The House of Representatives is set to begin the process of funding the government for fiscal year 2025 this week, with three spending bills scheduled to be introduced on the floor of the House.
All three bills, which aim to fund the departments of Homeland Security, State, Defense and Foreign Affairs, are opposed by Democrats in House committees and are almost certain to die in the Democratic-controlled Senate if they pass the House.
But House Republicans are trying to pass the bill to gain leverage in negotiations with the Senate over government funding. The House has so far passed one spending bill that provides funding for the military and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Lawmakers are glaring at a Sept. 30 funding deadline, but Congress is expected to pass short-term stopgap legislation to postpone a shutdown until after the November election.
This week, prominent figures on Capitol Hill, including former Olympian Michael Phelps, Paris Hilton and country music star Randy Travis, are scheduled to testify before House committees on a range of topics.
The Senate is in recess this week.
House to consider three spending bills
House lawmakers are scheduled to debate three government funding bills this week as House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) tries to stick to the strict timeline of the appropriations process.
The House will vote on bills providing funding to the Departments of Homeland Security, State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs, and Defense.
The bills are scheduled to be presented to the House Rules Committee on Tuesday at 2 p.m. Over 230 amendments were offered to the Homeland Security bill, several of which are focused on the border. Over 210 amendments were offered to the State Department/Foreign Activities Countermeasures bill, several of which are focused on Ukraine. Nearly 400 amendments were offered to the Department of Defense bill.
The Rules Committee will decide which amendments will be voted on the floor.
The three bills passed the Appropriations Committee despite Democratic opposition and are almost certain to face a tough fight in the Democratic-controlled Senate, but House Republican leaders are still pushing for a vote, hoping that passing the bills will give them a leg up in future negotiations with the Senate.
This week’s vote comes as Johnson seeks to stick to the timetable for government funding he set out before taking office in October.
Johnson said at the time that he planned to complete House consideration of a fiscal 2025 spending bill by July, an ambitious timeline amid internal Republican disagreements.
He said in October that if the House doesn’t pass all of its budget bills by the time it recesses in August, the House shouldn’t recess for the district work period.
The House has so far passed just one spending bill for fiscal 2025, on military construction and funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the White House has said it will veto the bill if it reaches President Biden’s desk.
Michael Phelps, Paris Hilton and Randy Travis to testify
This week, several prominent figures are scheduled to testify before Congress, putting the spotlight on a range of issues in Washington.
Michael Phelps, winner of 23 Olympic gold medals, is scheduled to testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations about anti-doping measures ahead of the 2024 Olympics.
The hearing is scheduled for Tuesday at 7pm and will feature Phelps, as well as former Olympian Allison Schmidt and Travis Tygart, CEO of the United States Anti-Doping Agency.
“Olympic athletes dedicate years of their lives to honing their craft in order to represent the United States on the world stage. They, along with athletes from every other country, have the right to compete on a level playing field free of banned performance-enhancing drugs,” said House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and subcommittee chair Morgan Griffith (R-Va.). statement last week.
“The World Anti-Doping Agency, the governing body responsible for enforcing fair standards, has had its track record in meeting that mandate called into question,” they continued. “This hearing will give member states an opportunity to examine their performance, identify opportunities for improvement, and ensure that the best athletes bring home the gold medals.”
No stranger to Congress, Paris Hilton is scheduled to testify before the House Ways and Means Committee about the abuse of foster children in foster care, and she will also meet with lawmakers to discuss the Prevention of Institutional Child Abuse Act, a bill she has discussed during previous visits to Congress.
Additionally, Randy Travis, known for the country song “Forever and Ever, Amen,” is scheduled to appear before the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet for a hearing focusing on music and copyright.
The hearing, titled “Radio, Music and Copyright: 100 Years of Inequality for Recording Artists,” is scheduled for Wednesday at 2 p.m. and will feature Travis as well as SoundExchange CEO Michael Huppe.
