What’s Happening Monday on Capitol Hill?
May 1, 2023

May 1, 2023 by TWN Staff
What’s Happening Monday on Capitol Hill?
U.S. Capitol. (Photo by Dan McCue)

This is a district work week for the House, but House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., will be making news today as he delivers an address to the Knesset in Jerusalem, Israel.

McCarthy, who is leading a bipartisan delegation of his congressional colleagues to mark the 75th anniversary of Israeli independence, was invited to speak before its legislative body by his Israeli counterpart, Speaker Amir Ohana.

McCarthy is only the second U.S. House speaker to address the Knesset, the other being Newt Gingrich, who did so in 1998.

Prior to landing in Israel, McCarthy and the delegation stopped in Jordan, where they met with King Abdullah II and Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah.

Meanwhile, back in the U.S., Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., began his Monday by sending out a Dear Colleague letter in which he announced the Senate Budget Committee will hold a hearing on Thursday on the House Republicans’ debt limit and spending cuts bill.

Schumer, who dismissively refers to the GOP bill as the “Default on America Act,” said in his letter that the legislation, the 320-page “Limit, Save, Grow Act,” was “hastily drafted and forced through the House at a break-neck speed. 

“Not a single committee of jurisdiction held a hearing or a mark-up on a bill that would fundamentally remake American society. The Senate will show the public what this bill truly is,” he said.

“The DOA would have real, dramatic impacts on the American families in all of our states. For example, the DOA would gut Medicaid for over 20 million Americans, rip away SNAP benefits for over a million recipients and eliminate Pell grants for tens of thousands of American students every year,” he continued.

“Last week, I held a call with reporters from upstate New York to highlight the 2 million New Yorkers who would lose their Medicaid because of this dangerous Republican proposal. I encourage you to make clear how devastating this proposal truly is to your constituents through public events and press,” Schumer said.

Among those slated to speak at the hearing are Mark Zandi, the chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund, and Abigail Ross Hopper, president And CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association.

On the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue on Monday, President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden will welcome Philippine President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. and Louise Araneta-Marcos to the White House.

During the leaders’ bilateral meeting, they are expected to discuss ways to strengthen the long-standing U.S.-Philippines alliance and review opportunities to “deepen economic cooperation and promote inclusive prosperity, expand the nations’ special people-to-people ties, invest in the clean energy transition and the fight against climate change, and ensure respect for human rights,” the White House said.

Also today, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris deliver remarks on National Small Business Week with SBA Administrator Isabella Guzman and attend a reception later this evening for Eid-al-Fitr, marking the end of the monthlong dawn-to-sunset fasting of Ramadan. Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff will also attend.

You can reach us at [email protected] and follow us on Facebook and Twitter

A+
a-
  • Capitol Hill
  • Chuck Schumer
  • Congress
  • Kevin McCarthy
  • political news
  • politics
  • White House
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    Political News

    March 28, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    Elections Task Force Prosecutes 2020 ‘Vigilantes,’ Seeks More Civic Dialogue

    PHOENIX, Ariz. — A 46-year-old Ohio man has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for sending death threats to... Read More

    PHOENIX, Ariz. — A 46-year-old Ohio man has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for sending death threats to an Arizona election official. The sentencing of Joshua Russell, of Bucyrus, Ohio, came after he pleaded guilty to one count of making a threatening interstate communication.... Read More

    March 28, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    Vice President Harris Rolls Out First Government-Wide Policy to Mitigate AI Risks

    WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday rolled out the Biden administration’s first government-wide policy intended to mitigate the... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday rolled out the Biden administration’s first government-wide policy intended to mitigate the risks associated with artificial intelligence while still enabling its use to advance the public interest. The new policy, which is being issued through the White House... Read More

    March 27, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    New Dem Chair Kuster Announces Retirement Following 2024 Election

    CONCORD, N.H. — Rep. Annie Kuster, D-N.H., who, among other things, is the current chair of the New Democrat Coalition... Read More

    CONCORD, N.H. — Rep. Annie Kuster, D-N.H., who, among other things, is the current chair of the New Democrat Coalition in the House, revealed Wednesday that she will not seek reelection to Congress this year. In a lengthy statement released by her office, Kuster gives no... Read More

    March 25, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    CPAC Releases Ranking of Most Conservative Members of Congress

    WASHINGTON — The Conservative Political Action Conference, also known as CPAC, on Monday released its annual ranking of members of... Read More

    WASHINGTON — The Conservative Political Action Conference, also known as CPAC, on Monday released its annual ranking of members of the House and Senate based on their conservative bona fides or lack thereof. To produce this year’s scorecard, the CPAC foundation’s Center for Legislative Accountability analyzed... Read More

    March 22, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    After a Decade on Capitol Hill, Brad Howard Steps Out on His Own

    WASHINGTON — After a decade on Capitol Hill, most recently as chief of staff for former Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla.,... Read More

    WASHINGTON — After a decade on Capitol Hill, most recently as chief of staff for former Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., and communications director of the Blue Dog Coalition, Brad Howard knew it was time for change. “It was time to move into the private sector,” he... Read More

    March 22, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    Greene Files Motion to Vacate Speaker’s Chair

    WASHINGTON — For the second time in five months, a member of the Republican Conference in the House has filed... Read More

    WASHINGTON — For the second time in five months, a member of the Republican Conference in the House has filed a motion to vacate the chair of the party’s speaker. But this time, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., says the motion is intended merely as a... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top