I started writing this essay about the week of the looming big moment at the Capitol. It’s been a bit of a crazy week. I got distracted. I had to go back and find the right Word document to keep writing.
I searched for “Blockbuster”.
But it was a bit amusing when an essay suddenly appeared on February 27th of this year about another “blockbuster” week on Capitol Hill.
Time to wait: Trump assassination attempt drowns calls for Biden to step down
That week was amazing.
Hunter Biden was scheduled to testify, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was scheduled to tell a congressional committee why he didn’t tell his superiors he was incapacitated for health reasons, and a partial government shutdown was looming.
These issues seem so quaint in today’s Parliament – almost outdated.
Yes, late February and early March were blockbuster weeks.
But in the history of blockbusters, this one might just surpass all others.
It would be a monster.
Congress was in recess this week for the Republican conference, but lawmakers will return on Monday.
Five major storylines and sub-plots take Capitol Hill by storm.
Former US President Donald Trump was photographed in front of the US Capitol. (Getty Images)
Some points to note are:
Trump assassination attempt investigation:
Monday:
It will be the first time lawmakers return to the Capitol since the shooting. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, is expected to announce the composition and members of a special team to investigate the Pennsylvania shooting.
USSS Director Kimberly Cheatle will appear before the House Oversight Committee at 10 a.m. ET on Monday. It will be one of the most anticipated hearings in Congress in the past decade. The committee has issued a subpoena to compel her to testify. Cheatle has confirmed that she will appear. There were concerns that she would abscond before the committee.
Members of Congress may not be too impressed with Cheatle, but just the fact that she’s coming could go a long way to quashing conspiracy theories about the attack.
Most of the lawmakers won’t return to Washington until late Monday afternoon, but that’s when they’ll likely react to the shooting and its impact on the Secret Service.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Removing Bob Menendez from the Senate
Tuesday:
The House Homeland Security Committee wants to have Cheatle appear at its hearing that morning. She has not yet confirmed her attendance at that session. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green (R-TN) has invited FBI Director Christopher Wray and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to the same hearing. Chairman Green told me he doesn’t mind aides from both committees attending. But Chairman Green definitely wants Cheatle to appear. Chairman Green has invited local police and other state officials from Pennsylvania to testify in the second part of the hearing this Tuesday.
The Senate is in recess until Tuesday afternoon, so comment from many senators may not come until Tuesday night.
Wednesday:
FBI Director Christopher Wray is scheduled to testify before the House Judiciary Committee, a hearing that had been scheduled before the assassination attempt.
Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, has indicated he wants to hold a hearing on the incident before the Senate recesses in August.
Fox has been told a hearing may also be held during the August recess.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a ceremony on the eve of Yom Hazikaron (Remembrance Day) at the Yad Rabbanim Memorial in Jerusalem, May 12, 2024. (Debbie Hill/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
Prime Minister Netanyahu speaks to joint session of parliament:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address a joint session of Congress on Wednesday. All four bipartisan congressional leaders from both houses have invited Netanyahu, but Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) are clearly unhappy with Netanyahu. Schumer came under fire a few months ago for criticizing Netanyahu and suggesting that new elections be called immediately.
Protests will sweep the Capitol, possibly including anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian lawmakers and aides. Safety concerns existed before the shootings last weekend, and they are now amplified. It will be interesting to see how many Democrats boycott the speech. It will also be worth listening to what Schumer and Jeffries say afterward.
Also, please note that this is a “joint meeting,” not a “joint session.”
Democrats in confusion over Biden
Questions about President Biden’s future are now coming to a head. The president’s departure is a distinct possibility. Many Democrats are calling for President Biden to step down. Keep an eye on Schumer, Jeffries and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. Pelosi is intimately familiar with the situation and has spoken to California’s huge delegation in particular. This trio could determine what happens next, or who comes next.
The drama has been boiling over since Biden’s disastrous debate performance in late June. Watch especially for the House Democratic leadership press conference on Tuesday. Jeffries will hold his weekly press conference on Wednesday or Thursday. Schumer will speak after the weekly Democratic caucus lunch on Wednesday.
Congressional Bypass: Biden Issue Leaves Many Democrats Equivocal
Will Menendez resign? Or will there be an effort to oust him?
I don’t think there will be a vote this week to expel convicted Sen. Bob Menendez (DN.J). But there could be a report coming out of the Senate Ethics Committee. That could set in motion a plan to expel Menendez in the coming weeks. Reporters will be watching Menendez when he comes to the Capitol, not to mention questioning his son, Rep. Rob Menendez (DN.J). They also expect Schumer to be asked about Menendez at his weekly press conference on Wednesday. Schumer is not calling for Menendez’s expulsion, just his resignation.
The Senate hasn’t expelled a member since 1862. It takes a two-thirds vote to expel a senator, and if Menendez refuses to concede, the Senate could begin expulsion proceedings against the New Jersey Democrat once the ethics report is complete.
What will Menendez do? It’s unclear. He has fully endorsed the idea that he was just doing his job for the Senate and his constituents, and that he didn’t take bribes.
Senator J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Republican vice presidential candidate:
It’s unclear whether Republican Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio will be at the Capitol for votes or hearings in the coming days. Previous presidential and vice presidential candidates have parachuted back into the Capitol for important votes, debates or from campaign events here. Vice President Harris, then a senator from California, returned to the Capitol during the height of the pandemic in fall 2020 when the Senate held confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett.
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), former President Trump’s vice presidential nominee, arrives on the first day of the Republican National Convention at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 15, 2024. (Andrew Harnick/Getty Images)
Vance has also experienced the fastest rise in American political history, even faster than former President Barack Obama. He has only been in the Senate for a year and a half and has never held any other office before. Senators from both parties will likely be commenting on Vance this week.
Wildcard:
In this environment, anything can happen: a major political scandal could emerge, or even worse, a new security incident could occur.
A source told Fox that if Biden declines and the party nominates Harris, Democrats should consider Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown as a running mate. Brown had considered running for president in 2020. If Brown declines, Democrats could lose a winnable Senate seat. But Fox has been told there are voices within the party that believe Brown could compete toe-to-toe with Vance.
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This will definitely be the focus next week.
Be prepared for the week that follows.
