February 8, 2021 Legislative Preview

House Panels to Take Up Reconciliation Measures While Senate Conducts Second
​Trump Impeachment Trial

Sunday, February 7, 2021

The House Committee on the Judiciary has scheduled the first of what could be numerous hearings and actions during the 117th Congress on migration matters. while at least three House committees have scheduled markups of legislation that eventually will be packaged into a measure forming President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.'s $1.9 TRILLION COVID-19 relief legislation..

The action that will probably generate the most attention from the news media during the week ahead, though, is the second impeachment trial of former President Donald J. Trump, which is set to begin on Tuesday, February 9.

The most consequential migration-related actions that are taking place in Congress during the coming week may not yet have been officially placed on the week's calendar; Twelve House committees  are required to produce legislation by Tuesday, February 16, that will be packaged into the Biden COVID-19 relief bill.  However,, only three of them were officially scheduled at the time of this writing.  The biggest of them, including one of the two that are most likely to include provisions impacting migration law and policy are yet to be officially scheduled.  Word could come early in the week of when the remaining nine committees will hold their markup sessions.
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As far as the week beginning February 8, 2021, is concerned, from the perspective of those interested in migration policy, at the time of this writing, the week's legislative schedule includes one hearing (occurring in the House), four business meetings of committees (all occurring in the House) that either have jurisdiction over migration matters or that could produce legislation impacting migration law or policy.

​This Week's House and Senate Floor Activity

At the time of this writing, no 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.

This Week's House and Senate Markup

At the time of this writing, three committees are conducting business meetings during the week ahead that could have an impact on immigration-, refugee-, or human trafficking-related law or policy :

• House Education and Labor Committee Business Meeting:  The House Committee on Education and Labor has scheduled a business meeting for this week, during which it will consider a Committee Print to comply with reconciliation directives included in section 2001(b) of the S. Con. Res. 5, the Concurrent Resolutions on the Budget for FY2021.  

• House Financial Services Committee Business Meeting:  The House Committee on Financial Services has scheduled a business meeting for this week, during which it will consider a Committee Print to comply with reconciliation directives included in section 2001(d) of S. Con. Res. 5, the Concurrent Resolutions on the Budget for FY2021.  

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• House Judiciary Subcommittee Business Meeting:  The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship has scheduled a business meeting for this week, during which it will consider the Subcommittee's "Rules of Procedure and Statement of Policy for Private Immigration Bills" and take action relating to three private immigration relief bills.

• House Ways and Means Committee Business Meeting:  The House Committee on Ways and Means has scheduled a business meeting for this week, during which it will consider a Committee Print to comply with reconciliation directives pursuant to 2001(l) of S. Con. Res. 5, the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for FY2021.

This Week's Hearings and Briefing

• House Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing:  The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship has scheduled a hearing for this week titled,  "The U.S. Immigration System: The Need for Bold Reforms."  

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