MAJORITY WHIPLINE: THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2022

Thursday, June 23, 2022

Floor Schedule and Procedure:

Suspensions (4 bills)

1. House Amendment to S. 2089 – Keep Kids Fed Act of 2022 (Rep. Scott (VA) – Education and Labor)

This bill extends flexibilities provided through Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and ensures that schools can continue to provide meals for students.  Specifically, the bill provides nationwide waiver authority for school meal flexibilities that do not increase costs; allows waivers related to the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and Seamless Summer Option (SSO) during the summer months; increases reimbursement rates for the 2022-2023 school year; and, provides enhanced support to the Child and Adult Care Feeding Program (CACFP).

2. H.R. 5407 – Enhancing Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Through Campus Planning Act, as amended (Rep. Wild – Education and Labor)

This bill encourages institutions of higher education to develop comprehensive mental health and suicide prevention plans that support the mental health needs of students in college.  This legislation directs the Department of Education to provide guidance to institutions seeking to implement robust evidence-based mental health services.

3. H.R. 6493 – Campus Prevention and Recovery Services for Students Act of 2022, as amended (Rep. Leger Fernandez – Education and Labor)

This bill updates provisions of the Higher Education Act related to alcohol and substance misuse to support institutions of higher education in implementing evidence-based substance misuse prevention programs.  These changes will help institutions better support students struggling with substance use disorder (SUD) and ensure that substance misuse prevention and recovery efforts mandated by federal law are focused on evidence-based practices.

4. H.R. 6411 – STRONG Veterans Act of 2022, as amended (Rep. Takano – Veterans’ Affairs)

This bill is bipartisan, bicameral legislation to prevent veteran suicide and support veterans’ mental health and well-being. In line with the Committee’s public health approach and President Biden’s national strategy, this bill addresses gaps all along the spectrum of prevention and care, by expanding mental health outreach to traditionally underserved veterans, developing and delivering the most effective treatments, better equipping VA’s workforce to provide care, and further strengthening VA’s crisis response system.

Possible Consideration of H.R. 4176 – LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act (Rep. Grijalva – Oversight and Reform)

The LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act, H.R. 4176, would require federal agencies that collect demographic survey data to assess methods for incorporating questions about sexual orientation, gender identity, and variations in sex characteristics into existing surveys within 360 days of enactment.  The bill would also require any report published by an agency that relies on covered survey demographic data to include information on sexual orientation, gender identity, and variations in sex characteristics no later than three years after enactment. Under the LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act, responses to inquiries regarding sexual orientation, gender identity, and variations in sex characteristics would be voluntary, and collected data would be subject to robust privacy and confidentiality standards.

Click here for bill text.

Click here for a one-pager from the Committee on Oversight and Reform.

The Rule provides for one hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the Chair and Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Reform. The Rule also makes in order the following amendments:

          Jackson-Lee Amendment

Requires a report to Congress from the Comptroller General about the impact of the implementation of this Act on the provision of services to persons according to their gender identity, sexual orientation, and variations in sex characteristics.

Maloney, Sean Amendment

Clarifies that when applicable, federal surveys should gather information from a knowledgeable proxy of a deceased LGBTQI+ individual.

Tlaib Amendment

Requires agencies collecting information through a covered survey to establish data standards and protocols for anonymizing data collected and destroying personally-identifiable information at the appropriate time, which cannot be later than 3 years after the date that the information was collected.

Additional Legislative Items Are Possible

Possible Postponed Suspensions (7 votes)

1. H.R. 7174 – National Computer Forensics Institute Reauthorization Act of 2022, as amended (Rep. Slotkin – Homeland Security)

This bill would reauthorize the U.S. Secret Service’s National Computer Forensics Institute (NCFI) through 2032 and make a number of targeted enhancements to position the NCFI for success well into the future. The legislation would ensure the NCFI is able to continue its important mission of training State, local, Tribal, and territorial officers, prosecutors, and judges in cybercrime investigations and cyber incident response, as authority to operate NCFI is slated to sunset in November 2022. Additionally, this bill would strengthen NCFI’s operations by requiring that the training provided include privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties protections and authorizing the NCFI to engage in research and development regarding approaches to training for investigations involving ransomware and threats involving the use of digital assets. The bill requires the Director of the Secret Service to report to Congress annually on NCFI’s activities, successes, and projected demands for training.

2. H.R. 5274 – PREVENT ACT of 2021 (Rep. Joyce (OH) – Homeland Security)

This bill would direct the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner to issue CBP personnel containment devices to prevent accidental exposure to illegal narcotics in the course of carrying out inspections activities.  Most fentanyl and illicit substances that are interdicted by CBP are encountered at U.S. ports of entry. Consequently, CBP officers are at high risk of exposure to harmful substances through inhalation, ingestion, and skin contact. Containment devices prevent exposure by creating a controlled, negative pressure environment to reduce exposure to hazardous substances. These devices bring a second layer of protection beyond PPE and protects the lives of personnel interdicting harmful toxics at our land, air, and sea borders.  This legislation builds upon two related measures that were enacted into law last Congress—“Synthetic Opioid Exposure Prevention and Training Act” (Clarke (D-NY); P.L. 116-260) and “DHS Opioid Detection Resilience Act of 2019” (Higgins (R-LA); P.L. 116-254).

3. H.R. 1934 – Promoting United States International Leadership in 5G Act, as amended (Rep. McCaul – Foreign Affairs)

This legislation would create an interagency working group to work with partners to align diplomatic engagement strategies and monitor China’s engagement at the ITU. The interagency group would be required to provide a briefing to relevant committees on China’s engagement at the ITU and on a strategy to work with allies and partners to protect against untrusted networks.

4. H.Con.Res. 59 – Condemning the October 25, 2021, military coup in Sudan and standing with the people of Sudan (Rep. Meeks – Foreign Affairs)

This concurrent resolution condemns the October 25, 2021, coup in Sudan. It recognizes former Prime Minister Hamdok and his cabinet as the constitutional leaders of Sudan’s transitional government and calls for Sudan’s military junta, among other things, to immediately release all civilian government officials, civil society members, and other individuals detained in connection with the coup; return to constitutional rule under the transitional constitution; and lift the state of emergency, including complete restoration of all means of communication. The concurrent resolution also calls on international partners to join U.S. efforts to impose targeted sanctions on the junta and other accomplices in the coup and also suspend Sudan’s participation in all regional multilateral organizations until the country is returned to constitutional rule under the transitional constitution.

5. H.Res. 720 – Calling for stability and the cessation of violence and condemning ISIS-affiliated terrorist activity in northern Mozambique, including the Cabo Delgado Province, and for other purposes (Rep. Jacobs (CA) – Foreign Affairs)

This resolution condemns the violence, targeting of civilians, and terrorist attacks carried out by ISIS-Mozambique in Cabo Delgado Province. It calls on the Government of the Republic of Mozambique, with help from the United States, to end the conflict and provide additional humanitarian support. This resolution also urges the Mozambican government to restore security, counter violent extremism, and address the social and economic drivers of terrorist recruitment and the conflict.  

6. H.Con.Res. 45 – Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the execution-style murders of United States citizens Ylli, Agron, and Mehmet Bytyqi in the Republic of Serbia in July 1999 (Rep. Zeldin – Foreign Affairs)

This resolution expresses the sense of Congress that those individuals responsible for the July 1999 murders of Ylli, Agron, and Mehmet Bytyqi in Serbia should be brought to justice, the Serbian government should prioritize the investigation and prosecution of current or former officials believed to be responsible for their deaths, the United States should devote sufficient resources to fully assist such an effort, and that progress in resolving this case should remain a significant factor in the development of relations between U.S. and the Republic of Serbia.

7. H.Res. 892 – Calling on the Government of the Republic of Rwanda to release Paul Rusesabagina on humanitarian grounds (Rep. Castro – Foreign Affairs)

This resolution urges the Rwandan government to immediately release Mr. Rusesabagina on humanitarian grounds and allow him to return to the United States. It expresses grave concern with the Government of Rwanda’s actions, including the extrajudicial transfer of Mr. Rusesabagina from the UAE to Rwanda, placing him in solitary confinement, and charging him with multiple crimes. The resolution calls on Rwandan authorities to permit his access to adequate medical care and urges the United States Government to raise the case of Mr. Rusesabagina in all interactions with the Government of Rwanda and press for his immediate release on humanitarian grounds. Lastly, it expresses support for the family of Paul Rusesabagina and their commitment to bringing him home.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

“What we know matters, but who we are matters more.”

 -Brené Brown