THE LONG GAME: Johnson determined to consider aid for Israel; Mayorkas impeachment reaches Senate
Iran’s drone attack this weekend created a new impetus among lawmakers to pass an aid bill for Israel. The question remained, however, whether assistance to Ukraine would be added to such a measure. Now, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has announced that the House will hold separate votes on aid for Israel, Ukraine, and allies in the Indo-Pacific region. The chamber will likely vote Friday on the measures. There is still the possibility that GOP leaders could send the bills over to the Senate as one package—which could cause further friction between Johnson and his right flank. Chief among those members is Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who has already filed a motion to vacate the speaker’s chair and who is a vocal critic of further aid to Ukraine. Johnson, for his part, made a trip to Mar-a-Lago last week to huddle with former president Donald Trump to help stave off such a move by Greene. Other conservatives, such as Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and most members of the House Freedom Caucus, have expressed their opposition to Johnson’s gambit. Democrats, who are adamant that foreign be approved, will be key to passing the measures and, even before that, the rules allowing for consideration. However, according to Punchbowl News, Democrats are upset by Johnson’s pledge to the GOP Conference that he would allow floor amendments to the bills. Some conservatives have suggested adding H.R. 2, the GOP’s harsh border security bill, to the package. With a razor-thin majority, Johnson has little margin for error.
After a nearly two-month delay, articles of impeachment against Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas are expected to be delivered to the Senate on Tuesday. The House impeached Mayorkas on a second try in February, by a vote of 214-213. Senate President Pro Tempore Patty Murray (D-WA) will preside over the chamber and senators will be sworn in as jurors. The impeachment resolution accuses Mayorkas of “willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law” and “breach of public trust”— which, critics point out, hardly meets the standard of “high crimes and misdemeanors” that has historically been used to oust impeached public officials from their positions. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has pledged to move on the matter “as expeditiously as possible.” A quick resolution might be necessary if the Senate is going to take up a bill, passed by the House last week, to reauthorize section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The program is set to expire on Friday.
Washington Watch is published weekly when Congress is in session. Published monthly during extended recess or adjournment.
Spotlight on Puerto Rico
Student debt now exceeds median household income in Puerto Rico
The cost of obtaining a degree is rising for students in Puerto Rico, and recent data show that it now exceeds the median household income on the Island. According to El Nuevo Dia, one in four college students in Puerto Rico borrows to pay for college, and three out of four take on debt in order to pursue graduate studies. The Community Survey of the federal Census Bureau reports that, between 2018 and 2022 the average student debt was $28,242, about $4,000 higher than the median household income in Puerto Rico. "Given the path we are on, more young people will choose not to pursue a bachelor's degree leading to graduate studies to avoid getting into debt with a loan," said Miguel Marín Fuster, president of the General Student Council of the University of Puerto Rico (UPR), Río Piedras Campus. More than 160,000 students in Puerto Rico are working to obtain a university degree.
Puerto Rico’s governor not eager to make changes to information access law
Despite more than 350 lawsuits filed during the last four years seeking access to information, Puerto Rico’s governor said this week that there is no consensus to amend Law 141, the Transparency and Expedited Procedure Law. The governor— who, in a 2020 Facebook post, pledged that “transparency will be the axis” of his administration-- said that the law provides insufficient time to supply the information requested. He stated that it is difficult to comply with the law because of the onerous amount of data and that people making requests often want the information on paper, El Vocero reports. The governor said that he will evaluate any recommendations for amendments to the law, but that he does not want to create the impression of restricting freedom of the press. He also said that he will seek input from unions representing Puerto Rican journalists.
House Democrats prepare amendment on SNAP
Democratic lawmakers in Washington will push for the House Committee on Agriculture to vote as early as May on a proposal aimed at helping Puerto Rico begin the transition to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or receive an increase in funds from the Nutrition Assistance Program. Democratic members of the committee met last week and agreed on an amendment covering nutritional assistance for the Island. Democrats will push for the amendment if the GOP majority excludes from the reauthorization of the farm bill a proposal authorizing the Puerto Rican government to present a five-year transition from NAP to SNAP. “Changing from NAP to SNAP in Puerto Rico or, at least, obtaining additional funds beyond what Puerto Rico is currently receiving is a priority for us,” said U.S. Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL) in an interview with El Nuevo Día. House members concede that it might be easier to pass such measures in the U.S Senate.
View From The White House
Making use of funds from the CHIPS and Science Act, the Commerce Department on Monday announced that it had reached an agreement to provide up to $6.4 billion to Samsung Electronics to develop a computer chip research and manufacturing cluster in Texas.
Under a final rule issued by the Department of the Interior on Friday, oil and gas companies will have to pay one-third more to drill on federal lands, while facing new requirements to clean up old or abandoned wells.
The Biden Administration announced last week that it would require unlicensed gun sellers who primarily sell firearms at gun shows and online marketplaces to register with the federal government.
3121 SOUTH STREET NW, SUITE 100
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20007
TEL. (202) 337-1016
Comments