s Voting Results:
House:
1. House Resolution 1876 (H.R. 1876) — Senior Security Act of 2019 (A Bill to create an interdivisional taskforce at the Securities and Exchange Commission for senior investors.)
Democrats- 220 Yes 0 No 0 Present 14 Not Voting
Republicans- 172 Yes 20 No 0 Present 5 Not Voting
Totals- 392 Yes 20 No 0 Present 19 Not Voting
PASSED
Voting Details HERE.
Senate: No significant votes.
Comments:
Today’s Events –
House – Today’s action in the House is highlighted by the beginning of debate on the House floor of Climate Change legislation. More specifically, the Bill is H.R. 9 — A Bill to direct the President to develop a plan for the United States to meet its nationally determined contribution under the Paris Agreement, and for other purposes. On its surface this Bill does not seem to be some sweeping piece of Climate Change legislation along the lines of a “Green New Deal”, but I guess trying to force the President back into the Paris Agreement is a start. Yes, of course this Bill won’t go anywhere since McConnell will block its consideration by the Senate, as he has done to pretty much every piece of House passed Progressive legislation this year. But it does show the 2020 voters what can be accomplished with a Democratic President and Senate majority, and that’s important. You can read a PDF text of H.R. 9 HERE.
Senate — Of course the highlight of the day will be A.G. Barr’s appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee. While I’m sure Chairman Lindsey Graham and the other Republicans on the Committee will try to conduct a cordial Hearing and defend Barr at every turn, remember there are Democrats on the Committee (e.g. Leahy, Durbin, Whitehouse, Coons, Hirono, Booker, Harris (I sure hope Harris is present and not out on the campaign trail)) who can be counted on to light a fire under Barr’s butt. Especially, after last night’s disclosure that Mueller wrote a highly critical letter to Barr objecting over the way he mis-characterized the Mueller report in his 4 page “summary”. So get your popcorn ready, I fully expect this will be a wild one. Personally, I will be watching to see if Lindsey Graham “loses it” in his defense of Barr like he did in the Kavanaugh Hearing.
Yesterday’s Votes –
House – As I am fast becoming a Senior myself, I was glad to see the House pass the Senior Security Act. My only question is why 20 Republicans thought it was a good political move to vote against protecting Seniors from being taken to the cleaners by unscrupulous investment firms.
Senate – No significant votes. Just more Judge and other Administration nomination confirmations.