July 27, 2020 Legislative Preview

Congress Faces Heavy Schedule of Migration-
Related Legislative Action in the Coming Week

Monday, July 27, 2020

After a busy week last week, during which Congress took up and passed six immigration- or refugee-related bills, Congress moves into overdrive during the week ahead.   Together, the House and Senate will hold numerous hearings that either focus or touch on immigration or refugee law and policy during the week of July 27th.  And one chamber of Congress plans to take up three of the four regular appropriations bills that fund  the federal government's immigration-, refugee-, border security-, and interior immigration enforcement-related agencies, programs, functions, and activities during the week.  

Almost all of the immigration and refugee-related work taking place in front of the cameras this week is occurring in the House.  However, behind the scenes, Senate Republicans in the coming week are expected to decide whether to treat the immigrant and refugee communities equitably in the next traunch of COVID-19 relief legislation they are putting together.  And immigration policymakers and stakeholders await a promised executive action on immigration that could address the legal immigration system and the fate of DACA beneficiaries..

As far as the week beginning July 27th is concerned, from the perspective of those interested in migration policy, the week's legislative schedule includes seven hearings (six of which are occurring in the House); no substantive markup sessions, and floor action on as many as five bills (all in the House) that contain substantial immigration- or refugee-related provisions.

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This Week's House and Senate Floor Activity

At the time of this writing, the following measures that contain significant immigration-, refugee-, or human trafficking-related provisions or that could become a target for amendments on those subjects are scheduled for floor consideration in the full House or full Senate during the week ahead:

• House Floor Consideration of National Museum of the Latino Act:  The full House of Representatives is scheduled this week to take up H.R. 2420, the "National Museum of the American Latino Act".

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• House Floor Consideration of FY '21 Homeland Security; Labor, Health and Human Services, Education; and Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Bills:  While it seems possible that the Homeland Security Appropriations bill will be pulled from the package before the House takes it up, the full House of Representatives is scheduled this week to take up a package of seven appropriations bills that includes among its component parts the House Appropriations Committee-reported versions of the FY '21  Homeland Security Appropriations Act; the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act; and the FY '21 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.​​

​Also included in the package is the Fiscal Year 2021 Defense Appropriations Act, which includes a significant immigration provision.

​This Week's House and Senate Markups

At the time of this writing, the following measures that either contain significant immigration-, refugee-, or human trafficking-related provisions or that could become a target for amendments on those subjects is scheduled for markup in House or Senate committees during the week ahead:

• Meeting to Formulate Rule for Considering Second Minibus Appropriations Bill:  The House Committee on Rules has scheduled a business meeting for this week to formulate a rule for the consideration of H.R. 7617, the "Defense, Commerce, Justice, Science, Energy and Water Development, Financial Services and General Government, Homeland Security, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Act, 2021." 

This Week's Hearings and Briefings

At the time of this writing, the following hearings that are likely to touch on significant immigration-, refugee-, or human trafficking-related matters are scheduled during the week ahead:

• Oversight Hearing on the Department of Justice:  The House Committee on the Judiciary is scheduled this week to hold an oversight hearing on the operations of the Attorney General and the Department of Justice, with Attorney General William Barr as the sole witness..  

• Hearing on Vulnerable Populations During Disaster:  The House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management has scheduled a hearing for this week titled, "Experiences of Vulnerable Populations During Disaster."  

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• Hearing on Technology's Role in Countering Human Trafficking:  The House Science, Space and Technology Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations and its Subcommittee on Research and Technology have scheduled a joint hearing for this week on "Technology's Role in Countering Trafficking in Persons."

• Oversight Hearing on the Operations of USCIS:  The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship has scheduled an oversight hearing for this week on the operations of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) component of the Department of Homeland Security. 

• Hearing on Banning Undocumented Immigrants from Census Count:  The House Committee on House Oversight and Reform has scheduled a hearing for this week on banning undocumented immigrants from the census count.

• Hearing on the Administration's FY '21 Foreign Affairs Budget Request:  The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations has scheduled a hearing for this week titled, "Review of the FY 2021 State Department Budget Request,"  with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as the sole witness.

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• Hearing on DHS Police Actions:  The House Committee on Homeland Security has scheduled a hearing for this week titled, "Homeland Insecurity: DHS Police Actions Endanger our Democracy."  

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