This Week In Congress - Week of Jan 27, 2025
Sources· https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/volume-171/issue-17/daily-digest
· https://www.congress.gov/119/crec/2025/01/27/171/17/CREC-2025-01-27-dailydigest.pdf
· https://www.congress.gov/119/crec/2025/01/27/171/17/CREC-2025-01-27.pdf
· https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/volume-171/issue-18/daily-digest
· https://www.congress.gov/119/crec/2025/01/28/171/18/CREC-2025-01-28.pdf
· https://www.congress.gov/119/crec/2025/01/28/171/18/CREC-2025-01-28-dailydigest.pdf
· https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/volume-171/issue-19/daily-digest
· https://www.congress.gov/119/crec/2025/01/29/171/19/CREC-2025-01-29-dailydigest.pdf
· https://www.congress.gov/119/crec/2025/01/29/171/19/CREC-2025-01-29.pdf
· https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/volume-171/issue-20/daily-digest
· https://www.congress.gov/119/crec/2025/01/30/171/20/CREC-2025-01-30-dailydigest.pdf
· https://www.congress.gov/119/crec/2025/01/30/171/20/CREC-2025-01-30-dailydigest.pdf
Senate Confirms Key Nominations Amidst Controversy Over "Project 2025"
Washington D.C. – The U.S. Senate has been busy in late January 2025, confirming several key nominations to executive branch positions while also grappling with the fallout from the controversial "Project 2025." The Senate has also taken action on various resolutions, addressing topics from human trafficking to Holocaust remembrance.
Confirmed Nominations The Senate successfully confirmed several high-profile nominations:
Scott Bessent of South Carolina was confirmed as Secretary of the Treasury on January 27, 2025.
Sean Duffy of Wisconsin was confirmed as Secretary of Transportation on January 28, 2025.
Lee Zeldin of New York became the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency on January 29, 2025.
Douglas Burgum of North Dakota was confirmed as Secretary of the Interior on January 30, 2025.
These confirmations followed intense debate and scrutiny in the Senate. The sources also note that the Senate began consideration of the nominations of Christopher Wright to be Secretary of Energy, Douglas Collins to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and Eric Turner to be Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, with cloture motions entered for the Wright, Collins, Zeldin and Burgum nominations [previous conversation].
Legislative Actions Beyond nominations, the Senate took action on several resolutions:
S. Res. 39 supports the observation of National Trafficking and Modern Slavery Prevention Month from January 1 to February 1, 2025.
S. Res. 40 commemorates the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz extermination camp and International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
S. Res. 45 recognizes the contributions of Catholic schools in the United States and celebrates the 51st annual National Catholic Schools Week.
S. Res. 46 designates January 2025 as National Stalking Awareness Month.
The Senate also passed S. 5, a bill requiring the Secretary of Homeland Security to take into custody aliens charged with theft, which became Public Law 119-1 on January 29, 2025 [previous conversation].
"Project 2025" Sparks Outcry A significant point of contention has been "Project 2025," a plan described as having the potential to drastically impact American families and the economy [previous conversation]. The sources describe the plan as including:
Attacking and dismantling programs supporting families, like Medicaid and childcare [previous conversation].
Implementing large tax cuts for the wealthy [previous conversation].
Borrowing $2 to $3 trillion from the Federal Treasury [previous conversation].
The plan, designed by Russell Vought, has drawn criticism and is believed to be the basis for recent actions by the executive branch, such as:
Freezing congressionally approved funding.
Offering buyouts to federal workers [previous conversation].
The sources report that after public outcry, one of the OMB memos connected with Project 2025 was rescinded, but they also caution that the threat from the plan is not over [previous conversation].
Controversial Nominations
The sources also note some contentious nominations that have come before the senate, including:
Tulsi Gabbard, nominated to be Director of National Intelligence (DNI), faced criticism due to concerns about her past statements and associations [previous conversation].
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. was nominated for Secretary of Health and Human Services [previous conversation].
Pamela Bondi was nominated for Attorney General.
Kashyap Patel was nominated as Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation [previous conversation].
The Senate's activities in late January demonstrate a focus on both confirming key personnel and addressing critical legislative matters. The controversy surrounding "Project 2025," however, indicates continued tension and conflict.