Congress typically funds the government by either (a) continuing funding at the previous year's funding levels until they can figure out (b) new levels of funding, usually higher.
While Congress has set itself up to pass multiple spending bills each year, it often combines each year's spending bills into as few as one omnibus bill when it is running late. President Trump insisted on never signing such a single omnibus bill which gave rise to the "minibus" bills which combine a few bills at a time, the current Senate approach. For option (b), Congress can set funding levels for a new fiscal year using one bill or multiple bills.
Whenever the fiscal year begins without all of the spending bills enacted into law, Congress passes one continuing resolution (CR) or series of them to keep the government funded—option (a). These bills have always funded all parts of the Federal government not yet funded. Usually the negotiation is over how long until the next deadline for Congress to have a complete Federal spending plan for the new year.
The question arises, if Congress can use multiple bills to fund the new fiscal year at new levels, why can't it also use multiple bills to fund the government at current spending levels? It might seem less efficient, but if different dates were put in place as deadlines for funding various Departments and agencies, then there is less leverage available to pit one legislative priority against another vastly different priority.
The House is considering taking this idea one step further. Multiple bills are not necessary in order to write a CR that staggers the dates of how long each Federal Department and agency is temporarily funded at current spending levels.
As Congress seeks to climb its annual hill of passing spending bills, a staggered CR could provide a ladder of sorts to provide clear timelines and steps for finishing floor action and conferencing with the Senate on each of the spending bills as originally intended. Thus, the “laddered CR” is under consideration, as reported by Roll Call.
Anything that decouples defense spending from health spending is a good thing. National security should take priority over social re-engineering.
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Father, we ask you to help this idea take hold. Raise up new negotiations and considerations to turn our Nation away from paths in which it has been excessively spending for decades. Turn us away from fiscal degredation and decay. Turn us and this Nation toward sound financial principles that honor You.
- “A man's heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)
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Tim McGhee
CHPP Legislative Analyst, Pray for Congress
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Daily Digests: M 10/30 (PDF) • T 10/31 (PDF) • W 11/1 (PDF) • Th 11/2 (PDF) • F 11/3 (PDF)
Senate — Votes — Legislation: New: 78 (D, R), Action: 16, Voted: 2, Passed: 15 — News
M 10/30/2023 — Record PDF, Log • Summary
T 10/31/2023 — Record PDF, Log • Summary
W 11/1/2023 — Record PDF, Log • Summary
Th 11/2/2023 — Record PDF, Log • Summary
House — Legislation: New: 142 (R, D), Scheduled, Action: 12, Voted: 10, Passed: 10 — News
M 10/30/2023 — Record PDF, Extensions PDF • Activity, Votes
W 11/1/2023 — Record PDF, Extensions PDF • Activity, Votes
Th 11/2/2023 — Record PDF, Extensions PDF • Activity, Votes
F 11/3/2023 — Record PDF, Extensions PDF • Activity, Votes
House Majority Leader Recap: Week of October 30, 2023
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National Security — Committees: Senate, House
Lawmakers Demand Costco Answer for What Is Being Found on Store Shelves
Military — Committees: Senate, House
Tuberville: White House would rather ‘burn the Senate down’ over abortion than negotiate on military holds
McConnell: as foolish as it is to deny the clear link between America's adversaries and the threats we face, it is every bit as dangerous to pretend that, as a global superpower, our Nation cannot or should not face each of them down. We have the means to lead the free world and ensure our own security. In the face of coordinated aggression from our adversaries, we have the clearest possible objective: We win. They lose.
Foreign Policy — Committees: Senate, House
10 ‘America first’ ways Congress can stand with Israel
McConnell: Russia, Iran, and China do not share an ideology, but they do share interests
Pressure Ramps Up in Congress To Revoke Al Jazeera's Press Credentials
WH Letters to the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate on the Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Sudan
Constitution
House Republicans launch inquiry into D.C. AG's investigation of Leonard Leo
Congress Receives Alert on CCP Election Interference as Newsom Meets Xi
First Amendment
McConnell: activist professors are entitled to their own opinions. But money is also protected speech and they aren't entitled to donors pocketbooks.
Second Amendment
Speaker Johnson Passes First Difficult Test on Second Amendment
Homeland Security — Committees: House, Senate
Inside this fall’s Dem divide over the border
Immigration
Rep. Burlison Introduces Legislation That Allows States To Fight Back Against Biden’s Immigration Policies (H.R. 6074, State Border Defense Act)
Rep. Zinke proposes bill to ban Palestinians from entering US (H.R. 6211)
Federal Spending — Committees: House, Senate — FY 2024 bills, table
Speaker Johnson gets warm welcome from Senate GOP • Johnson tells Senate GOP that Israel money must move by itself
Johnson says House GOP will consider Ukraine funding, border security together
Senate pushes for stopgap until Dec. 11 • Johnson crafting temporary spending bill through Jan. 15 • Johnson: House looking at “laddered” continuing resolution that would extend pieces of current appropriations for different time periods
House Republicans take a stand against praising those who do evil in Labor-HHS-Education spending bill (H.R. 5894—Rules Committee page for the bill)
Republican spending bill would block gun dealer expansion rule (H.R. 5893—Rules Committee page for the bill; Proposed Rule that would vastly expand the definition of a 'firearms dealer') • When Democrats call for "universal background checks," they mean requiring a background check for literally every transfer of firearm ownership, from anyone to anyone.
White House warns Biden would veto House appropriations measures
White House denies floating asylum-reform-for-Ukraine-aid trade • Asylum reform would be one of the most effective policy solutions to what is happening at the southern US border. Canada reformed its asylum laws in 2002. If refugees can make it to another safe country first, asylum in the US may no longer be necessary for them. Seek the Lord for reform of asylum law in the United States.
Appropriations Scoreboard: House 7, Senate 3
Key Republican thinks it’s ‘futile’ to bring up agriculture spending bill again (H.R. 4368)
Executive — Committees: House, Senate
House Republicans Subpoena Biden Administration For Afghan Refugee Records Amid Rising Terror Threats
Joe Biden Received $40K in Chinese Funds, House Panel Alleges
Comer says Congress has only gotten 14 pages of Joe Biden's pseudonym emails, alleges obstruction
Nominations and Withdrawal Sent to the Senate
Judiciary — Committees: Senate, House
CRS: Congressional Court Watcher: Recent Appellate Decisions of Interest to Lawmakers (October 23, 2023–October 29, 2023)
President Biden Names Forty-First Round of Judicial Nominees
Supreme Court
Senators clash over plans for subpoenas tied to Supreme Court ethics push • Judiciary Committee to vote on subpoenas for Harlan Crow, Leonard Leo, Robin Arkley II • Senate Judiciary Democrats plan to subpoena
McConnell tells Senate Democrats to back off
Justice — Punishing Evil, Praising Good (Romans 13:3-4; 1 Peter 2:14)
Schumer on Anti-Semitism: Nobody denies that people of good will can have disagreements about the conflict in the Middle East, but the redline is crossed when these disagreements lead to violence or threats of violence like what is happening, unfortunately, in too many communities around the country.
Congress, White House weigh in on campus threats tied to Israel-Hamas war
Speaker Johnson: Experimental Gender Surgery on Children ‘Demands’ State, Federal Attention
Bill Would Ban Taxpayer Funding for Gender Researchers ‘Who Prey on Children’ (H.R. 6177)
Corruption — Praising Evil, Punishing Good (Isaiah 5:20)
Retiring Republican Senator Romney referred to a private organization willing 'to provide for the travel for someone who wants to receive an abortion' as a 'charity.'
Commerce Policy — Committees: Senate, House
McConnell: The new NLRB rule dramatically expands the legal definition of an employer-employee relationship, turning small business owners in a franchise setting into middle managers. (NLRB Final Rule) • “the NLRB is just one example of how President Biden's radical nominees have led a campaign to drown the American economy in redtape. Since the day he took office, the President's war on affordable and reliable domestic energy has been driving up costs for working families.”
Science/Technology Policy — Committee: House, Senate
AI forum on elections to be held in Senate next week, Schumer says
Congress — Committees: House, Senate
Capitol Police knew security precaution lapsed ahead of Paul Pelosi attack
Louisiana Senator congratulates Louisianan Speaker of the House
Johnson taps former Fox executive to run House Republican messaging
House Speaker Mike Johnson Opens Up About Intersection of Faith, Politics • Johnson on first week as Speaker: ‘This is like an F5 hurricane’ (For the weather nerds among us, yes, F5 is on the tornado intensity scale [261-318 mph] and Category 5 is on the hurricane intensity scale [≥ 157 mph]) • Johnson Critics Mistake Christianity, American Principles for ‘Theocracy’ • Media Decry Johnson’s LGBT Predictions As They All Come True • Mike Johnson’s Worst Scandal Is Staying Married, Media Decides • Would You Rather Have a Speaker Who Bows to God or to BLM?
On the House floor: Nancy Pelosi admits she was served with 'third-party subpoenas' in federal criminal case
Rep. Owens weighs intercepting a House Appropriations seat
Retiring: Blumenauer, Granger, Buck
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Committee Activity — Meetings • Reports: 1 • Legislative action this week:
All committee legislative action • Senate (Subcommittees) • House (Subcommittees)
‘Did You Pay Twitter?’: Rand Paul Confronts FBI Director On Key Detail From ‘Twitter Files’ Documents • 5 Takeaways as Senate Grills FBI, DHS Chiefs on Terrorism, Antisemitism, Border, Big Tech (Meeting, Congress.gov)
House Liberals Use Hearing on Global Religious Persecution to Decry ‘Christian Nationalism’ in America (Meeting, Docs, Congress.gov)
House intel mulls ‘Plan B’ of short-term 702 renewal amid looming FISA deadline
House GOP opens probe into FDA response to drug shortages
Jim Jordan Declares Probe Into Alleged DOJ Spying on Congress Members, Staff
House Republicans Dig Into Democrat Fundraising Platform’s Shady Donor Verification Process
House Ethics Committee to announce plans in George Santos investigation by Nov. 17
Committee news this week: Senate • House (Google News)
Floor Outlook
Senate
Senate Democrats introduce resolution to bypass Tuberville military nomination holds over abortion (S.Res. 444) • Schumer: This resolution was referred to the Rules Committee, and, when the time comes, I will bring it to the floor of the Senate for consideration. If we can't solve this problem another way, we will all have to vote to move these nominees forward.
• Pray the U.S. Senate doesn't indeed burn itself down over abortion. It could.
House of Representatives — Rules Committee: Legislation
Speaker Johnson says Ukraine aid ‘will come next,’ eyes pairing with border security • The perilous path
Speaker Johnson’s coming challenges
CBO: Legislation considered under suspension of the Rules of the House of Representatives during the week of November 6, 2023
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3 p.m., Monday, November 6, 2023
Program for Monday: Senate will resume consideration of the nomination of Monica M. Bertagnolli, of Massachusetts, to be Director of the National Institutes of Health, and vote on the motion to invoke cloture thereon at 5:30 p.m.
Thursday, 11/2, Senate began consideration of 4 nominations:
- Monica M. Bertagnolli, of Massachusetts, to be Director of the National Institutes of Health
- Kenly Kiya Kato, of California, to be United States District Judge for the Central District of California
- Julia E. Kobick, of Massachusetts, to be United States District Judge for the District of Massachusetts
- Ramon Ernesto Reyes, Jr., of New York, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of New York
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House Majority Leader Scalise floor announcement:
The T-HUD bill will still be voted on, but next week. Next week, we have a full week starting Monday, 6:30 p.m.
The Rules Committee will be meeting prior to that to take up their order of business for the Financial Services and General Government bill. We will have both the T-HUD bill and the Financial Services appropriations bills next week, as well as other possible legislative items. The first votes next week will be at 6:30 p.m. Monday night.
Remember, the Veterans Day holiday is Friday, so the House will not be in session next Friday.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6TH
On Monday, the House will meet at noon for morning hour and 2:00 p.m. for legislative business. Votes will be postponed until 6:30 p.m.
Legislation Considered Under Suspension of the Rules
Legislation Considered Pursuant to a Rule:
Begin consideration of H.R. 4820 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024 ( Sponsored by Rep. Cole / Appropriations Committee )
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7TH, AND THE BALANCE OF THE WEEK:
On Tuesday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for morning hour and noon for legislative business. On Wednesday and Thursday, the House will meet at 9:00 a.m. for legislative business.
Legislation Considered Pursuant to a Rule:
Complete consideration of H.R. 4820 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024 ( Sponsored by Rep. Cole / Appropriations Committee )
H.R. 4664 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2024 ( Sponsored by Rep. Womack / Appropriations Committee )
Additional legislative items are possible.
Complete list of Bills for the Week of November 6, 2023
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Senate Committee Meeting Schedules — Congress.gov: 18
Tuesday, November 7, 2023
Wednesday, November 8, 2023
Thursday, November 9, 2023
House Committee Meeting Schedules — Congress.gov: 17
Monday — November 6, 2023
Tuesday — November 7, 2023
Wednesday — November 8, 2023
Thursday — November 9, 2023
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Our Weekly Call to Repentance
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CHPP Welcomes You to Join Us Every Week in One Hour of Repentance
Sunday evening at 10:00 p.m. EDT
Dial 717-908-1983
Access Code: 9301470#
Dear Saints,
A lifestyle of REPENTANCE is so close to the heart of God.
Indeed, He commands us to "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" Matthew 3:2
How, then, can we approach His Throne of GRACE, in repentance?
We invite you to join us every week on Sunday evening, as we explore this vital topic together. We present a different prayer focus each week, leading us into repentance, so that we might approach His Throne of Grace in repentance, presenting ourselves to Him as a pure and a spotless Bride, without spot or wrinkle. (Ephesians 5:27)
Praying together, we desire to fulfill the mandate of Psalm 139:
" Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; 24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:24
You can join us, any Sunday evening, at 10:00 p.m. EST by calling:
717-908-1983
Access Code: 9301470#
WELCOME!
". . . and if My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
"Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place." (2 Chronicles 7:14,15)
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About Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
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To learn more about our ministry, and to sign up to begin receiving our daily alerts, please go here.
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Capitol Hill Prayer Partners welcomes all who wish to pray for our leaders to join us in prayer for our nation. You may sign up to receive our alerts by sending an email to us at: chpp1994@gmail.com requesting that your name be added to our list of subscribers or CLICK HERE to subscribe.
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