Monday, March 4, 2019

Also this week, the House is expected to take its first steps toward producing legislation for DREAMers and TPS holders when it holds a hearing on their plight. 

Senate watchers this week are anticipating upcoming action in that chamber on a joint resolution that the House passed last week disapproving of the President's February 15 emergency declaration with respect to the U.S. border with Mexico.  While it is widely believed that the Senate will not act on that resolution until next week, lots of jockeying is expected to take place this week.  Also this week, a Senate panel has scheduled an oversight hearing on the Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection (CBP) response to the smuggling of persons at the Southern Border.

In all, from the perspective of those interested in immigration, refugee, homeland security, or human trafficking policy, the week's schedule includes seven hearings (five in the House and two in the Senate), no business meetings, and no scheduled floor action on matters of consequence.

Sunday, February 24, 2019

Also happening this week are a number of hearings touching on important aspects of U.S. migration policy and the Trump Administration's conduct of that policy, including hearings on the separation of families at the U.S. border with Mexico; the Administration's treatment of unaccompanied alien children; the impact of the President's emergency declaration on military readiness; the worldwide crisis facing refugees, asylum seekers, and other migrants; and the humanitarian situation in Venezuela.

Sunday, February 10, 2019

Tuesday's funeral for the late former Representative John Dingell, Jr. (D-MI), the longest serving Member of Congress in the nation's history makes for an abbreviated week this week, with several hearings that would have examined immigration-related matters being postponed to dates that had yet to be determined at the time of this writing. 

In all, from the perspective of those interested in immigration, refugee, homeland security, or human trafficking policy, the week's schedule includes three hearings (all likely to be postponed), one business meeting during which a key nomination will be considered, one likely conference committee meeting, and possible floor action on two matters of possible consequence on those subjects.

Sunday, February 3, 2019

Both are scheduled for the evening of Tuesday, February 5th. 

The President and his staff have strong;y suggested that he will use the Address as an opportunity to highlight what has become the signature issue of his presidency: his demand that Congress appropriate funds for the construction of a wall along much of the border between the U.S. and Mexico.  And the President has hinted that he may use the occasion to declare a national emergency that would permit him to commandeer federal resources and use the military to construct the wall that Congress has so far refused to fund.

Monday, January 28, 2019

In all, from the perspective of those interested in immigration, refugee, homeland security, or human trafficking policy, the week's schedule includes one hearing, five business meetings, one conference committee meeting, and possible floor action on one matter of possible consequence on those subjects.

Thursday, January 3, 2019