This Week In Congress - Week of Dec 16, 2024
Key Senate Actions:
Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025: The Senate agreed to the motion to concur with the House amendment to the Senate amendment of H.R. 5009. This bill authorizes appropriations for military activities of the Department of Defense, military construction, and defense activities of the Department of Energy for fiscal year 2025.
Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act: The Senate agreed to the motion to concur with the House amendment to S. 4367, a bill concerning improvements to rivers and harbors and the conservation of water resources.
Social Security Fairness Act: The Senate resumed consideration of the motion to proceed to consideration of H.R. 82, which would amend title II of the Social Security Act to repeal the Government pension offset and windfall elimination provisions. The Senate also agreed to a motion to close further debate on the motion to proceed to consider the bill.
Bills Passed
S. 465, BADGES for Native Communities Act
H.R. 4467, DHS Border Services Contracts Review Act
S. 5300, Contaminated Wells Relocation Act
S. 5543, Fair Credit for American Hostages Act
H.R. 7524, GSA Technology Accountability Act
S. 5465, Texas and California District Courts
H.R. 7177, Northern District of Alabama
H.R. 8413, Swanson and Hugh Butler Reservoirs Land Conveyances Act
H.R. 8219, Lahaina National Heritage Area Study Act
H.R. 9488, Secure Handling of Internet Electronic Donations Act
S. 932, No Congressionally Obligated Recurring Revenue Used as Pensions To Incarcerated Officials Now Act
H.R. 9489, Advisory Committee on the Records of Congress Sunset Act of 2024
H.R. 9487, House Office of Legislative Counsel Modernization Act
H.R. 6394, Semiquincentennial Congressional Time Capsule Act
H.R. 3343, Federal Broadband Deployment Tracking Act
H.R. 1377, Promoting United States Wireless Leadership Act
H.R. 3293, Expediting Federal Broadband Deployment Reviews Act
H.R. 7213, Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education, and Support Act
H.R. 7224, Amending the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness Training Program
S. 223, Amending the Controlled Substances Act to fix a technical error in the definitions
H.R. 4534, Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act
H.R. 7188, Shandra Eisenga Human Cell and Tissue Product Safety Act
H.R. 6020, Honor Our Living Donors Act
S. 4610, Amending title 36, United States Code, to designate the bald eagle as the national bird
S. 3998, Federal Judiciary Stabilization Act
S. 5314, Designating the medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as the James Mountain Inhofe VA Medical Center
S. 3938, Designating the community-based outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Lynchburg, Virginia, as the ``Private First Class Desmond T. Doss VA Clinic''
H.R. 4955, Naming the community-based outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, as the ``Henry Parham VA Clinic''
H.R. 8667, Renaming the community-based outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Cadillac, Michigan, as the ``Duane E. Dewey VA Clinic''
H.R. 9124, Naming the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Auburn, California, as the ``Louis A. Conter VA Clinic''
S. 141, Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act
S. 2513, Veterans Benefits Improvement Act
H.R. 8150, Reducing Excessive Vetting Authorities to Maintain our Ports Act
S. 2414, Working Dog Health and Welfare Act
S. 4716, Financial Management Risk Reduction Act
H.R. 9595, Federal Improvement in Technology Procurement Act
H.R. 6244, Designating the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1535 East Los Ebanos Boulevard in Brownsville, Texas, as the ``1st Lieutenant Andres Zermeno Post Office Building''
S. 3946, Designating the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1106 Main Street in Bastrop, Texas, as the ``Sergeant Major Billy D. Waugh Post Office''
S. 59, Chance to Compete Act
H.R. 115, Midnight Rules Relief Act
S. 3448, Never Again Education Reauthorization Act
S. 1147, Jenna Quinn Law
S. 5355, National Advisory Council on Indian Education Improvement Act
H.R. 7938, Klamath Basin Water Agreement Support Act
H.R. 6127, Modernizing Access to Our Public Waters Act
H.R. 1101, Lumbee Fairness Act
S. 4107, Think Differently Transportation Act
H.R. 670, Think Differently Database Act
S. 131, to amend chapter 81 of title 5, United States Code
S. 2270, to establish and maintain a database within each agency for executive branch ethics records of noncareer appointees
S. 3926, to amend the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006
H.R. 1727, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Commission Extension Act
S. 4181, Federal Emergency Mobilization Accountability (FEMA) Workforce Planning Act
S. 4654, Fire Management Assistance Grants for Tribal Governments Act
S. 1299, Fairness for Servicemembers and their Families Act
S. 1144, Invest to Protect Act
H.R. 663, Native American Child Protection Act
S. 3022, IHS Workforce Parity Act of 2024
S. 5398, Sentencing Enhancements for Certain Criminal Offenses
H.R. 9566, SHARE IT Act
S.Res. 928, Honoring the Life of John Edmund Gottschalk
S. 1277, Mammoth Cave National Park Boundary Adjustment Act
H.R. 6826, Paul S. Sarbanes Visitor and Education Center
H.R. 6843, Atchafalaya National Heritage Area
H.R. 1607, Bureau of Reclamation Pumped Storage Development
S. 1097, César E. Chávez and the Farmworker Movement National Historical Park Act
H.R. 2468, Mountain View Corridor Completion Act
H.R. 4094, Great Salt Lake Stewardship Act
S. 5005, San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement Act
H.R. 7332, Utah State Parks Adjustment Act
H.R. 3324, Shasta-Trinity Marina
S. 3502, Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act
S. Res. 932, National Military Toxic Exposures Awareness Month
S. 4576, Colorado River Basin System Conservation Extension Act
S. 3373, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Extension
H.R. 4385, Drought Preparedness Act
H.R. 5770, Water Monitoring and Tracking Essential Resources (WATER) Data Improvement Act
S. 3123, Modernizing Access to Our Public Waters Act
S. 5125, Land Manager Housing and Workforce Improvement Act
S. 2018, Connect Our Parks Act
H.R. 5443, Accelerating Appraisals and Conservation Efforts Act
S. 961, Salem Maritime National Historical Park Redesignation and Boundary Study Act
S. 4209, Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument Access Act
S. 5595, Amending the Act of June 22, 1948
S. 1088, North Dakota Trust Lands Completion Act
S. 1059, Big Bend National Park Boundary Adjustment Act
S. 432, Nulhegan River and Paul Stream Wild and Scenic River Study Act
S. 608, Deerfield River Wild and Scenic River Study Act
S. 4129, Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Museum Artifacts Act
S. 5136, Plum Island Preservation Study Act
S. 2620, Chesapeake National Recreation Area Act
S. 4994, Vicksburg National Military Park Boundary Modification Act
H.R. 6062, American Samoa
S. 2615, Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act
S. 2042, Sloan Canyon Conservation and Lateral Pipeline Act
S. 1760, Apex Project, Nevada Land Transfer and Authorization Act Amendments Act
S. 2151, Utah Wildfire Research Institute Act
S. 5000, Upper Colorado River Basin Fund
S. Res. 895, Club Q Shooting Anniversary
S. Res. 934, Broadcasting and Recording Procedures of the Senate
S. Con. Res. 44, Enrollment Correction
S. Con. Res. 46, Enrollment Correction
S. 1351, Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act
S. 3857, Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act
H.R. 8663, Detection Equipment and Technology Evaluation to Counter the Threat of Fentanyl and Xylazine Act
S. 759, Beagle Brigade Act
H.R. 8664, DHS Intelligence and Analysis Oversight and Transparency Act
S. 3959, Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act
S. 4367, Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act
S. 709, Federal Agency Performance Act
H.R. 5009, Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025
S. 3791, America's Conservation Enhancement Reauthorization Act
Nominations
Judicial Nominations: The Senate was actively considering several judicial nominations.
Benjamin J. Cheeks: The Senate began consideration of the nomination of Benjamin J. Cheeks, of California, to be a United States District Judge for the Southern District of California. A motion was entered to close further debate on the nomination, and a vote on cloture was scheduled for Wednesday, December 18, 2024. Prior to the consideration of this nomination, the Senate agreed to a motion to proceed to Executive Session to consider the nomination.
Serena Raquel Murillo: The Senate also began consideration of the nomination of Serena Raquel Murillo, of California, to be a United States District Judge for the Central District of California. A motion was entered to close further debate on the nomination, with a vote on cloture to occur upon the disposition of the Cheeks nomination. Before considering this nomination, the Senate agreed to motions to proceed to both Legislative and Executive Sessions.
Cloture Agreement: A unanimous consent agreement was reached that the cloture votes for both Cheeks and Murillo would occur after the disposition of the motion to proceed to consideration of H.R. 82, the Social Security Fairness Act.
Other Nominations: In addition to the judicial nominations, the Senate also received the following nomination:
Anton George Hajjar: Anton George Hajjar, of Maryland, was nominated to be a Governor of the United States Postal Service for a term expiring December 8, 2029.
Committee Action: The Committee on Armed Services ordered favorably reported 851 military nominations in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Space Force.
International Trade Commission: The Committee on Finance was scheduled to hold hearings on December 18 to examine the nominations of James Bernard Coughlan, of Illinois, Halie L. Craig, of Pennsylvania, and William Patrick J. Kimmitt, of Virginia, each to be a Member of the United States International Trade Commission.
Securities and Exchange Commission and Financial Stability Oversight Council: The Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs was scheduled to hold a business meeting on December 18 to consider the nominations of Caroline A. Crenshaw, of the District of Columbia, to be a Member of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and Gordon I. Ito, of Hawaii, to be a Member of the Financial Stability Oversight Council.