This Week on the Hill
Week of January 21, 2019
Friday, January 24, 2019
(Last Updated: January 18 , 2019 at 2:00 am EST)
ThisWeekInImmigration.Com's "This Week on the Hill" page lists the immigration-, human trafficking-, and refugee-related hearings, markups, and floor actions that either have been officially scheduled or that are anticipated to occur during the current week.
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U.S. House of Representatives
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U.S. Senate
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Bicameral
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Non-Governmental
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This Week's Hearings
No Scheduled Immigration-, Human Trafficking, or Refugee-Related Hearings
This Week's Markups
Thursday, January 24, 2019
- House Committee on the Judiciary 116th Congress Organizational Meeting: The House Committee on the Judiciary has scheduled its 116th Congress Organizational Meeting, for this week, during which it will organize itself for the 116th Congress, a process that entails adopting its rules, adopting rules and policies for the consideration of private legislation, establishing its subcommittee structure, and agreeing to the leadership and roster of its subcommittees.
This week's Organizational Meeting is scheduled for 10:00 am EST in Room 2141 of the Rayburn House Office Building.
This Week's Floor Actions
At the time of this writing,four measures that contain significant immigration-, refugee-, or human trafficking-related provisions are scheduled for floor consideration this week in the House:
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
- Full House to Take Up Bill to Study Contribution of Cryptocurrencies to Human and Drug Trafficking: The full U.S. House of Representatives this week is expected to take up a measure that would direct the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a study on the contributions that cryptocurrencies make to human trafficking. This week’s House floor action is set to occur in connection with H.R. 502, the “Fight Illicit Networks and Detect Trafficking Act” or the FIND Trafficking Act”. The House will take up the measure on Wednesday, January 23, 2019.
Parliamentary Situation. The House is expected to take up H.R. 502 under a procedure known as “suspension of the rules,” under which debate is limited to 40 minutes, no floor amendments to the measure are permitted, and the bill must receive the affirmative votes of at least two-thirds of those Members who are present and voting in order to be passed.
Outlook. H.R. 502 has not generated any opposition. The House will almost certainly pass it.
- Full House to Take Up Negotiated Consolidated FY ’19 Appropriations Measure in Latest Democratic Attempt to Reopen Shuttered Departments and Agencies: The U.S. House of Representatives this week is expected to take up a package of measures reflecting the negotiated conference agreements that were reached last year between House and Senate appropriators on six of the seven un-enacted Fiscal Year 2019 appropriations bills. The package includes two of the three un-enacted immigration- and refugee-related appropriations bills. Excluded from it is the measure that funds the Department of Homeland Security. This week’s House floor action is set to occur in connection with H.R. 648, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019. At the time of this writing, the House planned to begin its consideration of the measure on Wednesday, January 23, 2019 and complete consideration of it on Thursday, January 24th.
Parliamentary Situation. At the time of this writing, the precise parliamentary situation that will govern House floor consideration of H.R. 648 was not yet known. However, it is believed that the House Democratic Leadership will seek to bring the bill before the House pursuant to a “Rule” that would preclude the offering of floor amendments to the bill and provide Republicans with the opportunity to offer a motion to recommit (MTR) the bill, with or without instructions.
Thursday, January 24, 2019 (And the Balance of the Week)
- House to Take Up Homeland Security Appropriations Measure Containing Added Border Security Funding: While it had not been officially scheduled at the time of this writing, the full U.S. House of Representatives this week could take up a measure that would fund the Department of Homeland Security for all or a portion of Fiscal Year 2019, adding more than $1 BILLION in additional border security funding to the agreement on the measure that was reached last year by House and Senate appropriators.
Parliamentary Situation. If the House takes up the measure, it likely will do so pursuant to a “Rule” that would preclude the offering of floor amendments to the bill and provide Republicans with the opportunity to offer a motion to recommit (MTR) the bill, with or without instructions.
Outlook. It will not be possible to assess the outlook in the House for the bill until its text is released.
- House Floor Consideration of Short Term FY ’19 Continuing Appropriations Act: The full House of Representatives this week is expected to take up H.J. Res. 28, a measure providing continuing appropriations for federal departments, agencies, and functions for which funding has lapsed through through February 28, 2019.
With respect to funding for the federal government's immigration- and refugee-related functions, the measure would provide continuing appropriations for functions normally funded by the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Homeland Security; and State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Bills.
Last Week’s Floor Consideration. The House took up H.J. Res. 28 on Thursday, January 17, 2019, under procedures that precluded Members from offering any floor amendments to it. After debating the measure and disposing of the Republican Motion to Recommit it, the House passed it by a voice vote. However, after complaints from the Republican Leadership that the vote was called to quickly, the Democratic Leadership agreed to vitiate the action by which the House passed the measure and hold a recorded vote on the measure this week.
Outlook. The House will almost certainly pass H.J. Res. 28, when it has a re-vote on the measure, doing so largely by a party-line vote.
This Week's Hearings
No Scheduled Immigration-, Human Trafficking, or Refugee-Related Hearings
This Week's Markups
No Scheduled Immigration-, Human Trafficking, or Refugee-Related Markups
This Week's Floor Actions
Tuesday, January 22, 2019 (And the Balance of the Week)
- Senate to Begin Parliamentary Skirmishing in Effort to Take Up Trump-Backed “Compromise” Border Wall/DACA/TPS Proposal: The Senate this week is scheduled to take its first immigration actions of the 116th Congress as the Republican Leadership attempts to bring a legislative package endorsed by President Donald J. Trump and brimming with immigration provisions before the full Senate for a vote. This week’s Senate floor action is expected to occur in connection with the “End the Shutdown and Secure the Border Act” (Senate Omnibus Package).. The measure is an attempt by President Trump and the Senate Republican Leadership to open the shuttered departments, agencies, and functions of the federal government while also securing Fiscal Year 2019 funding for the construction of President Trump’s proposed wall along the border between the U.S. and Mexico. To accomplish those twin goals, the President has agreed to accept provisions that would provide temporary legislative relief for an estimated one million DACA and TPS beneficiaries whose status has been terminated by President Trump. Senate floor consideration of the measure is beginning on Tuesday, January 22, 2019,. It is expected to continue its consideration of it throughout the remainder of the week.
Parliamentary Situation. The Senate is expected to consider the "End the Shutdown and Secure the Border Act" as a floor amendment that will be offered by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) to H.R. 268, a House-passed FY '19 Emergency Disaster Assistance Supplemental Appropriations Bill.
While the precise parliamentary situation under which the bill will be considered was not known at the time of this writing, it is expected to be considered under circumstances requiring a 60-vote threshold.
Hearings and Briefings
No Scheduled Immigration-, Human Trafficking, or Refugee-Related Hearings or Briefings
This Week's Activities
No Scheduled Immigration-, Human Trafficking, or Refugee-Related Events