Biden road show: President Joe Biden is poised to kick off a three-week road show touting his economic agenda with a Tuesday visit to a chipmaker in North Carolina.
What we’re watching: Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and other administration officials are planning to visit 20 states over the next few weeks following a Monday Cabinet meeting, with the goal of promoting the Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS and Science Act and the bipartisan infrastructure law. The push to promote those big policy achievements come as Biden readies his likely re-election campaign in the face of flat job approval rating figures.
AUMF repeal: The Senate is set to meet tomorrow at 3 p.m., when lawmakers will resume consideration of legislation to repeal the 1991 and 2002 authorizations for use of military force in Iraq.
What we’re watching: House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said he thinks there’s a strong chance the repeals could pass the House but they’ll have to go through committee first. A number of Republicans who have been cold to AUMF repeals, such as House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), have dropped their opposition to this effort.
McConnell absence: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) remains out of commission in the chamber as he recovers from a concussion and a minor rib fracture.
Why it’s worth watching: A number of Republicans believe his absence could be a problem for the party if it continues, with Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) raising concerns about upcoming resolutions aimed at overturning Biden administration regulations that only require majority support. For his part, McConnell has been phoning his Republican colleagues expressing his eagerness to return but providing no timeline.
Another immigration delay: Do not mark your calendars for the House Judiciary Committee’s consideration of immigration and border security bills, according to Punchbowl News, which reported that GOP leaders have urged committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) to wait until the House returns in mid-April.
Why it’s worth watching: Republicans have struggled to find unity on the issue where they have maintained enormous political advantage over Biden and the Democrats. However, their hesitance has done little to alter American trust in them to handle it: According to our latest survey, 45% trust Republicans in Congress to handle immigration, compared with 38% who trust Democrats — similar to both parties’ standing at the beginning of the Congress.
Bank regs: Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell suggested to Congress that policymakers should update regulation and oversight rules to prevent bank runs following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank.
What we’re watching: Setting aside the divided Congress, Senate Democrats are not speaking with a unanimous voice on the issue, complicating Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-N.Y.) response to the banking crisis. Some of this is due to 2024 politics, with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) pushing to unwind bank deregulation legislation that was supported by Democratic Sens. Jon Tester of Montana and Joe Manchin of West Virginia, both of whom face tough re-election campaigns next year. For now, the Biden administration said it is prepared to backstop other banks as officials are looking at ways to expand Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. coverage.
Back to the drawing board: Biden will need to pick another nominee to lead the Federal Aviation Administration after Phil Washington, CEO of the Denver International Airport, withdrew from consideration after it became apparent he lacked the votes to advance from the Senate Commerce Committee.
Hearings to watch: On Monday, the House Rules Committee will mark up H.R.1, the GOP’s flagship energy bill.
On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Attorney General Merrick Garland will testify before Senate committees on their agencies’ budget requests, while Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra will face House appropriators. Becerra will also appear before the House Ways and Means Committee. Meanwhile, the House Energy and Commerce Committee is set to review the East Palestine, Ohio disaster, a House Homeland Security subcommittee is scheduled to examine migration at the U.S.-Canada border and a House Oversight subcommittee will look into last year’s baby formula shortage.
On Wednesday, Garland is set to appear before House appropriators, while Haaland, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas will appear before Senate Appropriations subcommittees. Austin will testify before the House Armed Services Committee, and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will hear from the CEO of Starbucks.
On Thursday, Vilsack will appear before a House Appropriations subcommittee.
